Some prayer requests

Please be in prayer for the following:

1. The satellite ministry in Tarariras, Uruguay. The building being used now is owned by the Mormon Bishop and when he comes to town there can be no meetings. It would be best to find a new building.
2. Dr. David Cummins, Baptist World Mission Deputation Director, will be here for two weeks and will have a very full schedule preaching and teaching Baptist history. Please pray for souls to be saved and believers to grow. Pray for his health and strength as well as that of Mrs. Cummins who will be here with him. The Cummins will leave from here to go to Brazil for a couple of weeks.
3. Anniversary Sunday for La Iglesia Bautista Fundamental will be January 14th. The baptism service at the river is a tremendous opportunity to be a witness for Christ as the church members stand along the shore singing hymns and passing out tracts to passers by. Those being baptized are from both satellite mininstries in El General and Tarariras, as well as the mother church in El Real.
4. Betina recently had brain surgery to remove a mass. This is her second such surgery, the last one was just three years ago. She was sent home from the hospital in Montevideo less than a week after her surgery. Pray for a full recovery.
5. It would be good for us to get a vehicle soon please pray God will lead us to the right van. The Perez' have graciously loaned us their car. Right now the container and immigration have taken up a lot of our O&P fund which leaves us short of the amount we need for a van.

We trust you all will have a Happy New Year following the Lord's will for your lives.

They said it couldn't happen....

but God must really want to encourage us, because today at our front door a man came knocking. Now this was not just any ordinary man this was a delivery man. And not just any delivery man, mind you, would cause me to write this post, but a delivery man of BOXES from the USA. Can you believe it?!

I could hardly contain myself when I opened my front door and saw this nice man standing at the door with a BOX, from the USA, just for us. Well, actually, a box of Christmas presents for the little ones.

The amazing thing is that the box only took 2 weeks to make it to us and it doesn't appear to have been opened by customs. Thank you, Bethany Hills Baptist, for taking a BIG risk in sending this box to us. And thank you, Lord, for this special surprise!!!

Fireworks, family dinners, and BBQ, to someone from the USA these things remind us of the 4th of July. To Uruguayans they are traditions of Christmas. Over and over again I had to remind myself that we really were at the end of December instead of the beginning of July. I'm told by other missionaries who live in the Southern Hemisphere or climates which are warm year round that we will adapt. I even had a friend from Cambodia write to tell me that this year they were drinking Hot Cocoa and wearing coats...in the 60's. It's a little hard to believe that Christmas in the summer will become normal but even North Carolina had some heat this year. So I guess I can't rule it out.

Christmas Eve was really nice. Archie and Ruth Perez invited us over for a traditional Uruguayan Christmas, which they celebrate on Christmas Eve. Archie joked that we were the only ones in the country opening our presents on Christmas morning. Below are some pictures and explanations of our Christmas. Enjoy.

The Perez' oldest son Mark was the asado (BBQ) chef and he did great. Notice it's not like our BBQ. They light the wood and once they have coals they move them under the meat and cook it very slowly, usually several hours. We ate about 9 pm, much earlier than the typical midnight meal. The meal was served with beats, salad, and cornbread, green beans, macaroni and cheese (our North American contribution) and mashed potatos, brownies, cake (for Adeline) and the Asado (Beef, Chicken and Sausage). The meat is covered with a wonderful sauce called Chimmichurri. Those of you who have eaten with us have already tried a version of this.

Simeon REALLY enjoys the chocolate candy bars here. This was his before dinner treat.

The little children put on a play about the Christmas story. Bethany was Mary, David Perez was Joseph, Isabel an Angel, Nehemiah, Adeline and Priscilla Perez were Wiseman, and Simeon was a Shepherd. They did a great job too.

Our Christmas Card

Stormy Weather

Last Saturday night, and again last night, Uruguay experienced unseasonable rough weather. Saturday nights storm packed winds of over 90 miles per hour. Here in Uruguay, at least in Colonia, it is not at all unusual for people to be out late into the night. Most head out for dinner after 10 pm. As a result several were caught outside when the storm hit. We actually woke up to people screaming before we realized there was a storm. Brandon looked out the window and saw a man on a bike riding very fast up the road and not hardly peddling. Thankfully, we live in a nice strong concrete house. The only thing affected was our yard with a lot of tree debre.

Since attempting to get our container I have experienced some storms in my heart. I so badly want my things. After three years of deputation and living out of suitcases, I'm so ready to be home, that's difficult with no belongings. North Americans have the saying, "Home is where your heart is." As a believer I've been reminded that my home is anywhere Jesus would have me to be. I'm holding on to that as I wait on beauracracy to find it's way through all the red tape. I really don't have any idea how people who don't know the Lord can move as we just have. I'm finding a new dependence on God here. One that has been there but needs strengthening. God is constantly reminding me to believe in Him, trust in Him for He is my God.

I know our container will get here when God is ready for it to arrive. And it will be just like Christmas as I open up boxes I packed away three years ago and look again at family pictures. And I'm sure I'll wonder as I pull some items out of their safe keeping what in the world I was thinking packing that silly little thing and shipping it thousands of miles.

The Before

The Master Bedroom after cracks had been plastered.

The Kitchen, under the wallpaper and plaster was a nice tile

This is the dining room wall where they had a carpet glued. We had to remove the adhesive then sand and plaster then sand again. The boys room was the same way.

Gabriel Chauvie sanding the wall.

Our arrival on the field

The sign made for our arrival...Welcome to Uruguay family Borrmann

Debbie and Ruth Perez. We all wore the yellow Uruguay Bound t-shirts for easy identification in the airports.

Andrea and Bethany Perez and Sabrina, one of the teens, with Isabel.

A couple of our Urugauyan (pronounced ur oo gwash in, I think that's the phonetics of it anyway) prayer warriors, Senoras Ema and Norma, with Kaitlin.

The bus that took us home to Colonia del Sacramento. The guys were filling the "basement" with our 22 checked bags, plus 15 carry on and personal bags. Now imagine all that plus seven children, we were a sight to behold.

Promised Pictures Part One

Our very first Uruguayan sunset the night we arrived.















The Ladies Christmas meeting.

Language Barriers

I keep wondering how much the people we deal with on a daily basis must be laughing as they recount our coming into their stores to order things. The other day we visited the brand new mall in town. Though it's only about a tenth of the size of a regular stateside mall and about half a Super Wal Mart, it's great!

There is a grocery store attached to the mall which we've already visited a couple times. Our friends, the Baltzersens, wanted some goodies from the bakery. Trying to get a price was near to impossible; we knew how to ask the price of things but, they spoke so quickly and I'm not so good yet with numbers higher than 19. The girls finally put the prices up on their scale. We all got a good laugh about that one.

Culture shock is already hitting. It's hard to get used to standing in line for everything. In the grocery store you must visit the deli counter, the meat counter and the bakery counter - separately. The fruit and veggies also must be weighed and ticketed right there in that section. A visit to the paint store takes at least 30 minutes, never mind that what we needed we just took off the shelf.

Perhaps when our Spanish gets better things will move more rapidly. I was able to recognize many things that Pastor Archie had preached on during the Sunday services. So for that I'm thankful. My goal is to, very soon, be able to have a meaningful conversation with some of the ladies here. Right now my communication is extremely limited and consists mostly of smiles.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for this immersion way of language learning. The longer we are here the more I realize I wouldn't learn half of what I'm learning now in a classroom. I'm a hands on learner and I'm very goal oriented. Motivation is a major factor here. I'm motivated to be able to share the Gospel...clearly.

Yesterday, we took our friends, the Baltzersens, to the airport. Boy, will we miss them considerably. It was a blessing to have this transition time with them. Thanks Bill and Judy for serving the Lord, though briefly, here with us in Uruguay. We are looking forward to your next family vacation down here. :-)

A short update

Just wanted to let you all know I haven't forgotten about the pictures. I should have them up in a couple days when we have high speed internet. Things are going great. We've been working on painting the house and doing some renovations wet tried to put a linoleum floor down. Let's just say, we should've went for the tile to begin with.

I'll be back in a couple days with some photos. Thanks for praying.

OVER THE TOP!!!!

It is unquestionably thrilling to report that we are over the top on our support; the official number is103.65!!! Glory to God!!!!!!!

In addition, an absolutely amazing thing has just occurred, we just rented our house. We are all jubilant!

Thank you all for praying!!! A missionary friend of ours said that God was working on our behalf at the 11th hour. Boy, oh boy, she had no idea.

Our new house in Uruguay.

The front of the house we will rent in Uruguay.

A picture of one of the bedrooms.
The backside of the house with a large yard.
The Uruguayan form of a BBQ. YUM!!!
The kitchen. We'll post more pictures once we get settled in.

Madi is home!

In all of the rush of things just before, and after, we left for the field, this entry was never posted. Sorry, Matt and Val, I really wanted our prayer warriors to rejoice with you. They had a lovely Christmas together and we praise God for allowing Madi to make it through.

This entry is actually an email sent to me by Madi's Grandma. For those who don't know Madi has spent the last year and a half battling brain cancer. I'm sure everyone who has been praying for her for these past months will enjoy reading this post.

**********

When their car turned the corner and headed down the street to home today Madi's unsolicited response was: "Thank you God for bringing me home safely."

We are a very happy family this evening. Madi is finally home and healthy. She was greeted today by a special friend, as you can see in the picture, a multitude of balloons, and many many welcome home cards. Just watching her today it seemed I was watching the little girl from a year and a half ago. She was laughing while watching a movie, smiling for no apparent reason, and even walking with the special swing of her right arm that she used to do. She very seldom expressed what she was feeling these past months but the visible change I noted today made me wonder what went on in her little head all this time.

Thank you all for your kindness and prayers, Rosalie

WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!

Yesterday we set up our display, showed our presentation, and answered questions for the last time on deputation. Allow me to quote a friend, “WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!” The meeting was good and the Pastor very encouraging. Believe it or not, on this side of deputation there are so many things we are thankful for and some things we will even miss.

For instance, we will miss getting to meet believers who have a heart for missions. We will miss the opportunity of ministering, though we have gained a new one with our departure for the field. We will miss the fellowship with North Americans around the dinner table. I will miss eating out. Bethany will miss hunting me down and finding me in the mission closets of churches.

On the other hand, we will not miss the hours of driving, or riding, as the case may be, and the mechanical problems and failures of older vans. Scott will not miss eating out. The kids will not miss the first day of school every Sunday. Though our kids travel really well we will not miss the bathroom stops or changing a baby’s diaper on the van seat. Believe me; anything is better than some changing tables. Finally, we won’t miss being constantly tired.

I don’t want to end on the negative so I want to praise God that He has protected us in the over 80,000 miles of travel. That He has raised all of our financial support and brought us along the path of tremendous prayer warriors. I praise Him for the many new friends we have, and for the deeper burden to reach the lost in Uruguay with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the many lessons we learned which strengthened us for the task ahead we praise the Lord. This is a very exciting time in our lives and we are honored and thrilled that God has chosen to use us.

Did I already mention that deputation is over? WOOOOHOOOOO!!!

Container Packing

If you've never helped a missionary pack a container, we would highly recommend it for the experience alone. I can't begin to tell you the amount of hours that went into the preparation of getting our earthly belongings ready to be packed into the container. What I can tell you is that it must have felt like the end of a long day's work for South Park Baptist as they are the ones who did much of the staging and prep work. Scott and Brandon were able to help while we were in town but the church still had work days while we were in meetings.

A prayer request for everything to go smoothly was certainly answered. It was amazing to be a part of the sweet spirit of the many men, ladies and teens who showed up to help load the container. There were times when we were all working so well with eachother to get things passed up to the men in the container they had to slow us down. The day was wet and cold yet no one complained. One of the families even brought their video and still cameras to capture the morning's events. I'm glad for that as both our video and still cameras didn't have charged batteries. All in all it was a great experience shared with wonderful friends!

Satan is a Vulture

Yesterday marked our final deputation missions conference. Since I have been writing about the conferences we've been in, I thought the illustration Pastor Rouse of Mountain View Baptist used was very powerful and must be passed on.

The Pulitzer Prize winning photo at left was taken by a South African photojournalist. http://picturenet.co.za/photographers/kc/ The story is told that once he took this photo he got back in his vehicle and left the dying child to the vulture. Seeing only a photo opportunity he never thought to spare the child of the impending death. Some months later he was asked what happened to the child and later took his own life for the reality of what he had done was too much to bear.

How often do we walk into a store, or spend time with our friends and family, feel the pricking of the Holy Spirit to share Christ, yet we go on with our lives, never seeing beyond ourselves? All the while the vulture waits to consume them!

Oh, Lord, help us to see that those around us are dying and in need of salvation thorugh Jesus Christ. Help us not to forget that there is indeed a cause. May we shine forth your light so the world may know you.

October 2006 Borrmann Beacon

Prayer Requests:
· Our house must RENT.
· The remainder of our support $57.00/month and O&P funds of $8,500.
Praises:
· We have 98.91% of our support
· Departure date set for December 4th
· Adeline was cleared of all possible lung diseases, allergic asthma is the culprit.
· God giving us knowledge through Adeline’s allergies which protected Isabel from a deadly allergic reaction

SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR
Have you ever had one of those days where nothing turned out quite like you expected? In a very good way, we are having one of those weeks. It all began after our commissioning service when our Pastor suggested Scott look into ticket prices. After being quoted an amount $5,000 less than our budget we were given the green light to buy our tickets!!! We get to leave for Uruguay from Chicago O’Hare on December 4th. WOW!
Earlier this month we were given the go ahead to rent the house. Ideally, we would love to sell but are content to rent. We have put ads in the local papers and have already had many inquiries. Since God has led us to take this step of faith we know He will take care of this need.

COMMISSIONING SERVICE
It is hard to believe that our day of commissioning has already come and gone and now we have set a departure date. Scott’s Dad, Step Mom and brother and Debbie’s adopted Mom were able to make it for the day. In addition, there were several visitors from supporting churches.
Scott preached Sunday School and then the evening service. Our Pastor preached the morning service and the deacons laid hands on Scott and commissioned us for missionary service. We were given various gifts and presented with $11,000 for our outfit and passage. Debbie made a multimedia presentation about our time on deputation; please email us if you would like a copy.
At the end of the day everyone took hold of a rope that encircled the first several pews. Attached to the main rope were smaller ropes that our family held. This was to be a visual reminder of how they hold the ropes for us. We trust God was at work in the hearts and lives of all who was there. And we praise Him for the privilege of being His ambassadors to Uruguay.

ABUNDANT ALLERGIES
Adeline is allergic to nearly everything in Michigan. Hopefully, our move will help relieve many of her symptoms. The other tests cleared her of any lung diseases including Cystic Fibrosis, Praise God! So we are dealing with allergic asthma. We are now using a peak flow meter which helps us “see” the condition of her lungs. Already we have been able to catch a couple of flare ups before they occurred.
Deputation weekend got off to a rough start when Isabel, our 3 year old, had an anaphylactic reaction. We were on our way home from getting Debbie’s adopted Mom at the airport and stuck in rush hour traffic. Thankfully, Scott was taking a different route home which “happened” to take us right by a hospital. If it hadn’t have been for Adeline’s allergies we never would have known what was happening with Isabel. Isabel now has an appointment on October 31st for allergy testing.


-Over-
We were asked for specific prayer requests as we prepare to leave and the list is below. Please know that we still are not done, we still need support and outfit and passage money. As well as money for other expenses, not included in O&P, needed to get us to the field. For example, the house rental ad costs us $53.00 per week and paperwork expenses. God will provide! Thank you for praying!

1. We need a renter for the house.

2. We need $8,500 O&P

3. We need 1.2% or $57/month support

4. There is a lot of paper work - insurance forms, packing lists, container shipping, and legal stuff to get filled out really fast. Pray we will be efficient and correct.

5. There are a few more things that need to be packed.

6. There are some things we still need to purchase - sofa, chair, 4 full size mattresses, bedding, and wardobes/armoirs. Pray God would provide the funds or the items needed.

7. Everything for our container must be to Indiana around the first of November. Pray for help to load and unload the moving truck.

8. We still have some meetings through the middle of November. Pray that we will be able to set aside the rush of the move to be a blessing to the people in the churches we will be ministering in.

9. We need to get a years supply of all the medicines we need for Adeline and Brandon. Pray the insurance company we have now will let this go through without any problems. Pray especially for the Xopenex (zo-pen-ex) to go through as this is a very expensive asthma drug and they always give us a hard time for a one month supply.

10. We found out we will be taxed on the “Big Tent” it could be up to 50% of the value pray for the tax to be minimal.

11. Overall, we see how much God has already done for us and He has ALWAYS proven Himself faithful. Pray we will keep our focus on Him. Pray for all of us as the reality that we are really moving sinks in.

This all really is so exciting and we are so thankful to God for our prayer warriors. We look forward to updating you soon on all the answers to prayer.

Uruguay Bound on December 4th,

Scott and Debbie Borrmann
BWM Missionaries to Uruguay

Borrmann Commissioning Service

It's hard to believe that our commissioning service has already come and gone. It was a good day spent with family and friends. Since we have a prayer letter coming out soon with an article on the service I thought I'd post pictures here with some different details.

Top Picture - The kids really enjoyed the surprise of receiving gifts in the evening service - We received a Spanish version of O' Love Divine and the Spanish Majesty Hymnal, Brandon got a Wilds Spanish Music CD, guitar book and personalized pencils, Kaitlin a set of piano books, Bethany a scrapbooking kit, Adeline a Suzuki Violin book and tape, Nehemiah a James train (Thomas' friend), Isabel an art kit (she declared it to be candy), and Simeon a shape sorter/hammer toy. In the am service we were given a check for $11,000 that has been accumulating throughout deputation to go towards our outfit and passage. The WMF gave Debbie $200.

Second Picture - Holding the ropes illustration. This was the most memorable time for us. At the end of our deputation presentation, shown in the PM service, we said, "You hold the ropes for us, and we pray you will never let them go." Our hearts were touched as everyone took hold of the rope. We sang and then prayed for our sending church to keep in contact with us, and to remember us in prayer.

Third Picture - The fellowship after the evening service. It was a special blessing for us to have sixteen friends from supporting churches come for the day. We also had Scott's Dad, Step Mom and Brother and Debbie's adopted mom. (clockwise from left) Debbie, Sandy Hagan (hidden by Debbie), Mia and John Vinson, Scott and Simeon.

Final Picture - Probably the most important part of the day. The Bible says in Acts 13:3, "And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Our family was brought forward to the platform for the deacons to lay hands on Scott while two of them prayed for our family.

Thank you to Macomb Baptist (our sending church) for praying and giving sacrificially over the past few years. Thank you, Marilyn, for singing a difficult song on such short notice. And thanks also to Joel and Dawn for the duet in the eveing service. Thank you to Frank Newman for taking photos all day, and then going above and beyond to make a scrapbook for us! Thanks also to our videographer for capturing the services on film! Thanks to everyone who brought food for the fellowship on Sunday night, it sure was yummy! Thank you to all our family and friends for spending your Sunday with us! Thank you, God, for the many blessings you have bestowed on us.

It is our prayer that we will bring honor and glory to the name of God as we serve Him in Uruguay. Our praise goes solely to God for all He has done in our lives. What a GREAT God we serve!

Borrmann Commissioning Service Photos

Borrmann Update October 2, 2006

Adeline had her appointment with the pediatric Pulmonologist and was given a thumb up. The test for cystic fibrosis came back negative, meaning she is clear of that disease. Praise God! The next step is to see an allergy specialist on October 10th, to see if her pneumonia and asthma is directly related to allergic reactions. This appears to be the situation. We would appreciate your continued prayers for wisdom for the doctors in determining what is happening with Adeline and an appropriate course of treatment.

Brandon’s protein levels are back within the normal range. It’s difficult to understand the reason behind the high reading was actually normal; it seems a high reading would be bad no matter the cause. But evidently when it is high after walking around in the morning it is caused by the body excreting the extra protein stored up from the night before, as was the case with Brandon.

Our commissioning service on October 15th edges ever closer. Our intention was to send out personal invitations but we had some problems with our printer locking up. Many have inquired about coming and we wanted to let you know, in case you don’t get the invitation in time that the commissioning will occur in the morning service at 10:45 am. In Sunday school, we plan to show a brief multi-media presentation about our time on deputation. Scott will be preaching in the PM Service. If you are interested in attending, and need housing or have questions, please call us, 704-473-0602 (Scott’s Cell) or 704-473-3950 (Deb’s Cell)

Green Meadow Bible Baptist in Kalamazoo, MI just took us on for support which puts us at 95%. We are praying the Lord would allow us to be at 100% by October 15th, our commissioning day.
Outfit and passage money is steadily coming in and we are now over 53% of our needed amount. It would be difficult to list many gifts, ranging from $100 to $5,000, which we have received towards this need. Not as difficult though as it is to find the right words to express our gratitude for the financial sacrifice of others in a desire to help us arrive in Uruguay. God bless you all for your generosity and heart for world-wide missions.

Thank you to all who emailed to let us know you were praying with us about the house. Sadly, nothing came of the showings so the house still needs to sell. We are waiting to hear back from some companies we contacted that specialize in real estate investment. It sure would be nice if they would buy the house.

Mission's Conference Season

Donning our best attire, smiles, and having prayed that God would enable us to be a blessing we have started our third missions conference season. As you know we hoped we would be in Uruguay by now. But you also know that we are surrendered to God's will and He has blessed us so much already this season.

After coming home from our first conference, for doctors and dentist appointments, we headed back to West Virginia for a conference in Old Kanawha Baptist Church. Neal Cadwell was the keynote preacher. I wish I could tell you more about this meeting but I ended up with an infected dry socket, after my wisdom tooth was pulled, and was in bed for most of it. I can tell you that the people were so sweet and giving. When I did make it back for the last night so many told me how they prayed. Just the people we need in our corner.

We just finished a conference at Faith Baptist of Warren. This is our co-workers sending church. It was thrilling for us to talk with people so familiar with the ministry we are joining. We enjoyed the fellwoship with the other missionaries. And the music was absolutely incredible! And the preaching, by the missionaries, was just as challenging. In short, this has been one of the best meetings the Lord has given us the priviledge of presenting in.

All I Need is Jesus

After sitting in one place on the freeway for almost an hour we are finally on our way back to Michigan from Nitro, West Virginia. We were here this week for Twin City Bible Church's 2006 missions conference. This week has been remarkable.

We were privileged to stay in the White House. Ok, so it wasn't THE White House but the home of Bob and Nikki White. But I'll tell you we were treated like honored guests. The children had a fun time playing with the Whites. And we thoroughly enjoyed their fellowship.

Twin City is a supporting church and so it was nice to reconnect with people and make new friends. We have really enjoyed the opportunities to "report" in our supporting churches and TCBC is no exception. We enjoyed the fellowship with church members and other missionaries at Pastor Bill and Mrs. Egerdahls home last night. And we believe we have gained some dear new friends.

The theme of the conference was All That I Need is Jesus, the music and preaching all directed our hearts towards this fact. But the final service was especially used of God to challenge our hearts. Tom Huckel, missionary to the Jewish People, was the preacher and he has the ability to share truths from the Word that shed new light on our relationship with God.

Right now, as we finish deputation, we have many pressures and concerns. When will our house sell? Will we receive all we need for our outfit and passage? How long will it be before we have 100% support? Our house sale, O&P, and support are all genuine needs; but do they supercede our need for a relationship with Jesus? I admit I have been looking at life solely through my "field goggles" and lost sight of the Joy of my salvation. I have allowed the circumstances of life to discourage me. Forgetting that my true need is a growing dependance upon God. God will work out all the details in His good pleasure, and won't it be wonderful when He does?!

Can you truly say, "All I need is Jesus!"? If not, why not? Is your hope for salvation fixed upon the finished work of the cross? Or are you still trying to work out your salvation through good works? Will you allow God to give you the Joy of Salvation through Jesus Christ?

Labor Day Weekend

This past Labor Day weekend was quite remarkable for us. Our family walked in a Labor Day parade and helped pass out over 1800 John and Romans packets. It was exciting for us to be able to put the Word of God into hands of men and women with the prayer that they will read it and God will show them their need for salvation. A glimpse for us of our future work in Uruguay.

Sunday was spent at South Park Baptist Church in Crown Point, Indiana. They have supported us now for over a year and will be packing our container, as well as mailing our Borrmann Beacon while we are on the field. A couple from this church, The B's, will be flying down to Uruguay with us. We stay with them when we are in Crown Point and the kids especially enjoyed this weekend with them. It's such a relief to have good friends flying with us and helping us to get settled in our new home. Of course we're thrilled to be able to show them the work in Uruguay. Pray for them they have a BIG job!

Some friends took the girls shopping at the American Girl Place in Chicago. It was a lot of fun for them to get something special for their dolls. Isabel was so happy to get a Bitty Baby doll, an early birthday present from her Grandma Jay. The guys got to go to the Chicago Fire pro soccer game where they were caught on camera for the local news. Wish I had a picture of it!

As we prepare to leave for Uruguay we have made several lists of all different categories. The longest has been our container list which includes everything we are shipping into the country. Friday we were able to take our needed furniture list to an overstock/damaged goods warehouse and tick some things off. I'll not bore you in listing all we bought but God was so good to give us great deals. Everything we purchased should have cost us over $15,000 retail and $7,000 on sale. The manager was very generous and sold us everything for $2,400. We still have a few things on our list that we are hoping to get from the same place.

Do you Google?

If you have spent any time searching for something on the internet you have probably used the Google search engine. What has Google turned up for you lately? Scott did a search the other day for "BIG TENTS" he clicked the link for the first site on the list and called. After asking for a quote on a 30' x 50' tent and explaining that we will be using it to church plant in Uruguay, the salesman put Scott on hold. When he returned to the call he informed Scott that their business was started to provide tents for church planters. He then shared with Scott that they will be giving us this $5,000 tent!!! Praise the Lord!

Such exciting news needed to be shared with Archie and Ruth Perez. When Scott called them he was told that the people there had been praying specifically for a tent. God is certainly showing them, and reminding us, that if He will array the lillies and clothe the grass we need to, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32) God will, does, and will continue to provide for our needs. Who needs to worry when we serve a great God?

Archie asked Scott to look into a 20' middle section to make the tent larger. This section costs $1,800 and we already have $1,500 of that promised. We are really excited now to see how God will sell our home, meet our support, and supply our needs for outfit and passage.

Adeline's Agressive Asthma

After fourteen months of being pneumonia free we thought Adeline had finally outgrown some of her severe respiratory problems. What we thought was a small asthma episode was really bacterial pneumonia in both lungs. Our trip to the doctor has turned into 7 days in the hospital, so far. Hopefully, if Adeline can keep good blood oxygen saturation levels again tonight she will be able to go home tomorrow, after she has some blood drawn for more allergy tests and also has a sweat test done to rule out Cystic Fibrosis. With the hopes of being able to get a better handle on why she keeps getting pneumonia Adeline will be referred down to Children's Hospital in Detroit to see a pediatric pulminologist.

Scott and I appreciate all the prayers for her, and us! There are so many other things that need to be done right now that this stay has been inconvienent, to say the least. But we remember that the LORD knows all things and we continue to trust Him. We have been able to be a witness for the LORD and we trust God will use this experience for His Glory.

WARNING: Terrorism Will Affect Your Allergies

Here I was thinking that all we had to be concerned about in traveling to Uruguay was if our 18 check on bags made the weight requirement. Ok, I actually knew there was more things involved. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't yet thought about Adeline. I suppose I've become so accustomed to traveling with the food allergy princess that I figured flying would be one more day in those travels. Eventually, I would work out a menu of non-perishable food items for her to take on board to eat while we "enjoyed" our airline provided meals. Problem solved!

Better think again, Debbie, because now the terrorists have once again changed the rules of air travel. These new rules require "no beverages, shampoo, suntan lotion, creams, tooth paste, hair gel, and other items of similar consistency." Brandon will be bummed that his hair gel will have to go on his checked bag and woe to us if Simeon ends up with a diaper rash.

Seriously now, for us, and many others, who travel with food allergies this is much more than an inconvience of not being able to fix our hair or diaper a baby properly. This is a potentially life threatening decision for those with medical conditions who are dependant upon liquid medications!

I will grant that prescription medicines have been included in the exceptions list, if you have a doctor's note, and your medicine is labeled from the pharmacy, and it matches your name, and especially if it is not a liquid. Here is where the problem arises, Adeline must carry liquid Benadryl and an Epi-Pen (an injectable liquid) everywhere she goes. The liquid Benadryl (now on the banned list) is the first step towards stopping an anaphylactic reaction - regular pills do not absorb as rapidly. The Epi-Pen, which we've never yet had to use is the next step for her.

So now we must get a new prescription for her Epi-Pens with those specifics. And on to the hunt for dissolvable Benadryl tablets that I've heard are out there but I have never seen them. I sure hope they come in her dose. And on to the search for what food we can bring on board for Adeline to eat.

We don't always understand what we see as delays long lines, traffic jams, and dead batteries. It's in those times we need to look for what God may be sparing us. Most certainly, I'm thankful that we didn't leave this month as we'd hoped for as we would likely be traveling with no medicinal help, or food, for Adeline. Now, at least, we can plan ahead.

Relief - Part Two

This is the second part to a two part entry read Relief Part one first.

Little did I know what was going to happen come Tuesday the 8th? Scott and some of the children were at the doctor’s office getting their pre-departure physicals when the call came in. It was our field director, encouraging us to either move straight to Colonia or to Texas for language study. When Brandon got home he was nearly jumping up and down with joy. He quickly informed me we got a phone call and I was going to go “Baptist-costal” (a funny term for when we are really excited about something). I thought we had made it to 100% support, but Brandon said it was better.

When Scott came in and shared the news with me I didn’t go “Baptist-costal” as expected all I could do was weep, relieved that God had chosen to answer our prayers by giving us the desires of our hearts. There was a little bump in the road and I wish I could say I didn’t veer off the path when we hit it, but I did. However, I did get my eyes back on the Lord and He settled it for sure and for certain.

When we leave for Uruguay this fall, Lord willing, we will move directly to Colonia where our dearest friends, who also happen to be our coworkers, will be there to help us along. Uncle Archie and Aunt Ruthie, the endearing term our children have given the Perez’, will be there to help care for our children and to teach them Spanish. They will be close by in case of an emergency. Ruth will be available to help me read labels and shop, making sure Adeline doesn’t eat things that will kill her. Most certainly our God is good!

Would He have been good if we would have needed to stay in the states for language school? Without a doubt He is good, even when the answer is no. God is good all the time! We are ever so thankful for our precious friends in Uruguay but most especially we rejoice that God keeps His promises, “Delight thyself also in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6

Relief - Part One

Ever since we found out we were going to Uruguay and I knew we would have to learn Spanish I have dreaded language school. Though I home school out of necessity, I’m a stay at home mom out of a desire to be the main influence in my children’s lives. This desire was so strong that I became a SAHM before I was saved. Now I believe, without question, that this is God’s best for me and our family. So how do I reconcile this desire with our definite call to Uruguay and the obvious need to learn Spanish? How do I set aside my God given role and place my children in another persons care (most likely someone I don’t even know, or at the least don’t know very well) so I can fulfill a call God has placed upon my life. What a dilemma!

I’ll tell you I have been praying for years about this. Just recently though the burden of this dilemma has become wearisome, so I have been praying more and more fervently about language school. Specifically, I have asked God to work it out for us to learn Spanish in Colonia the city of our future ministry, if it were His will. After having our coworkers live with us last year during their furlough, our children know Archie and Ruth Perez, and their children very well. We could learn the language with a tutor minimizing my time away from the kids.

Really, in my mind, this would be the ideal situation. But was this too great a request of the Lord? Especially since our mission agency has a policy against missionaries learning the language in the city of their ministry. The Bible says “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turneth it withersoever He will.” Proverbs 21:1, I knew if God could turn the heart of a king He most certainly could turn the heart of our mission agency, or my heart, towards His will.

A few months ago in response to our Pastors request we received permission to learn Spanish in country. The plan was all laid out then a kink showed up. The safety, cost and lack of child care living in the capitol caused us to question our decision to move there. Other Uruguayan missionaries, including our co-workers, were very concerned for our welfare, if we moved to the capitol. It became clear that if God didn’t move in the heart of our field director we would stay in the states for language.

Staying in the states might answer the concerns for safety but what it doesn’t solve are the stresses and trials with a move to Texas, our kids being in a strangers care, learning the wrong accent, form and dialogue of Spanish, the cost of two moves, and more. So I prayed and prayed some more. The thought of moving to Montevideo, the capitol of Uruguay, brought great fear to my heart and I’m not typically a fearful person. Finally on the 4th of August weeping I told the Lord that even praying about it was beginning to increase my fears. I cast my burden upon the Lord and made the choice to rest in Him and trust in the decision He would eventually make.

(This was becoming too long for one post, so another entry has the second part.)

What's with all the slashes and sideways v's?

Between blogging and digital scrapbooking I think I'm learning some things about my computer. I sitll don't understand all the slashes and sideways V's but as long as I have tutorials I'm game for learning, or at least for following the instructions (over and over again). Surely, learning Spanish will be easier!

You may have noticed that we now have some links. The first one is our testimonies, many of you have heard how we came to know Jesus as our Saviour. For those who haven't we invite you to listen to the radio broadcast. While you're there why not listen to some other testimonies and broadcasts? An especially eye opening one is Gary Schepemaker's Testimony a missionary in Australia and father of 14 children! More testiomonies can be heard on the Amazing Love program that is broadcast by Grace Baptist Church in Anderson, Indiana through a secular radio station.

Surely, and hopefully, there will be people who will pop into this blog who do not know the Good News of the Gospel. Maybe that person is you. Please click on the Are You a Christian? link as this is too important a decision to leave for tomorrow.

The other links are somewhat self explanatory but I will clarify that Ambassador is Scott's Alma Mater and Baptist World Mission is our sending agency.

Family Photo at Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

Cream of the crop

Our meetings this month are pretty slim picking so we have decided to visit supporting churches. Scott and I are partial but we believe God has blessed us with the best supporting churches! Not only that but He has also led us to the cream of the crop in churches throughout our entire deputation ministry.

We have a church that sends us beautiful handmade cards for everyones birthdays, every holiday, plus our anniversary. Another church sends us a letter from one family in their church every week. There is a church that is going to help us pack our container and is sending a couple down to Uruguay with us. A pastor's wife aka mission secretary sends us a letter every so often telling us of the goings on in their church and family. Plus we have churches who give abundantly to us during their missionary Christmas'. It is so encouraging to look down our list of supporters (both financial and prayerful) and see the commitment of these local assemblies of believers. There is no doubt in our minds that God will use these churches to care for us and pray for us when we arrive on the field.

By the way, we had a nice time at our supporting church in Capac, MI. Brandon was on their list of prayer for his kidney disease. When Scott gave an update he could tell by the recognition on their faces that they were reading our prayer letters. Praise God! The pastor also led a timely Bible study on Faith. More on that later.

Uruguay Bound,
Debbie

A ways to go yet.

A week ago we reached the almost finished mark - 92% of our support has come in!!! This past week has been filled with ups and downs. The excitement and thrill of being so close the end of deputation and the reality of so much that still has to happen.

Though we are so close to being finished it seems we are starting over again. Another 8% to go in support before we reach the lofty 100% mark, plus another 2/3rds of our outfit and passage fund is needed and we need to figure out just when to buy the plane tickets. And lets not forget that our house must sell too. Boy that's a lot that needs to get done and really it's all in God's timing. Now if only we can remember that.

One thing has been settled, our commissioning service is set for October 15th. If we have all of the above criteria met we can leave for language school in Uruguay shortly after. Thankfully we serve a God Who created the heavens and the earth and NOTHING is impossible for Him. Our house has a showing tomorrow evening, maybe this is the family God has in mind to buy it.

Uruguay Bound,
Debbie

The very first post

Welcome to the blog of Scott and Debbie Borrmann missionaries to Uruguay - 33 Degrees Below Zero (the equator). For me, Debbie, this is exciting, Scott on the other hand is happy I'll do most of the writing-must be the engineer in him. The plan is to share all we can about our lives and ministry in Uruguay.