Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Dear Friends,
Seven hundred years before the coming of the Messiah the prophet Isaiah announced that life and light was on the way: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned…” (Isaiah 9:2). Jesus entered into this dark world and manifested the glory of God as he lived among us. It is almost unimaginable that the creator of the universe would come in such a humble way. When we consider why he came we should be overwhelmed with thanksgiving and praise for God’s indescribable gift. John expressed it succinctly: “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him” (I John 4:9). One of my favorite quotes reflecting on this event comes from the Jewish believer Alfred Edersheim in the classic work The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah: “Think of it, that on such a slender thread as the feeble throb of an infant life the salvation of the world should hang…...” This Christmas season we are in Brazil and are blessed to have our daughter Sarah visiting us for “winter break.” It appears some exciting changes may be on the horizon in 2010 in our lives and ministries, more to follow in our January update! Thank you for your friendship and support, and for your interest in our family and our ministry. And may God help us to look back with thanksgiving for the gift of His Son, and to look forward expectantly for the promise of His return!
Rejoicing in His birth,

Steve, Mary Ann and Sarah Nash

Our Mission

I came across this quote today in "The Drama of Scripture" by Bartholomew and Goheen:
"Following the apostles, the church is sent–
Sent with the gospel of the kingdom
to make disciples of all nations,
to feed the hungry,
to proclaim the assurance that in the name of Christ
there is forgiveness of sin and new life
for all who repent an believe–
To tell the news that our world belongs to God.
In a world estranged from God,
where millions face confusing choices,
this mission is central to our being,
for we announce the one name that saves."

H1N1 delays classes

…
Worries about the Swine Flu pandemic caused Brazilian health authorities to recommend that schools delay their opening after the vacation month of July. It seems the concern was that students who traveled during the break may have been exposed to the H1N1 virus., and could subsequently pass it on to their classmates. Classes were delayed two weeks at the Pan American Christian Academy, and we delayed one week before opening at the Baptist Seminary in São Paulo. The church we attend has called for 30 days of prayer for our city because of the threat of the flu. A couple of large churches in the south of the country actually had to suspend their services because of outbreaks of the disease. Join with us in praying that the spread of the virus would be stopped and that the Gospel would continue to go forth effectively.

Sarah is here for the next five weeks!

This morning we drove to the international airport just outside of our city to pick up Sarah. Its great to have the family together for the next five weeks. She'll be doing an internship at our publishing house and we'll be enjoying having her here with us. July is my semester break from teaching responsibilities so we'll have time for some family activities while she is here. We appreciate your prayers that the visit go well and that the internship be a profitable experience.
Steve

June Prayer Letter now online!

Our June prayer letter is now online, sorry for the delay! You can click on the "further information" link to the right, and then click on "prayer letters" or cut and paste the address below into your browser...
http://www.worldventure.com/Missionaries/Missionary-Directory/Missionary/Nash_Steven_Mary_Ann/Links/Downloads/Nash_Steven_PL_06_09.pdf

Did you hear a sigh of relief?

That was me after handing in all of my grades last night to officially end my semester at the Baptist seminary! With 90 students and four courses there was a lot of grading to get done, but by God's grace "it is finished." It was encouraging to see the effort the students put in with their busy work, ministry, and study schedules. Pray that their time of study will not just result in academic achievement, but that it would especially lead to spiritual transformation and effective ministry for the Lord.
On another subject we are enjoying a few weeks of having the niece of a mission colleague stay with us. She is doing an internship at our mission publishing house. When she leaves at the beginning of July, our daughter Sarah will be arriving for a five week visit, also doing an internship at the publishing house. We appreciate your prayers for her safe travel and a good time of learning and growth when she comes.
your missionary in Brazil,
Steve

End of semester crunch time!

Mid to late June always presents some challenges with semester ending exams, grading, and meetings. This year my unscheduled absence from some classes due to pneumonia (and the accompanying lower "energy levels"!) has me even more behind the usual. I appreciate your prayers as I continue to play "catch-up" on my last classes and grading. Now, back to work!

Back to classes, thanks for praying!

Well, I resumed my classes this week after getting the ok from my doctor. I still am a bit weak, with some residual coughing from time to time, but no fever and "clear" lungs--thanks for praying! We are looking forward to July and an anticipated visit from our daughter Sarah. She will be here for about five weeks, doing a short "internship" with our publishing house. We appreciate your partnership with us as we serve the Lord together.
Steve

Thanks for praying!

I know Mary Ann has sent out e-mails to many of you, but a few may not know that I am home from classes this week recuperating from bronchial pneumonia. The antibiotics seem to be working and I am feeling better. The timing of this unplanned "week off" hasn't been the best, in that I am nearing the end of the semester (about two weeks of classes left, before exams etc.). I appreciate your prayers that I'll be able to get back to the class room next week and present the students with the material they need to finish well the courses they taking with me.
your co-worker in Christ,
Steve

Over due update!

I must apologize that it has been so long since we've updated you all via this blog. The semester is well underway here at the Baptist seminary in São Paulo. I have a total of approximately 90 students in the four classes I am teaching. Since I am teaching one class that is totally new to me (Systematic Theology 1)there is a significant amount of reading (and learning!) for me as I prepare. Its been fun! This week, Sarah has her Spring break from PBU, and was able to fly down on frequent flier miles. It is a blessing to have our family together again, at least for these few days. On another matter, I appreciate your prayers with respect to the administration of my dad's estate. Since his death in July things have moved at a snail's pace, and the situation in TN is still a mess. We are thankful for your prayers and support. We can carry on this ministry only because God has made it possible through his people. We appreciate the notes and e-mails we receive, and your comments are always welcome in this forum!
your brother and co-worker,
Steve

Unpacking out bags, saying hello...

Saying goodbye to family and friends in the US was tough, but we are enjoying seeing friends and co-workers here in Brazil after a year and half away. Today I (Steve) had a faculty meeting at the seminary downtown, talking about the final steps to completing our accreditation process. Things at home are pretty much in order: our bags and boxes are unpacked, and we are pretty well settled in. We were able to buy a good, late model car for our use this term, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. One automotive prayer request: our car in the US is still for sale (a 2005 Toyota Corolla). Its a good car, but the weather and general economic malaise in the Northeast is not helping with the sale. If you know of someone who is interested, Mary Ann's brother John is handling the sale for us, his number is: 732-698-7576. We appreciate your prayers also as we are "empty nesters", with Sarah back in the US continuing her studies at PBU. A lot of emotions!
Steve

Packing our bags, saying goodbyes...

The days are passing quickly. Each time we see a friend or family member we know it may be our last "face to face" contact for months or even years. I expect my brother to come by today, this afternoon we drive out to pick up Sarah and visit our cousin in PA, Sunday we go to Old Bridge to visit Mary Ann's sister... you get the idea. We still have some things to resolve before we leave: selling our car and getting the probate process moving (finally!) in TN are among the most pressing. We appreciate your prayers for our emotional, physical, and spiritual strength over these next days and weeks.

Two weeks to our return to the field!

Dear friends,
Happy New Year! We are two short weeks away from our return to Brazil. It seems like it has been a long time since our arrival here in the US, and the time has come to return to the field. We appreciate your prayers as we have a couple of last minute meetings, and a lot of packing and logistical details to work through. We need to sell our car here (a 2005 Toyota Corolla if you are interested!), get Sarah settled back into her classes at PBU, pack for our trip (a challenge, since I have accumulated a few more books over the last 18 months!), and then, upon our arrival in São Paulo, we will need to quickly locate and purchase a reliable car. One church has helped us tremendously by giving a special gift for our plane tickets, within $1.50 of the price we finally paid for a direct flight from Newark to São Paulo. Another church had a "special project" to help us buy a new car, and collected $5,000! We believe that if we can get a market price for our car we will be able to get a good late model car when we get back to Brazil. Many new individual supporters, a Sunday School faith promise, and several increases from our churches will have our support at near 100% by the time of our departure, praise God for this miracle (we were at 78% just a few months ago)! Our biggest challenge will be leaving Sarah here to continue her studies at College while we are 5.000 miles away. We appreciate your prayers for her and for us as we take this big step as a family.
your missionary,
Steve Nash