Sharing life’s story to a bunch of teenagers…

Kevin has been asked to share his life’s story (aka testimony) at the next High School chapel service at the school, which is next Tuesday, February 8.  I’m not sure why I agreed to do this, since I find it easier to stand in front of people and ask for donations than to talk to the high school kids.   But I’ve felt God leading me to share my life’s story with them, since long time ago I used to be a PACA High School student.  So I’ll be sharing what I learned about God’s love, the impact of my choices on my life (good and bad), and how God’s grace and mercy are incredible tangible blessings that you can count on.

Many of my high school students come from Christian homes, but some of them are just going through the motions about being a Christian.  And about 25% of my student don’t have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  I know what many are going through since I was one who only went through the motions.  At one time I thought Christianity was a list of do’s and don’ts.  It wasn’t until I went on my prodigal son walk during my college days that I realized what an amazing statement Romans 5:8 is “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Christian Journey is not about rules and trying to win favor with God (by doing this or that, God will bless me more).  He loved me when I was still stuck in the middle of my filth and that’s amazing love.  He reached down and told me that a new life, one that is abundantly full of peace and joy despite the troubles life brings, is only found through his son Jesus.  But to get this life, I needed to take his hand, let him pull me out of my crud, and then learn to surrender my life to him on a daily basis.

And I’ve been learning that God is a very patient, loving, holy God.  His rules and principles are there for my protection and provision.  I’ve still made mistakes, I still make wrong decisions, and I still wrestle with what I think is more important to and for me.  But along the way,  I’ve discovered that God wants to journey life with me, He wants to help me make better decisions, and He has a grand plan for my life that includes bringing joy and peace beyond what I could imagine.   He wants my thoughts to be captured and held captive for Him so that our relationship can be profound and grounded in His truth and love.

So, pray for me as I share my life’s journey with the high school students.   If you are lead to specifically pray for me during the event, I will be sharing at 2:20 am California time (5:20 am New York time) on Tuesday, February 8, 2011.  I’m only a clay vessel and He is the potter.  I just want to be a messenger for God.

Blessings and thank you for praying over the Flurry’s.

Abraço,

Kevin

PS  I’ve posted a summary of 2010 and the challenges for 2011 on our blog:  theflurrys.wordpress.com.

Holding your breath…

How long can a nation hold its breath?  How long can you hold your breath?

This past Sunday, the entire country of Brazil and Brazilians all over the world held their breath until the 39^th minute of the second half (basically 85 minutes), when the national Brazilian soccer team scored the 3^rd and winning goal over the US national soccer team for the finals in the Confederation Cup in South Africa.  The unthinkable was happening because the USA had scored two goals in the first half and were playing great defensive soccer, shutting out Brazil – the only 5 time World Cup Champions!  My house was divided for in one corner Vanessa cheered the USA, Samuel cheered for both teams, and I cheered for Brazil.  For a long time Vanessa kept gloating that the Americans were going to take the victory…  But, Brazil kept pounding and finally took home the victory.  And then you could hear the collective sigh of relief from the four corners of the country!

Soccer is Brazil’s number one passion.  It brings delight or despair depending on how your team performs.   When the national team plays, the entire country stops to watch and cheer their team on to victory or to criticize them for not playing so well (can you imagine having to deal with over 170 million coaches?).  Brazilians expect their national team to win every world cup and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is no different.

Kaka - stud soccer player and man of Christian faith

God has placed some very high profile Christians on the national team, especially Kaka – a 27 year old midfield who wears “I belong to Jesus” t-shirts under his team jersey.  By my count, there are five Christian players on the national team.  So, God is at work through many lives, using soccer to bring His Good News around the planet.  A family from my school is going to a Middle Eastern country this summer break to become a long-term coach at a prestigious soccer clinic.  Being a Brazilian soccer coach opens doors to use the game of soccer as a means to share God’s love in that country that sits in the 10-40 window.

That’s why PACA is so vital because we are preparing the next generation of young people who will transform the world for God or we are giving educational support to families going or returning from the field.  The school gives a great academic education and, with lots of prayer and Biblical truths, hearts are spiritually transformed to want to serve God, wherever He places them.   We still are a missionary school, meaning we serve the missionary community in São Paulo who need an American education for their children and we prepare future missionaries for God’s Kingdom through the lives of our students.

So, please continue to pray over us and over our ministry – Pan American Christian Academy.  We finished the school year very well under the grace of God.  Academically our seniors got into great colleges and our students performed well in the standardized tests.  Spiritually we saw many students dedicate their lives to God’s service and show their commitment through baptism at their local churches. Financially the school is stable and thinking about growth opportunities in the future.  And, God has continued to bless the school with full enrollment and a growing waiting list, despite the economic tough times and highly competitive market.

During this break, please pray over our family so that we would find rest and quality time together.  Samuel will be turning 8 and he is growing so fast.  He’s excited about going into 2^nd grade.  Ysabel is 7 months old, starting to eat solid foods (avocado, pear, mango, papaya, rice cereal) and just had earrings placed in her ears.  Vanessa loves being a mother of two, including all the challenges.  Here’s a family photo:

Photo of the Flurry Family

Please include my teachers in your prayers because they have worked hard this year and need to recover their energies – several of my teachers need to increase their financial support (just like us) but you know how complicated it is in the US economic market.  Currently the dollar is losing value here in Brazil, increasing the cost of living to missionaries.

We thank you for being part of our ministry team – through your prayers, friendship, and financial giving.  You are investing into God’s Kingdom when you partner with us.

God bless,

Kevin

P.S.  We love to stay in touch with you.  Our home skype address is Vanessa.flurry and our home phone number is 323.230.7325.  Vanessa’s email is Vanessa.flurry@gmail.com and she can be found occasionally on Facebook.   My SKYPE address is Kevin Bruce Flurry, my personal email is Kevin.flurry@gmail.com, and my work email is Kevin.flurry@paca.com.br.  I sometimes find time to get on Facebook.

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If you are lead to support us prayerfully or financially, we are grateful for your prayer and financial support. Prayer is needed as we seek to stay focused on following Jesus direction for the school, to develop relationships with friends, to raise a family, and to expand God’s Kingdom here in Sao Paulo. Financial support is needed so we can focus on our ministry at PACA and not have to be anxious over money. God has been faithful to provide for our needs and has blessed us so much. We desire to be a blessing to each person God allows our lives to touch. From students at school to the little kid who comes begging for food at our door and to our neighbor next door…

Become a financial partner - make your gift today.

Financial support is processed by the PACA ALUMNI FOUNDATION. The Foundation is a non-profit, 501 (C)(3) organization dedicated to linking resources to develop PACA’s future. Every gift is tax-deductible.

Summary of 2008

What an amazing year that God blessed us with and it flew by so quick.  Here’s a quick list of God’s blessings that happened to us this year (many of the items you prayed with us so we share these blessings with you in mind):

1.  Ysabel Marrie Flurry’s birth on December 2, 2008 is the ultimate highlight of the year, especially since we didn’t know if she was a she or a he during the pregnancy.  She was born at 6.6 pounds and 19.5 inches long.  She’s a little blond bundle of girliness…  Vanessa did so well – 100% without any drugs and all natural birth.  My wife rocks!

2.  Fantastic summer trip to the USA to visit family and friends.  The best part was showing off Vanessa’s belly…  Plenty of backyard barbecues, Starbuck runs, outlet shopping, Disneyland, swimming, Mexican food, trips to parks, birthday parties, catching up with ol’ friends, and lots of hugs.  Plus, unexpected hanging out time at Chicago with my sister’s family when Kevin got bumped 3 nights in a row!

3.  Lots of grandparent  visits to Brazil.  My parents in October and Vanessa’s parents November through Febraury of 2009.  They all came to our house and hung out, sharing hugs and loves with the family.  I would like to personally thank United Airlines for bumping me three nights in a row, allowing me to earn vouchers and money to bring my in-laws down to Brazil for Ysabel’s birth.

4.  PACA’s growth and successful fundraising with the Walkathon.  School enrollment is through the roof and there is a huge waiting list – God’s blessing of giving the school a good reputation, fantastic teachers, and great students.  The Walkathon raised more money than expected and Samuel won an iPod shuffle for raising the most money in the 1st grade class (thanks to all family and friends that pledged $$$ to the cause).  Next year’s challenges are going to be how to grow the school while keeping educational quality (academic and spiritual).

5.  Unexpected car upgrade due to a good friend.  Remember how we were blessed with a 2005 Honda Civic but it didn’t have an automatic transmission.  Well,  a buddy wanted to make things right and offered me a tremendous deal when I least expected it so now the Flurry’s have a 2008 Honda Accord with leather seats and it’s automatic.  God generously blessed us through this special friend of ours, when we least expected it.  God is good!

6.  Samuel’s asmtha – all good!  We had two asmtha crisis this year, treatable at home with our inhalation machine.  No emergency doctor visits this year.

7.  Family spiritual growth as we prayed and trusted God to provide for all our needs.  Samuel keeps telling me his two favorite things are holding Ysabel and worshipping Jesus.  He and his buddy Ethan want to someday grow up, make money, and help the poor with their money.  He’s very worried about which friends and family members are Christ followers…  He’ll probably be like his grandpa Flurry – soul winner for Jesus.

8.  Financial needs have been met, some quite unexpectadly…  God has done a great thing for us – brought some friends along that are financially committed to supporting our ministry with PACA.  And after the world financial crisis, the dollar has gained some strength making our USA support go a little farther.

9.  Vanessa’s Children’s Church ministry has experienced some tremendous growth by having an average of 35 kids, ages 4-9, attending faithfully.  Plus, Vanessa recruited some new teachers who are excited to engage these young hearts and minds for Jesus.

10.  Connecting with family and friends.  I’m grateful for the power of the internet and programs like email, Facebook, instant messaging, and others that make connecting with loved ones easier. Part of my job is what I label friendraising and both Vanessa and I enjoy making friends and staying connected with old friends.

Well, a quick summary of 2008.  We look forward to seeing God’s work through us in 2009!  And we look forward to hearing about your experiences in 2009.  A wonderful part of life is walking together, sharing joys and burdens as we seek God’s wisdom to living a life with Jesus here on earth.

May 2009 be more about marvelous than expected!

Catching up after a good vacation…

Dear Family and Friends,

After a very wonderful vacation where the routine was never the same for two days in a row, we are back in routine here in São Paulo.  This usually means school for Samuel, work for Kevin, and being pregnant for Vanessa (which is a new adventure every day).  God blessed us this summer vacation with connecting with family and friends!  This is the biggest sacrifice for us – to be far away from very dear loved ones.  But God knows this and gave us two good surprises:  Kevin’s mom and dad will be here in October & November; then Vanessa’s mom and dad will be here from November – February.

 In fact, Kevin got bumped three nights in a row on the return flight through Chicago and was able to take the United vouchers to buy tickets for John and Veronica to come down.  But the other great part was that Kevin got to spend three nights with his sister’s family in Chicago (Raquel & Jon, Niece: Natalie, and Nephew: Javan) and buy Dunkin’ Donuts for his niece and nephew.  So, God knew what we needed.  And, he’s brought along some new supporters for us – He is faithful!

Samuel is enjoying 1^st grade.  His teacher is Ms. Jane Meacham, who has been teaching at PACA for 38 years!  He’s learning to read and spell (and picking up very quickly), add & subtract for math, memorize Bible verses, and learning Portuguese.  Pretty soon Vanessa and I won’t be able to keep things from him by speaking in Portuguese.  He’s already busted us twice by making comments at the end of our conversation in Portuguese. 

Next week there are two exciting events for Samuel’s life:

1.       PACA Walkathon to raise money to buy new kitchen equipment and new cafeteria chairs and tables for the students.  This is a $45,000 project and all the kids at PACA are raising sponsors and pledges per lap around the soccer field.  So, on Tuesday, September 23 from 8:20 – 9:20, Samuel will probably complete 25 laps around the soccer field.  If he raises the most money, he wins an iPod shuffle and if his class raises the most money, they get a pizza and ice-cream party. He’s currently raised about $500.00 in pledges from family and friends. If you would like to sponsor Samuel, click here to make a pledge online  or click here to find out more about the Walkathon.

2.       Reading Contest Assembly on September 26 where Samuel plays Elijah.  The Reading Contest is an annual event at school to encourage reading and literacy.  This year’s theme is Blast Off into Space, so the 1^st grade class is presenting Bible characters that blasted off into space:  Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus.  We will be taking pictures and sending them to you.  He’s got to dress up in character and will even disappear in a chariot of fire.  Vanessa and I have to figure out how to make this chariot of fire…

 

Please pray for this Walkathon:  for good weather, for generous sponsors, and for it to be a good community building event.  This is one of Kevin’s work items and the planning for it has consumed lots of Kevin’s time and energy.  But the good news about PACA is that God has blessed the school with really good enrollment for this year, a unified and ready to serve faculty, healthy finances and lots of people wanting to place their kids at PACA.

Vanessa and baby are doing well, despite Vanessa catching a cold.  She still can’t eat too late in the night (which means after 6:00 pm) or else she gets nauseous.  Vanessa’s schedule involves helping at the library during the week, Bible Study Fellowship on Tuesday mornings, being the library story teller on Wednesday and Thursday, English tutoring a kindergartner named Laura after school for 30 minutes, cutting hair after school hours for teachers, making sure Samuel does his homework, and keeping the family together.  Needless to say, she organizes, manages, and runs the Family organization.

Baby Flurry is due around the 29^th of November, but like a friend told me “Since it’s a Brazilian baby, plan on a late, very late arrival.”  We don’t plan on discovering the sex of the baby, which frustrates all our friends – sorry but we want to be surprised!  In the next few weeks, we have to get the crib ready, glue some loose tiles down, and set up the date with the hospital folks.  God has showered us with baby stuff from friends.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.  If we can pray for you over anything, please let us know.  Our emails are:  Kevin.flurry@gmail.com or Vanessa.flurry@gmail.com. 

Big hug,

Kevin, Vanessa, Samuel, and Baby Flurry

P.S.  A praise report is that a 2^nd grader accepted Jesus into his heart this last month!

April Update – Summer Travel Plans…

Flurry\’s April Email Update Newsletter

April 16, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

We are coming this summer and would love to connect with you!!!

We got our tickets to spend this summer vacation in the USA. Vanessa and Samuel will actually get to spend 7 weeks, while Kevin will have to come to work a little earlier. But here are the plans:
1. Denver, CO: June 17 – June 27
2. Lordsburg, NM: June 28 – July 6
3. Los Angeles, CA: July 7 – July 24 (Kevin
July 9 – August 6 (Vanessa and Samuel)

We would appreciate your prayers for smooth, safe travels on the plane and by car. My parents have loaned us their Subaru Forrester to travel from Denver to Los Angeles (thanks mom and dad), which is helping us save on car rental. But gas prices in the USA are going to be a budget killer!

During this vacation time, we would also appreciate your prayers for us to raise more financial supporters – that God would connect us to share our story and calling to those interested in partnering with us. A church in Lordsburg, NM wants Kevin to share the Sunday (June 29) they are visiting Vanessa’s grandparents. Kevin’s already planning the sermon.

We currently are praying that God would open doors for us to raise an additional US$500.00 a month in support. God has provided for our needs this year with some unexpected one-time gifts – what a huge blessing! We’re hoping to be able to have more financial stability to help offset the increase in prices for cost of living. For example, a gallon of gas in Brazil costs US$6.19 – which causes banana, beans, rice, meat, and all other prices on commodities to go up. You are probably feeling the effects of gasoline going up in the USA.

And, this is also our big shopping trip for clothes and shoes, especially for our growing boy! It sounds trivial, but making our dollars go farther when hitting good sales sure is nice. And most Brazilian clothes do not fit Kevin’s frame – Brazilians tend to be small, thin people. So, part of our trip is to stock up on good deals to last until 2010 (because that’s probably our next trip to the USA). We will be supporting the American economy by shopping at outlet centers in Colorado and California. (There is a store in São Paulo that sells Gap shirts for US$55.00 and Levi Jeans for US$200.00. – clothing is much more affordable in the USA.)

And, we want to find the right balance between making contacts, connecting with friends, and spending quality time with family. Juggling these tensions sure can cause stress, so pray with us that we find time to relax, time to connect, and time to build new relationships.

We’ve had some unexpected bad news this last month. Channel, our blond Brazilian Mastiff, was diagnosed with aggressive cancer and we had to put her to sleep. It was a sad day for all of us. She was a great family pet and a fantastic guard dog. We miss her already. But, we still have Aramis (the black dog) – who loves to scratch our car and might some day join Channel a lot quicker than expected if he keeps scratching! Although painful, we got to say goodbye to her and give her lots of hugs… Two days later, Samuel said “Now, I want a Dalmatian…” For right now, we keep only one dog.

Some prayer requests:
• Vanessa’s health: she’s been battling a chest cold for 2 weeks
• Kevin’s fundraising projects for technology upgrades and cafeteria remodeling
• Samuel’s Kindergarten graduation coming up
• Travels to and around the USA
• Opportunities to share our calling to potential supporters
• The school needs a music and computer teacher for next (know anyone?)

Answer to prayers:
• We get to stay in our rental home for another year (our landlord wanted to sell it but the real estate market is soft).
• Parents are lending their car so that we can travel around the USA (don’t have to rent a car).
• School enrollment is excellent and the waiting list for new students is huge!
• Junior Church attendance for Vanessa’s ministry is averaging 35 kids per Sunday.
• PACA’s new website system is a great marketing tool (http://www.paca.com.br)

Thank you for your prayers and support.

God bless,
Kevin (for Vanessa and Samuel)

We have a new place to write

This is our new blogsite.  It was getting difficult to update our old blog and after some research found this place.  We thank you for staying up-to-date with us and apologize for moving our blog to this new home.  Hope you enjoy it!