Category: Life on life discipleship

Looking Back Over 2017

On By 2tim2.1-3In Christmas, Family, Life on life discipleship, New Years, Small group ministry, Teaching and TrainingLeave a comment

I don’t believe we have ever had a year quite like this one!  We celebrated some pretty significant milestones, worked “away from home” extensively, moved (again!) and continue to help provide leadership for our local congregation and lead weekly small group Bible studies in our home. I apologize for our lack of communication this year.  Our crazy schedule this year has had me struggling just to keep up.  But, I do want you to know that you are never far from our thoughts and prayers.

Allow me to share a bit from a slightly modified Philippians 1:3-12

“We give thanks to our God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in our every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. We are sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  It is right for us to think this way about all of you, because we have you in our hearts and you are all partners with us in grace, both in our teaching ministry and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.  For God is our witness, how deeply we miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And we pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.  Now we want you to know, brothers and sisters that what has happened to us has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel.”

Here are some of the highlights from the year.

FAMILY:

  • On May 6, we gained a beautiful daughter-in-love, Rebecca Mullinax Johnson. Our son, Stephen and his lovely bride now live in Euless, TX.
  • While there for the wedding, we were able to visit our daughter Sarah, son-in-law, Beau, and the two grandest of grandsons, Owen (now 3) and Elliot (soon to be 2). They now live in Princeton, TX.
  • Mark and Caron were able to spend a short time with each of their mothers, both of whom have had several falls, broken bones, and other health challenges this year.
  • In September, we moved to a new apartment. This marked our 12th move in our 32 years of marriage, 7 of those in the last 16 years. I guess it’s no wonder Mark always asks, “Caron, do you know where I can find _____?”
  • In October, we celebrated our 25th anniversary as career missionaries with the IMB. We have been in Brazil all that time (except for the occasional furlough and stateside assignment).

MINISTRY: (Thank you for making all this possible through your prayers and financial support.)

  • In looking back over the calendar, there were 152 day this year where one or both of us were traveling, working away from home! No wonder we are tired!
  • Mark has traveled extensively this year, teaching week long “intensive” courses, where students receive 40 hours of lecture (an entire semester’s worth of material) in one week. Sometimes he writes the course content he teaches in Portuguese; other times, he is the translator for visiting American professors.
  • Mark has mentored masters level students and has provided orientation for 7 of these students working on their dissertations. Some of his students have included senior leadership in the Brazilian Baptist Home Mission Board, as well as pastors and Brazilian Home Missionaries.pic 3
  • Mark accompanied Dr. David Platt, president of the IMB on part of his recent trip to Brazil and had the privilege of translating for him at “Crist-o-landia”, a neighborhood formerly known as “crack-o-landia” (due to the high number of drug addicts who live on the street). Dr. Platt and Fernando Brandão, President of the Brazilian Home Mission Board, were there to give a message of hope to those on the streets and share about the transformative power of the Gospel through Jesus Christ.
  • Mark lectured extensively this year on the 500th anniversary of the Great Reformation, with materials he wrote concerning Baptist History of Missions in light of the Great Reformation. He also has written numerous articles (in Portuguese) for publication in Brazil.
  • Mark taught on-line classes for several different theological institutions, and is currently preparing materials for upcoming classes to be recorded early in 2018.
  • Caron also has been working with Brazilian students who are writing their dissertations in English. She has had the privilege of walking alongside these dedicated students studying and writing in a second language. Caron serves as a reader and editor for these students.
  • Caron traveled on a monthly basis, teaching Theological English at the Litoral Baptist Seminary in Santos, São Paulo.
  • Caron prepared materials for the on-going weekly Bible study that meets in their home, and has had the privilege of mentoring and discipling 8 ladies on a one-on-one basis, in addition to the on-going ministry of the small group.
  • We were saddened by the recent loss of a dear friend (member of our small group) who passed away after battling cancer, and have walked with his family and friends as we have grieved together.

Finally, here are some upcoming ministry opportunities we want you to be aware of for 2018. Please pray about how you can be involved with us. If interested in more details, send a message to caron.johnson@gmail.com

  • We are looking for one or two single girls (min. age 22) or a young married couple (no kids) who would be willing to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) for a semester. No experience necessary. We will provide the training you need.
  • We are looking for a church who would be willing to help host a ladies’ weekend event at the International Congregation of our church. We are looking for a key-note speaker for 2-3 events. We would love to have 2-3 ladies come (a different one could speak at each event) and also have ways for a Sunday School group or the entire church to be involved in helping to host this event for English speakers in the city of Curitiba.
  • We are looking for pastors, seminary students, and laymen interested in partnering with us in teaching initiatives in several different locations in Brazil in 2018.

We wish each of you the Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Mark & Caron

Happy Holidays!

On By 2tim2.1-3In Christmas, Family, Life on life discipleship, New Years, Thanksgiving, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Since we missed wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year earlier, please know that even in our silence you were never far from our thoughts and prayers.

Typically the last quarter of the year is our busiest time of travel, and that was certainly the case in 2016. Since the end of August we were traveling away from home for 97 days, in 15 different cities and in 4 different countries.

You may wonder what we do that takes us away from our home so often. In addition to our local on-going ministry involvement, which we have written about extensively in the past, we have also been involved in numerous training events across the Americas. These training events would not have been possible if it had not been for the generous contributions that many of you have made over the course of year to the International Mission Board. Through regular tithes and offerings (in Southern Baptist churches which participate in the Cooperative Program), through one-time gifts, and through your contributions to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, we have had the financial resources to make this kind of wide spread training a reality in 2016. For that, we say “Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.”

Teaching truth, transforming lives and touching the world—that’s what we have been focusing on in 2016.

Looking back on the year 2016, we can actually count 925 people whom we have taught, mentored and/or discipled. These are not just numbers to us. They are real people. In addition to teaching content, we have spent time together, shared a meal or a cup of coffee together and prayed together. If you keep up with us on FaceBook, Twitter or Instagram you can see that we have taken lots of pictures together as well. These pictures are more than just something to fill space on our social media accounts. They serve as tangible reminders of our precious time together. I think Paul sums it up best in Philippians 3:3-7a

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, 4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace…(HCSB)

So, as we have taught truth, we have done so with the vision of lives being transformed—making a difference—and the impact those transformed lives have on the world around them. That, my friends, is something worthy of giving thanks to God for. Truly, it does give us great joy as we pray for those whom we have had the privilege to walk alongside during the year 2016.

As we look back on 2016, we have so much to be thankful for in our own family as well. We added a new member to the family with the birth of our youngest grandson, Elliot James Landers last January. Its hard to believe he will celebrate his first birthday here soon. We also had the privilege of meeting the Mullinax family in November, the parents of Rebecca, our soon to be “daughter-in-love” (Wedding scheduled for May of 2017). We were able to spend a couple weeks of vacation with our kids, grandkids and both our mothers (and even some of our extended family) around Thanksgiving. Returning to Brazil in time for Christmas, we were blessed to be able to celebrate Christmas Eve with precious Brazilian friends and open our home on Christmas Day to others who were far away from their families.

Teaching truth, transforming lives and touching the world—that’s what we continue to focus on in 2017.

Just because it’s a new year, doesn’t necessarily mean our focus needs to change. Granted, some of the details change—location, people involved, topics, etc. But, the purpose remains the same. We continue to use the skill set, talents and abilities God has equipped us with to reach those whom He brings into our path with the Good News, the life transforming news of the Gospel.

How can you be involved?

  1. Continue to pray for us as we make plans for 2017 and the new and exciting challenges in the months to come. (More about that next time.)
  2. Ask the Lord of the Harvest how you can be more personally involved in the ministry of your local church, in your community, and in support of local, national and international missions. Maybe 2017 is the year for you do something you’ve never done before. Ask Him!
  3. Don’t wait to “go somewhere new” to get started. It’s a new year; it’s a good time to begin a new commitment. There is no greater investment you can make than to invest in discipling a new believer. Begin with your most natural relationships: family members, friends, and neighbors. Then ask your pastor if there are others new to your church that you can help to disciple as well.

Check out the article Mark just wrote, “3 Ingredients for Discipling New Believers in Any Context”. You can access it through this link from International Mission Board:

https://www.imb.org/2017/01/03/training-new-believers-in-any-context/

 

Invest in others, share your story

On By 2tim2.1-3In Life on life discipleshipLeave a comment

People often ask me me, “Exactly what is it you do on the mission field?” I smile and think, “Well, where should I begin?”

But really, although I could spend hours telling stories of what life is like, the simple answer is that missionaries invest in the lives of others. Sometimes we teach and train large groups that in turn teach and train other large groups. Other times, we invest in lives one-on-one. Over the years the Lord has brought several such individuals across our paths. Some we have walked with in their “not yet Christian” state. Others, we have had the privilege to help lead to the Lord. Some we have followed up with personal discipleship. A few have lived with us for periods of time, (others have dined with us so often, it was as if they were living with us). We have shared joys and victories, heartbreak and suffering. We have had the privilege of spending time investing in the lives of others. What a blessing!

Is there someone who has invested in your life like this? Is there someone who you are investing in? Some call it intentional discipleship, others call it mentoring. I call it living life together. Isn’t that what Jesus modeled with his disciples? Look around you. Is there someone who needs the little bit of wisdom and experience you have to offer? A dear missionary colleague used to say, “We all have a story to tell”. Perhaps the current chapter of your story is one of grief, or loneliness or suffering. Perhaps it is one of deliverance, or divine protection or grace. Tell your story! Invest in the life of someone else! Only God knows the eternal impact when you share the truth that transforms, one life at a time.

Something new

On By 2tim2.1-3In Evangelism and Serving others, Family, Gardening, Life on life discipleship, Missions, Small group ministry, Teaching and TrainingLeave a comment

Bear with us as this is our maiden voyage into the blog world.  For the past 23 years  Mark and Caron and chronicled their lives on mission in Brazil through a periodic newsletter entitled Johnson’s Journal.  This blog is intended to replace that journal.     We invite you to join us here and interact with us.  We look forward to hearing from you!