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Staff Meeting With The Ugos

August 24, 2011 in Vision, West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

This morning Pastor Brian Bloye took some time in our West Ridge Church Staff Meeting to interview Ralph and Marie Ugo. This is an incredible couple that we have partnered with in Local Missions. They set a tremendous example of what a missional disciple of Jesus ought to look like, and they serve all over the world. We filmed the meeting and hopefully will have some video to share later. In the meantime, here are some of the nuggets they shared. All the quotes are Ralph’s unless Marie’s name is noted.

“We are not teaching you to the live your culture. We are teaching you to live the culture of the Word of God.” (Marie Ugo on Missions)
What’s your philosophy? “Everybody ought to know about Jesus.” (Marie Ugo)
“As long as I know God is with me, I’ll go anywhere.” (Marie Ugo)
“When I first went on a Missions trip, God broke my heart for the nations.” (Marie Ugo)
Ralph on being released from his previous church – “Ralph was wearing the shoes he wasn’t supposed to be wearing.”
On Marie not coming to WRC right away. “Marie did not just move, because I said move. God wants to speak to her too.”
“I don’t go looking for miracles. I am the miracle. I know what a mess I am.”
“If you are a part of any church because you know that is where God asks you to be, it is much easier to get through difficult circumstances.”
“I realize every day that my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to God.”
“Our problem is that we don’t want to be slaves to Jesus Christ. We want to be Christians.”
“Why are you in this church? Because of Pastor Brian or because God called you here.”
“Whatever you seen in me it is because of the favor of God.”
“Whatever you are doing today that is your ministry.”
“You have impacted people you don’t know who are impacting people right now.”
“God is not going to tell you what you are going to do in the future, because you will mess it up.”
“Get rid of self desires.”
“If we cannot advise each other we should keep quiet and pray to God.”
“God has deposited something in us, that is not for us.” (Marie Ugo)
“We are in that time where people are hungry for authentic Christianity.” (Marie Ugo)

Why am I in Brazil

August 25, 2009 in Global Outreach, Prayer, Uncategorized, Vision with 0 Comments

As some of you know, we have been praying at West Ridge Church now for many months about new Missions opportunities. I have had conversations about a dozen different great works by godly leaders in a dozen different countries. Many others have pitched mission opportunities to me in places where God is working. I’ve put a lot of prayer into a lot of different places I’ve never been. A couple of these conversations have stayed with me. I have felt God saying, you have to go see this. Sooner or later I have to get out of the office

So, I’m in Brazil. I’m near Manaus. Less than 200 years ago it was one of the wealthiest cities in the world. The whole world came here for a commodity – rubber. In 1920 some aggressive folks from Europe came and took steps that made this trade move, and many things moved away with it. One thing remains – the River.

We would refer to it as the Amazon. But here, just before the actual Amazon begins there are two, the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes. Once they collide the Amazon begins. Down that river there are groups of people who have retreated deep into the jungle to hide from – well – everyone.

Up until the 1980′s there were groups of people making their way into the Amazon killing tribal people because they are different. They are strange. They have peculiar customs, and unusual ways of looking out for one another. They were killing them completely out of fear. And now that same fear has created an environment where no one from the outside is allowed into these villages. It would mean certain death. And in these villages there are over 90 unreached people groups. Each have their own language as can be with hundreds of dialects. Groups of people who have never heard that there is a God who sacrificed His only Son to have a relationship with them.

So how will they know? That’s what I am here to learn about. Recently, a group of Brazilian Pastors secured over 200 acres just a couple of kilometers off of the Amazon River. I walked the property today.  It is breathtaking. From this place they plan to recruit men from the villages down the river, and train them to take God’s message with them. It is a big, multi-faceted vision! What do they need from us? That is what I’m here to find out. Other churches are here from our Atlanta community. This may be another opportunity to work together in meaningful ways.

I am looking forward to seeing even more in the days to come.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul