The Reconciliation of All Things

Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you have all had a great time with family and friends, and especially remembering why we celebrate Christmas at all—Jesus Christ was born! I am so thankful for Him! Aren’t you?

Here’s a quote to think about: “If within us we find nothing over us, we succumb to what is around us.” What, or better, Who do you have within you? What makes you tick? What is your purpose in life? I’m glad I have found out—you can too! Why do we see those around us with no strong morals or values? Well, the quote explains it all… Open the Bible! Read the book of John! It’s amazing! Ben.

I was reading the news yesterday, and found it interesting to see what’s going on in the courtroom in Iraq where Saddam is being tried…then I read Proverbs 29:9 this morning…guess what it says… “If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.” Is that not what is going on over there? Oh, the truths we discover in life…

Howdy folks! Here's Becky with our little guy, she says it's no longer a bowling ball or a basketball, but a beach ball that she's carrying around! He's due January 18th, and we're very excited for his arrival! 

I’ve been doing some research on Jehovah’s Witnesses for my theology class, and some of you might find this interesting. It is one of the fastest growing cults in the world, so I believe we should know a bit about it and how to defend our position when talking to one of them. In fact, I am interviewing a J.W. this coming Monday on the deity of Christ (they don’t believe he was actually God), and I’ll be producing two brochures soon, one for Christians to know how to defend our position when they come knocking on our doors, and one brochure for you to hand to a J.W., challenging him/her to think for themselves and read the Bible. If you’re interested, let me know. Also, here’s a great website for apologetics (defending our faith) http://www.carm.org, it also includes plenty of information about all the other major cults today and their fallacies. Know the Word and study it! Ben.

Hello all! Thanksgiving Break is here this week! A friend of mine is going to help me (actually, he’ll be teaching me) redo our front porch—the roof is rotting through, and we’re also going to screen it in. Our baby boy is still growing strong, Becky’s carrying a bowling ball, well, actually, a basketball, around. She’s anxious to have this baby soon…I mean, wouldn’t you be uncomfortable carrying a basketball around and your belly for this long too? I know that some people are actually used to that though… ( Classes are going well for me, Ben, I’m really enjoying them and feeling refreshed by what I’m learning. Our God is an amazing God, I will tell you that. This year I am thankful that His Word is like a hidden treasure, always finding new things we can cherish and learn from. Keep in touch people! Email us sometime, a link is on the right side of this screen. Much love, Ben & Becky.

Here's our boy sucking on his thumb already! See the profile of his face and chest? We're sooo excited!!! 

Ben with the baby!!! Naaaah, just kidding. It's a baby, but not OUR baby. This is Josiah Tannig Clermont, the two day old baby of Justin, the fella in the picture below this one! Ours isn't due until January! We're excited!!! 

End of the 4 mile Mud Run! We made it!!! Ben's the one on the far left! (Ben, Art, Justin, Eli--all friends currently in Seminary at CIU).

Over and Under folks! Over and under! 

That's Ben swimming in the muddy water! Ben did the 12th Annual Marine Corps sponsored Mud Run! 4 miles of obstacles and trails in the forest! Awesome! 

Who says adults can't have fun? 

Who says you can't have fun as a grown-up? The fella that opens the fire hydrants three or four times a year to check chemical levels was opening valves in our neighborhood! I thought it was raining outside, but it was the fire hydrant! After talking to the city worker, the kids convinced me to join in the fun! It sure didn't take much to "convince" me! Always a kid, I'll tell ya... Haven't you ever done it? It's even more fun when it's a hot day, like the day we had! What's one of the things you've done that's fun that "keeps you young"? Let us know! Post a comment at the bottom right of this paragraph.

"Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint". In other words, "Don't weary yourself trying to get rich. Why waste your time?" Ever seen that one? That comes from Proverbs 23:4. Pretty useful advice, I'll tell ya! Listen to what comes after that: "...for riches can disappear as though they had the wings of a bird!" God chooses to bless us in different ways at different times, why not depend on him instead of wearing ourselves out?!? Wow.

Well, in keeping with true Bacheller tradition, we've started off our family with a BOY! Yep, it's true! I mean, did you expect otherwise? It's almost impossible to expect a girl, I mean, look at the odds in Ben's family! 5 boys in a row, then finally, a girl! Hope it doesn't take THAT long for us to have a girl! :-) Even so, we're excited, and hope you are too! This guy was moving all over the place during the ultrasound, I'm thinking he's going to be a strong-willed child! You never know... Yep, both of us have jobs, and we're excited classes are starting up this Wednesday. I'll be taking Systematic Theology I, Gospels, & Foundations of Spiritual Development. Anxious to get started! If you're passing through the area, in Columbia, SC, don't hesitate to give us a call or stop in for a quick visit! We'd love to see you! Keep in touch, Ben & Becky.

Here's looking at you! It's a BOY!!! 

Our new home! It looks better now, we've actually unpacked all (almost all) the boxes!

Howdy folks. Well, we've arrived and almost finished moving in to our new home here in SC! We're excited to have our own place, settle down (if that's possible with a kid on the way!) and enjoy life a bit. I'm (Ben) looking forward to classes at the seminary, and Becky's got a job she's been waiting and praying for. She's already started orientation at the hospital to work on an OB floor! No more medical/surgical/oncology for a while! She'll be learning all about what goes on with the moms and babies (not to mention, she'll be taking care of them and directing/teaching them), since it's a post-partum floor she's going to be on. For myself, I'll be taking three classes (Principles of Spiritual Development, Gospels, and Systematic Theology I) and working part-time. Not sure WHERE that work's going to come from yet, but it'll come... If you want to get ahold of us, our number is (803)233-3608, and you are more than welcome to give us...

How could you NOT miss these girls??

The last "hangout" with the young guys! We sure miss them!

Howdy folks! Becky and I are in Florida as I type this, preparing to pack up our stuff and move to South Carolina! We've enjoyed the hospitality of friends here at our church and at ECHO, hosting us during this time of transition. A great surprise this past Sunday was that our Sunday school here in Fort Myers threw us a baby shower party/going away party! We enjoyed spending some more time with them before setting off again on this new adventure. Nevertheless, we're excited to finally get "home", to our own place in Columbia, SC. During our time back to the States, we've been to Chicago, then western New York state, then Chicago again, and then Florida now, and soon in SC. As we leave on Thursday, please pray for safe travels. God has protected us up to now, and we're thankful for that. We just found out that our licences had been suspended, b/c of no insurance on the car while overseas, which meant I couldn't drive, and we also couldn't get insurance ...

Becky and I flew back to the States last night, and it was quite eventful. But what I want to tell you about is one unique situation we found ourselves in. On one of the domestic flights we were on within Brazil, en route to São Paulo, we met an American lady that had been to Brazil to visit this certain "religious" man who was performing healings. Now, as many American people will understand, when you fly, usually you want to keep to yourself and take a quick nap, read a book, etc. Nevertheless, this lady we met, whose name I can't remember now, wanted to chat. And if you're reading this maam (sorry I forgot your name), please forgive me for my attitude at first, but read on. So you see, this lady kept asking questions, as well as sharing her views on life, etc. She's looking for the Truth, for answers...and what got me thinking throughout today was that so many times we are selfish, we want to keep to ourselves, live our individualistic lives, and just be left a...

Well, well! When we got back from our trip to the northeast of Brazil, we discovered that the hard drive (computer storage) of the computer we used had "crashed", basically we lost everything on it. We had all our hundreds of pictures stored on it, etc., and lost it. Thankfully, we found someone in a larger city 40 minutes from here who was able to reccuperate all the data for us, and we'll get the CD's tomorrow in the mail. It cost us $300 to get this data...but it would probably be more in the US. All in all, it was a pretty close call for leaving in two days! Unfortunately, it's not much time to print pictures off to give away or make gifts with. We're just thankful we could get all those pictures back--memories are SO important, aren't they? Although we're leaving in two days, it doesn't feel like it at all. Have you ever been in a situation like that? It just doesn't hit until you finally settle down, sometimes, weeks or months later when ...

Howdy folks! If you're reading this site, wondering just where we are in the world today, well this is the right place. Here's where we'll be in the next few weeks, and how to reach us. On Friday, July 22nd, we'll be flying out of Brazil to Chicago. We'll be in Chicago from the 23rd through the 26th, flying out to New York State on that Tuesday, the 26th. We'll be seeing supporters and family while in NY, then fly back to Chicago for debriefing. We'll be in Chicago again from the 2nd to the 6th of August, when we'll be flying down to Miami (still need a ride though) on our way to Fort Myers on the Gulf side of Florida (hoping there'll be no hurricanes in store for when we're there though). We'll stay in Fort Myers for a few days, from the 6th through the 11th, when we pack up a rental truck and move to Columbia, SC. The best way to reach us will be by email (bbbacheller@yahoo.com), since we don't have cell phones currently. In NY you can...

"Free-ranging-goat" in interior of Para�ba, notice the two right legs tied and the long stick tied to the neck--that would slow anything down! 

We got back from northeast Brazil safely, and it was an adventure for me (Ben), since I stayed a bit longer to get to know the interior of the state of Paraíba. The homes were simple, some without a cement floor, and the walls are made from mud and sticks, kind of like a plaster or adobe. The people are very welcoming and friendly once they know you're not a threat to them. They are suspicious of outsiders, but if they accept you, it's as if you're part of their family. That is how I felt during my visit-as part of the community-I wasn't stared at, and I enjoyed the people. One night I sat for a couple hours just chatting with the neigbors. They ranged from the ages of 70, to a four year old on my lap. We sat on simple benches or "home-made chairs" for the evening, just chatting away while the mosquitoes buzzed around us freely. It really WAS enjoyable for me because I got to live like they do for a few days. Eat what they eat (rice and beans with a dry flour-...

Tomorrow morning we head up north for a family vacation...all the Bacheller brothers and wives are here now, so we'll all be gone until the 30th of June. However, I'll be gone (Ben) until the 9th, visiting a new church plant and the pastor, getting to know the work there, as well as teaching a few seminars on agriculture appropriate to the semi-arid climate I'll be visiting up there. Pray that everything goes well, for health and for safety. Pray that I'll know what to teach, since the folks left it wide open for me. I'll be back on July 9th, then we'll be heading back to the States on the 22nd to visit some of you folks in NY. Count on seeing us toward the end of July! Thanks for your prayers everyone!

Well, today I spent the morning at the orphanage hanging out with the teen guys, then in the garden ("horta" in Portuguese) cleaning up a bit. There's a bit of bad news too...many of the young kids at the orphanage are breaking out with chicken pox, which means Becky can't hang out there and care for the kids, since it could cause serious birth defects to the baby in womb. So, unfortunately, she's gotta stay away for at least two weeks...let the chicken pox swipe through the whole orphanage first...oh well, now to find other things to keep busy. Oh, I stayed there for lunch today. Guess what we ate? Well, rice, beans, chicken (necks), potato/carrot salad, and some kind of greens with vinegar/lemon. Yes, you read that correctly, chicken NECKS! Wow...I skipped since I was getting protein in the beans! :-) What would you do? I'd try it first, which I HAVE done I'll let you know, and I didn't like the vertebrae that you have to pick out and spit out as you...

At the University! The largest university of Latin America in contiguous land! It was huge! And beautiful architecture from the early 1900's. 

Taking a tour of the headquarters of the Brazilian Department of Agriculture and Research. 

Isn't she beautiful!?? 

Quick visit to the beach! 

Day-care center--planting lettuce with the children! 

Dear Friends and Family, We arrived safely back in Anápolis after an exciting week in Rio. Thank you for all your prayers regarding our trip. During our time in Rio (actually Seropédica, a small college town 45 minutes out of the city) Ben and I were able to visit the Federal University of Rural Rio de Janeiro which focuses on agriculture and environmental science. We also participated in Seropédica’s environmental emphasis week which included tours of neighboring national forests and mini-courses in caring for the environment. All these were for the community. Ben also had the opportunity to teach an Ecology class at the university about the environment and geography of the United States. We were privileged to stay with Dr. Carlos Domingos (director of the Environmental Science department at the university) and his wife Mara. They were very hospitable towards us and did all they could to make our stay comfortable (they even gave us their room—very Brazilian). They spoke Portuguese wit...

Hey folks. Just wanted to ask you to pray for us as we head off to Rio today. We'll take a bus to Brasília from here (2 1/2 hours), then get on a plane to fly down & over there for a week. We're excited to meet some new people and see the work they're doing down there. Until later! Ben & Becky.

We had an ultrasound done just the other day, and we could see the blood pumping, or the heart beating, whatever you wanna call it! How neat to see a life beginning, and so small and precious! The baby is currently a little over 5 mm long! Imagine that! The size of a bean! Woohoo!! With joy, Ben & Becky.

Becky's Birthday Today! Last birthday without kids! Better enjoy it! :-)

Well hello there again folks! Once again, Becky and I felt like we should email to keep in touch. We want to share our excitement with you all! For some of you this paragraph will be "old news", so just skip ahead to the next paragraph. As of last week, Becky and I found out that for sure, 100% definite, no joking, totally seriously, that we are pregnant! She's 6 weeks now, and the baby's due January 21st, 2006! Please pray with us and for us for a safe, healthy pregnancy, and delivery when the time comes. Also, coming up in June, from the 6th to the 13th, Becky and I will be going to Rio de Janeiro. We were invited by a Christian professor at one of the top agricultural/ecological schools in Brazil. During the one week we spend there, we will be making contacts for the future and trying to serve however possible. I have been asked, believe it or not, to "preach" (more like speak) that Sunday, as a layperson. I'm asking God for the courage and wisdom t...

Surprise Inside!

Hey folks! Great news! As of yesterday, we know for 100% sure, no joking, completely seriously, that we are pregnant ! Becky was at 5 weeks just yesteray, and by golly, are we excited!!! The due date is January 21st, of course, give or take a bit. Please pray with us for a healthy, safe pregnancy all the way to the end. We are glad that we can make Becky's parents and Ben's parents grandparents for the first time, and we think they are too! :-) Please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!

Well, we've already reserved our rental truck & car towing accessory (man, those things are expensive to rent!!!) for our move from Fort Myers, FL to Columbia, SC on or around the 11th of August. I think that'll be a Thursday, can't remember. Anyhow, we're looking forward to the move into our new place, just simple little home for us; it'll be home for the next couple of years as I pursue my Masters of Intercultural Studies at Columbia International University. It will probably take three years we're thinking. After that, who knows what's next!? One thing is sure, if the Lord leads us overseas, we're going! Our time in Brazil has been great so far, showing us where we could serve and where we think we shouldn't. :-) On another note, I'm feeling a bit better today from the vertigo I caught (makes you dizzy and lose your balance, along with nausea feelings). I'm going to go check on the garden, see how it's coming. It'll be the most...

Happy Belated Mother's Day, we pray you had a joyful day celebrating the special moms in your life. This Mother's Day brought for us another cultural lesson and a reminder that we are constantly learning more about Brazil (even with Ben having grown up here!). At around one o-clock in the morning on Mother's Day we were awakened by people blaring music outside our window. Ben went outside to complain and told the group to quiet down so people could sleep. However, Ben soon found out that the group was made up of seminary students simply trying to honor all the mothers by serenading them on Mother's Day. From our perspective the students were being rude, yet that was not how they or the Brazilian mothers saw it. We were reminded again the need to be culturally sensitive and not judge others based on our own perspective. Ben and I are thankful that our time in Brazil not only includes serving but learning as well. Things are going well at the orphanage. The garden is comi...

This past weekend Becky and I went to the local university gym where a State Judo competition was being held. We went to watch a few of the teen guys from the orphanage compete. One of the kids actually got gold in one division, and silver in the next. It was neat to spend time w/ them, supporting them, since there's no parents to come watch and support them. Even so, I don't think I have the patience that a teenager's father would have (yet), because I got tired after a few hours and had to come home and get some rest. It can drain you a lot, especially when it's in another language! Anyhow, that was Saturday, and today, Wednesday, I give a short Bible study to these same teenager guys at the orphange, at 8pm our time, 7pm Eastern St. Time, while Becky hangs out with the teen girls, talking and teaching them how to crochêt. Please pray that God will work in these kids' lives, bringing them to Him, and that we'll be sensitive in knowing how we can help. Ben ...

Orphanage teens at Judo competition on Saturday, April 30th, 2005

One happy girl!

Teaching 5th graders how to plant strawberry plants.

This morning I (Ben) went to Joy's school (my 10 year old sister) and taught over 60 kids how to make tire gardens. Goodness, those 10 & 11 year olds can be noisy! Nonetheless, we were able to plant strawberry plants in these tires, and the kids are supposed to water them daily before school (7.20AM!), and keep the weeds out as well. It's been neat to be involved in different aspects and areas in the community here. It's been exciting and challenging, but fulfilling too. We'll attach pictures as soon as we have some uploaded.

Both of us in Brazil, April, 2005.

Hello folks! Well, there are more and more babies at the orphanage! It's neat, yes, but not necessarily good, since some parents are not able to care for them, so they then end up at the orphanage. At least it's a better place for them than with their drunk dads and prostitute moms. At least there's a chance for them to have a better life here at the orphanage. It was interesting for me (Ben) to find that out of the 17 teenage boys I've started a short Bible commentary/study for (in Proverbs), that only 4 or so called themselves "Christians". Wow. Here we are at a "Christian orphanage", and only 4 out of 17 teen boys are Christians. Makes you realize what an impact you can have on these kids. On the other hand, it makes you realize that you can't do this on your own. God's the one Who blesses the work, not men. Becky's been helping more regularly now with the newborns and infants, as well as staying busy with Portuguese. The teen girls at...

Hello there again! Sorry it's been so long since we've written you. We've got much to write, but we won't make it as long as it could be. :-) First of all, we want to thank you for your support and encouragement toward us while here in Brazil. Since we last wrote, there have been many exciting things that we've been able to be a part of. First of all, Easter was great! We were priveleged to share the holiday weekend with the kids at the orphanage. Kids from a church in the US committed to doing some community service to raise money for the orphanage. All the money they raised ($400) they sent to the orphanage for the kids here to have a celebration like no other! Saturday night there was an Easter celebration with the older teens doing a drama of "The Last Supper", and on Sunday there was a big Brazilian style barbecue (aka "Churrasco") accompanied by rice, beans, cassava root, and tomato salad. There was plenty of meat left over for the rest of ...

Hi from Brazil ! It’s hard to believe that we have been here almost two weeks! God has taught us so much already! My wisdom teeth extraction went well and despite huge chipmunk cheeks I’m feeling much better. This past week we started helping in the orphanage with a group of college students who were on a spring break missions trip. We painted the main meeting room (the cafeteria) of the orphanage with palm trees and bright colors. It was lots of work, but tons of fun. I also started helping in the nursery. It is hard not to cry seeing the hard cement floor the toddlers crawl on with one or two broken toys to share amongst them all. The children are well cared for in regards to food and housing but lack the love and nurture needed for optimum growth. The babies are only held when being fed so they do not learn to cry for human touch or affection. One baby in particular, Marcos, has captured my heart already. He is 16 months old and has AIDS. When Ben and I first visited Brazil o...

Hello folks! Just wanted to send an update to you all and let you know that we’ve arrived safely in Brazil ! We left Miami March 1 st and arrived “home”, where we’ll be staying for the next 4 months, Anápolis, around 7pm on the 2 nd of March. We had an uneventful trip here, besides the 3 hour delayed flight out of Miami (very Brazilian!). Becky and I have been trying to catch up on our sleep and “de-stress” a bit from the weeks leading up to our trip here to Brazil . We’ve already been able to get settled in our place, do some groceries, and even get to know some of the local folks who are either students or professors at the seminary where we’re living with my parents. Beginning Monday we’ll already be getting involved in the orphanage across the street from us. A group of college students from the US are arriving here tomorrow (Saturday) and will be doing a few work projects at the orphanage, such as painting their whole cafeteria with a fresh layer of paint. Becky ...