Even in the valley of uncertainty, we are anchored by the One who overcame death.
Early this Easter Sunday morning, Olivia (our second daughter), Zack, and baby Ellis arrived in Brazil to spend 20 days with us.
Their arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.
Our Hope
Isaiah 8:12–13 “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’
Regarding everything that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the LORD of armies whom you are to regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, And He shall be your dread.”
Wait… dread?
Why would a loving Father be described as someone to dread?
Isaiah was addressing a nation gripped by fear and swirling conspiracies. The people were anxious—worried about their freedoms, fortunes, and futures.
Sound familiar?
Where We Place Our Trust
As I’ve been reading through 1 and 2 Kings, a pattern jumped out:
Most of the kings failed. Why? Two root sins: misplaced trustandentitlement.
Beware of Drift
It’s so easy to drift. To let fear shape our compass. To get disoriented. To subtly shift our trust from God to self, to systems, to security.
But when your life depends on your compass being true, even the smallest deviation matters. If you’re sailing from Eastern Canada and your bearing is just a bit off—you could end up in an entirely different country.
How much more does this matter for our eternal bearings?
Realigning the Heart
Ask yourself:
What fills me with dread?
What would I sacrifice everything for?
What moves me most when everything else is quiet?
Your answers will show you where your compass is pointing.
Isaiah pointed out that when our deepest dread is in displeasing the God who loves us—who delights in helping us up when we fall—then we are aligned.
Deanna
Many of you saw our prayer update on Good Friday. Deanna received a cancer diagnosis this week.
We’re still absorbing it. It feels like our whole family was thrown into the deep end of the pool without warning.
And yet—we are not alone. Your prayers mean more than words can say.
Celebrating Easter in the Storm
That same afternoon, our home filled with laughter and life: Easter egg hunts, roasted wieners, and kids running everywhere.
What a contrast—sorrow and joy, diagnosis and reunion, fear and hope. But isn’t that what Easter is all about?
Death does not get the final word. Love does. Resurrection does.
Do you remember the wonders, sadnesses, and joys of this age? It’s all preparation for increased influence and responsibility.
Lucy and Paul
Training to be an expressive Nielsen/Bergen girl.
Photos that Speak
I was standing by our gate earlier this week when a man across the street—clearly drunk and unfamiliar to me—started shouting and waving. I watched him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. He kept pointing, louder and more animated. I turned around, unsure what he was trying to show me. And there it was—a rainbow stretched across the sky, arching over our mango trees. I took out my phone and snapped this photo. Now I can’t help but wonder… was that really a drunk?
I’ve been thinking about this image all week. Do you ever wonder how the wind can blow in two directions at once?
God often moves in ways we can’t predict—or explain. Our part is to trust His training.
We’ve dodged more bullets than we can count over the years. Some we’re aware of—like the time doctors told us our newborn had hepatitis B. “She’ll need lifelong medication and liver biopsies every six months,” one specialist warned. Another time, a practitioner suggested cancer. One of our daughters was gravely ill for 18 days—we crisscrossed Belém running tests, hearing phrases like, “We’re ruling out the big stuff.” And we may never know the many times God protected us of which we were oblivious.
Through it all, we’ve seen God’s steady hand. Again and again, when we walk in the light we’ve been given, He makes a way.
Can you see these plants bursting with joy at their ability to shine for their creator?
Last night, we had supper with friends who moved to Altamira with us, back in 1996, at the beginning of the Vineyard Church in Northern Brazil. So many memories, so much to be grateful for.
May this be your best week yet.
We’re praying you encounter His abundance afresh this week.
With grace, Rick & Deanna
🙏 Prayer Points
Deanna – for complete healing, peace, and clarity in the next steps
Our Family – that we would learn everything God wants us to learn in this season
Travel Protection – for Olivia, Zack, and Ellis during their time in Brazil
Discernment – for the right path as we navigate the next steps in ministry
💬 We’d be honored to pray for you, too—just hit “reply” to this email.
Rick Bergen (Ph.D., Organizational Leadership) and Deanna Bergen (M.A.) consult, train leaders, and plant churches. They’re passionate about servant leadership, family systems theory, leadership health, conflict management, and cross-cultural issues—because God radiates through healthy leaders and churches, attracting people like a beacon in a storm. For more: rickbergen.net .
The Bergens have four daughters, three wonderful sons-in-law, and three cherished grandchildren.
