Escola

     Last night Samir and his family came and took me to the apartment of a young professional named Jeremias. He and two of his friends- average age about 30- listened with rapt attention for over an hour as i shared about the kingdom of God and discipleship. All understand English. I used the passage at the end of Matthew 28, Luke 14:25-33, Ephesians 2:1-3, Luke 6:46 among others. Again I rejoice at the receptivity of these people who were baptized last year. Sadly, so unlike my experience in the US.
     This morning i took a walk for an hour with my host Telmo. He prefers to practice English. Around noon my new friend Nilson came and took me to a buffet restaurant which is very popular in Brazil. For R15, about $7, you can eat as much as you want of anything. Beverages are additional. These places are dangerous for someone who enjoys Brazilian cuisine as i do so i limit myself to one plate now. Many people have two or three.
    During the meal I spoke to Nilson about what outreach the church has to the poor. He took me to a school (escola) that they support in a poor neighborhood called Indio Jari. We got off the paved road onto a dirt one to get there. While the building belongs to the government, and is old and dilapidated, everything else has been done by believers. They have about sixty children here. The public school is next door and has double sessions. Children go to the Christian school at the alternate time while their parents work. The place is run by a brother named Pipino (?) He has ministered there for five years on a shoestring budget. While i appreciate the opportunities to share with other people this is the kind of outreach that i hope to aid. When we arrived younger children were sleeping on mats on the floor. The age range is about 2 to 10.  "And the king will answer them, "Truly I say to you, as you did to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40 ESV)