Adventures in Brazil: Final Observations

On December 25th i completed my third visit to Brazil, which lasted a full month. This follows previous visits of three weeks, and three months, respectively. Traveling and living in Brazil is definitely a mixed bag. Traveling to and from the US requires at least 24 hours of flying and waiting in airports. Have never had the slightest difficulties in customs with either the US or Brazil. Should say that almost all of my interactions with Brazilians are with committed Christians. The hospitality of the believers to someone who is a foreigner, and barely speaks their language is extraordinary. Yet sometimes i feel like royalty, something i would prefer to wait for in the heavenly realms when all believers will reign with Jesus. I am fed delicious, healthy food with lots of fruit juices available. Yet sometimes they want me to eat four or five meals a day, and more with every meal. Normally i have a schedule with set times for meals, prayers, reading the Word, reviewing memory verses and adding new ones, Portuguese study, and exercise. In Brazil my schedule goes out the window, and I need to be diligent and creative to do these things. They are extremely attentive to any possible need, and always willing to accommodate me. The challenge is twofold. One not to expect this when i return home; the other is the feeling of living in a fish bowl with me as the pet fish. I am dependent in many ways that i would not normally be. I do not have a car, a cell phone, regular or reliable Internet access. I am not supposed to go anywhere by myself for concern over robbery or assault. As a tall, pale person, everyone seems to know that i am a "gringo" before i open my mouth and confirm this. Sometimes people in stores will say your friend is not a Brazilian, is he? On the other hand I am driven everywhere ( I dislike driving, my clothes are washed superbly on a regular basis; my expenses are minimal. The biggest is giving. While i am not allowed to pay for anything, this can be irksome at times. A slowly increasing comprehension of Portuguese opens more doors; i still have trouble with anything beyond a slow, basic conversation. I have only met three Brazilians fluent enough in English that I have confidence that they understand what I am saying, and that i am being understood. The rest of the time is tricky. There are many opportunities to share the Word with individuals, small and large groups, which i treasure. I do need to use "translator" English but this is no hardship. I would like more opportunities to learn from the Brazilians. As a supposed "pastor" I am treated like royalty. I would rather stand at the end of the food line rather than the front, especially after i heard an idiomatic expression for an overweight person is that they eat like a pastor. The best part of my time in Brazil is the many opportunities to have true fellowship with young adult Christians in a way that is extremely rare for me here. In every setting there are young people who want to hang out with me, talk, receive and honor. Maybe half speak some level of English; the others do not but the time is always sweet and rich in the Lord Jesus.

Adventures in Brazil: 24 Hours

Wednesday afternoon Vinci brought me to the airport in Vitoria about 4pm. ( There is a 3 hour time difference between coastal Brazil and Eastern Standard Time. 1:00 EST) We talked for a little while and he had a small coffee. This is usual in Brazil although i am told by many that Brazilian coffee is stronger than in the US. I don't drink coffee so i don't know) Another close friend joined us, and he left. Apparently in Brazil the biggest Christmas celebration is actually New Year's Eve. He was expecting 35 people to his home that night, people in the church who did not have family to be with. The information on the boarding pass said gate 5, so i waited and got in line. By the grace of God the man checking the passes realized that I was in the wrong line, and should be at gate 3. Both planes were going to Sao Paulo but there are 3 different airports serving the biggest city in Brazil. Again by grace the other plane had not departed. The plane was only half full and i had three seats to myself. Upon landing in Sao Paulo I needed to figure out how to get to the next gate. I tried one place, and the attendant told me to go to Terminal 3. I really do not know how someone who does not speak and understand some Portuguese could function by themselves in an airport. The woman who gave me the boarding pass in Vitoria was the first one to use any English with me and i still got into the wrong line. Kept walking and looking until i finally found the American Airlines representative in a far corner. She doubled as a security person and asked the standard questions about whether anyone had given me anything to take with me, in English. I then went to the customs area. This was much quicker than i remember probably due to the large numbers of foreigners coming to the recent World`s Cup soccer championship. A young woman asked for my passport, and entrada, a form one receives upon entering the country, which must be returned in order to leave. She also asked me the number of my flight, which, by grace i understood in Portuguese. Then i purchased a seltzer water and pastry, with the usual rigamarole about exact change, a ongoing hassle that i still do not completely understand. After waiting several hours boarded the plane to New York, which was quite full. I had a window seat in a row of three, which meant that I was basically trapped for nine hours. Have never been able to sleep in something moving like a plane, bus or car, and this was no exception. The person in front of me put their seat back, crunching me in an almost immobile position, and the person behind me was an adolescent male in perpetual motion. Finally in New York before six, which meant that we had to remain on the plane because the US customs workers do not begin until then. After the original purchase of my tickets, the airline had changed the flight time, giving me 45 less minutes to catch the plane to Boston. An airline representative gave me a priority envelope, including boarding pass, which allowed me to circumvent part of the first customs line. This went smoothly. Then i waited for my luggage. The belt stopped and started several times. Finally all the luggage was off the plane but not mine. This discovery took considerable time. I got the attention of an airline rep, who eventually informed me that my suitcase was in Miami. By grace everything of value was in my backpack, which i always keep with me. So I went through the second customs line without difficulty, went from the first floor to the third, and eventually got into a long line waited to go through the TSA security. After awhile i got the attention of another airline rep, with my red priority envelope, and was brought to the head of the line. Hoping that the gate number had not changed I went to gate 8, where the final boarding was taking place. Made this half full flight with maybe 3 minutes to spare. This was a short flight. Took the silver line to South Station, managed to purchase a bus ticket without having to wait hours for the next one. The bus was considerably fuller than usual. On the two hour ride I almost fell asleep. Arriving in Springfield I was met by a brother and his wife. By then it was noon and he wanted to have lunch on the way back. Immediately i had to adjust because in Brazil the midday meal is normally about 2pm. I was surprised at how many people were eating at a McDonalds on Christmas Day. Finally a little after 1pm, after 24 hours of travel I arrived home. Final observations about my time in Brazil will appear in the next post.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 19

While staying in Guarapari (sp?) I watched a small bird flutter outside the window. The colors were striking, a black helmet shaped band on top, a horizontal band of white, a horizontal band of black again which included the beak, and a bright yellow chest plumage. When the back was turned the colors were a nondescript gray/brown. The heat was extreme my last days there, about 40C or over 100F. Monday evening my host family drove me to a general meeting in Vitoria, the final one of the year, where, to my surprise I was asked if i had anything to preach. God instructed me many years ago to be "ready in season or out of season" ( 2 Timothy 4:2), or ready at anytime. Again i shared on the simple life, the only message that I gave in all three cities. My new hostess (and translator) remarked afterwards that she thought this was the most important message that i had ever preached because i live it out every day. Again a number of people interacted with me about the Word afterwards, a refreshing and welcome experience. Saw a number of friends from previous visits. Thank God for them. Afterwards we ate at midnight. ( Not unusual) It will be strange to return to my normal 7am/noon/6pm eating schedule. Tuesday night i finally had the opportunity to go to the home of my friend Norberto for dinner. His wife Ruth cooked a splendid meal, which we began about 9:30 or 10 with their son and one daughter. Vinci and Samia are the life of the party. As more people came, the conversations got louder and more animated. After awhile i understood nothing. In contrast, Norberto spoke with me later, one on one, in response to the message about the simple life, with reflections on capitalism and Christianity. Unfortunately I did not understand all the details of his nuanced thoughts. Wednesday was taken to lunch by my friends Getulio and Ana. Both speak good English but for the first time we conversed almost entirely in Portuguese on a wide variety of subjects. For some reason they are easier to understand than many others. Later that day Vinci took me to the airport, which will be the subject of another post.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 18

Let me begin with a few observations. Generally speaking, police do not enforce traffic laws directly although there are places where they stop everybody. Speed limits are enforced electronically. Many deliveries are made by young men with small motorbikes, pizza for example. They weave in and out of traffic. I saw an accident involving one this morning. Today took a walking tour in a city possibly spelled Guirapari, a place of 120,000 inhabitants with many beaches. Many Brazilian tourists frequent this area. We went to a little loja (store) owned by one of the pastors in the church, which sold mostly women's accessories, handbags and the like. We also stopped at an ice cream store. You select as many kinds and toppings as you wish on a self-serve basis, and pay by weight. Last night went to the final meeting of the year for the church here. About sixty, including children, attended. Two Christian families live in this three story building, which contains one large courtyard on the ground floor, and another on the third. Ages ranged from two months to almost ninety years, a welcome sight after the normal age segregated American churches. We had a powerful time of worship, and then a long testimony of the goodness of God from a brother whose infant son had survived numerous physical challenges. Someone had prepared a video comemorating the past year in the life of the church, complete with three songs in English. Music in English is heard everywhere in Brazil, to my dismay. Afterwards I shared in English about the armor of God, and how all six parts point to Jesus, the subject of a prior post. Two volunteers helped me illustrate the principle of standing firm ( 3X in English)together. The original prearranged translator did not show up for some reason, so a guest from another church volunteered to translate. As with so many of my translators it was his first time but his courage and faith in Christ proved equal to the task. I am not sure who this is for but i am breaking in quite a few translators for somebody to follow in my footsteps.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 17

Last night went to the wedding of dear young friends Asaph & Karen. This is the second wedding that I have celebrated in Brazil, and I will try to highlight some of the differences. About five hundred were invited to an ornate room rented from a society of lawyers. Many people must have put a lot of work into the decorations and set-up. As is increasingly common, an professional wedding coordinator was employed. The mix of guests was not primarily younger as would normally be the case in the US but a even balance of young and middleaged. We waited at little tables that would seat seven or eight. In contrast to the US which uses groomsmen and bridesmaids, a much larger group composed the wedding party. There were relatives, close friends, and the groomsmen and bridesmaids although only about four of each of the latter. These came in gradually in a slow procession with musical accompaniment. Before the final entrance of the bride the music changed. There followed a short sermon from the groom's father, a pastor, concentrating on Psalms 127 and 128. Then the brides' father, a former pastor, officiated which concluded with the call for all pastors present to come and pray for the couple. At least thirty responded. The highlight was the bride singing a song to the groom, only the second time that i have ever seen this. Certain readers will remember the first time. Meanwhile a small battalion of waiters clad in white shirts and black vests had begun to serve refreshments. Beverages included Coke, water, something similar to orange juice, and Guarana, the fruit based soda available everywhere in Brazil. This was followed by an unending series of "salgados" a type of hors d!oeuvre. They are small, baked, salty, and have various fillings. I almost forgot the most unusual difference. During the reception a group of young men, friends of the groom, carry a shirt sized box around to the different tables where people are seated, soliciting donations for the honeymoon. In this case, whenever someone made a donation they were rewarded with a little break dancing, and the traditional little piece of a man's tie, cut on the spot for them. To my surprise there was no dancing but of course what i refer to as "barulho," the incessant desire of Brazilians to talk and laugh at the same time. I saw many friends. Of course i had my usual problem with some whom I knew that i had met previously but could not remember where or what their name might be. This morning found a kindred soul in my new host, whose name i do not know how to spell. We took a long walk down the beach and onto a trail that wound along the sea. This probably lasted two hours. My Portuguese is gradually improving because my current host family does not speak any English. As has been said many times, immersion is the best way to learn a language because there is no other choice.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 16

Several relaxing days in Vila Velha, neighboring city to Vitoria in the state of Espirito Santo. My hosts are incredibly hospitable. They live a few blocks from the beach and I have several enjoyable jaunts there, the last with one of their adult children, who speaks good English although we spoke mostly in Portuguese. We covered such topics as tatoos, self-defense, whether the people of God go directly to be with the Lord after they die or at some subsequent time. We also drank coconut water out of a real coconut, always available on Brazilian beaches. The day before had done a similar walk with another Brazilian friend whom i first met in the US. Tonight i go to a wedding. Brazilians are not exactly restrained so i assume i will finally get to sleep about five in the morning. The night before there was a house group meeting with about twenty people, many young adults. My host is a avid, serious student of the Word of God who also plays guitar, and who has some major handyman/fixit skills. Upon moving into his present home he redid most of the interior. After this meeting several of the young people approached me with some questions which i attempted to answer in a mixture of English and Portuguese. As always i was impressed by how rapt their attention was, and their willingness to interact with someone much older than themselves. One of the questions had to do with the spiritual state of the church in America. Last night i was invited to the home of people who hosted me last year as well. We had Brazilian pizza. They lived in the Atlanta area for seven seven years with their two daughters. Both of these young ladies are amazingly fluent. The younger is the most fluent English speaking Brazilian that i have met in my three visits to Brazil although now she has some serious competition from several brothers in Porto Alegre. The parents told me about a little farm that they have purchased in the mountains that they hope to show me on my next visit.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 15

Several nights ago i had the privilege and pleasure to speak to a group of special people, the disciplemakers of a church in Brasilia. These people pour their lives into others, making sacrifices of time, energy, and money to help them to become more like Christ. Wagner,one of three pastors in this church, and my host for the week, and i had spoken about what was the most important message that God had given me. I responded, "The simple life." As I have blogged about this previously I will summarize by saying that we live simple lives following the example of Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9) not being choked by the cares, riches and pleasures of this life ( Luke 8:14) using and purchasing only what we truly need even if we can afford more ( Luke 12:15). The reason is so we can fulfill the greatest commandment ( Mark 12:30, Luke 9:23) by giving the life that God has given us for others. The setting was a crumbling public school. My message was punctuated by a thunderous hammering of rain on a rather leaky roof which thwarted even a microphone and amplifier which several brothers set up. My translator, a brother who lived in the UK for seven or eight years is rather soft spoken but did a God honoring job of putting my words into Portuguese. Despite all the noise the brethren listened patiently, took notes, and asked good questions afterwards. My last day in Brasilia some friends took me to a restaurant for almoco- the largest meal of the day, sometime in the early afternoon. We had pleasant conversation. Later in the afternoon Diego came to take me to the airport and spent half an hour explaining how the message about the simple life had impacted him. Knowingly or not, many people have practiced the principle of Galatians 6:6 with me in Brazil. I have flown in and to Brazil many times now, and normally need only five to ten minutes to complete the process of giving the luggage, securing the boarding pass, and going through security. This time was different. Many hundreds of people were in lines that snaked around the interior of the airport, one of the largest in Brazil. Diego told me that the government workers in Brasilia, the capital of the country, normally take their vacation at this time of year. I have never seen such big crowds. The plane was half an hour late but finally was seated and had an uneventful flight to my final Brazilian destination of Vitoria.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 14

One of the differences between cultures is the hand motions or signals that are made. For example, in Brazil pedestrians do not have the right of way unless they make a special movement with their hand and arm which i will attempt to describe. One hand and arm is stretched forward horizontally and raised and lowered several times. Another fascinating movement, which i think may occur more in the south is a snapping of the thumb and the middle finger together accompanied by an emphatic, almost violent movement of the forearm anywhere from three to six times. This is used to indicate emphasis or the desire for something to happen rapidly. It is done only in a group conversation. A third is a thumbs up movement which has several purposes. One is to indicate pleasure or agreement about something that was said. Used in a slightly different manner it produces a signal inquiring whether a parking space is available. Nicer restaurants in Brazil sometimes have limited parking which is supervised by an attendant. Many streets have informal attendants who will watch your car or even do some cleaning in exchange for some change. Yesterday was a relaxing day. In the morning accompanied by two friends who wish to remain anonymous, purchased some Portuguese language worship CD's ( yes, i know that i am a caveman with technology) to enjoy and help to learn Portuguese through repetition. We had almoco, Minas style, ( Minas Gerais is a state in Brazil with a distinctive cuisine) and an enlightening conversation as i continue to explore the reasons behind the fruitfulness of the brethren here. In the evening met with the three elders of the church. This is one of the secrets. Normally one leader in a church becomes overwhelmed with the load of responsibility, two leaders often have unresolvable conflicts, but three or more produce a diversity of gifts, and an spiritual equilibrium. This also allows for one at different times to minister elsewhere without undue stress on the church.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 13

Yesterday the church in Brasilia went to the "chacara", a little farm in the country, which they do on occasion. They were also joined by visitors from other churches. About two hundred, including children, came to this gathering. We began with a time of vigorous praise and music with guitars, vocalists, a drummer, and a trumpet player. This was followed by a teaching, testimonies, prayer for a number of people, and even a brief sharing in Portuguese by yours truly. One of the elders spoke about the ongoing efforts to paganize the country through legislation. Currently abortion is illegal in Brazil but there are major efforts to eliminate this protection. Afterwards we spent the usual several hours of "almoco" the midday largest meal of the day. I had the opportunity to speak with a number of people including some whom I had met previously. One in particular was a young woman who had been on the team that had visited Canada and Boston this summer. Unlike many Brazilians that I have met she was not shy about speaking to me in English. The icing on the cake was that her level of English was about the same as my level of Portuguese so we were really able to help one another. Another man whom i had met last year and I had a nice conversation. He introduced his family to me, all of whom spontaneously hugged me, a complete stranger. The night before a number of the brethren and I attended another performance by the same symphony orchestra that I had heard previously. This time they played scores from famous films, some of which i did recognize. There are many things about any other culture to which one must adjust. Classical music can be very subtle with many nuances, and listening requires rapt attention. Brazilians are so relational that they need to discuss the music during the performance, and take pictures and videos on their mobile phones.

Adventures in Brazil Part 12

Been having some Internet accessibility problems since arriving in Brasilia so will need to rely on my notes. Went to a grupo caseiro (in the home)meeting the first night and shared about fasting. Once again rapt attention was paid. Davi translated for me with a little help from Gabriel. Afterwards they had a little game where a person selected a folded little piece of paper, opened it to find a question. Mine was, if i could be someone in the Bible, who would it be and why? I choose Tychicus because he is little known, and because all five mentions of him in the NT are very positive. After answering the question one had a choice of various wrapped gifts. On a different night there was a similar game where people picked a little piece of paper from a basket with a biblical virtue written on it, and chose a person whom they believed had that virtue. Then the process was repeated, and everyone received a little bag with chocolate. That evening had a meeting at the home of Wagner, who shared using diagrams. This inspired me to share the "hand" illustration, and the "throne" diagram. In both cases there were between 15 and 20 people. This time Gabriel translated for me, and did the computer diagramming. A young married woman understands English very well but was a little shy about speaking. We made a deal that she could only speak to me in English. normally I try to speak in Portuguese with everyone. Davi gave me a little book that he wrote about fasting, very well done with extensive Scriptural details. Another evening I had dinner at a Brazilian barbecue restaurant, Gaucho style, with Beto, his wife, and another couple. The waiters just keep bringing the food. If I lived here for a year I would gain a hundred pounds. Beto spoke about the ongoing efforts to paganize Brazil through the legislative process. The next morning several brothers came over to the house for breakfast. One whom i had met the previous year gave a testimony of how God had used me in his life to understand that in the Body of Christ there is no American or Brazilian but we are all one in Christ Jesus.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 11

Had to wake up at 3:40 in the morning for the second segment of my adventures in Brazil in order to get to the airport an hour early for a six o,clock flight. Faithful friend and brother in Christ Samir took me. May the Lord Jesus bless him abundantly for all his service and work of love for me. The first flight to Sao Paulo was uneventful except for the heavy set man in the seat in front of me who immediately reclined his seat all the way back, crushing my knees. Waited in S. P. for about two hours, boarded another crowded flight to the capital of Brasilia, and arrived about 11:30. This flight had many men in business suits whom I assume were government employees. Before finishing my account of my time in Porto Alegre, will offer a few miscellaneous observations. The sidewalks are normally broken and lumpy. Street cleaners and garbage men work mostly at night in gangs of ten or more, clad in uni color jumpsuits. Many streets have cobblestones. The word in Portuguese, spelled somehwat phonetically is pa,ra,lay, lay, peep, e doh. They are tough on tires. Virtually all homes and apartments have security measures with various combinations of high walls, fences, some electrified, guard dogs, doormen and even security services whom you call before entering or leaving your home. These wait in marked cars to insure that you have safety. In Brasilia met the two sons of Wagner, my new host. Lucas was on his way to Vitoria, which i will visit later, and Diego, whose "noivado" or betrothal ceremony I had attended the previous year took me to his dad's house. Met a new friend, Davi, a young man who lived in Jerusalem for almost a year. Later Davi, Wagner, Mayara, and I went to a symphony. One of the brothers in the church plays the trumpet. We heard "Clair de Lune" by Debussy, "The Idyll of Siegfried" by Richard Wagner, Beethoven's 5th Symphony, and Christmas music by Leroy Anderson. The orchestra did very well considering the venue, a Catholic church with the doors necessarily open to the street. At one point I heard several minutes of fireworks outside. One reality of Christian life in Brazil is that one does not go to bed before midnight. We went to a nice restaurant and had Brazilian pizza with turkey breast and veggies, followed by a sort of open crepe with strawberries and chocolate.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 10

     Normally I am rather serious, somewhat reserved, and have regular habits with regard to my eating and sleeping schedule. Give me enough time with Brazilians and I turn into a wild and crazy guy. Readers may recall that last Sunday two other brothers and myself visited a small church in a neighboring city. On our way back to Samir's home I was burdened for this group and felt the Holy Spirit wanted a larger group to return. During the week Samir and I invited a number of people after we had checked with the leaders involved. Most of the invitees had previous plans so i ended up praying for even six or seven. Hopefully several women would be a part of this group to pray for the women there.
   As i am writing I am reminded of Ephesians 3:20 that begins "Now unto him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think..." God provided a team of not just ten or even twenty but thirty-four people to visit this little church. They worshipped, fellowshipped, prayed  and encouraged. I was seated in the fourth row. Two chairs away was a very sad younger woman who was not worshipping with us but had her arms folded in front of her. We had prayed for this same woman the week before. On her right was a young woman who had expressed some concern and hesitation about visiting this church as she did not know anyone there and was unaccustomed to this type of ministry. She began to talk to the afflicted woman. Then another young woman on our team who had been seated with her brothers on the other side of the church slipped into the empty seat beside me and began to minister to the same woman. They "tag teamed" together beautifully in the compassion of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to minister to this sister.
    Our worship was facilitated by a young couple with a powerful worship gifting aided by another couple on vocals and guitars, and a brother i had not previously met who played flute, saxophone and harmonica. In addition we had a drummer (always my favorite). The place was rocking for Jesus.
   Samir preached powerfully. I am always amazed at the attention spans of the Brazilian believers because he spoke for quite awhile but except for trips for water  (it is summer here and blazing hot) the people paid close attention. He invited those who wanted prayer to come to the front, and at least ten did. I think normally someone in a pastoral role would pray for these people but Ephesians 4 shows that the saints are to be equipped for the work of ministry. ( 4:12) All I did was to invite members of the team to come up (pointing because it was so noisy) two by two to pray. ( 2 women to pray for a woman, and 2 men to pray for a man. This worked beautifully) I believe the true leader is more like a coach who directs a team but the players play the game/do most of the ministry.
     Spoke briefly in Portuguese, asked for a final song as it was already late, and began dancing. ( This is a scary thought, I know) Soon there was a conga line with adults and children. Afterwards an older woman whom had been particularly afflicted the week before came up (we had prayed for her and her husband earlier in the evening) with two female friends to ask for prayer. She had a totally different demeanor with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (  1 Peter 1:8) We prayed for both of her friends.
    Finally as the team assembled to return to P. A. one of the young sisters on our team wanted to get ice cream. Samir asked me if this was OK? Understand that normally I do not eat after 7 and I am asleep by 10:30, about the time of this question but how could I spoil their fun? They all wanted to go to McDonalds (pronounced  mackie donalds in Portuguese). They joked about introducing me to this restaurant. Mcdonalds and Coke may be subject to scorn in the US but in Brazil they are incredibly popular. So we drove a long ways to a McD's. I have never seen so many cars and people at one. At least forty cars clogged the drivethrough and there was a line of at least fifty people inside. Wisdom prevailed and we went to another Brazilian restaurant. However, I think that we traveled every street in P. A. to get there.
     We were caravaning with about four vehicles as our original team had dwindled to about fifteen people but every time we came to a stoplight all the windows came down, the music blared, the Brazilians are singing (they like to sing along) and dancing as best they could in a car. Meanwhile, me Mr. Serious, was doing this with them. We finally came to the restaurant around midnight, changed tables several times waiting for rather slow service and ate the Brazilian version of a cheeseburger. Many did have ice cream or milkshakes. Arrived at the house around 1:15 totally wired and got up at six with a charley horse. That will teach me, or maybe not.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 9

     Today I went to the Ceia do Senhor, the Lord's Supper, with the church at a place in the country that I purchased some years ago. There are several buildings on the property but the church has too many people to fit into any of these so they set up a sound stage, and hundreds of the ubiquitous white plastic chairs that one sees all over Brazil. Then followed an blessed blending of worship, testimonies, prayer, and teaching.
   First we worshipped beginning with a song called "Jesus, in your presence" written by Asaph Borba. Even though I have never seen the lyrics, i have sung this song so many times that I am beginning to know them. Then at least twenty people who had received baptism in the last month came and were prayed for. An elderly woman gave a testimony about how God had healed her cancer. More testimonies, prayers and sharing followed.
    Then a humble brother named Nilson, one of the deacons, who had just returned with his wife from a two month ministry trip to Scandinavia, preached a strong message about faith. Matthew 7:29 says that Jesus spoke as one with authority, not as the scribes, and Nilson followed His example. Then Moyses, one of the spiritual fathers of this church, who was instrumental in starting it some decades before, got up and spoke. The temperature was about 95F, and those on the stage had no tree shadow to protect them from the sun. Moyses is eighty-eight years of age yet he spoke with vigor for some time in preparation for sharing the Lord's Supper.
   At least 25 men had prepared to serve the bread and the cup. The beautiful practice here is to share your bread with others around you. Afterwards the cup was served by the elders and others. Again the love was powerful. Following the Ceia, God blessed me with conversations with a number of people including Abner, Elias and Raquel, Ana Quezia, Timoteo and his wife, Eduardo, Eduardo and Bruno, Calebe and Romi, Nilson, Rogerio,and i probably have forgotten others.
   Tonight the Lord has provided a team of 12-15 people to return to a little church outside of Porto Alegre. May He be glorified, and may His will be done.

Adventures in Brazil Part 8

Last night I had some time with Elias, another of the deacons here, and his wife Raquel. They host a meeting in their home, which I discovered later is the oldest continuously running group in the church at some thirty years. Normally a professor of English participates in the group, but last night he was not available so I had to share in Portuguese. These Brazilians are amazing. They paid rapt attention to a man whom they do not know, who speaks ungrammatically, mispronounces many words, and who is a foreigner. I have a hard time imagining an American audience doing the equivalent.
     i shared about Isaiah 66:2, and the theme of "trembling" at the Word of God. This means that His Word is more important in our lives than our own thoughts or opinions. Even if we do not like or understand the Bible, we are still obligated to obey. The group was diversified in various ways, and I was happy to see my new friend Jeronimo, a retired police officer. Afterwards a number of people wanted to take their picture with me. Many Brazilians do this regularly.
     Before the meeting Elias and I took a walk in his neighborhood, and down to a nearby park. It is called Moinhos do Vento  (Windmill) because there is an authentic replica of the old wooden windmills such as one associates with Holland. There we enjoyed coconut water, a common sight in Brazil. Many people have little carts with bags of cocnuts. They slice off the top of one, and you can either have the entire coconut or a cup of the liquid. After we returned to another of the many wonderful meals that Raquel prepared, one of the sisters came early and shared how my teaching of last week about living a simple life had impacted her. This is one of many examples of the brethren here practicing Galatians 6:6.
     The spiritual reality of the church here is astonishing. I have many opportunities to interact with individual leaders, and with them as a group. The ongoing love and harmony between them is evident and inspiring. The way in which all of the brethren has welcomed a stranger who does not speak their language fluently is amazing. Time and again people come and greet me, often with a few words of rehearsed English.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 7

Yesterday was another full day in the Lord. In the morning attended a meeting of the elders and deacons of the church. We read and studied Revelation 10-14. Unfortuanately i cannot completely follow a freewheeling conversation, but several parallels were made between OT events and those in these chapters.
    Afterwards I heard an encouraging testimony. Some nights before I had taught at a home gathering. Unbeknowst to me, one of the attendees was a young female doctor who was not a believer. Apparently what I shared impacted her to a point that when my friends followed up with her the next day, she received Christ. I wish I could experience the same things in the US.
    Then I met with a friend and brother named Calebe ( Caleb) who is one of the few truly fluent English speakers that I have met in Brazil, someone who speaks idiomatically. He began learning at the age of five through computers. He spoke of his plans for marriage and missionary work. In his mid-twenties He is one of the most spiritually mature  people that I have ever met.
   Afterwards I went to a private hospital to have an endoscopy exam. While I have heard that the public hospitals are very substandard, I did not observe any difference between this place and a good American hospital. Most of the time was spent waiting because I had misunderstood the requirement of 8 hours of fasting beforehand to mean fasting from food. While I had only drunk water, apparently this would cloud the issue. No problem. I read the Word and reviewed a number of my memory verses.
   The actual exam was no problem. They put something in my nostrils, hooked me up to an IV, had me lay on my left side with one leg extended and the other not, and finally put a type of mouthguard in to protect my teeth. I didn't even have to count to five or anything. I woke up in the recovery room. Both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist spoke conversational English. The nurses did not so I had to ask them to speak slowly. There were no side or after effects. The only pain was the bill, which was far less than in the states.
     Later that night Samir and I prayed for a young brother in the church, a musician and songwriter, who had wrenched his back playing soccer. Marcelo is one of the many Brazilians who does not speak English whom God uses as a motivation to keep studying Portuguese.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 6

     Yesterday was another packed day in the Lord. They are so full that they are blending into one another, and I am having a hard time keeping track. In late morning Samir & I met Erasmo and his wife Gelsa, an older couple who have been instrumental in the work of the Lord here, for lunch at a nice buffet style restaurant with too many food choices. He told me about his conversion and experiences with the Holy Spirit. For many years he was a professor in a Methodist seminary. He also studied in Switzerland. After a profound experience with the Holy Spirit, his whole perspective changed. He and another professor, who also had a similar experience, started the church with whom I am fellowshipping. Some thirty-five years later, they are still going strong.
     Afterwards we visited a museum of technology with three floors of exhibits. These included hydrology, electricity, the human body, natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes, and natural history exhibits with indigenous animals. Then we went to the church building to meet with a group of women. Erasmo has facilitated this group for over thirty years with his wife. He asked me to teach on prayer and fasting. The ladies were attentive through the translation, which was done by my new friend Rogerio.
   Later that same evening Samir and his wife Lu hosted the weekly meeting of their disciples. We had about eleven. Samir had asked me to teach about ministry teams in preparation for a follow-up visit to a suburban church that we visited last week. Spoke about the need to receive and give love, the truth of the Word, and the individual gifts which the Holy Spirit gives to each believer.
   After advice from an apprentice surgeon and brother in the Lord, this morning went for a consultation with another brother in the Lord, who is an experienced surgeon. He recommended an endoscopy, which will occur tomorrow. The cost is minimal compared to the States, and he has trained in Brazil and Japan.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 5

Whew!!!  God continues to fill me with incredible opportunities to live for Him. Yesterday was supposedly a rest day, and I was able to review all of my memory verses, have some good times of prayer including praying for a little church that God told me to adopt for intercession, and work out my finances.
    In the early afternoon Samir and I went to a restaurant "livre", where for a set price one can eat all they want from a buffet. I am learning to stock up on the fruits and vegetables and go easier on the rest. Then we went to the airport to pick up Nilson, a friend from my last visit, and his wife, who were returning from a two month visit to brethren in Scandinavia. They told us a little about God's work in northern Europe.
    Inbetween we dropped off an offering to the pastor of Brasa church. Their building had burned down in a fire sometime before. Then I was taken to the home of Asaph Borba, probably the most well known Christian musician in Brazil, referred to as the father of modern Brazilian Christian worship music. He has traveled the world for Christ including many visits to the US. Soon, he, his son, and I were in a taxi heading for a benefit concert to raise funds for the church whose building had burned down. He is a very down to earth man, and we had a pleasant conversation.
     We arrived at a large municipal building in downtown P. A. He invited me backstage to have a little snack with about fifty other people, either musicians, relatives, or others involved with the concert. There I had fellowship with a young man, Marco A, who is a photographer, a very precious brother in Christ; another brother and vocalist named Marcelo, who has an extensive ministry in Eastern Europe, and Asaph,s brother Abner, who is a recording engineer for their studio.; and to Andre, one of the vocalists.I was also introduced to the mayor of the city, a brother in Christ. P. A. has 1.5 million people.
    Afterwards I was given V. I. P. seating with a number of others third row center. Asaph was accompanied by a number of his relatives, and a band. I am beginning to recognize some of the Portuguese worship songs, and to learn the lyrics. The auditorium seated about 5,000 and it was packed. Brazilians are very animated. They stood up the whole time, did choreographed movements, sang along with the band, and as we say in English, "rocked out."
   I should mention that the burned church building had hosted a ballet school, and we were treated to a very nice little performance by nine teenagers. We also saw a video of the burned out building and the plans for rebuilding. Then we saw a video about Project Water, an effort to provide clean drinking water for poor people in dry areas of Brazil. This was initiated by a brother named Juliano Son, the most well known Christian singer of the younger generation in all of Brazil. He and his band had come from Sao Paulo to play at this benefit. I have heard him preach on a You tube video.
   While Asaph is more like a folk singer, Juliano is like a rock star. Unfortuanately the music was so incredibly loud, that even the Brazilians sitting next to me could not decipher the words. The crowd did not seem to mind but after awhile my ears began to hurt.
     On the ride home with a car load of Brazilians, Asaph's wife told me that playing in this building, which is used for many city cultural events, represented a major spiritual victory. She said it was the first time that Christians had been allowed to use the building in the almost forty years of their ministry.

Adventures in Brazil: Part 4

     Yesterday was the best day yet as the work and anointing of the Holy Spirit becomes more powerful. In the morning got up earlier and went to the Sunday morning service. In contrast to the Saturday meeting, which has younger people, this gathering has middle aged and older people. Our brother Erasmo facilitated our time together. We had a time of worship facilitated by a fervent young man named Nick, who would also translate for me, and then broke up into groups of four to pray for one another. Very powerful to have several hundred people praying for one another for an extended period.
     Afterwards I finally got to share the message which was weighing most heavily on my heart. This was about living the simple life, following the example of Jesus. We looked at the thorns in the parable of the Sower, the cares, and riches and pleasures of this life, that choke the Word so that the fruit does not mature. Also used Hebrews 13:5, Luke 12:15, 34, 14:33, 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 1 John 2:15, Romans 12:2, and 2 Corinthians 8:9. As is usual a number of people followed the admonition of Galatians 6:6 to share all good things with him who teaches. In Portuguese or limited English they did their best to communicate.
    At 4 Samir, a brother named Rogerio and I were off to a smaller city about forty minutes away. Rogerio has a language school where he teaches English and Portuguese. He speaks fluent, idiomatic English and even told me a subtle, word play type of joke that I had never heard before. We went to the house of an elder named Mauro. Samir mentioned that I would speak on the subject of fasting, and Mauro showed me five little books that he had on the subject whereupon I said that he should teach me.
    Spoke about fasting with the church, a small one of maybe thirty adults. Samir facilitated worship, which included a song with choreographed dance movements. Rogerio translated with fluidity and competence. During this time I had been sensing that God wanted to do something else so I made an offer to pray for anyone who was undergoing spiritual attack. This is what the Holy Spirit really wanted to do. Almost every person in the church lined up to receive prayer. Each had either a physical or spiritual situation requiring prayer or deliverance. Afterwards I had some sense of what Jesus experienced as the crowds came to Him. The Holy Spirit moved with power, and as time went on I began to receive more clarity in how to pray and minister. Samir, Mauro, and another elder named Emilio prayed with me, and Rogerio did a herculean job of translation. The Lord began to give me verses for different ones, and then even specific instruction.
   My prayer is that I have the opportunity to follow up with this group. The first step is adding them to my daily list of intercession. May God be always glorified.