Highlights in Matthew 16-19

My current reading in English is in the New Testament. Some time ago I began reading the Old Testament aloud in Portuguese to practice pronunciation. Thereafter i began reading aloud in the New as a different way of abiding in His Word. ( John 8:31-32) Today i read through chapters 16-19 of Matthew. In Matthew 16:28 Jesus says, "Truly I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." ( ESV) Although various proposals have been made regarding the interpretation of this statement, one obvious one is found in the very next chapter where, six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John to a mountain where He is transfigured before them, the Father speaks ( verse 5)and the disciples are overwhelmed. In the end of chapter 17 there is a question about whether Jesus will pay the temple tax. Jesus explains that He is exempt from this tax but not to give offense He tells Peter to go to the sea, open the mouth of the first fish that he catches and he will find the necessary coin to pay the tax both for himself and for Jesus. Now Jesus simply could have created a coin much as He did created food to feed multitudes on at least two occasions. Instead Peter must show that he believes what Jesus told him ( exercise his faith), go to the sea, and fish until he catches one. I doubt that in a lifetime of fishing that Peter has ever caught a fish with a coin in its mouth. He must believe that what Jesus says is true, and show that he believes by going fishing. How easy it is to skim through these passages and not think about the realities therein. In chapter 18 there is a parable about forgiveness. For far too long I "spiritualized," this kind of passage, almost like Jesus wasn't being serious. Now I understand that He is deadly serious. The conclusion in verse 35 is chilling. "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." If strong feelings do not arise when we think about or have interaction with someone who has mistreated us, and if we can pray and genuinely ask God to bless that person then we have probably forgiven. But if we cannot then we need to examine our own hearts, consider what Jesus forgave us of, and forgive. Earlier in chapter 18 we have little children coming to Jesus. He says that for anyone to enter the kingdom they must be as humble as a child. Finally in chapter 19, after Jesus has spoken what has become known as the "exception clause," the disciples respond in verse 10 that it is better not to marry. Jesus does not contradict or disagree with this statement. He only says that not everyone will receive this, but "let the one who is able to receive this receive it." ( Matthew 19:12 ESV)

The Men of Jabesh

Recently someone asked me how New Covenant believers should apply the Old Testament. I showed him two similar NT verses. "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." ( Romans 15:4 ESV) "Now these things ( the people of Israel during the exodus) took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did." ( 1 Corinthians 10:6 ESV) Yesterday I was reading in 1 Samuel 11 in a Portuguese language Bible. This is my fifth time reading the OT in that language plus many more times in English. Yet God showed me something that I had never connected before. Nahash, a pagan king, beseiges the city of Jabesh- Gilead. They try to negotiate with Nahash who says he will gouge out every man's right eye. The people send for help, and Saul, king of Israel responds and defeats Nahash's army. This takes place at the beginning of a reign that will last forty years. At the end of his days, Saul is slain with his sons and his army defeated by the Philistines. They take his body, sever the head, and fasten it to the wall of Beth-shan in their land. "But when the inhabitants of Jabesh- Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there." ( 1 Samuel 31:11-12) Think about this. The two incidents are about forty years apart, which means that many of those rescued from Nahash were no longer living or too infirm to join the valiant men. The Philistines had just defeated the entire army of all Israel. Yet the men of Jabesh, one city, traveled all night to recover the body of the man who had saved them. The debt of honor is repaid. This is a powerful example of one generation honoring the memory of an older generation. It also serves of how one individual can honor the memory of another.

End of an Era

In 1995 I approached the pastor of the local congregation that i was in at the time and asked if i could restart a dormant men's ministry. Part of that effort was a mid week Bible study. A number of men participated. The next year i left that church due to false teaching and abuse but continued the Bible study. Over time the brothers departed one by one. However i was introduced to a brother named Bill of another church. Eventually it was only he and i for about a year and a half. He then invited two other brothers to join us. Over time others have entered and departed but the core group of four has remained until the present day. Gradually we shifted from primarily a Bible study to a support/accountability/prayer group. Over the years we have supported, exhorted, and prayed for one another in all manner of difficult life situations. I believe that all disciples of Christ need personal accountability. We have met bi-weekly to provide this on an ongoing basis. Six and a half years ago I retired and moved about two hours distance away. However, because of the rich blessing that God provided I continued to make the commute and meet with the brothers. During this time God has changed my primary focus. For two years or more i have worked with four men in discipleship. Since my return from Brazil in mid- September, God has given me six more. As I normally meet with these brothers one on one I no longer have the time and energy to keep making the four hour round trip, assuming good weather and traffic conditions. Last night i informed the brothers that i could no longer gather with them. I am blessed that God has provided another brother, a pastor from Nigeria, recently to join the group. May the living God bless these brothers as they continue seeking Him and praying with one another.

December 12th Reflections

Buddhism was recently summarized to me by a man who grew up in Asia as renouncing desire for anything so as to avoid suffering. In other words, if we have no expectations or desires, then we will never have the pain of disappointment. However, this false peace negates one of the primary purposes of suffering. When we have pain because of the choices resulting from our sin and rebellion against God, the consequences are designed to cause us to cry out to and seek Him. Without suffering our motivation to do so would decrease. Today as I was walking I thought about my experiences in Brazil over the last four years. I have received what many in ministry desire. I was treated like royalty, and could basically preach whatever, whenever and wherever I desired with groups ranging in size from a living room full to fifteen hundred listening attentively. Brethren extended extraordinary hospitality to me. They drove me around, fed me copiously including at nice restaurants, washed my clothes and essentially waited on me hand and foot. I had the opportunity to travel in the entourage of a man with a world wide ministry. I was treated with honor and respect beyond my dreams. If there was a line of a thousand people waiting up to an hour to be fed after sitting in a conference for many hours, people insisted that I go to the front of the line. Although I was never comfortable with all of this, it certainly was heady stuff. Yet at the end of the day I was not making disciples. I am deeply thankful to God that by His grace I have let this go. Working with individual men one on one and actually seeing them grow is far more fulfilling and rewarding. When I heard a man pray recently thanking God that the words of the Bible had come alive for him I rejoiced. When a young man received my offer of discipleship I glorified God. When another young men has had his vision of discipleship refreshed so that he will return to his native country ready to give what God has given him into other's lives I bow in adoration before King Jesus. Who needs a position or a title or the royal treatment when he can make disciples of Jesus Christ?

Blessing of Bible Reading with Someone Else

In more recent times God has blessed me abundantly with a number of men who are willing to read through various books of the Bible with me. With one I am in 1 Peter, with another in 1 Thessalonians, with another 1 John ( in Portuguese), and with two others in Hosea. We go through slowly, verse by verse, and often cross reference other verses. We look for practical application and pray for the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Always I go away blessed by these encounters and strengthened in my faith. Usually I am with a person from an hour to an hour and a half. Recent insights include, in Hosea chapter one the astonishing reality that God told Hosea to marry a woman whom he knew would be unfaithful to him. Hosea's obedience to do this, something so against any normative human understanding, is the key to God speaking through him, not just for his era, but for all time. This morning, working our way through the end of 1 Peter 2, we came across the phrase "by his wounds ( or stripes in some versions) we are healed. First seen in Isaiah 53:5, this verse is used by many to claim physical healing. Yet in the context of 1 Peter 2, there is no reference to physical healing at all, but rather a healing from the ravages of sin. A through perusal of 1 Thessalonians persuaded a brother studying with me of the reality of the love of God as evidenced in Paul's care and concern for the saints in Thessalonica. "But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face- 1, Paul, again and again..." ( 1 Thess 2:17-18a ESV) May I encourage readers to dig into the words that are "spirit and life," with another believer. ( John 6:63)

Special Days

In Romans 14 Paul, moved by the Holy Spirit, ( 2 Peter 1:20-21) writes "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." ( v. 5) In context Paul the Bible is saying that to celebrate or not celebrate a particular day is equally permissible. With two allowable choices it would seem that a fair number of people would take each option. Yet if we consider holidays to be the modern day equivalent of the special days that the Scripture is referring to here, then I am the only person I know who thinks that every day is alike, by not celebrating holidays. In the Old Covenant the Sabbath Day was considered holy, and various feast days are detailed in Leviticus 23. In the New Covenant, we see the Church meeting on the first day of the week ( Sunday) rather than the seventh ( Saturday) even though there is no command to do so. We also see an enormous amount of time, money and energy expended on the Christmas celebration even though there is not even a hint, Biblically speaking, that we are to do so. Even individual birthday celebrations are a fairly modern phenomenon given that most human beings have been illiterate, and have not known the date of their birth. My point is not to decry these "special days," or to urge their repeal but rather to examine why we celebrate holidays. Is it not because the surrounding culture does so? Even Halloween, which has become a demonstrably demonic celebration, must be replaced by some kind of harvest festival in modern day congregations. We cannot simply not celebrate the day. I am disheartened by the reality that in my personal observation and experience, even Thanksgiving, the day designated by our culture to give thanks, is celebrated even by self- identified Christians as merely a large meal, perhaps with some football viewing attached. All of this is additional proof of how influenced Christians are by a pagan culture. And yes, we have liberty to celebrate holidays, as Romans 14:5 attests. Is this a liberty that we should exercise?

November 24 reflections

A man who identifies as a Christian spoke with me yesterday about heaven. He said that he believed his favorite dog would be there, and he could not imagine heaven without waterfalls. I said I just wanted to thank and praise Jesus for all that He has done for me. He responded that I was more "spiritual" than he. His comments flow with many others that I have heard over the years. People speak of the things they want to do there like fish or play basketball. They hardly ever mention Jesus, which leads me to wonder, would "Christians" be content with heaven if Jesus wasn't there? Paul's attitude is so different! "For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain... My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." ( Phil 1:21,23b) This leads to my second reflection. How many "Christians" are like I was, knowing about Christ but not truly knowing him? We can say that we know about a famous person, through reading or TV or movies, but we do not know them personally. When someone justifies disobedience to a specific command of Christ by appealing to the truth that God is loving, one wonders how intimate their relationship is. "For to this end Christ both died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living." ( Romans 14:9 ESV) "He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." ( 2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV) Christ did not come to suffer and to die to help us to do what we want to do but rather to gather for Himself a people surrendered to Him as King. In discussion last night with a Nigerian pastor who lives in a dangerous Muslim majority area, he stated that the largest area of disobedience in the Church was in not evangelizing. He has lived here a number of years and is fluent in English. I am compelled to agree as this is my biggest area of disobedience. Lord, I repent, and ask for boldness as Paul did. "To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." ( Ephesians 6:18b-19)

Reflections on Hosea

Very recently two brothers asked me if we could study the so called Minor Prophets together since they normally do not hear any teaching on them. Because one is an exchange student returning to his home country soon, we realized that we could not tackle them all so we agreed to study Hosea, the first of the twelve minors. As I reconsidered this decision I began to question its wisdom. Weren't there more important things to look at in the Bible? But, having agreed to study Hosea, I concluded that I needed to keep my promise for the sake of integrity. My first inclination was to consult a study Bible. While i have read Hosea a number of times over the years, it had never been a subject of special interest. This morning I was led to simply read the whole book (about ten pages in the ESV) at one sitting to get a sense of the major theme (s). Upon completion I could say with Paul, "Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" ( Romans 11:33a) For the primary theme of Hosea was exactly what I had felt led to delve into with my brothers. Consider a married couple in which one commits adultery. The one who has remained faithful loves his or her spouse. Imagine the shock, anguish, anger. Does the spouse wish to give up, punish the other, or hope and work towards restoration? Probably multiple conflicting feelings are churning inside. If we are created in God's image, as Genesis 1:26 and 28 attest, and we have feelings, then God must have feelings too. We see this in the life of Jesus. He weeps ( John 11:35), rejoices ( Matthew 11:25 NIV), shows compassion, gets angry. And we see this display of God's feelings towards His people throughout Hosea. He pleads with them to stop their adultery. He says He will punish them. "Hear the word of the Lord, o children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land." ( Hosea 4:1 ESV) "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity." ( Hosea 14:1) This interplay between God and His people in the time of Hosea mirrors our relationship with God. He ardently wants intimate personal relationship with us. He is angry with our unfaithfulness yet He does not cast us off but entreats us to return to Him and receive His love. "I will heal their apostasy; i will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them." ( Hosea 14:4 ESV)

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Following the massacre in Paris yesterday, I was invited to a prayer vigil attended by a number of young college age people. There were about twenty-five of us. We were asked to form a circle, hold hands, and pray one by one around the circle. Many expressed shock and incomprehension about why God would allow some horror and tragedy. This reminded me of the perennial question of why God allows bad things to happen to good people. The difficulty in responding to this question in a way that would assuage people's feelings is that, from a Scriptural perspective, the question itself is deeply flawed. In contrast to prevailing human understanding the Bible does not portray people as inherently good. Instead it portrays the exact opposite. David says, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me." ( Psalm 51:6) Lest we think that David's mother was an particularly evil person, we read in Romans 5:12 and 3:23 that all have sinned. Romans 3:12 says that no one does good, not even one. Titus 3:3 offers God's perspective on unredeemed humanity. "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." ( All references ESV) Similar descriptions can be found in Romans 1:18-32, 2 Timothy 3:1-7, and Ephesians 2:1-3. Humanity is not good but evil and a just God has reserved wrath for those who refuse to love the truth and so be saved. ( 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2 Thess 2:10.) A more Scripturally accurate question would be why do good things happen to bad people? Those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior does not get what they deserve- eternal conscious punishment- for their disobedience, rebellion, and ingratitude, but rather grace, mercy and peace. Why? Because Jesus was betrayed, arrested, tortured, crucified and raised from the dead to take the punishment for our sins. for our badness. As I participated in the prayer vigil I was reminded of the beginning of Luke 13. Some people have told Jesus about a massacre of Galileans by the Roman governor Pilate. Jesus responds, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them; do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others wholived in Jerusalem/ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." ( Luke 13:2-5) God uses these horrific incidents as merciful warnings to bring people to repentance.

Recent Biblical Reflections

in Acts chapter 10, Cornelius the Gentile centurion, seems to have been chosen to receive the gospel and the moving/filling of the Holy Spirit because of what he did- fearing God, giving generous alms, and praying continually. I happened to read this chapter after having received a question about whether God responds more favorably or powerfully to those who seek or live for Him. Galatians 6:7, which reads "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap," hits home with particular force as I observe the ravages of a decades long unhealthy lifestyle on someone whom I know well. In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul commends the Thessalonians for their imitation both of him and the Lord Jesus. They "became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia" (northern and southern Greece). Hopefully the example of the Thessalonians inspires us as well. In 1 Peter obedience to the truth involves "sincere brotherly love," and "loving one another earnestly from a pure heart." Most of the above reflections stem from one on one Bible reading and study with various brothers, which we have committed to on a weekly basis. Going slowly and prayerfully through the Scriptures, looking at cross references, and attempting to apply what God is showing us does not require a seminary education or the knowledge of ancient languages. It does require a heart for God and a hunger for His Word coupled with finding another believer who has the same. In closing I note that the greatest commandment ( Mark 12:30) to love God with all of our being "shouts" relationship. God continues to remind me that I was created to have relationship with Him. This is one of the few things that we can take with us into the next life. Without that relationship we enter eternal death. ( Matthew 25:46)

The End of October

Having not written for awhile, the following will be a potpourri of reflections. Galatians 6:7 states very clearly that God is not mocked, and whatever a person sows that will he also reap. In other words our actions, decisions, words, or lack thereof, have consequences. A relative of mine, diagnosed with diabetes, declined to modify diet, take prescribed medicine or otherwise take care of himself. The result? He went into the hospital, had emergency surgeries, suffered much, and will take awhile to recover. Another chooses to use the "wisdom" of the world rather than the wisdom of God. The results are already apparent. This is tragic yet seems to be the only way that most will ever learn, if at all. God has gone to tremendous effort to give us the wisdom to live our lives in a way pleasing to Him, and beneficial to us, in a Book now accessible to virtually everyone. Even those who cannot read can listen to recordings. The vast majority of the peoples of the planet now have the Bible in their own language. Yet the majority of those who identify as Christians, in my observation, do not read what is so freely available, and if they do, they don't receive its teachings. In John 8 Jesus makes a very strong statement. He says, "Whoever is of God hears ( in context, does or practices) the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God." (v. 47 ESV) I suspect the reason for this is a lack of surrender to the will of God, reflecting our innate rebellion. Saying a few words in a prayer or getting wet (baptism) does not make one a follower of Christ. This requires surrender of the will, or in Biblical language receiving the Lordship of Christ. ( Romans 10:9, Luke 6:46, Romans 14:9, John 14:6 etc.) Why has God provided this wisdom through Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge ( Colossians 2:3), to us? Because of His great love for us. He did not leave us as orphans. ( John 14:18) God the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. ( Acts 5:32) My appeal to those who may see this post is read and receive the words of God. No one else will ever love or care for you as much as He does. "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. ( Romans 5:5b)

Prayer Meetings, Songwriters, and...

Last week I was invited to a prayer meeting with a campus ministry. Six of us prayed. I was very impressed by the way in which they, some staff, and others, students did this. We read Psalm 34 together and used this as a launching pad for our individual prayers. In contrast to most prayer meetings that I have attended, the leader did not dominate, and the group did not spend the vast majority of the time discussing prayer requests rather than actually praying. Instead we prayed steadily for a solid hour, taking turns as we were led. At the end I expressed my encouragement for these things and was invited to return. Thank God for serious people in His Kingdom. Also last week participated in the initial week of a midweek study using a book titled "True Worshipers," by Bob Kauflin. Among the questions asked were what type of corporate praise experiences had we had during our walks with Christ. This brought me back to my first eleven or twelve years in the Lord during the Jesus People Movement. God brought me into a group with a number of gifted songwriters. Although they wrote new lyrics for CD's, all of our corporate worship was simply putting the Scripture to music. In those days we used the KJV exclusively, but to this day I remember many verses and passages of the Bible because we sang them so many times. I take this opportunity to thank those brothers and sisters for their labor of love for us and for me. Some examples of the Scripture set to music by these brethren include Psalm 34:1-4, 89:1, 61:1-2, Galatians 2:20, Colossians 3:1-3, and Luke 9:23. Also in this last week God has been reminding me that as He has not given up on me, I should be patient and not give up on others. Finally one of the brothers whom I am working with in discipleship has recommended that I write a book on that subject. My initial thought was that there are many books on Christian discipleship. However, as this brother has written a book, which I helped to edit, he may be hearing from the Lord. I will continue to pray and seek counsel about this.

Two Blind Men

This morning I had the privilege and joy of fellowship in the Word with two other brothers. We looked at an incident in Matthew 9. The passage reads like this, "And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud,'Have mercy on us, son of David. When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' They said to him, 'Yes, Lord.' Then he touched their eyes, saying 'According to your faith be it done to you.' And their eyes were opened." ( Matthew 9:27-30 ESV) Some people can tell you many fascinating things about the Bible. They have lots of knowledge. Some people are wealthy, others well educated. There are differences in our physical appearances and personalities. We say one person has a good sense of humor but another is cold. But Jesus assesses people on one thing only- their faith. This passage provides one example of this. Think about these two blind men. They have heard about Jesus, at least enough to know that He is of the lineage of David. They are bold enough to cry out to Him for healing. But He does not respond. He does not stop and heal them. Instead He continues on His way. We do not know how far he went. Was it two minutes, two hours or longer? The blind men could have given up. They could have said, "Jesus doesn't care about us. He's too busy." But they keep following. He enters a house. They go in also. I doubt that it was their house. Even though Jesus has not responded they are determined. Their faith is producing action. Now Jesus questions them. "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" Their response is instructive. "Yes, Lord." Not "maybe," or "I hope so." And they acknowledge Him as Lord. Jesus does not say, "I'll do this for you," or "no problem." He brings it back to their faith yet again. "According to your faith be it done to you." He knew that they had faith because they had been exhibiting this all along, following on the road, going in the house, and responding to His question. "Without faith it is impossible please Him, because everyone who comes to God must believe that He is, and is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him." ( Hebrews 11:6) Jesus is searching for those who will believe Him.

Only the Father Knows

While in Brazil, and after returning I have heard many people interested in the end of days, the events leading up to the return of Jesus. People asked me questions, went to conferences, debated the subject, talked about "blood' moons, and related themes. While i freely concede that I have not studied this subject with the same depth and fervor which i have with other subjects, I have concern over the preoccupation of many. Throughout the history of the church there have been godly people in each generation who believed that theirs was the last one, and that they would see the return of Christ. In 1971, when I was introduced to Christ, we believed that He would return any second. We had one eye on our work and the other on the clouds. Granted that we are forty-four years closer to His return than we were then, I believe that we should examine the Scriptures to gain a true perspective. Jesus clearly says that only the Father knows the time of His return. Beginning in verse 19 of chapter 13 of Mark's gospel, Jesus speaks of unprecedented tribulation, false Christs. sun darkening, moon not giving light, stars falling. These are the heralds of His return. "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." ( 13:32) Then He gives a very practical command. "Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is." ( Mark 13:33) Jesus is very clear. He says, "Watch and pray." He does not say to attempt to figure out the time of His return, "for you do not know when the time is." Paul addresses the same topic in 2 Thessalonians 2. After writing about the "man of sin," and a falling away, he speaks of the absolute necessity of loving and believing the truth ( verses 10,12, 13) Should we employ the time and energy that the Lord has given us to attempt to figure out a sequence of events, or should we be about the work that He has given us here- to preach the gospel of the Kingdom, and to surrender to the sanctification of the Holy Spirit? Consider verses 13-15. "But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or by our epistle." Jesus will return as He promised. Let us do the works He has prepared in advance for us to do ( Ephesians 2:10) rather than speculate about the future.

Back from Brazil

After an exhausting 24 hours of travel and waiting, arrived back home late Thursday afternoon, and soon went to sleep for the night. Friday is a blur in my mind although I remember grocery shopping, and talking to my discipler. Saturday morning arose early and went on an hour and a half jaunt through the country roads to speak to a men`s breakfast group at a church. Barry, my host, was very hospitable and gracious. We talked as the guys trickled in, ending with eight plus myself. we prayed, sang a couple of songs, and listened to a salvation testimony from a brother named Bob. Then I spoke for about fifteen minutes on the theme of discipleship from the perspective of two major themes introduced in Genesis 1; the kingdom, and being made in the image of God. Several of the brothers stayed afterwards. One gave a testimony of how he and his wife had been reconciled and remarried after being divorced for twenty-one years. Another asked me a question of how spiritual gifts fit into discipleship. Sunday was a busier day. After walking and praying in the morning, I went to a memorial service for the wife of a friend. There were about sixty present, from a number of churches. I saw a number of people that I know, including Bob from the day before. About twenty people gave testimonies of how Eileen had impacted their lives. Some had known her for a few months; others for decades. Unlike other similar services that I have attended, this one celebrated a life well lived for God. During the recption afterwards i had the opportunity to speak to a couple ( Wayne & Charlene) whom I know from house church days, and explain what God is doing with me recently. Returned to make a cameo appearance at the birthday party of the older daughter of the family with whom I have lived now for almost five years. Then I drove away to the gathering of my current church home. The students have returned from their summer break and the place was almost filled. Was a joy to greet and be welcomed by the pastors and their wives, and others returning from last year. There are also new Brazilian students. I met one from Brasilia which i had visited recently. Was in time for the first of a series on the gospel of John. Trying to get back into a routine. I had neglected my memory verses but will go through them all today, God willing.

Brazil 4:26

Monday night had dinner with friends in an upscale restaurant overlooking a lake. Fish is the specialty of the house, and we had something with a coconut covering. Tuesday I flew to Sao Paulo, and then Vitoria. Had about 24 hours in the latter city. My friend Marcos took me to a little park called Parque de Cebola because there is a prominent rock setting upon another which has the appearance of an onion. School children go there for recreation. The park has a walking trail, playing field, dance pavilion, and two ponds. The smaller one had little turtles who eagerly swam up to us figuring to receive food. The larger pond had ducks, swans, geese, a rooster, parrots, pheasants, and larger turtles. These lay close together on a large rock soaking in the sun. Sometimes I am like those turtles, watching life go by rather than living it. In late afternoon I began my 24 hour trek back home. About half of this is waiting; the other half is actual travel. On the first flight to Rio I sat in the very first row, which had a huge amount of leg room. Even the middle seat was empty. I spoke to a young guy in the aisle seat. He was taken to the US as a boy, but had returned to visit his grandfather. As it turned out he had the exact flights as me all the way to Boston. This was helpful in the Rio airport because my flight landed in one terminal, and my next flight was at the other end of the airport. All in all I had three flights, and one metro ride, one bus trip, and one car ride. Unfortunately I am too tall for the seats, and I was not able to sleep at all. By the time I got home I was a bit cranky. It is nice to speak, knowing that people understand me, and that I understand them. I am usually not certain of this in Brazil. My life here is so different than my life in Brazil. I am thankful for the opportunity to visit. God gave me a number of times to share or preach. He allowed me to interact with a number of people; to see old friends, and to make new ones. He also showed me how much more work He needs to do in my heart. This was humbling but necessary. So, good-bye Brazil. May the will of God determine my future, both there and here.

Brazil 4:25

Saturday night went to a worship service in which two churches combined. The one normally uses a school, which was unavailable. Some phone calls arranged for the joint meeting. The one church had asked me to speak; the other also had an out of town preacher. I am no expert at estimating crowds but I guess there were about three hundred. My host had arranged translators for me, one visible and two sitting in the front row to assist. I attempted several jokes at the beginning; these did not work. I did share on the theme of persecution, using a number of verses such as Matthew 5:10-12, Matthew 10:22, John 15:18-20, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 4:12-16, Romans 13:1-3, and Acts 5:27-29 & 40-41. The second preacher is a famous Christian musician in Brazil named Daniel Souza. I have a couple of his songs on a compilation CD. He is a very fervent brother. After the meeting several younger people spoke with me. One was a man of late twenties who said he felt isolated because when he spoke about persecution no one listened. The other was a youth of fifteen who asked me about the USA. His impression, gained from TV and movies, was that the US was a perfect country; everyone had lots of Money, and life was good. I had to tell him that none of these things are true. The rainy season has begun here, and I went in a downpour to a pizza place which uses the motif of Sponge Bob square pants to serve square shaped pizzas. My friends were five young married couples and a new convert. Eventually there were four separate pizzas served including a dessert pizza with chocolate and strawberries. The next day went to the home of one of these couples for an all afternoon barbecue. They have three dogs and a swimming pool. Brazilians serve many kinds of meat at a BBQ including sausage, chicken, and various cuts of beef. The beef is treated with large granules of salt. On the way to the BBQ we stopped at a supermarket. I was with four friends, manning the shopping cart, while they discussed the purchases when a girl of maybe eight or nine came up and asked me a question. I did not understand her. She had mayo, rice, salt and sugar in her arms. She repeated the question slowly. I still did not understand so i asked her to speak to one of my friends. They spoke and then she put the items in our shopping cart and departed. My friend explained that often times very poor people will ask others to pay for a few items in this manner. However the female manager of the store had a different perspective. She said that drug dealers recruited children to do this. When the children received the items paid for, then they would be resold for money to buy drugs. She repeated this over and over to every member of the party. I left this up to my friends. The reality of Brazil is that first and third worlds live very close together.

Brazil 4:24

Last night attended a home group meeting at my host's place. We were nine in all. Most of our time was spent in sharing prayer requests and praying. The group included both young and middle aged people. For some reason we talked about those with gray or white hair in such verses as Proverbs 16:31, 20:29, and Leviticus 19:32. Tonight is a different group of people gathered specifically for accountable discipleship. This means that they will be asked how they are doing in specific áreas of growth. This morning went on an hour and a half exercise walk through a neighborhood of Brasilia. Brasilia is a planned city with very regular patterns which all look similar. I use the same route every time so i don't get lost. Managed to avoid an aggressive beggar that I encountered yesterday. He and his friends hang out near a supermarket. The climate at this time of year is moderate although many complain of the dryness. There is a large manmade lake, which helps some. A friend told me about an English language international church. I hope to connect with them before i leave. God continues to do His work in my heart. I am very thankful that all believers will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51 says, "Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed." Received an e-mail this morning that the wife of a friend had passed away. Certainly we can mourn, as "devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.." ( Acts 8:2 all refs ESV) But I believe that the Bible paints a dfiferent picture for those who die in Christ, as Stephen did. Psalm 16:11 talks about pleasures at the right hand of God forevermore. Psalm 116:15 says, "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints." Philippians 1:23 says it is far better to depart and be with Christ. And 2 Corinthians 5:8 reveals, "Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." Rejoice with Jesus, Eileen. May we join you in His time.

Brazil 4:23

Arrived in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil a week ago. Stayed with friends who live near a park called Olhos d'agua, which has a 2 kilometer walking path that winds through woods and over several bridged streams. Used that several times. They like sorveterias (ice cream stores)and we went to several different ones. The one today is called Moka's. I asked the proprietor the origin of the name. He said it was the first syllable of his first name and that of his neighbor. Also went to a youth retreat over a 3 day weekend, which included Brazil's Independence Day. About eighty-five people participated. There were a number of workshops divided into three age groups, although I think the theme for each was the same. There were several general sessions. One was modeled after a talk show, with three different trios of leaders from the church responding to questions from the youth. A man i had spoken with earlier, who attends an English language church in the city, served as the moderator. The retreat was very painful for me. I knew very few people and my Portuguese is not fluent enough to receive more than thirty or forty percent of what is said. Brazilians are accustomed to much longer meetings; this drags on after awhile. God used the various difficulties to drive deeper into my heart. He reminded me that no good things dwells in me ( Romans 7:18), and that I have nothing of value to offer to Him or anyone else unless He gives it to me. I can have no expectations of anyone but Him. God is the only one who can truly meet my needs for attention, approval, and affection.

Brazil 4:22

Prices for things in Brazil vary as they would anywhere. Here are some recent ones. ( Requires 3.58 reals to buy one dollar) My host purchased thirty eggs for about $2.85. In a poorer neighborhood, one could rent a studio apartment with no amenities for about $130 per month. A nice 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom condo with a yard and 2 parking spaces in a gated community costs $100,000. This is all in a smaller city. I'm sure prices would be higher in a larger city. Gas for cars is about 3Reals per liter, which is roughly $3.30 per gallon. Last night had dinner at the home of my hosts' married daughter. Quite a spread as the mid day meal is usually the biggest. I don't have the vocabulary in either English or Portuguese to adequately discuss culinary habits. Some unusual things follow: Brazilians put ketchup ( spelled the same but pronounced with 3 syllables instead of 2, i.e. ket-chu-p) and mayo on pizza but eat corn on the cob without butter, salt or pepper. Olive oil is a constant for all meals, and is dribbled onto food. Desserts are generally not nearly as sweet nor served as often as in the US. I have been asked why many N. Americans are obese if we only eat three times a day instead of five or six. This is one reason. My host family apparently only serves dessert on Sundays. It arrived in a pan, was slightly chilled, resembled a pudding, and was made of maracuja, a tropical fruit, and condensed milk. Last night went to a gathering of mostly younger people. About sixty were present, representing seven or eight churches. We met in a tennis court lodged between two buildings in the city. The worship team consisted of a bass, two guitars, keyboard, drums, two female and one male vocalists, and the sound guy. The primary speaker was a man of about 30, the pastor of a church named RED in the city of Sao Paulo. Normally it is easier for me to understand when someone preaches because they are the only one speaking, and they often pause for emphasis. This man was particularly clear. Part of the reason was revealed during his speaking when he said that he had grown up in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state in Brazil, where i have spent about 25% of my time in Brazil. ( I am still struggling with the Paulista accent.) His preaching was primarily a testimony, centering on Psalm 37:5. He used two other verses at the very end of a one hour plus speech. The culminating point of his testimony was a plane ride in which he had encountered Neymar, the most famous active soccer player in Brazil. Apparently Neymar had invited this man to his house. Afterwards we walked half a block to the church. They have the main building on one side of a cobblestoned street, and an auxiliary one across the street. Here i met a teacher of Portuguese, who spoke good English, and his wife. They asked if i was a pastor, which led to a detailed explanation of the discipleship ministry that God has given me. Another young man, who has just returned from eighteen months studying at a university in Canada, listened in. Also spoke with a man from Angola, a former Portuguese colony in Africa, in both Portuguese and English. He is a very joyful young man named Oseias ( Hosea) who is studying music in Brazil. He is the first person i have met from his country, and I was surprised to learn that I could understand him better than some Brazilians. Also met another man from Cape Verde, a string of former Portuguese controlled islands off the coast of WEst Africa. He spoke some English. This morning was given the opportunity to speak about the Kingsom of God to a small group in a poor neighborhood. Thankfully, my friend translated for me. Half of the group were children, some with their parents, and some without. We had a regular service first, and then a Sunday school. They rent a very small room, so unless it rains, the children are outside on the sidewalk. This does give the possibility that passers by might be curious and investigate. A number of people thanked me afterwards, and welcomed me to return. After the service we went to the home of an older man, who is suffering from large tumors on his neck and chest. He asked me to pray for him, which I did. My host ministered to a number of questions that this man had.

Brazil 4-21

I will return to Brazil reports after a brief rant, recognizing that more people read the blog when i am writing about my visits here. Having time here is a continual mixing of first and third world realities. Gated communities exist side by side with poor dwellings. Multi lane highways, albeit toll roads, are located not far from dirt roads. People and animals rooting through garbage are seen by people in expensive imported vehicles. Last night I walked around a pond in a little park called Park of the Waters, ( Parque das Aguas) with two companions. We needed only about fifteen minutes to make a circuit. Many other people walked, ran or bicycled, and there was a place for skate boarders. This morning i walked again for about ninety minutes and then stopped at a drugstore for toothbrushes, and a little bakery for bottled water. As mentioned previously there are many dogs wandering the streets here. For the first time i encountered an aggressive dog. I was walking down a sidewalk with some bushes and trees about eight yards ( 7 or so mmetros) away when a dog burst out and charged me. As I carefully backed away, and prepared to defend myself if necessary, I noticed a second dog sitting at the edge of the bushes. Perhaps there were puppies to protect. Normally the street dogs stay away or ignore people. My hostess, daughter, and granddaughter are preparing some baked Arabian food for lunch, and tonight we go to the married daughter's home for dinner. The state of Sao Paulo is twice as populous as the next most inhabited state ( Minas), about one fifth of the total population of Brazil. ( Currently 204.5 million fber of years worked, they can retire. or Brazil, about 44 million for SP state) It seems more developed and prosperous than other areas that I have seen with the exception of the capital, Brasilia. The economic and political risis in Brazil continues. The currency has lost almost fifty percent of its value against the dollar since the beginning of the year, and the president enjoys an 8% approval ratingn and could be impeached. The other day we visited an older couple out in the country. The man is eighty, retired at fifty, and knew the former president of Brazil, nicknamed Lula, personally. They live rather simply. Although i don't know all of the details, the retirement plan in Brazil goes something like this. A minimum of 8% of a person's salary is paid by the employer into a fund . When a person reaches a certain number consisting of their age and the number of years worked, they can retire. Should they die prior to this, the money is given to the nearest relative. Of course, the government has control over the process.

A Brief Political Interlude

While in Brazil I have had intermittent e-mail access. Given time i have kept abreast of news in the USA including the beginning of the interminable Presidential campaigns. While we are still in the first inning ( a baseball reference. Games normally have nine innings) there have been some developments. The current Republican front runner is a non- politician billionaire named Donald Trump. While in Brazil i have had several people ask me about American politics. Brazilians generally know more about the US than Americans know about Brazil. My take on the Trump phenomenon is simple. A sizeable minority of people like him because they detest the ^chattering class,^^ the professional pundits, writers,and alleged journalists, the vast majority of whom are both leftist and condescending elitists who have little grasp of the reality lived by most Americans. Trump~s refusal to kow-tow to these people, who have held the power in the country since they orchestrated the ouster of President Nixon in the mid 70~s ( over four decadesago) is considered refreshing and satisfying. For once, media types of both the left and the right are united because Trump is exposing their hypocrisy, self-centeredness and hubris. For the moment his positions, past and present, and his future are not relevant. Many Americans are tired of what has been done to this country by the elites of both political parties. They are tired of political correctness, and, of being blamed for everything wrong in the world, past and present. They want to be able to live their lives without ever increasing government interference on all levels, local, state, and particularly federal. They are tired of the endless redistribution of wealth from those who work to those who don~t that only incentivizes dependency. They want to exercise their religions freely. They believe that allowing free market capitalism to work is the best way to lift people out of poverty, and to improve the standard of living for the middle class. They recognize that every additional dollar taken by the government for taxes or fees is a reduction of their personal freedom. They are generous and willing to help those in need but find it increasingly difficult to do so when an ever increasing Proportion of the value of their labor is confiscated by a rapacious political class. Trump speaks to these people.

Brazil 4-20

Presently i am staying in Sorocaba, a city of about 125,000 about an hour from Sao Paulo, in the state of the same name. The family consists of a pa stor and his wife, three young adult children, one married, and one granddaughter. She is quite active and industrious. Although the television is on all day, mostly cartoons, she does not actively watch all the time. At least daily she changes into a blue "princess" dress. Yesterday the mother, son, and one daughter and i went to the town center. We toured a small railroad museum, which, if i have the story straight, tells of the work of a Hungarian immigrant named Maylasky, who pioneered the first railroad into the interior of Sao Paulo state. After this we strolled through the market area. Although Brazil has supermarkets as in the US, much food is sold in little shops that specialize in meat, or bread, or other things. I ended up buying a pair of sturdier sandals. i was even mistaken for a Brazilian, according to my hosts. In the evening the other daughter and her friend and i went on an exercise walk. My conversational skills are gradually improving. I even was given the opportunity to recite my nine memorized verses in Portuguese to see if they made sense to my auditors. Apparently they did. One commented that most Brazilians speak Portuguese ungrammatically, so perhaps i am not all that unusual. The family has a "fusca", ( VW bug) dating from 1978, and a Fiat, which are very popular here. As a former hippie, it is fascinating to see how many of the old VW's have survived in Brazil. The family works a lot. The pastor does not receive a salary because the congregation is so poor. He works during the day at a regular job, and teaches subjects at a school at night. My friend, the son, works during the day and goes to school at night. One sister works during the day, and leaves early. The mother is in the kitchen all the time, but when i asked, she said she really enjoys cooking. As usual, they want to feed me far more than I need. Today it is raining which curtails outdoor activity. I have begun reading a different version of the Bible in Portuguese, and decided to read aloud. Even though this is slower, i think it will give me better comprehension, and maybe aid my pronunciation.

Brazil 4-19

Traveled from Bahia back to Vitoria in a rather nerve wracking taxi ride. As I have experienced in the past, there was severe tailgating, passing on hills, in other vehicles' passing lanes, excessive speed etc. This went on for about 250 miles. After some confusion returned to the home of my friend Herculis and family. God has blessed him with them. Regular readers may remember that i was visited in the states by a young Brazilian brother named Marcos. He picked me up after lunch, and we went to the beach. Very few people because it is not the season. We had coconut water, fellowship, a little grammatical correction, and then a visit to a famous coffee shop, which was very busy. Then we went to his parent's home where i was fed yet again. ( I am learning to nibble) His dad is from Peru, and i am able to discern his accent which i could not have done previously. Visited Vinci, and then returned to my host family. Their cousin lives with them and is studying to be a doctor. I don't know the whole story but it is very common for various people, related or not, to live in other's homes for extended periods of time. Continued my conversations with the daughter of the family,who exhibits a strong desire to learn English and is not at all shy about practicing. She told me about a trip to the famous falls at Iguacu, near Argentina, and a subsequent trip into Paraguay, in which the Lord really touched her life. Today I traveled again. My original ride to the airport was not available but, no problem, a retired man in the church who was running on the beach, received a call asking for his assistance, and sure enough, he was at the house at 11:30 punctually, and took me to the airport. Waited for awhile, and miraculously the gate was not changed during that time. This airline, which i had not flown previously, had spoken information only in Portuguese, not English also, but served free snacks, unlike the other airline. Flew to Rio, waited for an hour, and flew to Campinas in the rain. My friends arrived and we went to their home on a well maintained, multi lane highway separated by direction. The secret. Rather stiff tolls. My new host family has a pretty little five year old granddaughter. Maybe in a few days i will be able to understand her rapid free speech.

Brazil 4- 18

Just participated in a baptism. As i have or should have mentioned the concept of flexibility is absolutely crucial when i am in Brazil. I had heard there would be a baptism; i did not know that i would be baptizing. There are clocks in this house, and i have never carried a watch. My hostess reminded me of the baptism; thankfully it was across the street. I went over, greeted and was greeted by a number of people, and found a place in the shade. Even with sunblock the Brazilian sun can be fierce. Suddenly a woman came over and said that Marcelo, a home group leader that i had met previously, wanted me to participate in the baptism. By this time the modestly sized home and pool was filled with adults and children. I guess at least seventy-five people were present. The woman attempted to explain that the hostess had some of her husband's clothes that i could wear in the pool. With all the noise and confusion i did not get the details. So four people all started talking at the same time to explain it to me. This made things more confusing. Finally i figured it out. The hostess' husband is one of the few Brazilians i have met who is my size. Some Brazilians are tiny. Reclothed i waited as various people prayed or spoke to and about the two women who were to be baptized. I was asked to speak as well and shared from Matthew 28:18-20, which i once began reading, many spoke aloud with me from memory. One fascinating thing is that neither of the pastors were present, to me a healthy sign that others could and would take responsibility. The first woman was in early middle age. We baptized her and then aided the second, a young blind woman to whom i had been introduced the night before at the birthday celebration, to enter the pool. I was happy that Marcelo explained the actual physical process of going under the water to her, as she would not have been able to witness it. Afterwards her mother told me how excited her daughter was to have an international participant. I was also pleased to see her dad jump into the pool and participate with us. I believe this reflects God's order, as His authority flows directly to parents and the father especially with regard to the children. Another highlight from the evening before happened when one of the pastors called his wife up to the stage. She normally has a somewhat strained expression but when her husband began to praise and thank her a la the end of Proverbs 31, she lit up like a stadium light. It was a beautiful thing to witness. He had a flower for her also to mark their thirty-first wedding anniversary. Later i will return to Vitoria with my friend Norberto and his wife unless plans change yet again. My time in Bahia has been very busy but wonderful.

Brazil 4: 17

Friday night i had dinner at Fafa's with his family and two other couples. He told me the story of how he received his name. As a child he was called Carlos ( or something similar)but was not registered officially as such. At some point in his childhood his mother converted to Christ. Shortly thereafter she heard a sermon about Josafa ( there is an accent mark for emphasis on the final letter a. Josafa is the Portuguese rendering of King Jehoshaphat) Inevitably this was shortened to Fafa. Prior to the meal i had a nice conversation with Fafa and his daughter whose age i am not going to try to guess as i have been off by too many years in the past. I am impressed by the knowledge of, and memorization of the Scripture that i am finding in the people of this church. After the other couples arrived i had my most extensive conversation yet. They are very curious about the US. None spoke English. We also talked about the importance of understanding culture ( not necessarily accepting it) in order to win souls to Christ. One woman asked me if we would eat physical food in heaven. We looked at Matthew 8:11 in response. This is another thing that impresses me. These believers are actually willing to receive the Bible as the final determinant on questions and topics. Saturday was a very busy day. Picked up Marcos, a professor of physical therapy at the local college, and went to the coast about sixty kilometers away. ( 35 miles) For some reason we did not face the multitude of traffic that i normally see on what are basically two lane country roads. We went to a little museum, where a young woman gave us a tour. They have a life size replica of a whale. The Abrolhos ( a condensed form of the words open your eyes)islands lie about two hours offshore. These have been designated as a protected wildlife area. We went to several different beaches in little coastal towns or villages. Most were relatively deserted although i was informed that during the season they are jammed. Brazilians favor bright pastel colors. I found this in homes, churches and public buildings. We ate at the customary buffet style restaurant. These are reasonably priced, and feature a wide variety of foods. Later we went to a sorvetaria ( ice cream store) This works on the same principle. You scoop your own ice cream from about two dozen flavors, and pick among fifteen toppings. You mix as you wish. At the end your container is weighed and you pay based on the weight as you would in the buffet restaurant. Saturday evening we went to the celebration of a 15 year old girl's birthday. This is almost as elaborate as a wedding. Everyone is dressed to the nines, there is a band, waiters, an MC ( master of ceremonies- in this case a woman)innumerable photographs, gifts etc. The guys don't get the equivalent. This type of situation, with lots of people, loud music blasting, and endless food is absolutely meat and drink for Brazilians, their favorite thing to do. For me, with a limited command of Portuguese, it is an almost impossible situation in which to communicate. Had three serious attempts at more serious conversations, one with a young guy who wants to go to Texas to be a cowboy, but that was it. The young lady had a formal entrance with the equivalent of bridesmaids and groomsmen ( her brother was her partner). They did something resembling a Scottish reel. Later she got the microphone and introduced and publicly thanked different meaningful people in her life. Then her mother did the same. Each person or couple thus presented had their picture taken with the girl and or her mother, and received a present. For some unknown reason I was singled out for the same treatment. Then the band, which is young people from the church, played for a long time including some music written by my hosts' daughter. About half of the people danced to the music in one swaying group. Finally they changed the tempo, and people began dancing in pairs. By this time it was after one o'clock, and my host kindly took me and his wife's ninety year old mother home to sleep. He returned and did not finally get home until after 3. In Portuguese there is a word "madrugada" for the time after midnight and before sunrise. Brazilians love madrugada.

Brazil 4-16

Brazilian hospitality is extraordinary, but sometimes can be overwhelming. Yesterday had five different meals in five separate locations. This seems to be normal, and i am learning to eat less at each meal. In the morning a young college student gave me a tour of the city in his car. We stopped at a little coffee shop. Full fledged cake is often served for breakfast. While i like Brazilian food this is one habit i don't plan to begin. The fresh squeezed juice was superb. Later he dropped me off at the home of a different family for the mid day meal. The older daughter served me, and i kept saying "less, less, less." Somewhere around five at the home of my hosts something called "lanch" was served. I declined most of it except some liquid yougurt because i knew more meals were coming. About seven was served a hot dog and bun at the home of my hosts' son and wife. Was offered more but declined. Finally about 11PM after a house group meeting, a virtual parade of women and teenage girls came by offering more hot dogs, pizza, some little bread treat, cookies, and finally birthday cake. I said no three or four times for every time i said yes. This morning i was greeted by my hostess with a big smile offering me bread with cheese that she was pulling out of the oven. One does not come to Brazil to lose weight. On a more serious note had a number of conversations. My tour guide told me about how much American history that Brazilian students study. Given the current state of American ( indoctrination) education, the Brazilians probably more more about our history than most of us do. My mid day host and i discussed discipleship. The church here has grown significantly even though its two pastors both work full time. They don't rely on Sunday general meetings as there are only two per month. House group meetings attended by people in the same "bairro" (neighborhood) is one key. More importantly the disciples are continually in one another's homes, with constant edification. In addition disciplers have time with their disciples regularly. They have an emphasis on good works, actively helping others in many ways. At the son's home i was asked about american politics. It is distressing but inevitable to discover that Brazil has the same problems with its political class as we do here. Last night went to two home group meetings. The first was in a very poor area. The only car outside belonged to the leader who lives in a different area. A burro was cropping at a tiny piece of grass, and the inner door had about twenty-five pairs of sandals at the door step. I was told earlier than one way that people know that i am a gringo is that i wear sneakers instead of sandals. The kitchen was crowded with people, many on the floor. We listened to several testimonies, and i was reminded of the verse in James 2:5 that says "Listen my beloved brothers, How is it that God has chosen those who are poor in the eyes of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom that God has promised to those who love Him." Shared a little about the importance of mutual encouragement and testimonies using 1 Cor. 14:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13, and 10:24-25. The second home group meeting was held at the home of my friend Fafa, where i stayed two years ago in my first visit to the city. This group has about thirty adults and close to twenty children of various ages. Here i spoke about the ardent desire of God for personal relationship with us.

Brazil 4-15

Sunday afternoon traveled into the state of Bahia with my friend Norberto and his wife Ruth. She enjoys a beverage called caldo da cana ( sugar cane) The canes sit on top of a machine. When you order, the attendant places some canes into the machine. About thirty seconds later the juice comes out. It is sweet and delicious. The many kinds of fruit juices are one of the treats of Brazil. People get pulp from the fruit, freeze it in plastic bags, remove and place in a blender when you are ready to drink, and serve at once. This is known as "natural" in contrast to juice from the store which is called "artificial." Norberto and i have taken several long walks through the city. Like me he is more of a thinker and does not talk all the time. in addition to the swarms of cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles and pedestrians, there is the challenge of very broken and uneven sidewalks. The width of the stores in usually only a few yards, and the sidewalk at each new store or driveway is a different height. Sometimes the differences are more than a foot. There is an unusual type of garbage container here in Brazil. Instead of barrels or dumpsters, there is a metal ple sunk into the concrete with a basket similar to the one i used to use for delivering newspapers open to the sky. The dogs cannot tip these over but the vultures can easily pick at the contents. Am receiving many blessings here. For the first time i have actually received grammar lessons from a former elementary school teacher. I joke that these are really acting lessons because she acts things out. When one travels one picks up odd skills like shaving without a mirror, or showering without a shower stall. The young adult daughter of my hosts is studying for her MBA at an elite Federal university. At the same time she cheerfully cleans the whole house. I told her today that this shows the work of God in her life. Monday evening i was taken to three different home groups, and given the opportunity to share from the Word. Some of the brethren had just returned from the business conference that i also attended and gave testimonies. In the first group I shared some verses and testimony about the way in which God can use our work as a tool to accomplish His purposes in our lives. In the second i shared on the subject of persecution. In the third looked at the theme of glorifying God. Busy but fruitful evening. Last night i gave my testimony to a group of about twenty young people. I am always amazed at how attentive the listeners are even though i am using my limited Portuguese without a translator. This morning a young man picked me up, and gave me a tour of the city. He spoke almost full speed, and i was able to get about eighty percent of what he said. It helps that the conversation was one on one instead of a group. Had the traditional mid day meal with another family. Very nice fellowship with them, and then one on one with the father of the family.

Brazil 4- 14

Final day of the business conference today. Many testimonies were given. Unfortunately i did not understand very much. As the expression in English goes, "I am caught between a rock and a hard place. Continual translation means that i would never learn; in the meantime i miss a lot. There was translation set up for eight or nine Spanish speakers, but i was the only English primary speaker. Several of the organizers and leaders of the conference paid me honor. i really don't understand why. Interacted with a number of individuals who indicated a desire to continue communication. i gave my card to all, and will see what transpires. Spent the afternoon and evening with my host family. They have two children, a boy aged 15, and a girl age 12. She is quite outgoing, and studies English at her regular school, and then again at a private English school. She started six years ago, and has the critical ingredient, a desire to learn. We traded various idiomatic expressions. In English we say it is "raining cats and dogs." Who knws why. In Portuguese they say it is raining switchblades. She also plays guitar, and is learning songs in both English and Portuguese. I asked if she had written any songs, and sure enough, she had written one in English, which she played for me. The interaction between generations is one of the best things about my experience here. Our time on the veranda and the dining room, with her parents, and her cousin coming in and out, was wonderful. Tomorrow i head north, with another friend, a doctor who treats patients in an adjacent state. The church which started in his living room twenty or so years ago, now has four hundred people. I visited once before. The group is very energetic and animated, with very few English speakers, which is good, because i will be forced to learn. In my current location a number of people prefer to practice English with me. Although i personally have never had a problem there is a lot of crime in Brazil. The cousin of my host family, whose age i don't know but could have been 14 or 15 said that she had already been robbed twice. Apparently the schools in Brazil do not have their own busses so students have to get to school on their own. Since most Brazilians don't have cars this means that the children must walk or ride public transportation with everyone else. This makes them easy prey. Very sad to know the innocence and purity is driven away at such a young age.

Brazil 4- 13

As in completely normal here, just finished eating pizza at almost midnight. This pizza had a very thin crust, very little cheese. One half had slices of tomato, the other had a filling that could have been spinach. This was washed down with a juce called acerola. I don't think there is a US equivalent. One custom here is to put mayo, ketchup or mustard rather liberally on top of the pizza. For the past two days have been at a conference of Christian businesspeople. Most are of Brazil although another half dozen countries are represented. There are have a number of speakers, various videos, and a choice of workshops to attend. Suprisingly the food has not been up to the normal Brazilian standard. There are over two hundred participants. Perhaps the conference center was expecting less. Highlights include praying for Vinci prior to his preaching Friday night. This morning had a very good workshop about investing in the kingdom. The speaker had seven barriers to investing. Some of these were the difference between philantrophy and investing, fatalism (won,t do any good anyway), lack of trust in potential recipients. The speaker was clear and paused enough for me to get the gist. Unfortunately in another workshop the speaker gave two minutes to his stated topic and two hours to something completely unrelated. Another nice opportunity was having fellowship with three young men who did not speak English. All of my Portuguese study is paying some dividends. Spoke with another non English speaking young man at dinner. While there are some standard questions- where do you live, what do you do for work, tell us about your family- which i have answered at least a hundred times, we were able to branch out beyond those topics. the most striking thing about the conference was given by a middle aged man whom i had heard about. He has memorized the entire NT in Portugese, along with portions of the OT. The Bible has about 33,000 verses, roughly equivalent to an English sentence. The NT alone has 8,000. This is an amazing feat. In the morning he gave a dramatic performance of David and Goliath, incorporating almost fifty verses of 1 Samuel 17. I followed along in the same Portuguese version. I think he skipped one word, and transposed two others. Otherwise he was word perfect.

Brazil visit 4 Post 12

Quite an active day today. My current host, and friend, is retired so he has more time to interact with me. We were about to start on our early morning walk when we had a cloud burst. This set the pattern for the entire day, periods of sunshine, punctuated by showers. Instead we ate breakfast and then walked to the gym. I am not a gym "rat," so am not up to date with the latest technology and methods. We used several machines, an upright bicycle, a treadmill, and a stepper, and finished with some stretches. Our instructor was very helpful and efficient.He plaaced a device on my chest to measure my heartbeat rate which i had not seen previously. After we returned to the house, we went to my friend's son's home. They have a very new place, which, at the current exchange rates costs less than $80,000. Before lunch we walked perhaps one kilometer to the beach. While the sea further south is clear, here it is muddy, reflecting the reddish soil. The son brought his dog, trained by a professional, using commands in French. Later he showed us parts of a video he had made the day before when using his new kayak to fish in a nearby river. Unfortunately he did not catch anything. In between my host peppered me with Biblical questions on the themes of unity and spiritual gifts. It was a good Scriptural workout. He took notes of the points and references. Upon returning to his house after a very nice meal consisting of a cut of beef that for some unknown reason uses the same Portuguese word used for the word "diaper", the traditional rice and beans, salad, and a mousse made of passion fruit, we hosted a brother from another church. Joao teaches at the local theological school. He has studied English for a year, and was eager to practice. He did quite well. We discussed plurality of leadership, Bible versions, textual traditions, and the importance of humility. My host sat in and contributed, as he has also studied English for about a year. One advantage of this church is that many members lives in the same neighborhood, within walking distance of one another. Last night we had an impromptu get together. The meal included soup with pieces of pasta and chicken, some small circles of garlic type bread, and raisins. Perhaps a dozen people gathered. This makes it diffcult as they speak rapidly and all together. One young woman, about to graduate high school, speaks conversational English, and told me about a hiking trip that her family had taken to the third highest mountain in Brazil. My hosts have lived in this home for about twenty years, and have planted a diverse and almost bewildering complexity of fruit trees, spices, and medicinal herbs. My knowledge of this is slight, and they can grow many things here due to the clement climate that I don't think we have in the US, although sometimes i have no idea of what the Portuguese name translates to in English. There are many first names in Brazil. In previous posts on past visits i have spoken of very British names like Wellington and Gladstone. Recently i have encountered names from mythology like Hercules and Ulysses. There are Spanish sounding names like Diego or Carlos, and others that may be indigenous like Niara and Mayara.

Brazil Visit 4: Post 11

Several nights ago, i had the pleasure of an evening with true friends. I had had time with them in each of my four visits to Brazil. This time they invited me to their home, along with another friend, and we enjoyed a very nice meal, and non stop fellowship. The wife had a passion for older theological books, which she reads in both English and Portuguese, and even translates from English into Portuguese. She was like a little child at Christmas showing me all of her "treasures,", hundreds of books that she has accumulated over the years. Yesterday with my last day with another friend who has hosted me this last week. Because he lived half his life in a state in the south of Brazil, and the other half in a different state in the middle of the country, he thinks of himself as word that i cannot spell, which combines both, something like a Penn-Yorker for someone who lived in both Pennsylvania and New York. He is also into very healthy food, and has been giving me this strange, green, vegetable juice to drink, which i suspect will cause me to grow leaves. Celebrated the wedding of two friends last night with about two hundred other people. Volunteer brothers and sisters clad in formal black served and coordinated things. The music was primarily in English, reflecting the desire of the bride, who lived in the USA for seven years. Four people shared publicly, including our brother Vinci, who spoke anointedly about fathers ( it was also Father's day in Brazil), weaving this into his preaching on marriage. While i was speaking with one friend, a young woman approached me, and introduced herself. She is quite fluent in English, and told me that she reads this blog. What surprised me was that she lives in a city that i have not ever visited. She also has visited Scotland twice on short term missions trips, so i was able to share a quite dated story of my time there over forty years ago. Definitely the highlight of my evening. Today i am in a home and a city that i have stayed in twice before. My friend here is eager to walk for exercise early in the morning and we had a good time of fellowship. he speaks clearly and a little slowly with me, and i think that i understood ninety percent of what he said. however, when an acquaintance stopped by briefly on a bicycle, and they spoke, i understood maybe ten percent. My hosts constructed a little guesthouse on their property two years ago, and i feel like a prince staying there. I also thank God that He can take the foolish things of this world, and the things that are nothing, and use them for His glory. ( See the end of 1 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 26.)

Brazil Visit 4 Post 10

Following my adventure up the mountain, i have resumed walking along the beach. Saturday morning got off to a late start. About the same numbers of people were exercising, but far more were on the beach itself. Many Brazilians spend much of their free time at the beach. Of course, even in winter it is warm here. Sunday i started much earlier and the whole beach was comparatively deserted although i was practically run over by a bicyclist in the pedestrian area. These areas are adjacent but very clearly marked. Yesterday my host invited three young people to join us for the midday meal. One, now a married woman, had, with her parents, hosted me four years ago, although i had not seen her since. Another is a young medical student that i met at this year's missionary conference. We had an enjoyable time together. Last evening i went to one of the larger group meetings, with over a hundred people. On the way in I met a man who is a doctor, and was a pastor in the US, where he lived in the same area where i went to high school. He agreed to translate for me as i had been given the opportunity to share a little. As it happened, he was the other primary speaker, so he did double duty. I spoke a little on the theme of persecution, a subject rarely mentioned in the church in North America. I sat next to a young American woman, who is a childhood and continuing friend of the woman getting married today, as the latter lived in the US for seven years. The American woman does not speak any Portuguese, so I relived my first visit to Brazil, when i spoke no Portuguese and did not know the country or the culture. It can be overwhelming. Afterwards my host, another friend and i went back to the Syrian restarant described in a prior post. Apparently he really likes the place. At the meeting saw another young man and his wife, who live near Rio, whom i had not seen since my first visit four years ago. Was very nice to have a conversation and to be able to pronounce his first name correctly now. I am growing in my ability to communicate in Portuguese, but it is better to have a translator for larger groups in fairness to them. Today is the wedding, the third i will have celebrated in Brazil. This may be a little different as the bride has intentionally tried to reduce all the normal elements to a manageable level although she has nine bridesmaids. Afterwards i will go to another city, where i have stayed in the past. My host is one of the only Brazilians that i know personally that likes to walk for exercise as much as i do. Also he and his wife do not speak English, which is good for me. One of the reasons that i come here is to improve my Portuguese, but many want to practice their English with me.

Brazil Visit #4 Post 9

Currently i am staying in an apartment located on a tiny beach, with a little cove in which are anchored about forty little boats, mostly used for fishing. This is a pleasant location except for a number of dogs who bark on an ongoing basis. Added to that is the hourly bells of the Catholic church one hundred yards away, the noise of construction or repairs inside the building, and occasional helicopters. Last night was taken to a Syrian fast food venue. I don´t remember the name of the item served. They are small, round baked bread with a slightly raised circumference simlar to a pie. There are various possible fillings. The staff was not Syrian but young black women in green uniforms. We sat outside in little wooden chairs and at a small table almost under a bridge at a busy intersection. Pedstrians and bicyclists, little motorbikes and cars flowed by. My host is quite eager to improve his English and is constantly inquiring about how to say things. Yesterday we had mashed potatoes as part of our noon meal. After explaining the word "mashed," i later realized that he equated mashed with mixed, whereas mashed is most often used only with potatoes. I then had to explain that "mixed" was the common word when two or more things are put together. We also had to work through the irregular verb "eat," because we don't have the logical past tense word "eated," but rather "ate." My host hires an "empregada," one day a week. This woman washed several loads of clothes, made a wonderful meal, cleaned several bathrooms, swept, vacuumed, and worked steadily for eight hours for less than $30. I was compelled to give her a tip to add to her salary. The Brazilian real (unit of money) has suffered an almost catastrophic loss of value against the dollar, and presumably other currencies in recent times. When I visited last December it required only 2.4 reals to purchase one dollar. Just before my trip commenced two weeks ago, it required 3.1. The rate yesterday went as high as 3.55, a lost of one-seventh of the value in two weeks. This morning, by suggestion of my host, varied my walking route. Instead of walking along the beach, a perfectly flat route of 5 miles (8 kilometers), I walked up a mountain called Morro do Moreno. The street begins at the Catholic church, winds along the cove on much larger cobblestones ( 3 by 6 inches instead of the beach trail which are 2 by 2 inches). Went past several houses with the necessary barking dogs, and onto a dirt road large enough for vehicles. This terminated at a single file trail through vegetation. At various points had excellent views of the city of Vitoria across the bay, the long bridge that connects the two, tug boats, and even a larger vessel playing "Ompah" music from loudspeakers. As I climbed the trails proliferated and it was not always easy to determine which was going up and which sideways. Did not see anyone for most of my climb. Towards the top began encountering people on mountain bikes. It turns out that they were part of a bicycle club. Eventually reached the top after an arduous climb. Once i had to get on my hands and knees. Arrived there with the first of the bicycle riders. There is a little house at the top, a television tower, some chickens, and even a horse patiently cropping a little patch of grass. Two signs intrigued me. One, in Portguese, had the end of John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. At least it had the Biblical reference although it did not have the crucial beginning, "If you abide in the Word (of God). Better than the Harvard University portal, which reads, "You shall know the truth," without any reference to the Bible. ( cf. John 17:17) The other sign said, in English, "Big Beach." Raher incongruous for the top of a mountain. I am told by bi-lingual friends that many Brazilians purchase T-shirts with English phrases written on the front but have no idea what the words mean.

Brazil Visit 4: Post # 8

This morning i was the recipient of a long dissertation on the subject of healthy food. This is unsurprising given the ever increasing interest in this subject. My friend detailed the problems of gluten,and chemicals in food or eaten by animals raised for human consumtion. He emphasized that these caused cancers. He then used the numerous OT references about Canaan being a land of milk and honey to advocate including these foods in one´s diet. Apparently organic fod is available in Brazil, and, unlike the US, is not far more expensive but only slightly so. All of this may be, but there is another reality. Prior to modern farming methods being employed, and yet today in countries where they are not widely available, the specter of starvation has never been far from most people in history. Without the advent of chemicals to prevent widespread eating of food by insects or other animals, much less food would be produced, and many more would starve. Now relatively wealthy environmentalists can smugly argue that there are simply too many people for the Earth to sustain. Of course, they would not be the ones starving. From the Biblical perspective the command to be fruitful and multiply ( Genesis 1) has never been rescinded. This implies that God has sufficient love for all. He also promises to make a new heavens and a new earth to replace the present one. ( Isaiah 65:17) Sometimes i wonder, with all the emphasis on exercise, eating healthy food, and related care of our bodies, which will inevitably perish, whether Christians actually want to be with Jesus in heaven. Now i am not urging destruction of our bodies, but a more balanced view. The underlying idea that everyone should be able to live into their eighties and beyond, is a very modern theme, made possible by medical and other advances. In 1900 the average age of a North American was 47 years. This included a fair amount of infant and child mortality. Paul writes in Philippians 1 that it is far better to be with Christ. I believe that a man who entered the third heaven and had profound knowledge of Christ is a better reference than pagan desires for long life on this planet.

Brazil visit 4: Post 7

Uniforms are popular among different types of workers. The local taxi drivers wear blue shirts. Along the area of beach that i walk there are at least three different taxi stands. I have counted as many as ten drivers waiting at one time. Have never seen anyone get into a cab for a ride. The municipal street cleaners come on busses. They wear full haz mat type gears and look like they are going to fight aliens rather than sweep fallen leaves off the sidewalk. Had an adventure at the bank. Went by myself to buy small denomination bills of two and five reals. A real is currently worth about 28 cents. Went through the usual security procedures including one man perched behind a bullet proof enclosure. Waited in a holding area with a little slip of paper like you get at the meat counter in the grocery store. An eletronic counter showed you when your number appeared. Mine was 78. I went around the partition to discover only one teller. After saying that i was not fluent in Portuguese, I explained what i wanted, which she understood, and gave her 2 fifty real bills to exchange. Bear in mind that this branch is part of a major national bank in a fair sized city. After a little discussion she handed one of the fifties back to me, saying that she did not have enough 2's and 5's to give me for one fifty, and would have to give me several tens. Mentally i scratched my head and thought who does have change in Brazil if the banks don't? I still do not know the answer. Another cultural difference is the reality that even new acquaintances feel free to ask you very personal questions. Their interest is genuine and sincere but it is disconcerting. I usually try to give a response. Today i move to another home with a newly widowed elder of the church. Have memorized eight verses in Portuguese now but need to review several times a day to keep them.

Brazil Visit 4: Post 6

Walked along the beach again this morning. In addition to the things previously described in other posts, saw personal trainers and their clients, people giving and receiving massages, no homeless people today, older men sitting on benches in the shade speaking with animation, and even people sunbathing. Going to the ATM in Brazil is also an adventure. Generally they are inside buildings. In this case I put any metal objects in a place like a mail slot, go through a metal detector, and retreive my items. I then go to the end of a line, watched carefully by armed security personnel. Unlike American ATM's where you can do all your business at one machine, there is a bank of eight or ten ATM's. You can do different functions at different machines. I wanted to get bills of smaller denominations, specifically twos and fives because of the problem of getting change. Unlike the US, where you can give $20 for a $8 purchase, and have no problem getting $12 in change, in Brazil the cashier is always asking for exact change. This means that the smaller bills go fast. Unfortunately the machines that i visited had only tens and twenties. At least it said it has twenties but actually only had tens. I know enough Portuguese to ask a question, but often cannot understand the answer. Last night had a different snack. I was served a small bowl with tomatoes cooked in such a way to resemble the consistency of the portobello mushrooms served in restaurants, tiny shelled boiled eggs, and even smaller onions. The day before the dessert, served midday, was tiny ice cream cones with a pudding type filling. Pizza is popular here. It does not have heavy cheese as does most American pizza. Dessert is not a given. My current host family never has dessert. Of course they are not overweight either. Cultural differences are continual. I am fellowshipping with people who believe that the primary evidence that God is doing work in a person's heart is the presence of tears. Certainly Jesus wept ( John 11:35), and Paul describes his ministry with the church in Ephesus to its elders, as with tears. ( Acts 20:19) Normally in the US, if we cry, we then wipe away our tears. But if one believes that this represents the work of God then one would not wipe away the evidence. When this was discussed in a small group recently I remarked that there are major cultural differences between Brazil and the US. My friend, who I know does respect and care for me said, "Do you forget between visits?" The Brazilians that I meet have an assurance of their certitude about things that I normally do not, except when presenting the Word of God, or basing my life upon it. This may reflect my personality or that i live in a dying society with a disintegrating culture.

Brazil #4 Post # 5

Have just returned from a weekend in Ponte Nova ( New Bridge). Traveling any distance by car in Brazil is a challenge but this journey was particularly taxing. In theory my ride was supposed to pick me up by 6 in the morning. My host was supposed to get me up twenty minutes earlier. That didn't work so i got up on my own at 6:12, and exited the apartment 7 minutes later. Went down to the front entrance to discover that the ride wasn't there. He arrived about 6:30. We picked up two other brothers, so the small car was crowded. As i was the biggest, they kindly gave me the passenger seat. Roads between cities are basically two lane (one each way) country roads with rare passing lanes up steep inclines. On these roads one find pedestrians, bicyclists, horses pulling carts, loose horses grazing, ancient trucks that can barely do 15 or 20 miles an hour, ancient cars that can't do much better, and many other cars, some of which can do 100 MPH. ( 160 KPH) The road from Vitoria to Ponte Nova, in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, passes through mountains and is extremely sinuous. The road goes through the middle of cities, with the traffic making about 10MPH ( 16K. It has numerous speed bumps called "quebrar molas,"( break molars) and zillions of electronic speed checking devices. These roads are not patrolled by police, but these devices take a picture of speeder's license plates and send you the ticket. Going to the city took about six hours including two relatively short stops. Returning took eight hours to cover a little over 200 miles (350K). We had to pass through a village called Pedra Azul ( Blue Stone), which features a very sheer mountain that looks like an isolated tooth. It has a bluish hue. They were celebrating their annual strawberry festival, and, of course, there was no way around. We also had to deal with traffic returning to Vitoria from a holiday weekend. We were in stop and go ( walking speed) for at least an hour and a half. Along the way i saw many miles of coffee bean bushes. These grow on terraced hills, and favor elevations around 3,000 feet. Mature plants are about 4 feet high. As we descended the crops changed but neither i nor my urban car mates could identify these. Further along we saw small groups of cows, and a number of horses. The soil is reddish, which usually indicates clay The actual visit was quite pleasant. I had visited once before, four years ago. My host family then included a very sweet twelve year old daughter. God can do truly amazing things in four years. Now she is almost seventeen, a young woman, but just as sweet. My new host family has a chacara. This word seems to have a large range of meaning, anything from a house in the country to a small farm. This family had two young daughters. One was three or maybe four. While we were eating the midday meal, she got under the table, and tried to tickle me. The older daughter is ten, has studied English for two years, and is one of the rare Brazilians willing to try to speak English with me. The hospitality is extraordinary. One of the new deacons, whom i do not know, invited me to stay at his house any time, and this is not a pleasantry. Others from various cities also invited me The actual event was an ordination service for one pastor and several deacons. The church has doubled in size from four years ago. God is obviously at work. The normal worship service lasts three or four hours, and the two previous ordinations that i have attended were far longer. This time they seemed to make a conscious efforts to streamline things a bit. We did have a wonderful time of worship including an Asaph Borba song. There were eight speakers in all.

Brazil 4, Post # 4

This is a vacation period in Brazil, and as i walk along the beach there are numerous volleyball games in progress, with anywhere from one on one to full teams, little children to people my age. The soccer influence is obvious as players bounce balls off their heads or bodies as they would in playing soccer. One end of the beach has fresh fish for sale, with their strange protruding eyes. Police patrol in pairs on bicycles. There is a clearly defined bike trail adjacent to the walking area set apart by its reddish color. Crossing it is taking your life in your hands. Wednesday evening had time with a young man whom i met last year. We mix English and Portuguese in our conversation. Interacting with those of the younger generation is one of the highlights of my time here. Later we join up with 2 other younger friends. One, the son of Brazilian missionaries, has lived in numerous countries, with three years the longest in any one, and speaks a number of languages at age 13. Last night went to a home group meeting and had an opportunity to share with about fifteen people on the theme of personal relationship with God, and His ardent desire for this. I spoke in my halting Portuguese although did make a joke successfully. Several others shared after me. So much depends on how rapidly someone speaks. With one man i could never catch up; with another i had a good grasp of what he shared. Wedding plans and ceremonies can be almost as complex here as in the US. The stress, innumerable details, expectations, and sheer time and energy to pull this off is unbelievable. As with the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas, the original intent is largely lost.

Brazil Visit 4- Post # 3

Since the conference ended i have been fellowshipping with my friend Alex and his family. They live near a long beach, which is ideal for walking. I go from end to the other and back in about an hour and a half, along with army guys doing martial chants, vendors of everything from coconut water to trinkets, people playing volleyball, runners, bicyclists, squadrons of taxis, and pregnant ladies. The temperature today works out to 73F. Last night had the pleasure of time with long time friends Getulio and Ana. Both are educated, engaging, and speak both good English and clear Portuguese. Today went with Alex to look at some building lots ( he is in real estate), and then to lunch with his sister, who lived in the US for a period of time. Normally i don't watch TV, but anything to improve my Portuguese. I get at least the gist of what the various anchors and reporters are saying. Brazilian cuisine is usually uniform. Breakfast includes small French rolls with sandwich meat and cheese cut very thin. Various kinds of tropical juices are also served. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day, with meat, salad cut into tiny pieces, beans and rice. If dinner is eaten out, it is more substantial, but in the house is more of a snack. So far have added 2 verses in Portuguese to my repitoire of memorized Scripture. ( Matthew 25:34, Romans 15:29) Tonight i hang out with a young friend. God is good.