Brazil visit # 4 Post 2

Sunday evening has arrived and i have survived my third bi-annual missionary conference. I don't know how. Normally i don't wear my emotions on my sleeve, as the expression goes. In Brazil everything changes. There are about a thousand participants, many of whom I know or they know me. People are constantly greeting me, with prayer, hugs, tears. It is an extremely intense experience on all levels, physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. Among the highlights of the last 2 days: A very moving testimony by a woman from South Africa, who lost her husband, two teen age children, and all worldly possessions from a terroist attack in a country in which they were serving as missionaries. An indigenous man from the Amazon, whom i met 2 years ago, and his wife, who came to the conference for the first time, people whom i understood to have extreme interpersonal shyness, got up before the whole group to sing a song in their own language. To my surprise i recognized the song as the old hymn, "Power in the Blood." This song has particular meaning for me as it was one of the first i learned as a new believer, and for hearing it while a hippie, in Amsterdam, Holland, sung by about six hundred people in Dutch. A brother from Chile shared, in Spanish. I found that i actually understood some of the words, although not the main theme. I am understanding Portuguese a little better all the time although by the 4th or 5th hour of a meeting, my brain is tuning out. There were testimonies from brothers and sisters who serve in a dozen different countries, and several different skits by young people. At the end all of the missionaries were gathered together, prayed for, and had their feet washed. Also had many more personal encounters. One brother, with whose family i had stayed two years ago, related to me his journey with God after the death of his 3 month old daughter. Prayed for different people, saw several young people whom i have adopted spiritually. Received invitations to various cities. When i come here, there is an adjusting that i go through, and especially with the reality that so many people want to serve me in whatever way they can. May God be thanked for all of their lives.