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.