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.