Fiasco

Recreational vehicles, or RV's, are popular in the US. RV parks, both in live in or to use,while traveling are common, especially in warmer areas. I owned one for 4 years. Unless you have money to literally burn, or plan to keep it for the rest of your life, never buy one. Why? They are not well constructed. They are costly to purchase and repair. Two different repairmen worked on mine.Both charged a high fee just to arrive with a minimum of another hour at the same fee. If you attempt to sell it retail, you will find that you resided in the unit, people aren't interested.If you attempt to wholesale, I found that dealerships have a great business model, for them. They want to make a used vehicle into a new vehicle by someone else paying for the repairs- insurance, warranty, owner. While this process is ongoing, the price they are willing to give goes down steadily. It's a no win situation. I would rather be homeless than buy an RV.

Endurance Contest.

Sadly travel is increasingly dysfunctional in the US. Just completed a 1,750 mile (2,800 kilometer) journey by car. Outside of cities about 50% of vehicles are huge trucks which take up a lot of room, and have difficulty passing one another. The highways are 2 lanes in either direction. When there are 3 lanes, it makes a significant difference. Between crowded roadways, construction, weather issues and crazy drivers, God's help, protection and angels are very needed. Arrived safely at my destination which makes it worthwhile. Tonight I am with my friend Bill out in the country. He runs cattle for his son.

One more week

This morning I have one more week (barring snowstorms) here at the camp before I head west to Texas. As before when I lived and worked here, it has been a good experience even though things don't stay the same. Didn't achieve my goal of 20 hours of work a week, more like fifteen, in part because my skills are limited. Blessed with facilitating 1 and 2 Peter Bible studies, and initiating a time of prayer before the church service. Also had one on one time with Nate, the shepherd of the church and with my brother Kevin. Also appreciate the relative tranquility of this 98 acre property. Was able to visit friends in the region and participate in an annual discipleship weekend.

Consequences

"Elections have consequences." Yesterday 's elections in NY City and for governors in New Jersey and Virginia reflect God's ongoing judgment on this country. Although all three are Democratic party strongholds, the reality that someone like the mayor elect of the nation's largest city is an avowed Communist show how far we have fallen. It was only 24 years ago that Islamic terrorists flew planes into the,World Trade Center in New York. Now a Moslem will become the mayor. A brother of my acquaintance has written a book titled "Wars and Rumors of Wars" based on Matthew 24:6 in which he sets forth a case that the US is the Babylon of Revelation 19. He believes that the US will be destroyed by nuclear war. If God is just, as the Bible proclaims, it gets easier to believe this with each succeeding event. May our hope be placed in Jesus alone.

Writing Fiction

Enjoying writing what should be my sixth novel. I have a new freedom in that I am no longer writing with the hope that anyone will read what I write. Now it is solely to release the creativity that we, made in God's image, have that reflects Him as the Creator of the Universe. I am well along in the first draft of my current work so the characters are established. I started a new chapter today. All I knew was that it centered around one of the leaders characters. I had no idea what would happen. That's one of the blessings of the first draft, just letting the words flow, knowing I can go back and revise whatever needs it. I'd like to finish this post by thanking my mother, long gone, who gave me a love of reading and, encouraged .y writing. Thanks, Mom

Too Radical

Once again I am confronted by reality, this time as in many previous times, that I am too radical for the Church in America. It's not that I want to be a voice in the wilderness; it just works out that way. This time it was a modest proposal that a discipleship weekend that I have been involved in for the past decade, extend It's time frame to begin Friday mid morning rather than Friday evening. My original thought was to begin Thursday evening so I had already compromised. My modified proposal was rejected. Other examples include my appeal for the value of memorizing Scripture, prayer times before church services and the importance of personal, intentional accountable discipleship. Perhaps this is why over 90% of my page views are read in Singapore and Hong Kong where I know no one in contrast to a handful of page views in the US where I know many people.

Discipleship weekend

Just returned from the 10th annual New England Discipleship Network discipleship weekend. As always a privilege and a pleasure to participate in, this year with almost forty other brothers. These weekends focus on small group interactive encounters, either with a same group or in a choice of workshops. The theme this year was a transformed heart, whether for God, for the brethren or for the lost. We had,three small group sessions and a choice of two of four workshops. Saturday evening we experienced a powerful time of worship facilitated by,a gifted brother. As usual, the camp hosting us did a splendid job. My only regret was it lasted such a short time, starting on Friday night anx ending Sunday at noon.

Narrow Gate Farm

Last weekend God gave me the privilege and joy of visiting my friends at the Narrow Gate Farm in Maine. I've known this family for a number of years. They raise free range chickens, both meat birds and egg layers. In addition they have turkeys, ducks, pigs and are experimenting with rabbits. Two dogs complete the menagerie. That's not to mention green houses, flower beds and rows of vegetables. The couples' four children, ranging in age from five to sixteen, are avid helpers. Part of the operation is on their property and part on a neighboring farm. I had the opportunity to participate in their annual "Meet and Greet" where they offer a free meal provided by a close friend's barbecue business. The following day I helped stack firewood, and fed and watered chickens. We moved three of the chicken tractors.As the saying goes, a farmer's work is never done. There's always more to do.

Silver quarters

When I was about 12, my great aunt gave me four silver quarters and told me to keep them because they would be worth something in the future. She was right. Fast forward six decades and those 4 quarters would be worth about 25 dollars Why? The Federal Reserve was established in 1913 by bankers. In the years since it has become the "elephant in the living room" dominating the American economy and much of the world. In the old days when gold and silver were used as actual currency in the form of coins, ruling authorities could debase the currency by mixing base metals with the precious ones. Today the process is much easier. A simple bookkeeping entry by the Fed and voilà, we have another trillion dollars. As this money flows into the economy inevitably the price of goods and services increases. As Milton Freedman said, "Inflation is always a monetary phenomenon." Americans may have more money but it buys less. The ten cent candy bar of my youth is now two or three dollars. The ongoing rise of gold, which is almost $4,000 and ounce, and silver which is closing in on $50 an ounce, shows that people are losing faith in fiat currency. What happened to the 4 silver quarters? I spent them soon

A Prayer Testimony

When I was in Brazil earlier this year I met a young married woman, a friend of a friend. Her husband, son of a church leader, had abandoned her to live in the world. God gave me compassion for her, and along with many others joined in prayer for the situation. Continued to pray after my return to the US. Last Sunday received a text from our mutual friend that the husband had returned, repented before the whole church and they were reconciled and together again I am joyful for them and also very thankful to God for this encouragement to pray. Sometimes we can pray about a situation many times over months, years and even decades and not receive what we hope for. It is a blessing when God responds in a discernible way.

Charlie Kirk

I didn't know Charlie Kirk or follow him but I acknowledge his influence and his marryrdom as a brother in the Lord Jesus. As a young man of barely 21, I was a passenger in an accident that killed three people, a promising young Christian musician, a brother six years older than me who was the first to trust me, or Jesus in me, with any significant responsibility and his three year old son. As I tried to process this another brother taught me God's sovereignty. He said that God didn't want these three to have to wait any longer to see Him face to face, know His love directly and live with Him for all eternity. "The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is exalted among the sons of men." Psalm 12:8 "All those who livd godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Timothy 3:12 "The blood pf the martyrs is the seed of the church." Tertullian, an early church father.

1 Peter 2:18-25

Last night the Bible study group completed 1,Peter 2 working through verses 18 to 25. There were nine of us. This passage instructs how we should respond to suffering by following the example of Jesus. He did not retaliate in any way while He was condemned, tortured and crucified. Our normal response is to defend or justify ourselves,at the slightest provocation but this is not the way of Jesus. We also looked at the reality that Jesus' suffering was not only physical as intense as that was but also emotional as his closest followers forsook him and fled. More agonizing was the separation of perfect fellowship between the Father and Himself as He bore the wrath of God for our sins. 'Ny God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" quoting from Psalm 22.1

Coaching

A friend of mine is a soccer coach working with a high school team. This morning he explained how the team had done in their last game. He didn't say if they won or lost or the final score. Instead he mentioned thirteen straight passes at the onset and thirty-one shots on goal to the opponents six. He emphasized playing. What are the objectives of a good coach, winning at all costs or helping each player, with their different skills and experience, to be the best player they can be, and to work together as a team? Might the Church in America learn something here? Too often the pastor tries valiantly to do everything and gets burned out, or goes to the other extreme and thinks he is the only one that can do anything because of his specialized training. "Equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:12) sounds like coaching to me.

Movies

Currently I am working at a Christian conference and retreat center with half a dozen other men almost all of whom have been believers for decades. Most of us are introverts. We receive a great fringe benefit of meals during the week. As we wait for these to be prepared most guys are looking at their cell phones. Yesterday we had the most animated, enthusiastic conversation that I have experienced in the over 3 months that I have worked here. The subject? Movies. Particularly Arnold Schwarzenegger films. There was general expressive communication by most indicating how many movies they had seen and the large amount of details they remembered. This morning a question came to me. What could God do in and through us if we had the same knowledge and enthusiasm about His Word?

Good?

At the very end of the Wednesday night Bible study a question was raised on whether someone who doesn't believe in God could love Him. This reflects our cultural conditioning in secular humanism which claims that people are inherently good, and that their environment or circumstances causes them to act otherwise. In fact, the most common response I receive from people to whom I am presenting the gospel is "I'm good." This is a totally anti Biblical position. Psalm 51:4 indicates that we are born in sin. In Mark 10,a man refers to Jesus as "good teacher." Jesus responds in verse 18, "Why do you call Me good? There is none good except God." In Romans 3 beginning with verse 10, Paul quotes from Psalm 14:1-3. "There is none good, no not one. No one understands, no one seeks for God. They have all turned aside..." Only the righteousness of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:30) working through the Holy Spirit can make anyone good. Thank God for His grace and mercy!

1 Peter 2:10-17

Last night as we continued in 1 Peter 2 we looked at the following. V.10 the connection between becoming God's people and,His mercy. V.11 What is our soul against which fleshly lusts war? V.12 the importance of what we do as a witness to those who don't know Christ V.13 One of several verses and passages that enjoin obedience to human authority cf. Romans 13:1-7, Titus 3:1 V.14 ditto V.15 returns to the theme of verse 12 V.16 In Christ we are free to become His servants. V.17. The importance of honoring others, a theme cited almost two hundred times in the Bible.

100,000 page views.

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of this blog. It was started originally by a suggestion from my friend Gary when I was discussing with him how to communicate with people during my year old journey around the US following retirement from self employment in June 2009. He said,"Start a blog," to which I responded "What's,a blog? I wrote regular posts until sometime in 2016. Then it lapsed. Finally as I prepared to make my eighth visit to Brazil earlier this year I restarted the blog. Today it passed one hundred thousand page views. Am very appreciative of the many who have perused these posts. I continue to be amazed that the vast majority of views are from other countries where I don't know anyone and where I have never been. Am also thankful for the commenters. A total of 107 comments are recorded. May the Lord Jesus help me to forge on with posts that will glorify God and bless the readers.

A Dying Society

The primary hallmark of a dying society is when a significant number of younger adults decide not to have children taking on a twenty year commitment that involves sacrifice in order to be a good parent. This I see in the US including among my own relatives. Another hallmark is when our words, promises and commitments don't mean anything. When we are governed by our feelings our word is no longer our bond. This results in an erosion of trust. God's Word values personal integrity We are told to let our yes be yes and our no be no. Matthew 5:37 "A man of integrity walks securely. " Proverbs 10:9. If I say I am going to do something and fail to do it, is that not,shameful? Not anymore apparently. If God does not keep His promises, where would we be?

Old Covenant Mentality Part 3

This segment of the Old Covenant Mentality has to do with the hierarchical leadership structure that most churches employ. Typically there is a Senior Pastor, and if the church is large enough an associate pastor and or a youth pastor. After this comes "lay" elders and then deacons. This creates a professional salaried class with certain academic credentials that are separate and above the rest of the congregation. The belief in the necessity of a seminary degree is actually an extra Biblical requirement nowhere mentioned in New Testament ecclesiology. While the school of Tyrannus in Acts 19 is sometimes cited, this one instance is a very small foundation to build such a large edifice. When we place the emphasis on academic education instead of the godly character qualities shown in 1,Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:6-9 we have inevitable results. No one supposedly knows anything except those specially trained which leads to spiritual pride. If the Bereans in Acts 17:11 are praised for vetting Paul by studying through Scripture to see if what he taught was true then everyone should be vetted The true New Testament pattern is a plurality of co equal elders who meet the 1 Timothy and Titus qualifications. Church elders or overseers are mentioned 18 times in the NT. The only 2 instances in which it is not plural is when Peter or John are referencing themselves as i dividuals. 1 Peter 5 and 2nd and 3rd John.

Old Covenant Mentality Part 2

Another area where Old Covenant mentality prevails in much of the Church in America is with tithing. The purpose of the tithe was to provide a food allotment for the Levitical priesthood which was necessary in a period where the priesthood was very limited in terms of who was eligible with tribal, appearance, gender and age restrictions. In the New Covenant all genuine believers are priests (1 Peter 2:9 & 3 other references in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. Tithing has been superseded by giving in the New Covenant. A person with an income of one million dollars a year who gave 100,000 to God's work could say that they had done what was required under the Old Covenant. In the New there is no limit to our responsibility to give. Jesus gave all for us. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

Old Covenant Mentality

As recorded in the Old Testament, the presence of God usually resided in a building called a temple. The believers in Israel needed to go to Jerusalem. In John 4 when Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman seeking water, a conversation ensues in which she says that her people worship on this mountain and you Jews say we should worship in Jerusalem. Jesus responds that a time is coming when people won't be required to worship in either place. John 7:38-39 explains that the Holy Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Jesus is now glorified with His resurrection, ascension and seating at the right hand of the Father. Yet we still retain this idea of holy buildings. We speak of going to church rather than true believers in Christ are the church. Does the building make us holy or is it the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?

Thoughts and Questioned

Very thankful that this morning the preacher spoke on sin and repentance using Psalm 51 as his text. Seldom do I hear anything on the topic of sin in the Church in America. We have down played it so much that the question "Saved from what?" can legitimately be asked. Another thought impressed upon me as I awoke earlier this week revolves around the theme of personal relationship with God. If personal relationship is built in part on the time and energy that we expend upon it then we have a far deeper relationship with our cell phones than with God. Speaking of time most people have no difficulty in speaking with other people, sometimes for hours but have difficulty speaking to God for a few minutes. I am convicted by these thoughts. A parting thought. Sometime ago I wrote a blog post titled "Island of Sanity." To Date no one has read it although many have read the posts before and after.

Testimony

Last Wednesday I heard a very powerful testimony from a young man, a nee acquaintance of mine. His life prior to salvation was horrific with loneliness, negkect, heavy medication and attempted suicide. The place where,I am currently living and working has kids' camps during the summer. God saved this boy at 13. Seven years later he is one of the most outgoing, friendly serious Christians that I have met. On his days off from his regular work he volunteers here giving unpaid skilled labor. Our personal testimony of what God has done in our life is one of the most important things we can share with either believers or unbelievers. Why? Because we are the expert on our own conversion story. We may not know Greek or Hebrew, be a pastor, elder or deacon but we know more about the work of,God in our life than anyone else. Observe that towards the end of the book of,Acts as Paul is tried before various rulers and officials, he often relates his own conversion experience. May we do the same.

Are we just kidding?

There have been times in the past when I have questioned whether most of the Church in America is just joking? One prominent example is the custom of many congregations of dispensing with most activities, home groups, Bible studies etc. during the summer months and around the end of year holidays. In reality this adds up to almost half the year. This morning I read Luke 18 again, both in Portuguese and then in English. It begins with Jesus saying that the parable in verses 1 thru 8 is to encourage His people to pray and not give up. He then tells a story of an indefatigable woman and an unjust judge who finally gives her what she wants because she keeps asking. Verse 8 concludes the passage with Jesus asking a poignant question. When He returns, will He find faith on the earth. Clearly He is asking whether there will be people praying. I am convicted and challenged by this. I am not always convinced that my prayers are efficacious. Nor do my prayers typically result in closer intimacy with God. Please help me Lord Jesus!

Homesteading family

One of my best friends and his family do homesteading in the state of Maine. I hadn't the opportunity to visit him since last October. Was very impressed with their progress. They raise chickens, turkeys for Thanksgiving and a few pigs for sale. Currently they have more than 800 meat chickens in various stages of development plus egg layers, quail and ducks. In addition they have planted many varieties of vegetables and flowers. Sheds, chicken coops and movable tractors and other enclosures have multiplied. Their four children are growing in this environment also. The oldest cares for horses on a neighbor's stable. Even the youngest at 5 pitches in. This reminds me of the Little House on the Prarie books that I read to my daughter when she was a child. Through their endeavors they have had the opportunity to speak with many people who appreciate the fruit of their labors. It was a privilege for me to experience this even though I am not an "animal" person.

Three Categories

One thing that has helped me in maturing as a Christian and avoiding unnecessary doctrinal battles is to divide what I believe into three categories. The first group I refer to as salvation doctrines which are truly necessary for genuine Christians to believe. I don't think there are very many of these. Most center around Jesus Christ. Examples include Jesus is God, He rose from the dead, and He is the only way of salvation. The second category I call group distinctives or beliefs. Every fellowship, local congregation or denomination has these and they differ from group to group. For example there are many perspectives on end times events. A person will usually need to be in substantial agreement with the beliefs of whatever group they are in. I call this "flow or go." The third category is personal convictions which are beliefs a person holds, ideally supported by Scripture, which it is not necessary for others to hold. One personal conviction which I hold regards the use of titles in the Church. I seldom discuss my personal convictions.

A young couple

God gave me the privilege and the pleasure of fellowship with a young Christian engaged couple last night. The man had approached me after the Sunday morning gathering indicating an interest in foreign missions. We agreed to meet for pizza the following Monday with his fiancé, one of six daughters of a family that I have known off and on for over twenty years. She had recently gone to Uganda on a short term missions trip that he had experienced the previous year. We talked about cultural differences, the need to learn one or more foreign languages, the question of whether to join a missionary organization or freelance, trying to raise financial support or be self sustaining and related topics. Then they asked for my testimony and how God had involved me with other countries principally Brazil. All of this was reminiscent of experiences that I had earlier this year with young Brazilian couples Finally I recommended the principle found in Deuteronomy 24:5 of spending the first year of marriage establishing a foundation and not taking on other responsibilities.

1 Peter Bible study

Last Wednesday God gave me the privilege abd pleasure of facilitating a,Bible study here at the camp. This group began in mid 2020 when they asked me to lead them through the book of Revelation. For the next 22 weeks we worked through a chapter each time before I moved to Texas. A brother named Victor took over and has faithfully led it for four and a half years focusing on eschatology. Now he needed to take a break so I am filling in. I use,an interactive style and encourage each one to ask God for a nugget. The concept of a spiritual nugget is something that has impacted them during our time to retain for their benefit,and for others. We only studied the first six verses as there is so much spiritual wealth in them. We prayed individually at the end a d each one expressed appreciation for what God had done in our midst.

International Readers

Going viral is an amazing phenomenon. After not writing in this blog for a number of years,I began again a few month ago prior to visiting Brazil again. Blogger shows me analytics of the various countries of people who are reading page views. These have spiked.At least thirty different countries are represented in most of which I know no one and have never visited. It's hard to imagine that the title draws many in as,Tychicus, although mentioned five times in the New Testament, remains,an obscure character While very thankful that so many from other lands have an interest in what I write, I am curious how they discovered the blog. Feel free to leave a comment.

Writing

As a young child I began to write stories. My first, at 5, was about a fox getting into a hen house. My teacher didn't believe I wrote it as an older sibling must have done it. My mother had to persuade her that I didn't have an older sibling. My first efforts were with pen or pencil. Eventually my mother gave me an old Royal brand manual typewriter which I used until I could no longer get ribbons. I resisted computers for years (I am a caveman with technology.) but finally gave in. My first serious novel was written in the mid 70's in a genre I still favor. I refer to it as plausible fantasy, something which could have happened but didn't. Over time I created a whole world with about 4 thousand pages of material. Along the way I received virtually no encouragement or receptivity. Any number of people said they would like to read something I wrote. To date only 3 people, two deceased, have read a complete novel of mine of which I have written 5 and,a short story. Perhaps the best is an evangelistic novel where I share the gospel of Jesus Christ through the characters in the story, itself a blend of plausible fantasy and modernity. The dilemma is whether it is within the will of God for me to write for my own enjoyment alone with all the time and energy involved something that no one else will ever read.

Depending on God.

The end of John 15:5 says "apart from Me you can do nothing." From personal experience I find this to be true. My dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit to move and work in mine and others' lives must increase. It is His work, anointing and ministry that is efficacious. As I continue to reflect upon many decades of labor in His kingdom I see the fruit to be minimal in relation to my efforts. As John the Baptist says in John 3:30,"He must increase and I must decrease. One example is in memorizing and reviewing Bible verses, something that I have practiced for over 30 years. I have .modeled this, encouraged it and taught it to many people but I am not aware of anyone who has continued in it although some have done it for a time. In my remaining time here on earth may God be glorified in my life through Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Back in the USA

Left São Paulo about 10,Saturday evening after my friend Márcio dropped me off at the airport. Can't sleep on planes. My daughter picked me up from DFW and we caught up some. Visited my local congregation and was warmly greeted. Afterwards took my daughter out to lunch for her birthday. Enjoyed our time together. Returned and had some time with my grandsons. Stayed that evening with my friend Bill and his wife out in the country. He is a real Texan with cowboy clothes and cows although he doesn't use a horse. Monday observed Memorial Day preparations, very creative, and went to my daughter's friend's house for BBQ ribs and sausage. That evening visited my friend George and prayed with him before returning to Bill's house. Tuesday began the trek to my sister's home in Missouri. One of the best blessings of my time in Brazil is I don't need to drive there. Its an endurance contest to go any distance in the US.

Area Rural

For the past week I have been staying at a property in the country, half an hour from a small town and 2 hours from a major city. Tonight I watched the neighborhood guys play soccer, some shoeless, with evenly matched teams. Several women made doce de leite caseiro ,or homemade condensed sweet milk a favored dessert here with milk from a neighbor's cow. The property is a narrow valley created by a little stream flanked by steep hills thick with jungle trees and plants. As seasons are reversed in the southern hemisphere it is wet with day long light misty rain. Tomorrow afternoon begins the long trek back to the US. My 85 day sojourn in Brazil is almost over.

Trying Again

As I wrap up my sojourn in Brazil in the next few days, I thought I would try again to write an entry. I became discouraged over how few were reading and wondered whether there was a point. Then the other day there were 120 page views, probably one person, but enough encouragement to try again. Visited Brasilia the capital and really enjoyed my time there. The church is very spiritually healthy with 4 co equal humble leaders who have worked together for almost 20 years. Enjoyed some good walks, great hospitality and had an opportunity to share my testimony in English with about 25 people. Also shared on the theme of a simple life in Portuguese to a home group. One of the very best experiences on this trip is interacting with young Christians who ask me good questions because they trust I might actually know something.

Crise

(This is,a political post) Brazil is experiencing a major crisis as attested by a number of brethren who have spoken to me about it. The last election in Brazil was,filled with corruption and major vote fraud. The socialist candidate, freed from prison after being sentenced for corruption, by a leftist judge,won, and is now robbing the country blind. It is tragic. As Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain famously said, "socialism works until it runs out of other people's money. This is happening in Brazil. As in the US, the middle class is being hollowed out. Any true democracy and individual freedom comes historically from a large and thriving middle class. This is actually rare on this planet. The vast majority of societies have a small, rich elite who have the money to hire essentially mercenaries to protect them while almost everyone else is poor. I think of a young couple I know. One is a lawyer, the other a nurse. Both are intelligent and work hard. Yet over bearing taxes, inflation and corruption leave them little. They don't have a car and live in a small apartment. Our only hopd in this world is Jesus Christ.

A Vida Brasileira

This post contains some observations on the Brazilian life. The Brazilians I meet have a love affair with their cuisine. They tend to eat in a more healthy way than North Americans. They eat more often but not as heavily. I especially appreciate their fruit juices some of which gringos don't have. As far as I can tell the word "gringo" is not derogatory buy descriptive. Currently I live a block and a half away from a lengthy bike trail. It is quite extensive, new from December of 2024, and the product of the state of,Espírito Santo. Along the way one finds exercise,equipment and a number of trash cans in pairs mounted about chest high. A wide variety of people walk, run or bike along the clearly delineated trail. Located in Vila Velha, it follows a canal. Note: the comma is in the wrong place on this phone and I am getting tired of deleting it. Brazilians are very group oriented, often loud and animated. Last night my host was,watching a committee meeting of their federal house of Representatives in which a rep gave a scathing rebuke of a top judicial official. When another man responded it precipitated a shouting shoving match among a number of people that almost became a brawl.

Determinação

Yesterday I experienced a very challenging situation trying to do something I have done successfully any number of times in the past. Needed to purchase airline tickets for two separate flights so prayed first. As I began my hostess said why don't I wait until her son, who speaks good English and translated for me previously, returns home. I thought, good counsel so I waited When he arrived we began the process of finding flights and then putting in all the information needed to fly these days. I forget if they wanted a copy of my 5th grade report card. We came to the end of the process and the airline website malfunctioned. We started allover and tried again with no success. Tried a different airline and the house Wi-Fi started slowing done. At this point, about 6pm his wife came from work. She is originally from a fishing village but works,as a purchasing agent for the city. She took over. The house Wi-Fi stopped working entirely. We walked to their apartment. For at least 2 hours she worked at the problem with great determination. One airline wouldn't accept my international credit card. She started allover with a different airline. After many problems she finally finished about 9pm. I wanted to bless them. They like pizza so I said I would buy it. There is no pizza places open in their neighborhood until Thursday and they don't have a car. So Thursday we'll have pizza. She ended up cooking a regional favorite after working all day, and all evening. Bless her abundantly, Lord.

Comunhão

True comunhão, or fellowship is one of the best blessings a,Christian receives on earth. With all the challenges of living in a different culture and struggling with a different language, fellowship with other believers is one of the things that makes it worthwhile. Recently had the opportunity to experience this with a young couple. I was served a light dinner, and then asked about my personal testimony. In the morning enjoyed breakfast and then was asked about a recent teaching I gave in a nearby city, and then any advice I might give regarding marriage. I mentioned Proverbs 20:5 which says "Wisdom in the heart of a man is deep waters; a man of wisdom will draw it out. When I reflect on this verse I think of the old wells with a wooden bucket attached to a rope which is lowered and raised by hand. This is,what they were doing in the Spirit. The generations have more relationship and interaction in Brazil than in the US. Each generation has something to offer to the others.

O Fim dos Tempos

In contrast to my blog posts in the years 2009 to 2016, I have tried to refrain from polemics and doctrinal disputes. While I have doctrinal convictions which I believe are founded in Scripture, I have learned the hard way that I am one of the least persuasive people of modern times no matter how many verses and passages that I can show. Typically there is no good fruit that comes from these interactions. In this post I am veering somewhat. In the last 5 years there has been a heightened interest in the end times, or fim dos tempos in Portuguese. I have heard much preaching on this subject and the perspective of a number of brethren. During my almost 54 years in the Lord, my entire adult life, I have heard many more perspectives. What stands out to me is how adamant the opinions have been although there is little consensus. Frankly I am weary of listening to it whether in preaching or personal conversation. I don't care. My purpose is to glorify God each and every day, and, if possible, encourage others to do the same. My trust is in God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit for however it works out and whatever the sequence of events is. The reader does not have to agree with my personal stance.

Retiro da Pascoa

The Passover retreat (Retiro da Páscoa) has been held in the city of Vitória for an association of churches for 40 years. Vinci, its leader, shepherds congregations from many parts of Brazil and other countries. Canada, Chile, and Scotland were represented. This gathering is for the pastors and other leaders of these churches. IT began Thursday and continues thru Sunday. About 450 people are participating. There is exuberant joy as brethren greet one another that they may not have seen for a whole year. There are times of worship, prayer is emphasized, announcements are given about upcoming gatherings like a youth retreat and an evangelistic outreach to a poor area of Brazil called Sertao. There is a lot of teaching, both to the whole group and also on Saturday several teachings for pastors, women, and other leaders separately. I see friends that God gave me from previous visits and receive invitations to visit. I attempt to follow the messages in Portuguese. I am offerred translators regularly but will never learn if I always receive translation.

Samir

Probably my best friend in Brazil is a brother named Samir. I first met him in 2012 at a retreat in New Hampshire. He lives in the south of Brazil, is married, has two daughters and has a serious love and commitment to the Lord. We have enjoyed true fellowship in this last week. He has learned decent English over our association so he speaks in English and I speak Portuguese so we can help each other. Two expressions I taught him were "rabbit food,"(salad) and "the best for last." He helped me immensely with several major problems, advocated for me to teach, and helped me have fellowship with one of the church leaders. Today he takes me to the airport as I begin a travel day to Vitória. May our Lord Jesus bless him as he has blessed me.

Rapazes

Had a wonderful 2 hour enconter with 4 young guys (rapazes) of 13 or 14 who are studying English. They had discovered that I am a history nut and wanted to ask me questions. They are homeschooling and it shows. Frankly they knew more about American history than most Americans. They asked me questions about the Kennedy assassination, the Civil War and who was my favorite President. (Calvin Coolidge) Each had a series of questions with some written down. They also asked about where I was born, where I lived now and about my salvation testimony. I explained about words like cover-up and fall guy. Their English was conversational and I think they understood most of what I said. I was very impressed. I encouraged them to memorize verses of the Bible and I would not be surprised to learn that they actually do it. Afterwards we had two kinds of chocolate cake and pão de queijo, a very popular small, round piece of bread based with cheese inside.

Três horas

I wonder how many American Christians would be willing to gather for three hours (três horas) on a Sunday morning with more fellowship afterwards? The community church in Porto Alegre just did. I am told the church has about 1,200 people. It is quite diverse in age, socio economic status and color. The gentleman on my right turns 89 later this month. On my left was a woman with a 3 year old. The service began with greeting and worship facilitated by a team of seven, with 3 guitars, a drummer, a keyboard player and 2 vocalists. Brazilians are very expressive in their worship. Then six people were baptized and prayed for with the worship team playing. Announcements came next, first about an upcoming all church retreat, and then about a youth retreat. We then observed the Lord's Supper with about a thousand people. They shares little pieces of the bread with one another and use real wine. Then one of the elders led us in prayer for members of the congregation who were sick or in the hospital. There are eight or nine elders who share duties jointly. There is no hierarchy. These are humble men Three couples who had labored for many years in youth ministry were released to pursue other ministry as they were shown appreciation and received prayer. Finally the preaching was ministered by a brother from the congregation who has been sent out to minister in other countries, principally in Europe. He taught on the three fold ministry of Jesus as prophet,priest and king,and how men specifically were to follow His example. At one point all the men stood up to pray for their family members and disciples. Perhaps the highlight was the pure joy expressed as people greeted one another. It was heart warming for me to observe.

Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre (roughly Happy Port) is the major city in the southernmost state in Brazil called Rio Grande do Sul, or great river of the south. This is my 4th or 5th visit overall. Greeted by my good friend Samir at rhe airport which like most of the city was inundated by major flooding last year. Am hosted by a couple, one a retired engineer, and his wife who has an art school on the premises. She specializes in mosaics. The property is like a museum with an overwhelming array of art works, antiques, artifacts and knickknacks. It really deserves a documentary. At night there has been a series of teachings by an Argentinian brother on the theme of the family. This church has about 1200 people. Seeing brethren from prior visits and speaking with new friends. One co.mon question that I receive is how have I learned Portuguese? I reply that I am still learning and not fluent. The actual answer is through various computer programs, periods of immersion and daily reading the Bible in Portuguese.

Grande Vitória

The churches in the greater Vitória metro area (Grande Vitória) purchased a number of acres in the country complete with a small pool for baptisms, kitchen, short term rentals, large meeting hall etc. This is called a sítio in Portuguese. I had the opportunity to visit there for the first time yesterday. The six churches involved have about one thousand people of which maybe half attended. There was a time of worship, visitors were welcomed, and a number of announcements were made about upcoming gatherings. Then a Brazilian missionary working in Indonesia was invited to speak. I was given the privilege of praying for him, in Portuguese, prior to his message. Brazilians are famed throughout the world for their prowess in soccer, and he has used this as a means to start a business as a soccer coach to support his evangelistic efforts. Saw a number of friends including Gilmar, Juninho, Pedro, Vinci, Samia, and others. It was a pleasant experience.

Itaguacu

Itaguacu is a small town in the interior of the state of Espírito Santo. (Holy Spirit). The name is indigenous and I have no idea what it signifies.I went by car with a couple Lauro and Gianni. He is one of the leaders of the church in Vitória and, like many Brazilian men, a jokester. The town is reached by an incredibly winding, sinuous road carved out of mountain sides. Not the most pleasant experience as I had thrown out my back that morning. This happens rarely and stems from a severe fall taken 34 years ago one New England winter. On the way we stopped at the town of Santa Theresa, so Lauro could visit someone in the hospital. Finally arrived about 6:15 and was greeted by Jeremias, the leader of the church there, whose daughter and son in law I know. There was a meeting of the leadership that evening. We were a dozen people. Lauro, a cancer survivor, spoke to them with power and anointing. I was asked to say a few words and showed examples of Peter and Paul's humility. Afterwards we had pizza and Jeremias tried mightily to have me drink coffee. His town is claimed to be in the center of the best coffee growing area in Brazil so I understand. On the way we passed many hillsides terraced with coffee plants, and most of the church works with coffee growing. Received prayer for my back which was experiencing significant pain. Returned at midnight concluding my adventure.

Cafe

Coffee (cafe) is extremely important in Brazilian culture. Indeed their first meal is called "Cafe da manha", or coffee of the morning. As I don't drink coffee I decided to explain this by saying that I was born on a different planet. The other day I mentioned how important I thought coffee was in Brazilian culture, and was directed to Luke 10:27 which refers to loving God with every part of us.(The Great Commandment) In the Portuguese version the four letters of the word "cafe" are replicated in the first letters of the 4 things that Luke mentions, as follows. C = coração, or heart in English A= alma, or soul F= força or strength E= entendimento or understanding Yesterday attended an initial meeting of a Bible study group. The leader, a young man, was both humble and well organized. I was impressed. Later, our host, labored for several hours making pizza from scratch which he cooked in his wood burning oven. Brazilian pizza features very thin crusts with tomato sauce, sprinkled cheese and various toppings. As usual everyone tries to feed me to within an inch of my life. Finally I had to say, "Eu não sou um Rei." (I am not a King.)

Desafios

Generally I like Brazil and enjoy Brazilians, especially the Christians, but there are some challenges.(desafios) One is the cultural imperative of almost constant eating. When Tolkien described Hobbits he said of them that they ate six times a day. Many Brazilians would make good hobbits. Normally I only eat breakfast and lunch.Try doing that in Brazil without offending or concerning your hosts. Another challenge is "troca" or change, which in eight visits I still haven't fogured out. In the US if I purchase something for $8 and give a,$20 I receive $12 in change with no problem.In Brazil except for larger grocery stores this is an issue. For some unknown reason the central bank, which issues the currency doesn't print very many smaller denomination bills so everyone wants exact change. A third is "barulho" or loud noise whether from people or dogs. Brazilian culture is very expressive, animated and loud. Because there is no concept of personal space the ideal is to gather as many people as possible into as small a space as possible which fosters their relationships. Sometimes this is too much for a cranky old gringo. Normally the blessings outweigh the challenges.

Jovens

Last night had a delightful evening with 4 young people in their 20's. I personally find that the generations have more interaction than in the US, but maybe that's just with me. Layanne, a young woman I had met in Brasilia, the capital, is now married to João (John) a very popular name in Brazil. She made a delicious meal. The 4 young people laughed and talked a mile a minute. Afterwards we played a game of Jenga with identical blocks in a tower. The idea is to remove the blocks one by one without the tower falling. Brazilians have a rush hour, and as in the US, it lasts many hours. Because words in Portuguese that begin with the letter "r" have an "h" sound, it's the hour of "hush."

Pregações

Preaching. Was invited to preach 3 times in 4 days, usually with little notice. Thank You, God for immersing me in your Word. The first was at a home group where I shared on the purpose of the trials that we face (James 1:2-4) of being conformed to the image of Christ. The 2nd was at a regular church in Vila Velha (old town). Here I spoke on dependence on God (John 15:5) using the mentions of Paul's companion in ministry Tychicus,to illustrate this. The 3rd was at another church in Guarapari, south of Vitória, in an idyllic setting next to a small lake. Here I shared on some of Paul's prayers for churches recorded in his epistles. How different the themes of his prayers are than what we typically pray for. In the home group there was no translator so I spoke in Portuguese. In both churches there was a translator, and as is almost always the case, it was their first time. I trust God is using their experience so that someone else can follow me. I am very thankful for the many brethren who have helped me in this way.

Observações #2

More observations. Blowing one's nose is considered impolite but snuffling is ok. After converting Brazilian money (reais) to dollars, and liters to gallo ns, the price of gasoline is about $4.50 per gallon. Count your blessings, Americans. There is almost no traffic enforcement in Brazil although the police so respond to accidents. In a country full of would be race car drivers, speed is controlled in two ways. Outside of a city there are very regular electronic speed monitors which give automatic tickets so a person going highway speeds has to slow to about 35 miles an hour. These can be every mile. In the city there are continual speed bumps. These can be every 50 yards.The slang name is quebrar molars, or break teeth. My theory that the generations had closer connections with one another was challenged by one of my translators, who said there was actually a lot of conflict.

Observações

Observations. This is my 700th post since beginning this blog in 2009. As Brazilians don't have a cultural sense of personal space, tailgating is epidemic. At the same time it eliminates road rage. There are a zillion little motos (small motor bikes) on the roads, often used to deliver things or with a passenger. They are economical,maneuverable in city traffic and dangerous. Yesterday picked a very small red fruit called acerola, which I have never seen in the US. They make a juice high in Vitamin C. Brazil has many indigenous fruits. Today went to a super Mercado like a Costco or Sam's, which seemed to have the same things as in the US. Yesterday went to the used car lot of a friend. This brought back memories of my many years repairing upholstery in similar places. Technology continues to provide trials. Prayer is appreciated.

Grupos caseiros

Have participated in two home group meetings in recent nights.Thr first was in an apartment building with about 15 attending, a mix of generations. Worship was prominent as the host and leader also leads the musical praise at the church. We also read through and discussed Ephesians 1, and,Ephesians 6:19-20. I mentioned regarding the latter passage that while Paul prays for the Ephesians 4 times in this letter, this is the only time that he asks for prayer. His request seems odd because he prays for boldness in preaching the gospel, and one thinks that this is a major strength of Paul's. Yet his request for even more boldness illustrates how important he thinks preaching the gospel is. The second home group was in a different setting outside a modest home in the stackable, white plastic chairs that one sees everywhere in Brazil. No one had an instrument so no musical praise. I was asked to share which I did without a translator, which is always challenging althougj the brethren are patient with my grammar and pronunciation. I spoke a little about trials from James 1:2-4 since I was experiencing a significant one. After I finished, encouraged the people to share which several did. It seems there is an immutable law that in any small group there is always at least one who has something to say about everything, and those who won't say anything.

Pedra Cebola

Just returned from walking in a beautiful park in the city called Pedra Cebola. This is onion stone which refers to a very large rock balanced on another which has the appearance of a semi peeled onion. It is perhaps 50 feet high. There are playgrounds for children anf the agua da coco (coconut water) stands found in parks and beaches. The owners have a small trailer which holds the coconuts. The owner punctures one end, drains the juice and it is ready to serve. Last night went to a gathering of the church. Saw some friends from previous visits. A brother from Ponte Nova (New bridge) from a neighboring state (Brazil has 26) preached a very serious message about righteousness and sin. To my surprise I saw a young woman that I had met in Brasilia, the capital, many years before. She lives in Vitória now with her husband. As always, appreciate the Brazilian worship style. Sang some new songs and some I know from previous visits. The other day went into a little bread store to buy a loaf for my host family. The young cashier asked if I was French. They know quickly that I am a foreigner. I am very pale and speak Portuguese with a strong accent. Her eyes widened in surprise when I said I was from the US.

Coisas várias #2

various things continued One of the more challenging things I face with Brazilian culture is summed up in the phrase "comi mais," or Eat more. Normally I eat breakfast and lunch and stop eating solid food by 2pm. Brazilians prefer to eat 5 or 6 times a day. Some are full meals,others snacks but it just keeps coming. As a guest I try to accommodate this by showing appreciation for the food and for those who prepared it. I am learning to eat very small portions. The other day I got a much needed haircut. An older gentleman cut my hair,thinned it, trimmed my sideburns,mustache and even my eyebrows for half what I would pay in the US.

Coisas várias

Or various things. Texting with my brother in Christ, Doug, in the Philippines. in a massive traffic jam this morning traveling less than one mile an hour.Apparently striking workers are allowed to block streets here. As Vitória (victory) is an island, there aren't many ways to get in and out. Much hotter here than in the mountains of Pedra Azul, and as my pale skin turns red like a tomato, I bought sunscreen today. My host Herculis is explaining things on Portuguese. He is a good teacher. Reread some of my early blog entries.I used to be more fervent. Maybe now I'm more humble.

Pedra Azul

Currently I am in a beautiful area near the city of Pedra Azul. In Portuguese the noun comes before the adjective. Literally blue stone. There are many trees, with little birds of bright yellow or orange color. The people grow many types of fruits and vegetables including olives, lemons and strawberries plus indigenous ones that don't grow in the US. I am awakened first by screeching monkeys and then by roosters. It has rained at least 10 different times today but only for 5 to 15 minutes at a time Trying to adjust again to "comi mais" or eat more. There's even a song about it. Their preference is six times a day. My host taught me a variety of dominoes, and several card games, one of which bears a resemblance to rummy. The extended family is on vacation and are super expressive, animated and joyful. Most of the time I really don't know what's going on except they are happy.

Churrasco

Churrasco is Brazilian BBQ. The secret is large coarse salt which the meat is dipped in before cooking over an open fire. This seals the meat juice. This is done with various kinds of meat. Those skilled in this art are greatly appreciated.

Traveling

The night before I left for Brazil still had to receive one more document to complete my taxes, supposedly arriving the next day. Was hosted by Bill and Vanessa that evening. Very gracious couple that lives in the country. Drove to my RV in the morning, and tested the slideout, which worked properly. Then to my bete noire, the annual pain and suffering trying to get every tax detail correct with the unforgiving algorithms of Turbo Tax. Almost succeeded, and then made a mistake which took 80 minutes of phone assistance to rectify. Bill took me to the airport. Very kind, as that isn't easy. Typical 90 minute delay.Air travel has become so dysfunctional. 10 hours later, crammed like a sardine, arrived in Brazil, my adopted homeland, my eighth visit since 2011. Immediately began to feel the difference. I am not fluent in Portuguese, but people tried to understand me. Going through customs was easy. Waited in the airport for many hours until my 2nd flight left for Vitória, on the coast, north of Rio de Janeiro. Had much more room in the puddle jumper than in the international flight. Spoke with my seatmate for an hour and a half. Brazilians are typically very animated, expressive and engaging. My adopted granddaughter, her husband and a friend picked me up at the airport for a 2 hour drive into the mountains on a very winding road. Great fellowship. João wanted to learn the names of the books of the NT in English, a useful precursor to reviewing memory verses. Arrived at Lara's parents home in the country. Herculis e Djilma. Of course,they wanted to feed us. Djilma made pão de queijo, cheese inside a small bread roll. Soon Daniel, his wife Gabriella and their 2 young children came over and the party began. The four men began fellowshipping about Christian topics. The two young guys tried speaking a bit in English and I translated for Herculis. Finally they let me go to bed as I hadn't slept on the plane the night before. They are preparing the big early afternoon meal called almoço now.

KMI

For the 3rd year I am participating in KMI, or Key Man Invitational, a discipleship Conference facilitated by the Navigators ministry near Wichita Falls, Texas. For more than 40 years God has used this opportunity to encourage men serious about their faith in Jesus to enhance their personal discipleship, and to help others do the same. This done by a series of small group times, workshops, plenary sessions, meal times and one on one encounters. The impact is significant. As I am a slow processor, and the conference isn't over, I anticipate a further blog entry on this subject.

The Mailman

As I prepare to depart to Brazil for my eighth visit, I find that a number of brethren have asked me to send updates. As in 2009 when I spent a year traveling around the country, it seems the best way to do that is to revive my blog InthefootstepsofTychicus@blogspot.com Why Tychicus? He was one of Paul's companions, mentioned five times in the New Testament, and quite favorably.He is given the considerable honor of carrying several of Paul's prison letters,inspired Scripture, from Rome to Asia Minor, now Turkey. Probably Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon. When I consider how arduous travel was in the first century, and how precious were the documents that Tychicus carried, I am humbled to follow in his footsteps.