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.