Well, I (as well as the rest of the team) have arrived home. I slept 12 hours last night, and took a three hour nap this afternoon. I think I'm rested up, and ready for church tomorrow. Other than having no ankle on my right leg (I guess from sleeping/not moving much on the flight?), things are back to normal. It was great to have a big, cold glass of milk at dinner tonight - my first in over 2 weeks! :)
Both San Jose The Point and Hutch First Church will be making presentation Sunday evening, July 8th. So some time before then I hope to have a video(s) posted of our trip to Nilopolis and surrounding areas. Keep visiting back to look for new information, post, videos, pics, etc. Or click here to subscribe to the feed, and it will tell you when something has changed.
Well, I'm going to watch a movie with my wife - my first TV in over two weeks as well! :) I'm actually surprised how little I missed TV...
God bless,
Mark
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Departure
Thursday's Pictures
Well, with tears in my eyes I say goodbye to Brazil. I will never be the same again. I have come here to help the Brazilian people in Nilopolis, but I’m not sure if that happened. What I do know is that they changed me. I have had experiences these past two weeks that I would have never imagined.
To all my new friends, Marcio, Jefferson, Vanessa, and more, I say, “Until next time…” I will be back! And the next time I will bring more people for you to change! To all the children that now call me "Pastorr Mak" (in an accent that you can't type), thanks for plaing with me, singing with me, and just making me feel loved! Don't grow up too fast!
Pastor Pedro Paulo, may God continue to bless you and your church! You are an incredible visionary. I hope to take a part of your vision home with me to my ministry in Hutchinson, Kansas. May God keep moving on your congregation and the people of Nilopolis! Your actions have been heard around the world!
Amy, I love you and miss you very much. Thanks for your support for coming on this trip! You never hesitated when we started discussing it. You are a blessing from God, and the best wife a man could ever have! Andrew, Adam and Emily, get ready to look at daddy’s 2,300 pictures and 3 hours of video! I can’t wait to see you!
To the children at First Church – get ready for the stories! I have lots of them! Stories that will make you laugh, think, and even cry. God is good, and we are blessed!
To everyone else who has been following this blog, I thank you for your time. I hope you have seen a glimpse of God’s work in another corner of the world. My wish is that God speaks to you as he has me!
Don’t stop visiting the blog quite yet – I still have more to add once I am back in the states. I plan on working on an entry on the 11 hours of flight that I will be enjoying shortly. I will also be posting video of the trip in the next few weeks (months?) showing a summary of our trip.
Well, its time to pack up the computer. I’m always last to get to the “gumby” because I’m always carrying something extra (computer, video camera, tripod, etc.).
See you soon!
Mark
PS – Pastor Kendall, I have the Japanese peanuts! And Brazilian Coca-Cola!
Well, with tears in my eyes I say goodbye to Brazil. I will never be the same again. I have come here to help the Brazilian people in Nilopolis, but I’m not sure if that happened. What I do know is that they changed me. I have had experiences these past two weeks that I would have never imagined.
To all my new friends, Marcio, Jefferson, Vanessa, and more, I say, “Until next time…” I will be back! And the next time I will bring more people for you to change! To all the children that now call me "Pastorr Mak" (in an accent that you can't type), thanks for plaing with me, singing with me, and just making me feel loved! Don't grow up too fast!
Pastor Pedro Paulo, may God continue to bless you and your church! You are an incredible visionary. I hope to take a part of your vision home with me to my ministry in Hutchinson, Kansas. May God keep moving on your congregation and the people of Nilopolis! Your actions have been heard around the world!
Amy, I love you and miss you very much. Thanks for your support for coming on this trip! You never hesitated when we started discussing it. You are a blessing from God, and the best wife a man could ever have! Andrew, Adam and Emily, get ready to look at daddy’s 2,300 pictures and 3 hours of video! I can’t wait to see you!
To the children at First Church – get ready for the stories! I have lots of them! Stories that will make you laugh, think, and even cry. God is good, and we are blessed!
To everyone else who has been following this blog, I thank you for your time. I hope you have seen a glimpse of God’s work in another corner of the world. My wish is that God speaks to you as he has me!
Don’t stop visiting the blog quite yet – I still have more to add once I am back in the states. I plan on working on an entry on the 11 hours of flight that I will be enjoying shortly. I will also be posting video of the trip in the next few weeks (months?) showing a summary of our trip.
Well, its time to pack up the computer. I’m always last to get to the “gumby” because I’m always carrying something extra (computer, video camera, tripod, etc.).
See you soon!
Mark
PS – Pastor Kendall, I have the Japanese peanuts! And Brazilian Coca-Cola!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Story
Wednesday's pictures
Everybody has a story. I have a story, you have story; everybody has a story. No matter how old, young, educated, ignorant, poor, rich: everybody has a story.
Some of you have had the (mis)fortune of hearing my story: born in Nashville, asked Christ into my heart while sitting on my mothers lap, moved to Florida, moved around a lot, went to high school, met Amy, went to Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU), flunked out of TNU, worked for AT&T, married Amy, retired from AT&T, moved to Nashville, graduated from TNU, moved to Hutchinson, KS, received ordination, stirred by God about my responsibility to the world, went to Brazil.
We all have a story.
As I returned to Esqueleto this morning, I was reminded again that everybody has a story. Every face that I saw walking down the litter-strewn (litter-made) road has a story. I know mine, what was theirs? Who has made an impact in their lives? What are their hobbies? What’s their favorite color? Do they like Coca-cola? Do they know who Christ is and what He can do for them? I know that there are answers to all of these questions, because we all have a story.
Last week when I was here for the first time, I heard just a few of these stories. As I went door to door with several other team members and members from the Nilopolis Nazarene Church, I had the privilege of hearing some of these stories.
The first lady that we visited had been run over by a truck nine years ago. The tire went across her entire abdomen, and doctors were concerned for her survival. Even if she survived, there would be no hope of children, or even walking ever again. Now she is the mother of two, and walking as well as you and me. And she gives God all the glory for the miracles in her life. Now the church is being built just outside her front door, and she is going to be one of its first members.
Another lady we met has had a tumor in her side for many years. It has been causing her pain, and she doesn’t know if or when she will be able to have a doctor take a look at it and help her.
Another mother was sad and depressed, talking very quietly and under her breath. Come to find out that she has not heard from her oldest son since December of 2006. He started dating a girl that was involved with the wrong crowd, and they went off in December. Now, nothing. Even her voice says she has very little hope – just sadness and depression. Another life living next door to a new church.
Another lady we met was there visiting her daughter. She was not just any grandma, but the grandmother of 60 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Her dream was to start a school in a clearing between houses. A school to educate the children of Esqueleto – a ticket out of there. What a dream! I looked at the place where she wants to start the school, and have only thoughts like, how can you have a school in the middle of a trash pile? But not her. When we left (which we did about three times), she gave me the biggest hug and spoke to me like I understood every word she was saying. I didn’t, but I know she has a story.
Some stories I didn’t find out about. Like the family living right across the side street from the church, with their modest one-room (maybe 75 square feet) house with a single bed as their only piece of furniture, husband, wife, two children, almost hesitant to invite us in to meet them. Or Gabrielle, who smiled a great big smile when I handed him a baggie of goodies, only to call me a liar when I spoke in English (“liar-liar- you don’t speak Portuguese! You’re a liar!). Or the lady that was smoking a joint while bleaching her (boy?)friend’s hair. But whether I know them or not, they all have a story.
Now our stories intersect. I will never be the same because of it. Hopefully the same thing will have the opportunity to happen to the people of Esqueleto. Our stories and lives join in together for a brief, but important moment. I have been a small part of the building of a church in their neighborhood. I’m not the only story to have helped (for there were many, and will still be many more), but one story, forever impacted by Esqueleto.
Today many of us worked on the Esqueleto Church of the Nazarene. A church whose foundations are literally built into a land fill. Into the garbage, the refuse of life. What’s ironic is that was Christ’s original plan for the church from the beginning. A place for us to meet God, find salvation, gain strength. A place built where dirty, trashed lives can be transformed into beautiful stories; testimonies of God’s love and grace.
Now, because of the willingness of many people to allow their story to be affected by Esqueleto, the people of Esqueleto will soon have the opportunity to hear another story. Not just any story, but the story of a creator who loves them. The story of a God who made them just who they are. And a story of a savior who wants to be a part of their lives, no matter where that story might begin or where it has taken them. It’s the most important story of all – the story of how God loves and has provided salvation for his creation. And now the stories of Esqueleto can be transformed just like mine was many years ago.
Everybody has a story.
Everybody has a story. I have a story, you have story; everybody has a story. No matter how old, young, educated, ignorant, poor, rich: everybody has a story.
Some of you have had the (mis)fortune of hearing my story: born in Nashville, asked Christ into my heart while sitting on my mothers lap, moved to Florida, moved around a lot, went to high school, met Amy, went to Trevecca Nazarene University (TNU), flunked out of TNU, worked for AT&T, married Amy, retired from AT&T, moved to Nashville, graduated from TNU, moved to Hutchinson, KS, received ordination, stirred by God about my responsibility to the world, went to Brazil.
We all have a story.
As I returned to Esqueleto this morning, I was reminded again that everybody has a story. Every face that I saw walking down the litter-strewn (litter-made) road has a story. I know mine, what was theirs? Who has made an impact in their lives? What are their hobbies? What’s their favorite color? Do they like Coca-cola? Do they know who Christ is and what He can do for them? I know that there are answers to all of these questions, because we all have a story.
Last week when I was here for the first time, I heard just a few of these stories. As I went door to door with several other team members and members from the Nilopolis Nazarene Church, I had the privilege of hearing some of these stories.
The first lady that we visited had been run over by a truck nine years ago. The tire went across her entire abdomen, and doctors were concerned for her survival. Even if she survived, there would be no hope of children, or even walking ever again. Now she is the mother of two, and walking as well as you and me. And she gives God all the glory for the miracles in her life. Now the church is being built just outside her front door, and she is going to be one of its first members.
Another lady we met has had a tumor in her side for many years. It has been causing her pain, and she doesn’t know if or when she will be able to have a doctor take a look at it and help her.
Another mother was sad and depressed, talking very quietly and under her breath. Come to find out that she has not heard from her oldest son since December of 2006. He started dating a girl that was involved with the wrong crowd, and they went off in December. Now, nothing. Even her voice says she has very little hope – just sadness and depression. Another life living next door to a new church.
Another lady we met was there visiting her daughter. She was not just any grandma, but the grandmother of 60 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Her dream was to start a school in a clearing between houses. A school to educate the children of Esqueleto – a ticket out of there. What a dream! I looked at the place where she wants to start the school, and have only thoughts like, how can you have a school in the middle of a trash pile? But not her. When we left (which we did about three times), she gave me the biggest hug and spoke to me like I understood every word she was saying. I didn’t, but I know she has a story.
Some stories I didn’t find out about. Like the family living right across the side street from the church, with their modest one-room (maybe 75 square feet) house with a single bed as their only piece of furniture, husband, wife, two children, almost hesitant to invite us in to meet them. Or Gabrielle, who smiled a great big smile when I handed him a baggie of goodies, only to call me a liar when I spoke in English (“liar-liar- you don’t speak Portuguese! You’re a liar!). Or the lady that was smoking a joint while bleaching her (boy?)friend’s hair. But whether I know them or not, they all have a story.
Now our stories intersect. I will never be the same because of it. Hopefully the same thing will have the opportunity to happen to the people of Esqueleto. Our stories and lives join in together for a brief, but important moment. I have been a small part of the building of a church in their neighborhood. I’m not the only story to have helped (for there were many, and will still be many more), but one story, forever impacted by Esqueleto.
Today many of us worked on the Esqueleto Church of the Nazarene. A church whose foundations are literally built into a land fill. Into the garbage, the refuse of life. What’s ironic is that was Christ’s original plan for the church from the beginning. A place for us to meet God, find salvation, gain strength. A place built where dirty, trashed lives can be transformed into beautiful stories; testimonies of God’s love and grace.
Now, because of the willingness of many people to allow their story to be affected by Esqueleto, the people of Esqueleto will soon have the opportunity to hear another story. Not just any story, but the story of a creator who loves them. The story of a God who made them just who they are. And a story of a savior who wants to be a part of their lives, no matter where that story might begin or where it has taken them. It’s the most important story of all – the story of how God loves and has provided salvation for his creation. And now the stories of Esqueleto can be transformed just like mine was many years ago.
Everybody has a story.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Beach?
Tuesday's Pictures
Where’s the beach? (kind of reminds me of the old 1980’s Wendy’s commercial…) Ken looked for it first heading east (or was it south? We can’t tell directions down here in the southern hemisphere) for a few blocks, only to discover that the body of water in that direction was a lake or lagoon or something not the beach. So after talking to the morning clerk at the pousada (using International Sign Language, of course), we headed out west (or north?) looking for a fabled championship beach where surfing competitions are held. We did find the beach, but it was not the pretty swimming beach we had all been dreaming about. This one was about 10 yards wide, had seaweed and boats just a few feet out, broken glass mixed in with the sand/rocks/pebbles/other material, and smelled like a tidal flat. Disappointed, we headed back to the posada for more information.
By then Pastor Pedro Paulo loaded up everyone into the van and took us to a real beach. Or at least a real beach if you’ve never lived in Florida. I still don’t believe that we found that championship surfing beach, but who knows. After some sand futbol (soccer), I remembered the reasons I have grown to dislike the beach – salt and sand. Oh well, too late now.
After plenty of time at the beach, we headed back to the Pousada for a quick shower and head into town to go shopping. I finally get each child in my kid’s church room a cute little… (oops – it’s a surprise – come back after Sunday and find out). After loading all our stuff back into the vans, we head out for a quick three hour drive back to Nilopolis. Of course we have stop at the same weigh-your-food-and-feel-really-bad-about-how-much-you-are-eating place (it’s even more this time!) for lunch. We arrived back at the Pastor’s parsonage about 5:30PM, with dinner waiting for us. Man, I’ve never eaten so much food! After dinner, a quick game of palma bird, and typing the blog, somehow its become 1:20AM, and I’m headed to bed!
Tomorrow is a big work day back in to Esqueleto to work on the new church.
Only two more days in Brazil (very mixed emotions on that one!).
Mark
Where’s the beach? (kind of reminds me of the old 1980’s Wendy’s commercial…) Ken looked for it first heading east (or was it south? We can’t tell directions down here in the southern hemisphere) for a few blocks, only to discover that the body of water in that direction was a lake or lagoon or something not the beach. So after talking to the morning clerk at the pousada (using International Sign Language, of course), we headed out west (or north?) looking for a fabled championship beach where surfing competitions are held. We did find the beach, but it was not the pretty swimming beach we had all been dreaming about. This one was about 10 yards wide, had seaweed and boats just a few feet out, broken glass mixed in with the sand/rocks/pebbles/other material, and smelled like a tidal flat. Disappointed, we headed back to the posada for more information.
By then Pastor Pedro Paulo loaded up everyone into the van and took us to a real beach. Or at least a real beach if you’ve never lived in Florida. I still don’t believe that we found that championship surfing beach, but who knows. After some sand futbol (soccer), I remembered the reasons I have grown to dislike the beach – salt and sand. Oh well, too late now.
After plenty of time at the beach, we headed back to the Pousada for a quick shower and head into town to go shopping. I finally get each child in my kid’s church room a cute little… (oops – it’s a surprise – come back after Sunday and find out). After loading all our stuff back into the vans, we head out for a quick three hour drive back to Nilopolis. Of course we have stop at the same weigh-your-food-and-feel-really-bad-about-how-much-you-are-eating place (it’s even more this time!) for lunch. We arrived back at the Pastor’s parsonage about 5:30PM, with dinner waiting for us. Man, I’ve never eaten so much food! After dinner, a quick game of palma bird, and typing the blog, somehow its become 1:20AM, and I’m headed to bed!
Tomorrow is a big work day back in to Esqueleto to work on the new church.
Only two more days in Brazil (very mixed emotions on that one!).
Mark
Monday, June 25, 2007
Buzios
Monday's Pictures
We left Nilopolis this morning at 6:00AM (6:30AM actual) – ugh. I don’t like getting up early! We loaded up on the van and set out for Buzios – our beach resort destination. On the way we stopped at a bus stop/gas station/oasis type place and had breakfast. Here I saw another Brazilian first: food by the kilo. Personally, I don’t like weighing the food I eat – its almost worse than adding up fat grams and calories. I’m not sure how much it weighed, but it cost R$10.75 – ouch, it wasn’t that good (or that much, I promise!). Oh well, it was a hot meal and felt good under the belt (wait – I’m not wearing a belt…).
Loading back into the van, we head to Arraial do Cabo – a beautiful costal area with a fantastic harbor. Once we arrive there, Pastor Pedro Paulo goes out on the dock and finds a boat and captain for us to take a tour with. After some famous Brazilian wheeling and dealing, we’re on the boat for a four-hour tour (a four hour tour… - sang to the tune of Gilligan’s Isle).
The tour was nothing less than spectacular. The wind was a bit high and the waves choppy, and everyone once in a while a huge swell made it into the protected cove-like area, but it was wonderful. The water was so clear that in many places you could see 10-15 (more?) feet into the water. WOW! In several places the captain backed into the beach and several jumped into the (not so) warm, winter waters of the Atlantic Ocean. After a while, my favorite part of the trip came, and we went sea fishing. None of us had rods, but we didn’t let that stop us. Nope, let’s grab a water bottle, tie some line, weights and hooks to it, and drop it over the side. We had everything we needed but one: fish. Yep – they kind of forgot to show up. Save one 2 oz pan fish that Don managed to snag. Alas, Don was feeling merciful, and let the pitiful thing go. So we had no proof of our trip to take home and feast on. Oh well, we had fun!
We then headed into town for “launches,” or snacks, and found a food stand that sold meat in fried dough pockets (mostly air, but some meat…). Marvin and I took a nap while they cooked our food, and everybody got a cheap chuckle. I’d been up since 5:30AM – what was I supposed to do? :)
We then went by Pastor Jim and Betty’s apartment that they have invested in in Arraial do Cabo. What a beautiful place! It’s just a block away from the beach, and full of vacation comforts. Betty walked around with a “perma-grin,” seeing the apartment completed and decorated for the first time. After a quick testing of both bathrooms by just about the entire team (they worked well, by the way), we headed out to our pousada (hotel-type place), Sable d’or. On the way we stopped by anther pizzeria – at least that’s what the sign said. I did my best to get excited about eating pizza after just eating 306 pieces the day before, but to my pleasant surprise, there was no pizza to be found. Just another all-you-can-eat-pay-by-the-kilo eatery. And it was really good (just like most of the food here in Brazil. So much for going home a few pounds lighter!).
After dinner we headed to our pousada, and discovered it was a gorgeous place. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I remember talking to the guys, listening to the weather report in Portuguese calling for rain tomorrow (at least that’s what the picture showed – I’m not real sure what he actually said…), and trying to fluff out a very small, flat pillow. The next thing I remember is roosters crowing, and a faint glow above my head from the rising sun shining through our (screenless) window. It’s 6:00AM – where did those last 7 hours go?
Chow,
Mark
We left Nilopolis this morning at 6:00AM (6:30AM actual) – ugh. I don’t like getting up early! We loaded up on the van and set out for Buzios – our beach resort destination. On the way we stopped at a bus stop/gas station/oasis type place and had breakfast. Here I saw another Brazilian first: food by the kilo. Personally, I don’t like weighing the food I eat – its almost worse than adding up fat grams and calories. I’m not sure how much it weighed, but it cost R$10.75 – ouch, it wasn’t that good (or that much, I promise!). Oh well, it was a hot meal and felt good under the belt (wait – I’m not wearing a belt…).
Loading back into the van, we head to Arraial do Cabo – a beautiful costal area with a fantastic harbor. Once we arrive there, Pastor Pedro Paulo goes out on the dock and finds a boat and captain for us to take a tour with. After some famous Brazilian wheeling and dealing, we’re on the boat for a four-hour tour (a four hour tour… - sang to the tune of Gilligan’s Isle).
The tour was nothing less than spectacular. The wind was a bit high and the waves choppy, and everyone once in a while a huge swell made it into the protected cove-like area, but it was wonderful. The water was so clear that in many places you could see 10-15 (more?) feet into the water. WOW! In several places the captain backed into the beach and several jumped into the (not so) warm, winter waters of the Atlantic Ocean. After a while, my favorite part of the trip came, and we went sea fishing. None of us had rods, but we didn’t let that stop us. Nope, let’s grab a water bottle, tie some line, weights and hooks to it, and drop it over the side. We had everything we needed but one: fish. Yep – they kind of forgot to show up. Save one 2 oz pan fish that Don managed to snag. Alas, Don was feeling merciful, and let the pitiful thing go. So we had no proof of our trip to take home and feast on. Oh well, we had fun!
We then headed into town for “launches,” or snacks, and found a food stand that sold meat in fried dough pockets (mostly air, but some meat…). Marvin and I took a nap while they cooked our food, and everybody got a cheap chuckle. I’d been up since 5:30AM – what was I supposed to do? :)
We then went by Pastor Jim and Betty’s apartment that they have invested in in Arraial do Cabo. What a beautiful place! It’s just a block away from the beach, and full of vacation comforts. Betty walked around with a “perma-grin,” seeing the apartment completed and decorated for the first time. After a quick testing of both bathrooms by just about the entire team (they worked well, by the way), we headed out to our pousada (hotel-type place), Sable d’or. On the way we stopped by anther pizzeria – at least that’s what the sign said. I did my best to get excited about eating pizza after just eating 306 pieces the day before, but to my pleasant surprise, there was no pizza to be found. Just another all-you-can-eat-pay-by-the-kilo eatery. And it was really good (just like most of the food here in Brazil. So much for going home a few pounds lighter!).
After dinner we headed to our pousada, and discovered it was a gorgeous place. I went to my room and laid down on my bed. I remember talking to the guys, listening to the weather report in Portuguese calling for rain tomorrow (at least that’s what the picture showed – I’m not real sure what he actually said…), and trying to fluff out a very small, flat pillow. The next thing I remember is roosters crowing, and a faint glow above my head from the rising sun shining through our (screenless) window. It’s 6:00AM – where did those last 7 hours go?
Chow,
Mark
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Contrast
Sunday's Pictures
Today is Sunday, which means for us a day off from work – Sabbath. And since Nilopolis’ main service is in the evening, we headed into Rio for some tourist action. What a contrast to yesterday’s trip. First up: Christ the Redeemer.
The weather was much better than last week, though it was still very smoggy. We loaded up into the cog train, and headed up the mountain. Mary had the opportunity (and used it) to wow us with her Samba skills. Her heart (and feet) must have been born in Rio!
Once on top, we were able to view the statue and surrounding countryside. What a view! Even with the smog, we could see mountain ranges far off in the distance. After about 30 minutes and 300 pictures later, it was time to head to lunch.
Marcio and Jefferson, our translators had arranged an all-you-can-eat pizzeria for us for lunch. WOW! Brazilian pizza is different, but great! Last night’s pizza had personal care on its side, but today’s pizza had variety! This pizzeria had over 40 kinds of pizza! I never imagined such variety! There was cheese, provolone, onion an cheese, hotdog, chicken and cheese, pepperoni, sausage, shrimp, beef stroganoff, and more. And that’s just the salty pizzas – the sweet ones were still to come. Those included pineapple and ham, banana, chocolate brownie, chocolate, pineapple, strawberry and chocolate, strawberry and white chocolate, and the finale: M&M’s pizza! After eating about 20 pieces of chicken, it was time to go to Sugarloaf Mountain.
Sugarloaf Mountain was also beautiful! By the time we got there, the smog had cleared a lot. We went to the top of Sugarloaf and took another 100 pictures. It wasn’t hard. Some of them are on the web – I did you the favor of not posting the majority of the 400+ that I took total.
Upon arriving back at Pastor Pedro Paulo’s house, we get ready and headed out for church. Tonight I went upstairs with the children, and had a blast worshipping with great Brazilian children. THEY CAN SING! I tried teaching them some old American songs, but they already knew it. So I thought them the motions instead. We also enjoyed a beautiful interpretive dance by four young ladies. Finally, I got up and did a Q&A session with the kids, which ended with me speaking to them about some of the things I had observed the past few days.
One thing that I emphasize with the kids back in Hutchinson is that we are blessed, and have way more than we know. I try to instill this in the kids over and over. And when I see places like Esqueleto, it’s emphasized even more. What blew me away was when the kids leader in Nilopolis told the kids the same exact thing: “You are blessed with much.” I told the children briefly about what I had seen the day before in Esqueleto, and how much their teacher was right. We are blessed. I don’t understand why, but we are. I asked the kids if we could become prayer partners and pray for each other – them in Brazil, and us in the States. They said yes, and we have new friends for life!
Tonight everyone is packing and getting ready to head for the beach for two days of R&R. I do not believe that I will have Internet connectivity where we are headed at 6AM in the morning, so I will post as soon as we get back on Tuesday evening.
God bless (I know he has me!),
Mark
Today is Sunday, which means for us a day off from work – Sabbath. And since Nilopolis’ main service is in the evening, we headed into Rio for some tourist action. What a contrast to yesterday’s trip. First up: Christ the Redeemer.
The weather was much better than last week, though it was still very smoggy. We loaded up into the cog train, and headed up the mountain. Mary had the opportunity (and used it) to wow us with her Samba skills. Her heart (and feet) must have been born in Rio!
Once on top, we were able to view the statue and surrounding countryside. What a view! Even with the smog, we could see mountain ranges far off in the distance. After about 30 minutes and 300 pictures later, it was time to head to lunch.
Marcio and Jefferson, our translators had arranged an all-you-can-eat pizzeria for us for lunch. WOW! Brazilian pizza is different, but great! Last night’s pizza had personal care on its side, but today’s pizza had variety! This pizzeria had over 40 kinds of pizza! I never imagined such variety! There was cheese, provolone, onion an cheese, hotdog, chicken and cheese, pepperoni, sausage, shrimp, beef stroganoff, and more. And that’s just the salty pizzas – the sweet ones were still to come. Those included pineapple and ham, banana, chocolate brownie, chocolate, pineapple, strawberry and chocolate, strawberry and white chocolate, and the finale: M&M’s pizza! After eating about 20 pieces of chicken, it was time to go to Sugarloaf Mountain.
Sugarloaf Mountain was also beautiful! By the time we got there, the smog had cleared a lot. We went to the top of Sugarloaf and took another 100 pictures. It wasn’t hard. Some of them are on the web – I did you the favor of not posting the majority of the 400+ that I took total.
Upon arriving back at Pastor Pedro Paulo’s house, we get ready and headed out for church. Tonight I went upstairs with the children, and had a blast worshipping with great Brazilian children. THEY CAN SING! I tried teaching them some old American songs, but they already knew it. So I thought them the motions instead. We also enjoyed a beautiful interpretive dance by four young ladies. Finally, I got up and did a Q&A session with the kids, which ended with me speaking to them about some of the things I had observed the past few days.
One thing that I emphasize with the kids back in Hutchinson is that we are blessed, and have way more than we know. I try to instill this in the kids over and over. And when I see places like Esqueleto, it’s emphasized even more. What blew me away was when the kids leader in Nilopolis told the kids the same exact thing: “You are blessed with much.” I told the children briefly about what I had seen the day before in Esqueleto, and how much their teacher was right. We are blessed. I don’t understand why, but we are. I asked the kids if we could become prayer partners and pray for each other – them in Brazil, and us in the States. They said yes, and we have new friends for life!
Tonight everyone is packing and getting ready to head for the beach for two days of R&R. I do not believe that I will have Internet connectivity where we are headed at 6AM in the morning, so I will post as soon as we get back on Tuesday evening.
God bless (I know he has me!),
Mark
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Skeleton
Saturday's Pictures
Today words fail me. I have been back at where we are staying for over ten hours, and words still fail me. Today God took my world, shook it up, paused, and shook one more time. I’m not sure if there are words for today’s experience. What I do know is that there is action that God desires and demands. I’m just not sure how long it might take me to figure it out.
The morning began with a crew traveling to a the school to see the finished gym floor that was finished last night after six cement trucks finally made it to the site. They also went by a street market and visited a Christian bookstore. They then proceeded to a huge Sams/Cosco-like store to buy supplies for basic-care baskets that we were going to deliver to Esqueleto. Esqueleto is another favela (slum) that literally translates “skeleton.” It is named such because the people actually live on top of Rio’s landfill. The people make their living by sorting the garbage and selling the sorted goods to recycling companies.
When the crew returned from the store, we began sorting and making the care baskets, adding beans, sugar, salt, rice, macaroni noodles, corn meal, oil, and more. It took us less than ten minutes to make up fifty bags to take with us to Esqueleto. We then loaded up the vans and started the one hour drive. Half way there we stopped at another churrascaria, but this one was different from last week. This was like an all-you-can-eat buffet, with ribs, filet, steak and more on the bar. It was very good food! As usual, I tried the food with my new favorite Brazilian drink, Coca-cola. Man, I love Brazil!
We then loaded up and drove to the outskirts of town and into smaller and smaller roads. Suddenly the pavement ended (but the sidewalk didn’t), and then there was trash everywhere. We were at Esqueleto.
What happened for the new few hours is difficult to explain. I’m still processing and trying to figure out words for what I saw. We discretely took pictures, but they fail to show the entire picture of what was going on. Here’s what was easy to see (but not to explain). The church is in Esqueleto. So far, there is nothing but a slab and four walls (with the makings of what look like restrooms as well), but it’s the church. I asked how the church managed to secure property here in Esqueleto, and I was told, “Nilopolis Nazarene.” Why does that not surprise me any more?!?!
Here’s what else is plain: God is calling all of us to action. What that action is, I’m still working on for me. But I know today we were God’s hand and feet as we went into homes, laid hands on the sick, prayed for many needs, and left food, care kits (tooth brushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.) and kits for the children (candy, pencils, crayons, and toys – mostly Wendy’s toys – Thanks, Norma!!!). This is one of those few times in my life that I am speechless. As I work through what happened, I will try to post more later.
When we returned, some cleaned up and went to the first ever English speaking service at Nilopolis Nazarene. Reports were that they had a great time, and that our Brazilian friends did a great job. This ministry will be effective in attracting those in Rio that want to improve their English language – a potentially large number of people.
After the service and a debriefing meeting (11:15PM), about ten of us headed out to a bakery near the church. Betty was right – it was closed. So we stopped at the local pizzeria just down the street on the corner where Pastor Pedro Paulo lives. We dined on some great pizza – even if there was no marinara sauce anywhere to be found. Amy, you would love Brazilian pizza! They also served us complementary soup that was delicious as well. That is until Ken thought he kept finding pig snot in his soup. I’m glad I finished my soup before he made that comment! I thought it all tasted excellent! Oh well…
It’s now 2:15AM (and I’m still full), and the music is still blaring a few houses down. Fireworks are still going off (every night’s New Year’s Eve in Rio!), and a huge bottle rocket just went off about 6 feet over my head. Considering we don’t even have screens on the windows (and they are all open, as they are 24 hours a day), I’m sure that just woke up half the people in the house!
Tomorrow is sight seeing and church.
Pray for your team!
Mark
Today words fail me. I have been back at where we are staying for over ten hours, and words still fail me. Today God took my world, shook it up, paused, and shook one more time. I’m not sure if there are words for today’s experience. What I do know is that there is action that God desires and demands. I’m just not sure how long it might take me to figure it out.
The morning began with a crew traveling to a the school to see the finished gym floor that was finished last night after six cement trucks finally made it to the site. They also went by a street market and visited a Christian bookstore. They then proceeded to a huge Sams/Cosco-like store to buy supplies for basic-care baskets that we were going to deliver to Esqueleto. Esqueleto is another favela (slum) that literally translates “skeleton.” It is named such because the people actually live on top of Rio’s landfill. The people make their living by sorting the garbage and selling the sorted goods to recycling companies.
When the crew returned from the store, we began sorting and making the care baskets, adding beans, sugar, salt, rice, macaroni noodles, corn meal, oil, and more. It took us less than ten minutes to make up fifty bags to take with us to Esqueleto. We then loaded up the vans and started the one hour drive. Half way there we stopped at another churrascaria, but this one was different from last week. This was like an all-you-can-eat buffet, with ribs, filet, steak and more on the bar. It was very good food! As usual, I tried the food with my new favorite Brazilian drink, Coca-cola. Man, I love Brazil!
We then loaded up and drove to the outskirts of town and into smaller and smaller roads. Suddenly the pavement ended (but the sidewalk didn’t), and then there was trash everywhere. We were at Esqueleto.
What happened for the new few hours is difficult to explain. I’m still processing and trying to figure out words for what I saw. We discretely took pictures, but they fail to show the entire picture of what was going on. Here’s what was easy to see (but not to explain). The church is in Esqueleto. So far, there is nothing but a slab and four walls (with the makings of what look like restrooms as well), but it’s the church. I asked how the church managed to secure property here in Esqueleto, and I was told, “Nilopolis Nazarene.” Why does that not surprise me any more?!?!
Here’s what else is plain: God is calling all of us to action. What that action is, I’m still working on for me. But I know today we were God’s hand and feet as we went into homes, laid hands on the sick, prayed for many needs, and left food, care kits (tooth brushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.) and kits for the children (candy, pencils, crayons, and toys – mostly Wendy’s toys – Thanks, Norma!!!). This is one of those few times in my life that I am speechless. As I work through what happened, I will try to post more later.
When we returned, some cleaned up and went to the first ever English speaking service at Nilopolis Nazarene. Reports were that they had a great time, and that our Brazilian friends did a great job. This ministry will be effective in attracting those in Rio that want to improve their English language – a potentially large number of people.
After the service and a debriefing meeting (11:15PM), about ten of us headed out to a bakery near the church. Betty was right – it was closed. So we stopped at the local pizzeria just down the street on the corner where Pastor Pedro Paulo lives. We dined on some great pizza – even if there was no marinara sauce anywhere to be found. Amy, you would love Brazilian pizza! They also served us complementary soup that was delicious as well. That is until Ken thought he kept finding pig snot in his soup. I’m glad I finished my soup before he made that comment! I thought it all tasted excellent! Oh well…
It’s now 2:15AM (and I’m still full), and the music is still blaring a few houses down. Fireworks are still going off (every night’s New Year’s Eve in Rio!), and a huge bottle rocket just went off about 6 feet over my head. Considering we don’t even have screens on the windows (and they are all open, as they are 24 hours a day), I’m sure that just woke up half the people in the house!
Tomorrow is sight seeing and church.
Pray for your team!
Mark
Friday, June 22, 2007
Q&A
Several of you have left comments or sent emails with questions. I'll answer them here, and keep this entry updated. If you have a question, send it to mhall-at-hutchfirstnaz.org or leave a comment and I will add it to the list!
Q. Has Suzanne eaten black beans yet?
A. I'm not sure - I will ask. But they do serve black beans and rice at every meal here! (6-24)
Q. Is the coke formula different in Brazil?
A. Most of us say no. In the past, it has been reported that the Coca-Cola drink had cinnamon in it. But coming from a connoisseur of Coca-Cola, I think it taste just like the kind in the States. (6-24)
Q. Is there anything to drink that does not have caffeine?
A. Yes! Other choices frequently consumed by our group are orange juice, bottled water, and something called "guarana" (pronounced, "guadana"). Its a soda drink that taste like, um, well, there's really nothing that it taste like in my regular diet. Some has said its made from passion fruit flavoring. I don't like passion fruit, but I do like guadana. (6-24)
Q. How much does a Coca-Cola cost?
A. Just as in the States, it depends on where you are. They cost R$2 for a 1/2 liter bottle in the airport, R$3 for a 12 oz can at tourist attractions, R$1.75 for a can at the church, and R$4 at the churrascaria. I want to say they were about R$3 for 2.75 liter bottles at the grocery store (I will check the next time I go). The bottom line is, it can't cost too much to get a little comfort from home like Coca-Cola! (6-22)
Q. What currency do you use?
A. The currency is based on the Real (pronounced "Heyall", "Heyice" for plural) with an exchange rate of 1.8-1.9 Real to the Dollar. (6-22)
Q. Are there any musical instruments used in the worship services?
A. Yes! The Sunday evening's service had a full band - lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, auxiliary, and saxophone. (6-22)
Q. Who empties the trash can in the bathroom?
A. They do. I'm not too sure who "they" is, but I owe them a great big hug by now. I imagine it is someone from the pastor's family who has been helping with our care while we are here. (6-22)
Q. Are there Llamas in Brazil?
A. Yes - but I haven't seen any, and have no clue where. (6-22)
Q. Can I bring one home to Hannah?
A. Sorry, it won't fit in my cary-on bag. (6-22)
Q. Do you sleep?
A. Yes - while tying rebar. (6-22)
Q. Is it dangerous in Rio?
A. I don't feel any more at risk for myself here than I have while visiting any other major city (i.e., New York, San Franscisco, etc.). There are obvious things you do to reduce the risk, and then you don't worry about it after that. I also trust Pastor Pedro Paulo and Pastor Jim completely! (6-22)
Q. What is the food like?
A. WONDERFUL! I thought I might lose a few pounds while down here working. But I think the opposite has happened. There has not been a single meal where I have looked at the food and not found a meal's worth of food that was not delicious. And my entire bottle of Malox and package of Ammonium AD is still untouched! The street food is also wonderful! And if that wasn't enough, there's always McDonalds! (6-22)
Q. Has Suzanne eaten black beans yet?
A. I'm not sure - I will ask. But they do serve black beans and rice at every meal here! (6-24)
Q. Is the coke formula different in Brazil?
A. Most of us say no. In the past, it has been reported that the Coca-Cola drink had cinnamon in it. But coming from a connoisseur of Coca-Cola, I think it taste just like the kind in the States. (6-24)
Q. Is there anything to drink that does not have caffeine?
A. Yes! Other choices frequently consumed by our group are orange juice, bottled water, and something called "guarana" (pronounced, "guadana"). Its a soda drink that taste like, um, well, there's really nothing that it taste like in my regular diet. Some has said its made from passion fruit flavoring. I don't like passion fruit, but I do like guadana. (6-24)
Q. How much does a Coca-Cola cost?
A. Just as in the States, it depends on where you are. They cost R$2 for a 1/2 liter bottle in the airport, R$3 for a 12 oz can at tourist attractions, R$1.75 for a can at the church, and R$4 at the churrascaria. I want to say they were about R$3 for 2.75 liter bottles at the grocery store (I will check the next time I go). The bottom line is, it can't cost too much to get a little comfort from home like Coca-Cola! (6-22)
Q. What currency do you use?
A. The currency is based on the Real (pronounced "Heyall", "Heyice" for plural) with an exchange rate of 1.8-1.9 Real to the Dollar. (6-22)
Q. Are there any musical instruments used in the worship services?
A. Yes! The Sunday evening's service had a full band - lead guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, drums, auxiliary, and saxophone. (6-22)
Q. Who empties the trash can in the bathroom?
A. They do. I'm not too sure who "they" is, but I owe them a great big hug by now. I imagine it is someone from the pastor's family who has been helping with our care while we are here. (6-22)
Q. Are there Llamas in Brazil?
A. Yes - but I haven't seen any, and have no clue where. (6-22)
Q. Can I bring one home to Hannah?
A. Sorry, it won't fit in my cary-on bag. (6-22)
Q. Do you sleep?
A. Yes - while tying rebar. (6-22)
Q. Is it dangerous in Rio?
A. I don't feel any more at risk for myself here than I have while visiting any other major city (i.e., New York, San Franscisco, etc.). There are obvious things you do to reduce the risk, and then you don't worry about it after that. I also trust Pastor Pedro Paulo and Pastor Jim completely! (6-22)
Q. What is the food like?
A. WONDERFUL! I thought I might lose a few pounds while down here working. But I think the opposite has happened. There has not been a single meal where I have looked at the food and not found a meal's worth of food that was not delicious. And my entire bottle of Malox and package of Ammonium AD is still untouched! The street food is also wonderful! And if that wasn't enough, there's always McDonalds! (6-22)
Rocks
Friday's Pictures
Today we left early for the work site to help with the pouring of the concrete. We arrived about 7:30AM and looked for the concrete trucks. They were supposed to be there at 7:30AM (Brazilian time. That’s not a time zone, that’s a lifestyle and philosophy). While we waited for 7:30AM Brazilian time, we started attaching the rebar intersections that were skipped last night. BTW, I still hate rebar! I helped Marvin and Clayton move about 6,000 8’ tree trunk supports from one place to another. OK – maybe 150 of them. Sometimes things seem bigger down here than they really are. Finally at 9:45AM (just slightly late by Brazilian time), the concrete truck showed up and started pumping. Mike, AJ and Pastor Jim got into the fore with rebar hooks, lifting the rebar grid up into the concrete mix. What a back-breaking job. Others helped the construction company lift more concrete ceiling forms (another back-breaking job!). And then to add to the back-breaking jobs, I ended my morning at the work site with JT laying black grout into white tile. There’s another job that I’ve never done, but enjoyed working on anyway! I hope the kids that use that classroom don’t look at the floor too closely! The best thing about this morning’s work on the site was that it was lighter than the previous four days. And I think everybody needed and appreciated it.
After lunch, we had a small break (read nap for me!) and loaded up and headed into Rio to go to the rock shop. It was about a 45 minute trip, taking us again through many different areas of Rio. Ken and I discussed how beautiful the city was, and yet, at the same time, full of contrast. At one point were driving through very low-income sections of town, then fifteen minutes later it looked like we had pulled onto Rock Road in Wichita. Outback Steak House, American banks, Exxon, car dealerships, McDonalds (with playground!), Blockbuster, Dominoes Pizza, and even the Statue of Liberty to top it off.
We then pulled up to this strip mall, and walked pass an armed guard to enter the rock store. I have never seen so many rocks for sale in my life. And not just any rocks, but seven foot tall geodes as well! And they weren’t cheap. Some of the rocks were thousands of American dollars. When you figure how low the pay in Brazil is, it makes it even more costly. Then Pastor Jim told us that even though this was a lot of beautiful rocks, it wasn’t where they usually picked out their rocks, and that there was more upstairs. WOW! There were twice as many rocks upstairs as there were on the first floor! We spent over an hour picking out souvenir rocks to take home to our families. Andrew and Adam, I have your geodes!
We left the rock store and went to another large mall. We had about an hour to shop before we needed to head back home for dinner. AJ, Don and I walked around looking in sports stores for shoes (Don knows his shoes!) and soccer balls. Most shoes that would cost $100 in the states cost about R$400 here (over $200 dollars!). The cheapest full size soccer ball we found was R$59 ($25), but we didn’t buy. When then found a food court, and I tried another Brazilian delicacy – McDonalds! I was very proud of myself. Without any translator, I successfully ordered myself a large fry (batata grande) and a large Coca-cola (Coca grande) for R$7.65 (exchange is about 1.9 Reals to 1 Dollar – you do the math :) ).
I then found a book store where I bought Emily (my 14 month-old) a board book in Portuguese (maybe I’ll learn some Portuguese now!). I think she will enjoy that more than a geode! I was feeling good about myself, with now having two transactions under my belt with no translator. As we were leaving, we stopped at the “California Coffee” stand – what seemed to be a direct copy of Starbucks (Craig, you might want to notify headquarters). After unsuccessfully trying to order a “moka grande,” a lady in line translated for me and helped me get my coffee. People here are so nice!
The trip home was an adventure in itself (as are most trips in a vehicle in Rio). Riding in the comby, (or “Gumby” as Pastor Kendall calls it – a VW bus), we saw many interesting driving habits. In Rio, if you hesitate, you die. It’s as simple as that. The amazing thing is that we have not seen a lot of accidents – many fewer than the equivalent metro driving in the states. So people are fast and barely follow street signs/lights/lines/suggestions, but they must be good drivers as well.
After dinner, about ten of us sat around the dinner table with Pastor Pedro Paulo and discussed how the church operates here in Brazil. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again (and again), Pastor Pedro Paulo is a fascinating man, pastor, and leader. I truly believe that how he is doing church here in Nilopolis is how church should be (and probably will be soon) doing church. He has such a great balance of community ministry with personal development topped off with huge (and I mean huge) amounts of prayer (like three prayer meetings a day, most days of the week). It was fascinating to sit and listen to him talk how he has taken a church of 88, who felt like they could do nothing, and changed them into a church of 2000+, who are planting churches all over Brazil, supporting (themselves!) over 60 different community programs, building a school, and building a new sanctuary that will seat over 3,000. And this is not in an affluent section of a US city, this is Nilopolis, Brazil! WOW! I think there is a lesson to be learned here in Brazil!
Well, it’s 1AM, and the city is starting to get quieter (except for the alarm that goes of for 2 seconds every night at 12:55AM and 1:00AM – what is that alarm???). I am finally caught back up on the blog, so mom, you can quit worrying about me! :)
Keep praying us!
Mark
PS - Keep those comments coming - its so encouraging to here from you! They are being shared with the entire team regularly (both San Jose and Kansas!)
Today we left early for the work site to help with the pouring of the concrete. We arrived about 7:30AM and looked for the concrete trucks. They were supposed to be there at 7:30AM (Brazilian time. That’s not a time zone, that’s a lifestyle and philosophy). While we waited for 7:30AM Brazilian time, we started attaching the rebar intersections that were skipped last night. BTW, I still hate rebar! I helped Marvin and Clayton move about 6,000 8’ tree trunk supports from one place to another. OK – maybe 150 of them. Sometimes things seem bigger down here than they really are. Finally at 9:45AM (just slightly late by Brazilian time), the concrete truck showed up and started pumping. Mike, AJ and Pastor Jim got into the fore with rebar hooks, lifting the rebar grid up into the concrete mix. What a back-breaking job. Others helped the construction company lift more concrete ceiling forms (another back-breaking job!). And then to add to the back-breaking jobs, I ended my morning at the work site with JT laying black grout into white tile. There’s another job that I’ve never done, but enjoyed working on anyway! I hope the kids that use that classroom don’t look at the floor too closely! The best thing about this morning’s work on the site was that it was lighter than the previous four days. And I think everybody needed and appreciated it.
After lunch, we had a small break (read nap for me!) and loaded up and headed into Rio to go to the rock shop. It was about a 45 minute trip, taking us again through many different areas of Rio. Ken and I discussed how beautiful the city was, and yet, at the same time, full of contrast. At one point were driving through very low-income sections of town, then fifteen minutes later it looked like we had pulled onto Rock Road in Wichita. Outback Steak House, American banks, Exxon, car dealerships, McDonalds (with playground!), Blockbuster, Dominoes Pizza, and even the Statue of Liberty to top it off.
We then pulled up to this strip mall, and walked pass an armed guard to enter the rock store. I have never seen so many rocks for sale in my life. And not just any rocks, but seven foot tall geodes as well! And they weren’t cheap. Some of the rocks were thousands of American dollars. When you figure how low the pay in Brazil is, it makes it even more costly. Then Pastor Jim told us that even though this was a lot of beautiful rocks, it wasn’t where they usually picked out their rocks, and that there was more upstairs. WOW! There were twice as many rocks upstairs as there were on the first floor! We spent over an hour picking out souvenir rocks to take home to our families. Andrew and Adam, I have your geodes!
We left the rock store and went to another large mall. We had about an hour to shop before we needed to head back home for dinner. AJ, Don and I walked around looking in sports stores for shoes (Don knows his shoes!) and soccer balls. Most shoes that would cost $100 in the states cost about R$400 here (over $200 dollars!). The cheapest full size soccer ball we found was R$59 ($25), but we didn’t buy. When then found a food court, and I tried another Brazilian delicacy – McDonalds! I was very proud of myself. Without any translator, I successfully ordered myself a large fry (batata grande) and a large Coca-cola (Coca grande) for R$7.65 (exchange is about 1.9 Reals to 1 Dollar – you do the math :) ).
I then found a book store where I bought Emily (my 14 month-old) a board book in Portuguese (maybe I’ll learn some Portuguese now!). I think she will enjoy that more than a geode! I was feeling good about myself, with now having two transactions under my belt with no translator. As we were leaving, we stopped at the “California Coffee” stand – what seemed to be a direct copy of Starbucks (Craig, you might want to notify headquarters). After unsuccessfully trying to order a “moka grande,” a lady in line translated for me and helped me get my coffee. People here are so nice!
The trip home was an adventure in itself (as are most trips in a vehicle in Rio). Riding in the comby, (or “Gumby” as Pastor Kendall calls it – a VW bus), we saw many interesting driving habits. In Rio, if you hesitate, you die. It’s as simple as that. The amazing thing is that we have not seen a lot of accidents – many fewer than the equivalent metro driving in the states. So people are fast and barely follow street signs/lights/lines/suggestions, but they must be good drivers as well.
After dinner, about ten of us sat around the dinner table with Pastor Pedro Paulo and discussed how the church operates here in Brazil. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again (and again), Pastor Pedro Paulo is a fascinating man, pastor, and leader. I truly believe that how he is doing church here in Nilopolis is how church should be (and probably will be soon) doing church. He has such a great balance of community ministry with personal development topped off with huge (and I mean huge) amounts of prayer (like three prayer meetings a day, most days of the week). It was fascinating to sit and listen to him talk how he has taken a church of 88, who felt like they could do nothing, and changed them into a church of 2000+, who are planting churches all over Brazil, supporting (themselves!) over 60 different community programs, building a school, and building a new sanctuary that will seat over 3,000. And this is not in an affluent section of a US city, this is Nilopolis, Brazil! WOW! I think there is a lesson to be learned here in Brazil!
Well, it’s 1AM, and the city is starting to get quieter (except for the alarm that goes of for 2 seconds every night at 12:55AM and 1:00AM – what is that alarm???). I am finally caught back up on the blog, so mom, you can quit worrying about me! :)
Keep praying us!
Mark
PS - Keep those comments coming - its so encouraging to here from you! They are being shared with the entire team regularly (both San Jose and Kansas!)
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Rebar
Thursday's Pictures
I hate rebar. Well, maybe hate is a strong word (I don’t let my boys use that word lightly…). Nope, after reconsidering, I hate rebar. This morning at the new school worksite, we continued laying out #1 rebar in a grid 15x15 centimeters (6”x6”) square. I roughly counted the play area court, and found it to be 95 rebar wide by 180 rebar long. That’s over 17,000 intersections of rebar. Our job was to lay out all the rebar into the grid, then connect every other intersection with a 1.25mm thick piece of wire. Thankfully, Pastor Jim had brought a tool with him that takes the ends of the wires and spins them around each other. One of the Brazilians on the job site saw the tool, and after some explaining from Pastor Jim, promptly made about five or six of the tools out of rebar (the only thing about rebar that I liked). This tool, when used properly (which was about 22% of the time for me) made twisting the wires together much easier than using pliers. And when you have 3.4 million intersections to wire together, you need all the help you can get! OK – maybe the actual number was closer to 8,500, but it seemed like 3.4 million. Spending an entire day bent over working at ground level can make things seem a bit out of perspective.
After noon, we realized that we only had about 1/3 of the court done, and less than 2/3 of our day left. For some reason, laying the rebar down and wiring it at every other intersection with about 20 people simultaneously was not as easy as it sounds. The rebar was not straight, 15 centimeters could be 10 or 12 or 16 or 20 centimeters, sometimes there was too much rebar, not enough rebar, and, oh – we didn’t speak the same language as the guy spinning wire next to us. So, I’m not sure why we had such a hard time! So the decision was then made to start attaching every third intersection. But even then, if you didn’t keep track of what was wrapped every third row above you for two rows, you could easily miss where to start, and then vertical rows could be unattached for many, many rows. If this doesn’t make sense, don’t worry about it. I was there and it still didn’t make sense.
I did see something for the first time today – a blueprint! It was very unusual to see someone actually referring to one. I thought they must have had it completely memorized or something! :)
Other projects still happened as well as rebar – painting, pulling nails, moving roof support forms, making 3.4 million wire forms for the wire-attaching crew to wire the rebar together with, etc.
As quitting time started getting closer, more and more people were pulled of what jobs they were working on and started wiring rebar. The order came down to now wire every 5 intersections. Concrete had been ordered, and will arrive tomorrow at 7:30AM. The rebar must be completely wired before the concrete arrives! Finally quitting time with dusk came around 5:00PM, and I saw something else for the first time – light bulbs on the work site. Before we knew it, the lights were on and illuminating the would-be gym floor, and we continued to wire rebar. And continued, and continued… I kept waiting on someone to say that we only needed to wire every 18th intersection! But, alas, it never came. Finally, around 7:30PM, we were done (not the rebar, but us. The rebar was close). After a late dinner (not uncommon around here), some of the guys headed to a soccer field to play “futbol” (soccer), and others (like me!) decided that they didn’t have enough energy to run around a field chasing a ball.
I hate rebar!
Mark
I hate rebar. Well, maybe hate is a strong word (I don’t let my boys use that word lightly…). Nope, after reconsidering, I hate rebar. This morning at the new school worksite, we continued laying out #1 rebar in a grid 15x15 centimeters (6”x6”) square. I roughly counted the play area court, and found it to be 95 rebar wide by 180 rebar long. That’s over 17,000 intersections of rebar. Our job was to lay out all the rebar into the grid, then connect every other intersection with a 1.25mm thick piece of wire. Thankfully, Pastor Jim had brought a tool with him that takes the ends of the wires and spins them around each other. One of the Brazilians on the job site saw the tool, and after some explaining from Pastor Jim, promptly made about five or six of the tools out of rebar (the only thing about rebar that I liked). This tool, when used properly (which was about 22% of the time for me) made twisting the wires together much easier than using pliers. And when you have 3.4 million intersections to wire together, you need all the help you can get! OK – maybe the actual number was closer to 8,500, but it seemed like 3.4 million. Spending an entire day bent over working at ground level can make things seem a bit out of perspective.
After noon, we realized that we only had about 1/3 of the court done, and less than 2/3 of our day left. For some reason, laying the rebar down and wiring it at every other intersection with about 20 people simultaneously was not as easy as it sounds. The rebar was not straight, 15 centimeters could be 10 or 12 or 16 or 20 centimeters, sometimes there was too much rebar, not enough rebar, and, oh – we didn’t speak the same language as the guy spinning wire next to us. So, I’m not sure why we had such a hard time! So the decision was then made to start attaching every third intersection. But even then, if you didn’t keep track of what was wrapped every third row above you for two rows, you could easily miss where to start, and then vertical rows could be unattached for many, many rows. If this doesn’t make sense, don’t worry about it. I was there and it still didn’t make sense.
I did see something for the first time today – a blueprint! It was very unusual to see someone actually referring to one. I thought they must have had it completely memorized or something! :)
Other projects still happened as well as rebar – painting, pulling nails, moving roof support forms, making 3.4 million wire forms for the wire-attaching crew to wire the rebar together with, etc.
As quitting time started getting closer, more and more people were pulled of what jobs they were working on and started wiring rebar. The order came down to now wire every 5 intersections. Concrete had been ordered, and will arrive tomorrow at 7:30AM. The rebar must be completely wired before the concrete arrives! Finally quitting time with dusk came around 5:00PM, and I saw something else for the first time – light bulbs on the work site. Before we knew it, the lights were on and illuminating the would-be gym floor, and we continued to wire rebar. And continued, and continued… I kept waiting on someone to say that we only needed to wire every 18th intersection! But, alas, it never came. Finally, around 7:30PM, we were done (not the rebar, but us. The rebar was close). After a late dinner (not uncommon around here), some of the guys headed to a soccer field to play “futbol” (soccer), and others (like me!) decided that they didn’t have enough energy to run around a field chasing a ball.
I hate rebar!
Mark
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Teach!
This morning started off different for me (again) than the rest of the team. While the others headed out to the new school site, Pastor Jim took me to the old (current) school site. Yesterday, one the school’s teachers suggested that I go with the English teacher today while he made his rounds. After some asking around, we finally found the English teacher – Marcio! If you don’t know Marcio, he speaks great English. In fact, there are not many people in Brazil (that I know, which means about 15!) that speak better English than Marcio. And he can sing! I do not think there is an American song that he does not know by heart. I love to hear his Brazilian accent disappear while he sings songs in English!
Well if there was one person who would not need help in teaching/speaking English, it’s Marcio. But he was gracious and allowed me to tag along with him anyway. I’m glad he did. I met some of the nicest kids that morning! We went to about five different classes, ranging in age from 5-12. I learned a lot from the kids while they were learning how to pronounce “red” from me. I learned that in Brazil, it’s not always required to stay in your seat (kind of like driving and staying in your lane!). I learned that the children here are excited to be at the Nazarene school. I learned that for some people, 63 degrees is cool enough to wear a sweater or jacket. I learned that children, even in other countries, want attention. And I learned NOT to show the OK sign (index finger on thumb to make a circle) to the third grade class that you are a guest to (it’s the same as giving someone the finger in the States – OOPS!). Marcio, thanks for letting me go with you to your classes! I had a blast!!
Back at the work site, I couldn’t believe (again) at how much work the team and Brazilian team had done. The supports for the ceiling/next story floor had arrived (these cement things that were about 9” across by many feet long, made of steel rebar and concrete – weighing several hundred pounds each) and most of the afternoon was spent unloading hundreds of these off a truck. While that was being unloaded several of us were pulling double duty on the wheel barrow (taking loads both ways, with no break with an empty wheel barrow). I though I was going to die after doing this for about 90 minutes. But I kept passing the truck were the cement supports were being unloaded and thought how lucky I was! Dr. Fredrick, you will be proud of me! :)
After Don and AJ spent many hours putting up new reboco (plaster) on the wall, another crew had been painting the front of the back building of the school adobe brown/orange. Towards the end of the day, plastic was put down over the entire play area, and we started laying # 1 rebar. Cool – I’ve never worked with rebar before. I enjoyed it at first!
We then went back to the house (almost all the wood put out front is now gone – still great recycling!) and celebrated both Clayton’s and Lee’s birthdays (84 and 32 respectively). The birthday cake was delicious! It had strawberries, pineapple, and another fruit I can’t remember in it, on a moist cake (combo between pound and angel cake) covered with a crème cheese icing. WOW!
As if that wasn’t enough, we then headed out to go bowling. Yep, you heard right – bowling. Chileno was our driver. If you haven’t met Chileno, then you haven’t been to Brazil. Chileno is proof that you don’t need to speak different languages in order to understand each other. He plays the most interesting game of International Charades that I have ever seen. Using a good number of English that he knows (way more than the 3 Portuguese words I know!) and signs, actions, and just good humor, you just know what he is talking about! Not only is he good at entertainment, he’s also quite the driver. And he knows all the shortcuts in Brazil (I’ve never passed the same horse twice in the middle of a city on the same short cut before…). Before we knew it (approx. 44 different smells, 55 speed bumps, 66 roads, 77 prayers and 88 grey hairs later), we were at the mall and bowling alley.
Bowling in Brazil (well, maybe I should say at this one alley, since that’s all I’ve ever done), is a bit different than in the States. I had already slipped my shoe off because I knew under the tongue there was a sticker sewn in that would tell me the measurements of my shoe in EN units (44), and I wanted to sound impressive. But to no avail, since you bowl in your street shoes. Why?? Because the lanes are laminate wood, that sort of look like counter tops – all the way down the lanes. The next small difference was that you did not bowl per game but per hour (R$36/ hour or about $18/hr for 6 adults). So wile we waited for our turn (there were only 12 lanes), we were given a card to keep our tab on. We were told to NOT lose the card, because everyone needed one to get out. And if you lose your card, you would have to pay R$200 to get out (about $100)! Don went ahead and tested the system and ordered a Red Bull (pronounced “hedgged buhl”) for what was a mere $5 in American cost! I hope it tasted real good!
Finally it was our turn to bowl, and we moved to our lanes. When it was my turn, I grabbed a 14 lb. ball, and gave it a good spin down the lane. That was when I noticed the next difference in bowling alleys here in Rio, Brazil. Not only are the lanes not wood, they are also not oiled/waxed. My ball went about half way down the alley; the spin caught the floor, and promptly entered the gutter on the left side about 20 feet in front of the lead pin! This was going to take some getting used to (or not!). The next thing that I noticed was even when I would get a good hit on the lead pin, they would just not move around as much as I was used to. I soon discovered that this was due to the fact that there were strings attached to the top of every pin! When a curtain would come down to block the lane/view, the strings would pull up the knocked over pins and raise them out of the way. After the second frame, all ten pins were set up again using the strings. Interesting! After scoring a 106, we left and went into the mall right next door to the bowling alley.
To my surprise, the mall looked like I was back in Wichita. Even the murmuring sounds of the mall sounded like I was back in the states. I asked Chileno to help me get a Caffè Mocha (or the closest thing to it, since there are no Starbucks). I like Brazilian coffee – it’s good and strong, and this cup did not disappoint me either. After my coffee, we stopped by a McDonald ice cream stand and got chocolate ice cream cones. This is true missionary work! :) Our night ended with the trip home, including stops at the gas station (interesting – they argue over how much gas you should get), and Chileno got stuck between a bus and a trash truck. Other than that, it was business as usual!
Mark
Well if there was one person who would not need help in teaching/speaking English, it’s Marcio. But he was gracious and allowed me to tag along with him anyway. I’m glad he did. I met some of the nicest kids that morning! We went to about five different classes, ranging in age from 5-12. I learned a lot from the kids while they were learning how to pronounce “red” from me. I learned that in Brazil, it’s not always required to stay in your seat (kind of like driving and staying in your lane!). I learned that the children here are excited to be at the Nazarene school. I learned that for some people, 63 degrees is cool enough to wear a sweater or jacket. I learned that children, even in other countries, want attention. And I learned NOT to show the OK sign (index finger on thumb to make a circle) to the third grade class that you are a guest to (it’s the same as giving someone the finger in the States – OOPS!). Marcio, thanks for letting me go with you to your classes! I had a blast!!
Back at the work site, I couldn’t believe (again) at how much work the team and Brazilian team had done. The supports for the ceiling/next story floor had arrived (these cement things that were about 9” across by many feet long, made of steel rebar and concrete – weighing several hundred pounds each) and most of the afternoon was spent unloading hundreds of these off a truck. While that was being unloaded several of us were pulling double duty on the wheel barrow (taking loads both ways, with no break with an empty wheel barrow). I though I was going to die after doing this for about 90 minutes. But I kept passing the truck were the cement supports were being unloaded and thought how lucky I was! Dr. Fredrick, you will be proud of me! :)
After Don and AJ spent many hours putting up new reboco (plaster) on the wall, another crew had been painting the front of the back building of the school adobe brown/orange. Towards the end of the day, plastic was put down over the entire play area, and we started laying # 1 rebar. Cool – I’ve never worked with rebar before. I enjoyed it at first!
We then went back to the house (almost all the wood put out front is now gone – still great recycling!) and celebrated both Clayton’s and Lee’s birthdays (84 and 32 respectively). The birthday cake was delicious! It had strawberries, pineapple, and another fruit I can’t remember in it, on a moist cake (combo between pound and angel cake) covered with a crème cheese icing. WOW!
As if that wasn’t enough, we then headed out to go bowling. Yep, you heard right – bowling. Chileno was our driver. If you haven’t met Chileno, then you haven’t been to Brazil. Chileno is proof that you don’t need to speak different languages in order to understand each other. He plays the most interesting game of International Charades that I have ever seen. Using a good number of English that he knows (way more than the 3 Portuguese words I know!) and signs, actions, and just good humor, you just know what he is talking about! Not only is he good at entertainment, he’s also quite the driver. And he knows all the shortcuts in Brazil (I’ve never passed the same horse twice in the middle of a city on the same short cut before…). Before we knew it (approx. 44 different smells, 55 speed bumps, 66 roads, 77 prayers and 88 grey hairs later), we were at the mall and bowling alley.
Bowling in Brazil (well, maybe I should say at this one alley, since that’s all I’ve ever done), is a bit different than in the States. I had already slipped my shoe off because I knew under the tongue there was a sticker sewn in that would tell me the measurements of my shoe in EN units (44), and I wanted to sound impressive. But to no avail, since you bowl in your street shoes. Why?? Because the lanes are laminate wood, that sort of look like counter tops – all the way down the lanes. The next small difference was that you did not bowl per game but per hour (R$36/ hour or about $18/hr for 6 adults). So wile we waited for our turn (there were only 12 lanes), we were given a card to keep our tab on. We were told to NOT lose the card, because everyone needed one to get out. And if you lose your card, you would have to pay R$200 to get out (about $100)! Don went ahead and tested the system and ordered a Red Bull (pronounced “hedgged buhl”) for what was a mere $5 in American cost! I hope it tasted real good!
Finally it was our turn to bowl, and we moved to our lanes. When it was my turn, I grabbed a 14 lb. ball, and gave it a good spin down the lane. That was when I noticed the next difference in bowling alleys here in Rio, Brazil. Not only are the lanes not wood, they are also not oiled/waxed. My ball went about half way down the alley; the spin caught the floor, and promptly entered the gutter on the left side about 20 feet in front of the lead pin! This was going to take some getting used to (or not!). The next thing that I noticed was even when I would get a good hit on the lead pin, they would just not move around as much as I was used to. I soon discovered that this was due to the fact that there were strings attached to the top of every pin! When a curtain would come down to block the lane/view, the strings would pull up the knocked over pins and raise them out of the way. After the second frame, all ten pins were set up again using the strings. Interesting! After scoring a 106, we left and went into the mall right next door to the bowling alley.
To my surprise, the mall looked like I was back in Wichita. Even the murmuring sounds of the mall sounded like I was back in the states. I asked Chileno to help me get a Caffè Mocha (or the closest thing to it, since there are no Starbucks). I like Brazilian coffee – it’s good and strong, and this cup did not disappoint me either. After my coffee, we stopped by a McDonald ice cream stand and got chocolate ice cream cones. This is true missionary work! :) Our night ended with the trip home, including stops at the gas station (interesting – they argue over how much gas you should get), and Chileno got stuck between a bus and a trash truck. Other than that, it was business as usual!
Mark
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Preach!
Tuesday's Pictures
Ever start your day off by going to prayer meeting? I did! Ever start your day off by being the speaker at prayer meeting? I did! :) What a privilege – to come all the way to Brazil and be asked to speak in Pastor Pedro Paulo’s pulpit at Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene. I wasn’t really nervous, just slightly apprehensive (is there a difference?). What do you say as an American, who has grown up in a protective environment all of your life, to Brazilian saints who would be disciplined enough to start their day at church? And why be nervous – I mean, how many people can you have at an 8:00AM prayer meeting? 35? 45? Maybe 50 on a good morning? When I walked in the sanctuary, it was full. Not packed (like Sunday night was), but 300-350 people. OK – now I’m a notch above apprehensive (but still slightly below nervous!). I can’t remember ever preaching to a group of adults that large before in my life.
But I chose to share with the people what God has been speaking to me about for the past few weeks: Prayer – it’s a necessary activity to participate in if you want to have a real relationship with your Creator. It’s a message that goes beyond language differences (even if my illustrations don’t!). After singing several beautiful songs, some of which I recognized (“Great is thy Faithfulness”), and many I didn’t, I got up to speak.
I introduced myself, and let them know that I was an American programmer who God called to preach. I told them that they would make me very comfortable as a children’s pastor if they would just talk right out in the middle of the sermon, and if half of them needed to get up and go to the restroom in the middle of the sermon that was alright. Oh, and feel free to fight with your neighbor. Then on a serious note, I said that I had already learned so much from them the past five days, and I wasn’t sure if there was anything that I could teach them. The congregation was a warm, forgiving one, encouraging me with their eyes and nods, even though they couldn’t understand what I was saying directly.
If you have never spoken to a group through a translator, it’s very interesting! There’s nothing quite like telling a joke, getting to the punch line, laughing (all by yourself, since you’re just about the only one who understood what you just said), waiting for the translator, then hoping they laugh with you. Maybe next time I’ll hold off on my laughter until I see if they laugh! :) If you ever need a Portuguese translator, Alessandra is the lady you need. She was awesome. Hopefully, later this week in my blog I will share her and her husband’s story. The MOST interesting work and witness story I have ever heard – full of love, romance, repeated proposals, and – oops, I said later.
After the service, I went out to the court yard and started greeting, playing and interacting with the children from the school. They are so incredible! If any of them knew any English (and most did!), they shared it with me, trying their best to get my attention. They did! My favorite was, “I love rez.” After finally getting the original translation from Portuguese, we realize that she was saying that she loved “red.” :)
Pastor Jim, Betty and others then arrived from the work site with bags of balloons in hand, and we proceeded to make balloon animals/swords/flowers/hats/unknown items for the kids. It was then that everyone discovered that Pastor Mark was the only children’s pastor alive that had never made any balloon animals in his life. He was quickly given a pump and told to start filling. It was then that it was discovered that not only could Pastor Mark not make balloon animals, he couldn’t even tie the silly things. Oh well…
By the way, never attempt to play a Brazilian child in soccer. Not only will you lose, but you will walk away feeling really bad about your athletic skill set.
Pastor Pedro Paulo then took us on a tour of the Nilopolis Nazarene community clinic. Next door to the church, the clinic is full of medical tools, supplies and medicine that is used and dispensed regularly by two volunteer doctors that come to the clinic to give of their time. The clinic even has EKG equipment! When the hospital’s EKG machine was broken recently, they sent their patients down to the church to get it done there! The clinic is ran by a retiring state employee who is paid by the state to work in the clinic for two days a week. But she loves the people so much that she runs is five days a week – volunteering her time and talents to the community. Oh – and she also manages the snack shop in the court yard area.
Back at the work site, two more trucks of clay had arrived, as well as crushed rock. By the time I got there, the team had removed a huge pile of wood to outside the walls. People were then asking for the wood, and hauling it off by the truck-load (OK – more like horse-load). By the end of the day, about 1/3 of the floor to the play area was ready for rebar and then concrete. It’s coming!
Back at the house, several of the team members stayed and made up hundreds of care packages for us to give out next week. They also did wash for the entire team! That’s servanthood! For the last 13 years only one person has seen all my wash, and Amy (my wife) is still back in the states! When we arrived home, we found all of our clothes hung around the entire outside area (they have no clothes dryer), and discovered that our jeans and pants had taken over 4 hours to wash in the washing machine! (The water runs really slow in Brazil! The water pressure is very slow, so each house has a large tank on top of the structure to store water in. Then it drains out of the water into your house quicker than if you were waiting for it to flow from the street.) But I still think 4+ hours on a load of wash might have more than water pressure to blame. That did not stop our team, though. They washed all of our clothes by hand! THANKS!
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, and sharing our impressions of Brazil and its people with each other in a group meeting. It reminded me of a campfire get-together, just without the campfire. It was very neat to hear how God has been working in other team members lives as we serve Him here in Brazil. Pastor Jim was not able to make our campfire meeting, because Pastor Pedro Paulo wanted him to attend the Nazarene seminary with him that evening. When Pastor Jim returned, we asked him how it went. He let us know that he ended up speaking at a chapel service at the seminary. At least I had an entire night to prepare!
Mark
Ever start your day off by going to prayer meeting? I did! Ever start your day off by being the speaker at prayer meeting? I did! :) What a privilege – to come all the way to Brazil and be asked to speak in Pastor Pedro Paulo’s pulpit at Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene. I wasn’t really nervous, just slightly apprehensive (is there a difference?). What do you say as an American, who has grown up in a protective environment all of your life, to Brazilian saints who would be disciplined enough to start their day at church? And why be nervous – I mean, how many people can you have at an 8:00AM prayer meeting? 35? 45? Maybe 50 on a good morning? When I walked in the sanctuary, it was full. Not packed (like Sunday night was), but 300-350 people. OK – now I’m a notch above apprehensive (but still slightly below nervous!). I can’t remember ever preaching to a group of adults that large before in my life.
But I chose to share with the people what God has been speaking to me about for the past few weeks: Prayer – it’s a necessary activity to participate in if you want to have a real relationship with your Creator. It’s a message that goes beyond language differences (even if my illustrations don’t!). After singing several beautiful songs, some of which I recognized (“Great is thy Faithfulness”), and many I didn’t, I got up to speak.
I introduced myself, and let them know that I was an American programmer who God called to preach. I told them that they would make me very comfortable as a children’s pastor if they would just talk right out in the middle of the sermon, and if half of them needed to get up and go to the restroom in the middle of the sermon that was alright. Oh, and feel free to fight with your neighbor. Then on a serious note, I said that I had already learned so much from them the past five days, and I wasn’t sure if there was anything that I could teach them. The congregation was a warm, forgiving one, encouraging me with their eyes and nods, even though they couldn’t understand what I was saying directly.
If you have never spoken to a group through a translator, it’s very interesting! There’s nothing quite like telling a joke, getting to the punch line, laughing (all by yourself, since you’re just about the only one who understood what you just said), waiting for the translator, then hoping they laugh with you. Maybe next time I’ll hold off on my laughter until I see if they laugh! :) If you ever need a Portuguese translator, Alessandra is the lady you need. She was awesome. Hopefully, later this week in my blog I will share her and her husband’s story. The MOST interesting work and witness story I have ever heard – full of love, romance, repeated proposals, and – oops, I said later.
After the service, I went out to the court yard and started greeting, playing and interacting with the children from the school. They are so incredible! If any of them knew any English (and most did!), they shared it with me, trying their best to get my attention. They did! My favorite was, “I love rez.” After finally getting the original translation from Portuguese, we realize that she was saying that she loved “red.” :)
Pastor Jim, Betty and others then arrived from the work site with bags of balloons in hand, and we proceeded to make balloon animals/swords/flowers/hats/unknown items for the kids. It was then that everyone discovered that Pastor Mark was the only children’s pastor alive that had never made any balloon animals in his life. He was quickly given a pump and told to start filling. It was then that it was discovered that not only could Pastor Mark not make balloon animals, he couldn’t even tie the silly things. Oh well…
By the way, never attempt to play a Brazilian child in soccer. Not only will you lose, but you will walk away feeling really bad about your athletic skill set.
Pastor Pedro Paulo then took us on a tour of the Nilopolis Nazarene community clinic. Next door to the church, the clinic is full of medical tools, supplies and medicine that is used and dispensed regularly by two volunteer doctors that come to the clinic to give of their time. The clinic even has EKG equipment! When the hospital’s EKG machine was broken recently, they sent their patients down to the church to get it done there! The clinic is ran by a retiring state employee who is paid by the state to work in the clinic for two days a week. But she loves the people so much that she runs is five days a week – volunteering her time and talents to the community. Oh – and she also manages the snack shop in the court yard area.
Back at the work site, two more trucks of clay had arrived, as well as crushed rock. By the time I got there, the team had removed a huge pile of wood to outside the walls. People were then asking for the wood, and hauling it off by the truck-load (OK – more like horse-load). By the end of the day, about 1/3 of the floor to the play area was ready for rebar and then concrete. It’s coming!
Back at the house, several of the team members stayed and made up hundreds of care packages for us to give out next week. They also did wash for the entire team! That’s servanthood! For the last 13 years only one person has seen all my wash, and Amy (my wife) is still back in the states! When we arrived home, we found all of our clothes hung around the entire outside area (they have no clothes dryer), and discovered that our jeans and pants had taken over 4 hours to wash in the washing machine! (The water runs really slow in Brazil! The water pressure is very slow, so each house has a large tank on top of the structure to store water in. Then it drains out of the water into your house quicker than if you were waiting for it to flow from the street.) But I still think 4+ hours on a load of wash might have more than water pressure to blame. That did not stop our team, though. They washed all of our clothes by hand! THANKS!
The rest of the evening was spent relaxing, and sharing our impressions of Brazil and its people with each other in a group meeting. It reminded me of a campfire get-together, just without the campfire. It was very neat to hear how God has been working in other team members lives as we serve Him here in Brazil. Pastor Jim was not able to make our campfire meeting, because Pastor Pedro Paulo wanted him to attend the Nazarene seminary with him that evening. When Pastor Jim returned, we asked him how it went. He let us know that he ended up speaking at a chapel service at the seminary. At least I had an entire night to prepare!
Mark
Monday, June 18, 2007
Work!
Monday's Pictures
Work has started! And though it might seem like bragging, you put together a team of hard-working people from California and a team of hard-working people from Kansas, and a lot of dirt’s gonna move places! :)
Our major project to work on while here is a new school. Currently the school is located at the church, but both the school and the church has outgrown that facility. So they are relocating the school to another location a few blocks away.
We were supposed to be laying tijolos (Brazilian bricks) for the walls of the new school, but the building is about two weeks behind schedule. Because of that, the walls are not ready for tijolos, and won’t be until after we leave to go home. But no worries – there is still plenty of projects to do. The largest of the projects will be to prepare the new play area for cement.
Yesterday started with breakfast and devotions from AJ, then arriving at the site of the new school just before 8AM. Task # 1: knock a pile of cement down to below pouring level. I grabbed a sledge hammer, and started swinging. Rookie here! After about 10 minutes, I was already covered in sweat and dirt, and hurting like I’ve been beat up. Maybe I shouldn’t have started with the sledge hammer!
The process for preparing the site is to remove all materials (dirt, clay, rubbish, etc.) down to a certain level, then add clay (and pack), then fine crushed rock. Finally you wet the rock and then pack it down. It creates a very firm surface for the concrete to be poured onto. Later in the week we will start putting down the rebar to support the cement in the floor.
Other projects included preparing another smaller area for cement, pulling nails out of wood, removing dirt to level the ground between buildings, refinishing walls with reboco (plaster), and more. Also back at the parsonage there are care packages to put together as well as well as doing wash (by hand – yuck!).
When quitting time comes, your body knows it has done something! I am so sore!
After dinner Monday night, we went back to the church where they were about to serve soup to the community. The Nilopolis Church has been service soup five days a week for 18 years! When we got there, the line was already forming. Everyone in the church brings their two-liter bottles to the church, where they wash them and cut them in half. They then use them for bowls at the soup line. What an incredible ministry – meeting the people’s needs right where the people are!
Pastor Jim then took a group of us on around the neighborhood, through a street market that was just closing. We decided to sample some of the local foods. I had ice cream, French fries, a coconut treat that was nothing like I’ve ever eaten, and Churros (pronounced “shoohoos”) filled with caramel. They were great! I even saw a McDonalds, but I resisted!
Outside of McDonalds three young ladies walked up to Adam and started talking to them. I didn’t recognize them from the church, but then again, Adam has met many more young ladies than I have since arriving. After some exciting conversation (in English), and an invitation to church on Thursday night, they left smiling and laughing. I asked Adam where he had met the ladies, and he pointed to the ground. “Right here!” Wow! I’ve never had complete strangers walk up to me and ask me for my phone number… Filled to the eyeballs with fine Brazilian food, we headed back to the parsonage.
Pastor Jim then told me that Pastor Pedro Paulo wanted me to speak at the 8:00AM Bible study in the morning. Great - I think. I've never spoken through a translator before. And I'm a children's pastor - I don't spend a lot of time preaching to adults. And I didn't bring any materials with me. But other than that... Well, that's why today's entry is so late! I'm actually looking forward to speaking. "Preach the word..." - that's what General Superintendent Dr. Bond told me almost three years ago now. So that I will!
Work has started! And though it might seem like bragging, you put together a team of hard-working people from California and a team of hard-working people from Kansas, and a lot of dirt’s gonna move places! :)
Our major project to work on while here is a new school. Currently the school is located at the church, but both the school and the church has outgrown that facility. So they are relocating the school to another location a few blocks away.
We were supposed to be laying tijolos (Brazilian bricks) for the walls of the new school, but the building is about two weeks behind schedule. Because of that, the walls are not ready for tijolos, and won’t be until after we leave to go home. But no worries – there is still plenty of projects to do. The largest of the projects will be to prepare the new play area for cement.
Yesterday started with breakfast and devotions from AJ, then arriving at the site of the new school just before 8AM. Task # 1: knock a pile of cement down to below pouring level. I grabbed a sledge hammer, and started swinging. Rookie here! After about 10 minutes, I was already covered in sweat and dirt, and hurting like I’ve been beat up. Maybe I shouldn’t have started with the sledge hammer!
The process for preparing the site is to remove all materials (dirt, clay, rubbish, etc.) down to a certain level, then add clay (and pack), then fine crushed rock. Finally you wet the rock and then pack it down. It creates a very firm surface for the concrete to be poured onto. Later in the week we will start putting down the rebar to support the cement in the floor.
Other projects included preparing another smaller area for cement, pulling nails out of wood, removing dirt to level the ground between buildings, refinishing walls with reboco (plaster), and more. Also back at the parsonage there are care packages to put together as well as well as doing wash (by hand – yuck!).
When quitting time comes, your body knows it has done something! I am so sore!
After dinner Monday night, we went back to the church where they were about to serve soup to the community. The Nilopolis Church has been service soup five days a week for 18 years! When we got there, the line was already forming. Everyone in the church brings their two-liter bottles to the church, where they wash them and cut them in half. They then use them for bowls at the soup line. What an incredible ministry – meeting the people’s needs right where the people are!
Pastor Jim then took a group of us on around the neighborhood, through a street market that was just closing. We decided to sample some of the local foods. I had ice cream, French fries, a coconut treat that was nothing like I’ve ever eaten, and Churros (pronounced “shoohoos”) filled with caramel. They were great! I even saw a McDonalds, but I resisted!
Outside of McDonalds three young ladies walked up to Adam and started talking to them. I didn’t recognize them from the church, but then again, Adam has met many more young ladies than I have since arriving. After some exciting conversation (in English), and an invitation to church on Thursday night, they left smiling and laughing. I asked Adam where he had met the ladies, and he pointed to the ground. “Right here!” Wow! I’ve never had complete strangers walk up to me and ask me for my phone number… Filled to the eyeballs with fine Brazilian food, we headed back to the parsonage.
Pastor Jim then told me that Pastor Pedro Paulo wanted me to speak at the 8:00AM Bible study in the morning. Great - I think. I've never spoken through a translator before. And I'm a children's pastor - I don't spend a lot of time preaching to adults. And I didn't bring any materials with me. But other than that... Well, that's why today's entry is so late! I'm actually looking forward to speaking. "Preach the word..." - that's what General Superintendent Dr. Bond told me almost three years ago now. So that I will!
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Comments
Please leave us your comments on the blog and what is happening in Brazil! We check the blog regularly from where we are staying, and would love to hear from our friends and family (as well as anybody else!). Just click on the "comments" link below and everyone in Brazil will be able to see what you said!
Mark
Mark
Sabbath
Sunday's Pics
Today was Sunday – our Sabbath. And we had a good day of rest and worship. After a quick breakfast, we headed over to the Nilopolis Church for Sunday School and a brief worship service following. In true Nilopolis fashion, we walked to church! On the way there we walked through a weekly street market where you could buy everything from fresh fish to shrimp, crabs (still alive!), meat, all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies, meat, and even Shrek the Third on DVD (speaking Portuguese! Man – those movies come out on DVD quick in Brazil!).
Upon arriving at the church, we walk to the back, and take a look around. According to members of the team who have been here before, there have been many changes and improvements. It was neat to see their food court and center/hub, where everyone met everyone with a hug (and sometimes even a kiss to the side of the cheek. Some of our men got their first kiss from a man today! ).
We met Laubianca, who we learned was to be our Sunday School teacher for the morning. Laubianca spoke great English, and explained that she had been teaching Sunday School since last year in English, encouraging those who wanted to improve their English speaking skills to join her. With our 20+ and their 20+, we filled up the room! Pastor Jim and I attended the class through the open windows in the back of the room!
After Sunday School, everyone but me went to the sanctuary to attend a small worship service. Laubianca and her friend accompanied me to observe the children’s ministry areas of Nilopolis Nazarene. Well, that was my understanding of it, anyway. When I walked into the younger children’s church areas (2-5 years old), Laubianca spoke Portuguese to the teacher for a while, then told me she would interpret while I introduced myself to the kids. She then wanted to know what I would be doing with the kids – singing or telling them a Bible story, or such. Oops – that made my heart jump a beat! I explained to Laubianca that all I was desiring to do was to join and observe the children and their regular teachers worked with them. I then introduced myself to the kids, bringing greeting from our 80+ kids in Hutchinson, and then joined them in singing many cool, upbeat songs. Needless to say, this middle-aged white boy was no competition with dancing with some of those Brazilian children!
I then left to go join the other older children in their children’s church. They too sang and danced to very good music (I need to find out who the Brazilian women was singing the songs – they were great!), and then settled down to listen to a story about Jonah. After they were finished, I brought them greetings as well, and then took questions. I have never been asked so many interesting questions in my life! I had a blast!!!
I then joined up with the rest of the group, purchased a Coke at the food pavilion for the trip home, and set out for lunch. After lunch many of us guys joined AJ in a game we named “Palma Bird.” I will have to take pictures or shoot video to show you what it is (think shuttle cock meets hackey sack played with the hands) – it’s too unusual to even try to explain here. The afternoon was spent talking, playing games, resting, and walking. It was a great break.
After a quick snack to tide us over to dinner, we headed back to the church for the main service – the 7:00PM service. When we got there, the 5:00 service was still going strong! When they left, we entered the Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene for a great evening of worship. Soon after the service started, the church was completely full – even the extra rows of plastic chair the ushers had added. Then the singing began. WOW – Brazilians can sing!!! Even though I only recognized a few songs (and poorly attempted to sing some of them in Portuguese), you could definitely tell what the people were singing about. It was great! By the way, the congregation stood during the first set of worship music. Thirty-three minutes of standing with no breaks! I love Brazil!
After the offering (where three hymns were sung), Pastor Jim invited Olivia, Clayton (both from San Jose) and Marvin B to the platform to share the story of what God had done in their lives. These three did a great job telling the people of God’s grace and mercy, as well as forgiveness. They were followed by Ken W singing the evening special. When Ken was finished, Pastor Jim got up and preached a great message on offering our lives as a sacrifice to God. When he was finished, Pastor Pedro Paulo opened the altars, and in no time they were filled with people seeking God and his direction in their lives. It was fantastic. And slightly long. Like 2 and a half hours long. Other than the fact that we were sitting on wooden pews, the time flew buy!
At the conclusion of the evening’s service (and when we could drag Adam R away from all the girls that wanted their pictures by him), we headed home for a late dinner. At 10:45 we finally ate a delicious meal.
Tomorrow we start work! We will go to the school and start working on some major projects there first. I can’t wait – it’s going to be neat working side by side with professions as well as those from the church who have taken time off and/or vacation days to be there with us.
Well, it’s 2:20AM, and there is still a street concert going on just 2 blocks away! Rio never sleeps!
Keep praying for your team!
Mark
Today was Sunday – our Sabbath. And we had a good day of rest and worship. After a quick breakfast, we headed over to the Nilopolis Church for Sunday School and a brief worship service following. In true Nilopolis fashion, we walked to church! On the way there we walked through a weekly street market where you could buy everything from fresh fish to shrimp, crabs (still alive!), meat, all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies, meat, and even Shrek the Third on DVD (speaking Portuguese! Man – those movies come out on DVD quick in Brazil!).
Upon arriving at the church, we walk to the back, and take a look around. According to members of the team who have been here before, there have been many changes and improvements. It was neat to see their food court and center/hub, where everyone met everyone with a hug (and sometimes even a kiss to the side of the cheek. Some of our men got their first kiss from a man today! ).
We met Laubianca, who we learned was to be our Sunday School teacher for the morning. Laubianca spoke great English, and explained that she had been teaching Sunday School since last year in English, encouraging those who wanted to improve their English speaking skills to join her. With our 20+ and their 20+, we filled up the room! Pastor Jim and I attended the class through the open windows in the back of the room!
After Sunday School, everyone but me went to the sanctuary to attend a small worship service. Laubianca and her friend accompanied me to observe the children’s ministry areas of Nilopolis Nazarene. Well, that was my understanding of it, anyway. When I walked into the younger children’s church areas (2-5 years old), Laubianca spoke Portuguese to the teacher for a while, then told me she would interpret while I introduced myself to the kids. She then wanted to know what I would be doing with the kids – singing or telling them a Bible story, or such. Oops – that made my heart jump a beat! I explained to Laubianca that all I was desiring to do was to join and observe the children and their regular teachers worked with them. I then introduced myself to the kids, bringing greeting from our 80+ kids in Hutchinson, and then joined them in singing many cool, upbeat songs. Needless to say, this middle-aged white boy was no competition with dancing with some of those Brazilian children!
I then left to go join the other older children in their children’s church. They too sang and danced to very good music (I need to find out who the Brazilian women was singing the songs – they were great!), and then settled down to listen to a story about Jonah. After they were finished, I brought them greetings as well, and then took questions. I have never been asked so many interesting questions in my life! I had a blast!!!
I then joined up with the rest of the group, purchased a Coke at the food pavilion for the trip home, and set out for lunch. After lunch many of us guys joined AJ in a game we named “Palma Bird.” I will have to take pictures or shoot video to show you what it is (think shuttle cock meets hackey sack played with the hands) – it’s too unusual to even try to explain here. The afternoon was spent talking, playing games, resting, and walking. It was a great break.
After a quick snack to tide us over to dinner, we headed back to the church for the main service – the 7:00PM service. When we got there, the 5:00 service was still going strong! When they left, we entered the Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene for a great evening of worship. Soon after the service started, the church was completely full – even the extra rows of plastic chair the ushers had added. Then the singing began. WOW – Brazilians can sing!!! Even though I only recognized a few songs (and poorly attempted to sing some of them in Portuguese), you could definitely tell what the people were singing about. It was great! By the way, the congregation stood during the first set of worship music. Thirty-three minutes of standing with no breaks! I love Brazil!
After the offering (where three hymns were sung), Pastor Jim invited Olivia, Clayton (both from San Jose) and Marvin B to the platform to share the story of what God had done in their lives. These three did a great job telling the people of God’s grace and mercy, as well as forgiveness. They were followed by Ken W singing the evening special. When Ken was finished, Pastor Jim got up and preached a great message on offering our lives as a sacrifice to God. When he was finished, Pastor Pedro Paulo opened the altars, and in no time they were filled with people seeking God and his direction in their lives. It was fantastic. And slightly long. Like 2 and a half hours long. Other than the fact that we were sitting on wooden pews, the time flew buy!
At the conclusion of the evening’s service (and when we could drag Adam R away from all the girls that wanted their pictures by him), we headed home for a late dinner. At 10:45 we finally ate a delicious meal.
Tomorrow we start work! We will go to the school and start working on some major projects there first. I can’t wait – it’s going to be neat working side by side with professions as well as those from the church who have taken time off and/or vacation days to be there with us.
Well, it’s 2:20AM, and there is still a street concert going on just 2 blocks away! Rio never sleeps!
Keep praying for your team!
Mark
Saturday, June 16, 2007
"Tourismo"
Today's Pictures (over 100!)
Today began (too) early with breakfast and devotions with Pastor Jim. Today was going to be a day of "tourismo" (sight-seeing/playing tourist). We also met a lady named Suzie (at least that's the American spelling of her name). She shared with us part of her story. I learned more of her story as the day progressed. I found out that she was there to lead us through our first "Tourist" stop of the day - the Dona Marta favela (slum). Suzie grew up in Dona Marta, and was involved in the gang that rules the area, as well as a major part of the drug trafficking in and out of the favela. When she was a young teen, she went to a Nazarene clinic for treatment for asthma. While there she was introduced to the Nazarene church, and more importantly, Christ. After asking Christ into her life, she was placed in hiding for some time, while attempting to leave the gang (usually anyone who leaves the gang does not survive the process). By God's grace, she was successful, and has been a key part in the church's ministry in Dona Marta.
After a good time of sharing and prayer we waited for the tour bus that was to arrive at 8:30AM to take us around Rio all day. At 8:50, the bus showed up and we all loaded up for a trip into Rio. Our first stop was Dona Marta. Dona Marta is a large slum on the side of a very steep hill. At the top of the hill (642 steps!) is a Church of the Nazarene! That was our goal - to make it to the church, and hopefully return with everyone. This is the church that a Work and Witness trip from Hutch First Church in 2002 helped work on. Over 13,000 people lived in this very poor part of town, with very rough living conditions.
As soon as we got off the bus, Suzie left the group and went ahead. When she returned, I found out that Suzie went to the police station at the foot of the hill to check in, and make sure it was safe for us to enter. She then went a little further and checked in the with gang leaders as well. We were ok'ed by both groups. After some briefing by Pastor Jim, Betty and Suzie, all 24 of us started walking up hill along an old road. The briefing included information like do not take pictures unless our guides say it was ok. And don't take pictures of anyone with guns. (Guns?) Stay together, and don't stare at anyone with guns. (Guns?) And don't worry about the guys with guns, they like it when the church is there. Guns? Not just hand guns, but big automatic pistols, many extra clips, and uzi sub-machine guns. And lots of them. Though I was very uncomfortable with this for the first few switchbacks, my attitude quickly and quite unexplainably changed. Though these teens and men were the "bad guys," they were very happy to see us there. They always smiled and greeted us with the universal thumbs up sign, happy that we were there to help. So though I never completely became comfortable with the gang, I felt like we were safe. And having Suzie there played a huge part in our safety. Thank you Suzie!
The road continued up the hill for about 100 yards, and then ended. From there on up were just stairs. Lots of stairs! At the end of the road Suzie showed us a huge pile of bags of rock and sand. She asked us if we would please help carry these building supplies up the hill to the Nazarene Computer School. The supplies were needed for renovations that are going to take place next week at the school. The computer school is an incredible ministry that is teaching the children of the favela skills needed to get jobs in Rio and other places – something very important in helping people out of the slums. So most everyone grabbed a bag (or two - I think Adam might have grabbed 4) of sand or rocks and started up the steps. Walking up the steps was hard enough. But add 40-100 lbs. of weight going up steps was not easy. After several breathing breaks, we made it to the school.
After dropping off the supplies, we headed up the hill again. I cannot begin to explain here what I saw on the way up that hill. The few pictures that the group and I managed to take does not tell the whole picture either. What I do know is that for some reason I am blessed. Beyond what I ever imagined, I am blessed. Me in my worst situation that I have ever been in pales in comparison to the conditions that some of these people live in every day. Fresh water outside their homes; raw sewage flowing down the stairs; electric lines piled on top of each other that you frequently had to duck under to miss; fresh water leaking onto the electric lines; construction with wood beams, thin plywood and sheet metal – on the side of a steep hill! Those 642 steps up and down Dona Marta will always be with me in ways that will take a lifetime for me to understand.
Reaching the top and seeing the Nazarene church was an awesome ending to our trip. Well ending isn’t the right word, because we still had to take 642 steps back down. On the trip down, I grabbed a handful of Twizzler licorice sticks to give to the children that we saw. The expressions on the children’s face was priceless – you would have thought I had given them a gold coin! I did learn a new word (sounds something like, “couma”). The first group of kids I gave Twizzlers to asked me many questions, but only one in English (“What is your name?”). When I couldn’t understand what they were asking, one of our translators came up and told me they were asking if they could eat what I gave them. I smiled and then told them my new word, which means “eat.” I also learned later at dinner that when I was waving at the kids (by holding up my hands and bending my four fingers at the palm up and down), I was really telling them to “come here.” No wonder some parents looked at me funny when I gave their child a piece of candy then told them to come here! Now I know to move my hand side to side to wave!
After arriving at the bottom of the hill again, we loaded up the bus and left for “Corcovado,” or Christ the Redeemer. But when we were on our way there, Christ’s head started to disappear into the clouds. By the time we arrived at the train to take us up the mountain to see the large statue, Christ was completely hidden by the clouds. I resisted making any “second transformation” jokes as we decided that it would not be a good time to go up the mountain. So as plans often are on Work and Witness trips, we decided to change and headed to Copacabana beach.
When we arrived at the beach, we spent an hour or so visiting the feira (pronounced, “fayda”), or a street market. While there I purchased my family (oops – sorry, guys, you have to wait). I also got me one. I’m glad we had guys that could speak Portuguese and knew how to barter, or this while Anglo American would have paid way too much!
After our shopping trip, we went to a churrascaria for lunch. A churrascaria is a very nice restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat meat. I loved it! After the salad (which I skipped to allow more room for the meat!), the servers would come around with huge skewers of meat, and carve pieces of them onto your plate. I had sausage (the second best meat of the night), lamb, pork, and about 8 other cuts of beef. They did this for probably close to an hour – meat after meat, cut after cut! The best meat of the night was a garlic-cheese covered filet mignon. It was delicious! I also enjoyed a drink that is very popular here in Brazil, and I have grown to love – Coca-cola. At the end of the meal we were served ice cream over fresh papaya and pineapple and a very small cup of espresso. Not just any espresso, but some of the strongest espresso I have ever drank. With two packs of sugar and a quarter cup of real whipped cream, I quickly drank mine, and asked for another one!
After everyone had eaten their fill (and then some!), we were supposed to head to Sugarloaf Mountain. But low clouds and drizzle changed that plan as well. So instead we headed downtown Rio and took a ferry across the bay to Neteroi – another area of Rio. The ride across the bay was absolutely beautiful (as long as you didn’t look at the water – it was pretty nasty). When we arrived in Neteroi, we walked around for a few minutes, saw a McDonalds, enjoyed another Brazilian drink (Coca-cola), then took the ferry back (while making really bad imitations of “Titanic” and singing “My Heart Will Go On” at the top of our lungs).
Our day of playing (playing – who is playing?) tourist was over, and we loaded up into the bus and headed home. When we arrived, we had the option of staying at the house and preparing ourselves ham sandwiches, or going to Pastor Pedro Paulo’s grandson’s 1st birthday party. Most of us opted for the latter. And what a party it was! About 300 people met at a huge meeting/party place just a few blocks from the pastor’s house for the largest birthday party I had ever seen. And we ate and ate (chicken, rice, potatoes, cake, caramel popcorn with chocolate sprinkles and coconut, candy apples, cookies, and more) and drank about 10 cups of my favorite Brazilian drink, Coca-cola (ok – you get the idea!). This birthday party was bigger than any wedding that I think I have ever attended! The party started at 6:00PM (we didn’t arrive until after 8:00), and was still going strong at 10:00 when we left. Pastor Pedro Paulo took the opportunity to greet the people, as well as preach a sermon on “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What a great time we had!
Well, it’s now 2AM Sunday morning, and another party across the street just ended an hour ago, and people a few blocks away are still firing off huge barrages of firecrackers. The noise of people walking down the street has started to subside, and I’m getting a little sleepy (I guess that the espresso and Coke is finally wearing off! ). Tomorrow we are going to Sunday School in the morning, and church in the evening (when they have their main Sunday service). I will “see you” tomorrow!
Mark
Today began (too) early with breakfast and devotions with Pastor Jim. Today was going to be a day of "tourismo" (sight-seeing/playing tourist). We also met a lady named Suzie (at least that's the American spelling of her name). She shared with us part of her story. I learned more of her story as the day progressed. I found out that she was there to lead us through our first "Tourist" stop of the day - the Dona Marta favela (slum). Suzie grew up in Dona Marta, and was involved in the gang that rules the area, as well as a major part of the drug trafficking in and out of the favela. When she was a young teen, she went to a Nazarene clinic for treatment for asthma. While there she was introduced to the Nazarene church, and more importantly, Christ. After asking Christ into her life, she was placed in hiding for some time, while attempting to leave the gang (usually anyone who leaves the gang does not survive the process). By God's grace, she was successful, and has been a key part in the church's ministry in Dona Marta.
After a good time of sharing and prayer we waited for the tour bus that was to arrive at 8:30AM to take us around Rio all day. At 8:50, the bus showed up and we all loaded up for a trip into Rio. Our first stop was Dona Marta. Dona Marta is a large slum on the side of a very steep hill. At the top of the hill (642 steps!) is a Church of the Nazarene! That was our goal - to make it to the church, and hopefully return with everyone. This is the church that a Work and Witness trip from Hutch First Church in 2002 helped work on. Over 13,000 people lived in this very poor part of town, with very rough living conditions.
As soon as we got off the bus, Suzie left the group and went ahead. When she returned, I found out that Suzie went to the police station at the foot of the hill to check in, and make sure it was safe for us to enter. She then went a little further and checked in the with gang leaders as well. We were ok'ed by both groups. After some briefing by Pastor Jim, Betty and Suzie, all 24 of us started walking up hill along an old road. The briefing included information like do not take pictures unless our guides say it was ok. And don't take pictures of anyone with guns. (Guns?) Stay together, and don't stare at anyone with guns. (Guns?) And don't worry about the guys with guns, they like it when the church is there. Guns? Not just hand guns, but big automatic pistols, many extra clips, and uzi sub-machine guns. And lots of them. Though I was very uncomfortable with this for the first few switchbacks, my attitude quickly and quite unexplainably changed. Though these teens and men were the "bad guys," they were very happy to see us there. They always smiled and greeted us with the universal thumbs up sign, happy that we were there to help. So though I never completely became comfortable with the gang, I felt like we were safe. And having Suzie there played a huge part in our safety. Thank you Suzie!
The road continued up the hill for about 100 yards, and then ended. From there on up were just stairs. Lots of stairs! At the end of the road Suzie showed us a huge pile of bags of rock and sand. She asked us if we would please help carry these building supplies up the hill to the Nazarene Computer School. The supplies were needed for renovations that are going to take place next week at the school. The computer school is an incredible ministry that is teaching the children of the favela skills needed to get jobs in Rio and other places – something very important in helping people out of the slums. So most everyone grabbed a bag (or two - I think Adam might have grabbed 4) of sand or rocks and started up the steps. Walking up the steps was hard enough. But add 40-100 lbs. of weight going up steps was not easy. After several breathing breaks, we made it to the school.
After dropping off the supplies, we headed up the hill again. I cannot begin to explain here what I saw on the way up that hill. The few pictures that the group and I managed to take does not tell the whole picture either. What I do know is that for some reason I am blessed. Beyond what I ever imagined, I am blessed. Me in my worst situation that I have ever been in pales in comparison to the conditions that some of these people live in every day. Fresh water outside their homes; raw sewage flowing down the stairs; electric lines piled on top of each other that you frequently had to duck under to miss; fresh water leaking onto the electric lines; construction with wood beams, thin plywood and sheet metal – on the side of a steep hill! Those 642 steps up and down Dona Marta will always be with me in ways that will take a lifetime for me to understand.
Reaching the top and seeing the Nazarene church was an awesome ending to our trip. Well ending isn’t the right word, because we still had to take 642 steps back down. On the trip down, I grabbed a handful of Twizzler licorice sticks to give to the children that we saw. The expressions on the children’s face was priceless – you would have thought I had given them a gold coin! I did learn a new word (sounds something like, “couma”). The first group of kids I gave Twizzlers to asked me many questions, but only one in English (“What is your name?”). When I couldn’t understand what they were asking, one of our translators came up and told me they were asking if they could eat what I gave them. I smiled and then told them my new word, which means “eat.” I also learned later at dinner that when I was waving at the kids (by holding up my hands and bending my four fingers at the palm up and down), I was really telling them to “come here.” No wonder some parents looked at me funny when I gave their child a piece of candy then told them to come here! Now I know to move my hand side to side to wave!
After arriving at the bottom of the hill again, we loaded up the bus and left for “Corcovado,” or Christ the Redeemer. But when we were on our way there, Christ’s head started to disappear into the clouds. By the time we arrived at the train to take us up the mountain to see the large statue, Christ was completely hidden by the clouds. I resisted making any “second transformation” jokes as we decided that it would not be a good time to go up the mountain. So as plans often are on Work and Witness trips, we decided to change and headed to Copacabana beach.
When we arrived at the beach, we spent an hour or so visiting the feira (pronounced, “fayda”), or a street market. While there I purchased my family (oops – sorry, guys, you have to wait). I also got me one. I’m glad we had guys that could speak Portuguese and knew how to barter, or this while Anglo American would have paid way too much!
After our shopping trip, we went to a churrascaria for lunch. A churrascaria is a very nice restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat meat. I loved it! After the salad (which I skipped to allow more room for the meat!), the servers would come around with huge skewers of meat, and carve pieces of them onto your plate. I had sausage (the second best meat of the night), lamb, pork, and about 8 other cuts of beef. They did this for probably close to an hour – meat after meat, cut after cut! The best meat of the night was a garlic-cheese covered filet mignon. It was delicious! I also enjoyed a drink that is very popular here in Brazil, and I have grown to love – Coca-cola. At the end of the meal we were served ice cream over fresh papaya and pineapple and a very small cup of espresso. Not just any espresso, but some of the strongest espresso I have ever drank. With two packs of sugar and a quarter cup of real whipped cream, I quickly drank mine, and asked for another one!
After everyone had eaten their fill (and then some!), we were supposed to head to Sugarloaf Mountain. But low clouds and drizzle changed that plan as well. So instead we headed downtown Rio and took a ferry across the bay to Neteroi – another area of Rio. The ride across the bay was absolutely beautiful (as long as you didn’t look at the water – it was pretty nasty). When we arrived in Neteroi, we walked around for a few minutes, saw a McDonalds, enjoyed another Brazilian drink (Coca-cola), then took the ferry back (while making really bad imitations of “Titanic” and singing “My Heart Will Go On” at the top of our lungs).
Our day of playing (playing – who is playing?) tourist was over, and we loaded up into the bus and headed home. When we arrived, we had the option of staying at the house and preparing ourselves ham sandwiches, or going to Pastor Pedro Paulo’s grandson’s 1st birthday party. Most of us opted for the latter. And what a party it was! About 300 people met at a huge meeting/party place just a few blocks from the pastor’s house for the largest birthday party I had ever seen. And we ate and ate (chicken, rice, potatoes, cake, caramel popcorn with chocolate sprinkles and coconut, candy apples, cookies, and more) and drank about 10 cups of my favorite Brazilian drink, Coca-cola (ok – you get the idea!). This birthday party was bigger than any wedding that I think I have ever attended! The party started at 6:00PM (we didn’t arrive until after 8:00), and was still going strong at 10:00 when we left. Pastor Pedro Paulo took the opportunity to greet the people, as well as preach a sermon on “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” What a great time we had!
Well, it’s now 2AM Sunday morning, and another party across the street just ended an hour ago, and people a few blocks away are still firing off huge barrages of firecrackers. The noise of people walking down the street has started to subside, and I’m getting a little sleepy (I guess that the espresso and Coke is finally wearing off! ). Tomorrow we are going to Sunday School in the morning, and church in the evening (when they have their main Sunday service). I will “see you” tomorrow!
Mark
Friday, June 15, 2007
First
Here's a quick (NOT!) review of the past 36 hours.
Pictures June 14 June 15
The Hutch First group met at the Wichita airport at 1:30PM Thursday afternoon, and after 30 minutes of checking in bag after bag, we finally said bye to friends and family and went through security. That put us at our gate almost 90 minutes early. But the time flew buy. We boarded our puddle-jumper Delta jet and a couple of hours later we were in Atlanta.
Pastor Jim Cooper was there to greet us, and brought us greetings from the San Jose (and a few other places :) ) group that would be joining us in Brazil. I briefly met Pastor Jim in Kansas City at the M7 conference, and am looking forward to getting to know him better. Pastor Jim and his wife Betty, were missionaries in Rio, Brazil from 1992-1996 (if my memory serves me correct - which it rarely does). They have many ties with the people of Nilopolis, Rio, and Brazil as a whole, and have returned to Brazil every two to three years since returning to the states.
After about an hour and a half layover, we boarded the largest plane that I have ever been on. It was a Boeing 767ER (extended range), and had approximately 300 people on board. With one extra seat. And it wasn't beside me. Rats. After waiting almost an hour for one of the three pilots (did he get lost?), we were finally on our way to Brazil.
There were monitors in the two isles about every 7-8 rows of chairs. Unfortunately for First Church's row, the closest monitor was the one straight above our head. The cool thing about the monitors is that it told us all the information about our flight that you could imagine (except where our third pilot was for an hour). It gave altitude (avg: 35,000 feet), a graphic map of where we were and where we were going, speed (avg: 550 mph), wind, elapsed time (total 9 hours from Atlanta to Rio), time until arrival, outside air temperature (lowest: -61 degrees F), and more. The only problem with the screens were when they played the in-flight movie (AJ and I were hoping for the pilot for the TV series, LOST, but we were denied). The movie was "Breech," a true, but possibly the most boring movie ever made. I hope Delta got a good deal for it!
After dinner at 11:00PM, we tried to settle down to sleep. But that was a royal waste of time. Marvin B had the record of not sleeping at all. Getting comfortable enough to sleep was just short of impossible. By the way, if you ever decide to get up and walk around the plane (which you are supposed to do to stretch and reduce chance of blood clots), do not go into the first class area. AJ F and I now know that first hand. ;)
At 7:00AM local time (5:00AM Hutch time), we touched down in Rio, to a warm, smoggy day. First up: immigration police checking our passports. After a 40 minute wait (we were at the back of the plane), we all made it through with no problems. Next up: customs, luggage pick-up, and the dreaded button. AJ and I tried to load all of our luggage onto the same cart, but I had one suitcase that would not fit. Thankfully, Suzanne offered me to put my suitcase on her cart. I thanked her, loaded my cart and offered to push it. When you go though customs, you push a button on a pole which lights up one of two lights. If you get a green light, you go on through and you are finished with customs. But if you get the red light (by random selection), you have to go to the customs Gestapo. When Suzanne and I walked up to the customs agent, he waved us on through, as if we were together. Being the chivalrous person that I am, I did not argue or correct him and allowed Suzanne to push the button. :) We got a green light. Fortunately, AJ also got a green light. Adam got a red light, and faced the, well, all he faced was an x-ray machine (more like his luggage did), and questions in Portuguese, which for some reason he was unable to answer. After a few universal shoulder shrugs, Adam passed on through with no incident. Two others in our group faced the dreaded (ok, now the not-so-dreaded) customs Gestapo/x-ray machines.
Onward to our next obstacle: a lack of fast-moving elevators. We would have even taken slow elevators at this point, but they didn't exist either. After waiting about 5 minutes for 3 people to go up one level to the waiting vans, and still had about 20 more to go. Pastor Jim decided that it would be much faster to form a human chain and move the luggage up the stairs manually, and he was correct. A few minutes later our luggage was loaded into the church vans, and we loaded up. I happened to ride with the 15 passenger taxi. What a cool trip!
We arrived at the Nilopolis parsonage, where Pastor Pedro Paulo’s family lives, without incident. Well, the taxi and the other two vans didn't have an incident. Pastor Pedro Paulo wasn't so fortunate. The pastor had to slam on his brakes to avoid traffic ahead, and a motorcyclist following him didn't brake quite as fast. The end result was that the motorcycle crashed into Pastor's van, crumpling the bumper, and the cyclist’s helmet ended up in the back window. Fortunately for the biker, the helmet won and the window was shattered. In true non-USA form and fashion, the biker was ok so everyone went their own way.
We unloaded our luggage, and found our rooms. According to what I have heard about earlier Brazil trips, our rooms are very nice this time (and I have to agree!). Other than there being a trash can beside the commode to place ALL paper products in (you can't flush the toilet paper down the commode in Brazil) and the fact that there are wires above the shower head, along with a 40 amp breaker (which produces instant hot water), it's pretty much like a nice house in the USA. We are sleeping on brand new bunk beds (with the top bunk 6' above the ground!) and new mattresses. Slick set-up!
After a quick snack, debriefing by the Coopers, a shower break and lunch (fried chicken, black beans and rice), we loaded up and went to the new school site that is being built. While we were there, we learned that the construction process is behind about 15 days, and all the bricks that we were going to be laying will not be ready to be set for another two weeks or more - after we have gone home. But not to worry, there were still about eight other major tasks that we are going to be working on.
The best part of the day came when Pastor Pedro Paulo shared with us the vision and mission of Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene. What a visionary! The church gives to needy people and children in their area out of love and compassion and not out of selfish ambitions. They don't care what their own needs are - they realize that giving to God is the most important thing that they can do. The people in this neighborhood have next to nothing (especially compared to me!), and yet Nilopolis Church is thriving with over 60 different community ministries - all paid for and supported by the people of the Nilopolis Church!
The school that we are going to work on is no exception. From what Pastor Pedro Paulo shared with the W&W group, the church has currently outgrown its current facility and needs to expand. To do that, they need to move the elementary school based at the school. So the church purchased new land several blocks away and is currently building a new school! They currently have 250 students, but will be able to have 400 children ages 4-12 in the new facility. What a ministry! The kids that go through the private church-sponsored school will have a much better education than those attending normal public school. Children in public schools are promoted to the next grade each year, no matter what their test scores or comprehension. The church school is not like that at all. Students must learn and pass exams in order to promote to the next grade. This allows them to graduate from elementary school with a much greater education than other children. And all of this is provided as a non-profit ministry of the church! The people of Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene are willing to sacrifice what they have in order to further the kingdom of God. WOW - that's exciting!
After our tour of the new school site, we went across town to the supermarket. Except for not being able to read the labels or understand the words over the loudspeakers, you would have thought you were at Wally World (Wal-Mart)! Well, there were a few more exceptions, like no cold gallon jugs of milk (Brazilians drink their milk hot or warm, and it comes out of a box or mix), and a lot of the meat would not make USDA approval unwrapped and unrefridgerated. But other than that... While there we loaded up on a lot of nutritional food to get us through the next two weeks of hard work (Coca-cola, chocolate bars, every flavor of cookie you can think of, etc.).
Oh - another lesson I learned in Brazil: you can't take pictures in their version of Wally World. If you do, they will ask you to stop! Sorry! :)
When we returned back to our place, we sorted (and sorted) all the items that the teams brought from home. There were many pounds of crayons, shampoo, Wendy's happy meal toys, combs, construction paper, candy, stuffed animals and more toys, calculators, soap, pencils, and more toys. Later in the week we will fill up hundreds of zip-lock baggies with these supplies and pass them out to kids and families in the slums of Rio.
After dinner (beef stew, black beans and rice), we had a chance to sit around and get to know each other. We are already coming together as one team. Tomorrow is a day of "tourismo" (that's how it’s listed on my visa), where we will see all the great sites of Rio, as well as some of the less-visited sites.
It's 11:36PM Rio time, and most everyone is already in bed. I guess I will join them. Actually, I have been typing this from my bed! :) I will go the next step and join them in wonderful lala land of snorers!
Continue to pray for your team!
Mark
Pictures June 14 June 15
The Hutch First group met at the Wichita airport at 1:30PM Thursday afternoon, and after 30 minutes of checking in bag after bag, we finally said bye to friends and family and went through security. That put us at our gate almost 90 minutes early. But the time flew buy. We boarded our puddle-jumper Delta jet and a couple of hours later we were in Atlanta.
Pastor Jim Cooper was there to greet us, and brought us greetings from the San Jose (and a few other places :) ) group that would be joining us in Brazil. I briefly met Pastor Jim in Kansas City at the M7 conference, and am looking forward to getting to know him better. Pastor Jim and his wife Betty, were missionaries in Rio, Brazil from 1992-1996 (if my memory serves me correct - which it rarely does). They have many ties with the people of Nilopolis, Rio, and Brazil as a whole, and have returned to Brazil every two to three years since returning to the states.
After about an hour and a half layover, we boarded the largest plane that I have ever been on. It was a Boeing 767ER (extended range), and had approximately 300 people on board. With one extra seat. And it wasn't beside me. Rats. After waiting almost an hour for one of the three pilots (did he get lost?), we were finally on our way to Brazil.
There were monitors in the two isles about every 7-8 rows of chairs. Unfortunately for First Church's row, the closest monitor was the one straight above our head. The cool thing about the monitors is that it told us all the information about our flight that you could imagine (except where our third pilot was for an hour). It gave altitude (avg: 35,000 feet), a graphic map of where we were and where we were going, speed (avg: 550 mph), wind, elapsed time (total 9 hours from Atlanta to Rio), time until arrival, outside air temperature (lowest: -61 degrees F), and more. The only problem with the screens were when they played the in-flight movie (AJ and I were hoping for the pilot for the TV series, LOST, but we were denied). The movie was "Breech," a true, but possibly the most boring movie ever made. I hope Delta got a good deal for it!
After dinner at 11:00PM, we tried to settle down to sleep. But that was a royal waste of time. Marvin B had the record of not sleeping at all. Getting comfortable enough to sleep was just short of impossible. By the way, if you ever decide to get up and walk around the plane (which you are supposed to do to stretch and reduce chance of blood clots), do not go into the first class area. AJ F and I now know that first hand. ;)
At 7:00AM local time (5:00AM Hutch time), we touched down in Rio, to a warm, smoggy day. First up: immigration police checking our passports. After a 40 minute wait (we were at the back of the plane), we all made it through with no problems. Next up: customs, luggage pick-up, and the dreaded button. AJ and I tried to load all of our luggage onto the same cart, but I had one suitcase that would not fit. Thankfully, Suzanne offered me to put my suitcase on her cart. I thanked her, loaded my cart and offered to push it. When you go though customs, you push a button on a pole which lights up one of two lights. If you get a green light, you go on through and you are finished with customs. But if you get the red light (by random selection), you have to go to the customs Gestapo. When Suzanne and I walked up to the customs agent, he waved us on through, as if we were together. Being the chivalrous person that I am, I did not argue or correct him and allowed Suzanne to push the button. :) We got a green light. Fortunately, AJ also got a green light. Adam got a red light, and faced the, well, all he faced was an x-ray machine (more like his luggage did), and questions in Portuguese, which for some reason he was unable to answer. After a few universal shoulder shrugs, Adam passed on through with no incident. Two others in our group faced the dreaded (ok, now the not-so-dreaded) customs Gestapo/x-ray machines.
Onward to our next obstacle: a lack of fast-moving elevators. We would have even taken slow elevators at this point, but they didn't exist either. After waiting about 5 minutes for 3 people to go up one level to the waiting vans, and still had about 20 more to go. Pastor Jim decided that it would be much faster to form a human chain and move the luggage up the stairs manually, and he was correct. A few minutes later our luggage was loaded into the church vans, and we loaded up. I happened to ride with the 15 passenger taxi. What a cool trip!
We arrived at the Nilopolis parsonage, where Pastor Pedro Paulo’s family lives, without incident. Well, the taxi and the other two vans didn't have an incident. Pastor Pedro Paulo wasn't so fortunate. The pastor had to slam on his brakes to avoid traffic ahead, and a motorcyclist following him didn't brake quite as fast. The end result was that the motorcycle crashed into Pastor's van, crumpling the bumper, and the cyclist’s helmet ended up in the back window. Fortunately for the biker, the helmet won and the window was shattered. In true non-USA form and fashion, the biker was ok so everyone went their own way.
We unloaded our luggage, and found our rooms. According to what I have heard about earlier Brazil trips, our rooms are very nice this time (and I have to agree!). Other than there being a trash can beside the commode to place ALL paper products in (you can't flush the toilet paper down the commode in Brazil) and the fact that there are wires above the shower head, along with a 40 amp breaker (which produces instant hot water), it's pretty much like a nice house in the USA. We are sleeping on brand new bunk beds (with the top bunk 6' above the ground!) and new mattresses. Slick set-up!
After a quick snack, debriefing by the Coopers, a shower break and lunch (fried chicken, black beans and rice), we loaded up and went to the new school site that is being built. While we were there, we learned that the construction process is behind about 15 days, and all the bricks that we were going to be laying will not be ready to be set for another two weeks or more - after we have gone home. But not to worry, there were still about eight other major tasks that we are going to be working on.
The best part of the day came when Pastor Pedro Paulo shared with us the vision and mission of Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene. What a visionary! The church gives to needy people and children in their area out of love and compassion and not out of selfish ambitions. They don't care what their own needs are - they realize that giving to God is the most important thing that they can do. The people in this neighborhood have next to nothing (especially compared to me!), and yet Nilopolis Church is thriving with over 60 different community ministries - all paid for and supported by the people of the Nilopolis Church!
The school that we are going to work on is no exception. From what Pastor Pedro Paulo shared with the W&W group, the church has currently outgrown its current facility and needs to expand. To do that, they need to move the elementary school based at the school. So the church purchased new land several blocks away and is currently building a new school! They currently have 250 students, but will be able to have 400 children ages 4-12 in the new facility. What a ministry! The kids that go through the private church-sponsored school will have a much better education than those attending normal public school. Children in public schools are promoted to the next grade each year, no matter what their test scores or comprehension. The church school is not like that at all. Students must learn and pass exams in order to promote to the next grade. This allows them to graduate from elementary school with a much greater education than other children. And all of this is provided as a non-profit ministry of the church! The people of Nilopolis Church of the Nazarene are willing to sacrifice what they have in order to further the kingdom of God. WOW - that's exciting!
After our tour of the new school site, we went across town to the supermarket. Except for not being able to read the labels or understand the words over the loudspeakers, you would have thought you were at Wally World (Wal-Mart)! Well, there were a few more exceptions, like no cold gallon jugs of milk (Brazilians drink their milk hot or warm, and it comes out of a box or mix), and a lot of the meat would not make USDA approval unwrapped and unrefridgerated. But other than that... While there we loaded up on a lot of nutritional food to get us through the next two weeks of hard work (Coca-cola, chocolate bars, every flavor of cookie you can think of, etc.).
Oh - another lesson I learned in Brazil: you can't take pictures in their version of Wally World. If you do, they will ask you to stop! Sorry! :)
When we returned back to our place, we sorted (and sorted) all the items that the teams brought from home. There were many pounds of crayons, shampoo, Wendy's happy meal toys, combs, construction paper, candy, stuffed animals and more toys, calculators, soap, pencils, and more toys. Later in the week we will fill up hundreds of zip-lock baggies with these supplies and pass them out to kids and families in the slums of Rio.
After dinner (beef stew, black beans and rice), we had a chance to sit around and get to know each other. We are already coming together as one team. Tomorrow is a day of "tourismo" (that's how it’s listed on my visa), where we will see all the great sites of Rio, as well as some of the less-visited sites.
It's 11:36PM Rio time, and most everyone is already in bed. I guess I will join them. Actually, I have been typing this from my bed! :) I will go the next step and join them in wonderful lala land of snorers!
Continue to pray for your team!
Mark
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tomorrow...
Tomorrow we leave for Atlanta, then Brazil! I have packed my two check-in bags, one with school supplies, toys, and other materials for the children in Brazil, the other with my personal items, including work gloves, knee pads, clothes, one pound of beef jerky, a box of pop tarts, granola bars (just in case I get tired of black beans and rice), a tripod, 3 kids of battery chargers with power strip, more candy for the Brazilian kids, 500 quart-size zip-lock baggies, Ammonium AD, Tums, Advil, band aids, well - you get the idea. It's amazing how quickly you can pack 50 lbs. of "necessities!"
My carry-on bag (wow it's big - I hope it makes it as a carry-on!) is full of more clothes, and my camera bag (with digital and video cameras, microphones, tapes, etc.). I will also be carrying on a laptop as my "personal item" so I can continue to communicate with the blog while in Brazil.
When you add it all up, I'm taking about 160 lbs. of luggage into Brazil! No wonder the airline tickets are so expensive!
For tracking our flights, check out these links:
For Wichita to Atlanta (departs 3:30PM) click here
For Atlanta to Rio, Brazil (departs 8:40PM) click here
Note: the International flight will only have complete information as long as the flight in in the US.
Stay tuned for more information and pictures. I don't know exactly when I will be able to post again, but you can bet it will be as soon as I can!
My carry-on bag (wow it's big - I hope it makes it as a carry-on!) is full of more clothes, and my camera bag (with digital and video cameras, microphones, tapes, etc.). I will also be carrying on a laptop as my "personal item" so I can continue to communicate with the blog while in Brazil.
When you add it all up, I'm taking about 160 lbs. of luggage into Brazil! No wonder the airline tickets are so expensive!
For tracking our flights, check out these links:
For Wichita to Atlanta (departs 3:30PM) click here
For Atlanta to Rio, Brazil (departs 8:40PM) click here
Note: the International flight will only have complete information as long as the flight in in the US.
Stay tuned for more information and pictures. I don't know exactly when I will be able to post again, but you can bet it will be as soon as I can!
Arrival
Wednesday's Pictures
Just a quick entry: we made it to Brazil! I am currently on my laptop in the pastor's office enjoying his high-speed wireless Internet connection, waiting on lunch to be ready (10 minutes - I better hurry).
We met the group from San Jose in Atlanta as planned, then boarded a Delta 767 to Brazil. I really wanted to sit in the big leather seats at the front of the plane (the ones that laid back completely flat into a bed, and had their own lcd tv, and plenty of room, etc.), but they said my ticket was $1,000 too short to sit there. So AJ and I sat in a roomy 18" seat towards the back of the plane. Like row 38 of the back of the plane. With 3.4" of legroom part of the plane. You get the idea. Sleep was more a dozing proposition than a voluntary activity.
Well, lunch is about to be served. After lunch it's orientation time, then a quick trip to the church. I'll post more later, with pictures!
Mark
Just a quick entry: we made it to Brazil! I am currently on my laptop in the pastor's office enjoying his high-speed wireless Internet connection, waiting on lunch to be ready (10 minutes - I better hurry).
We met the group from San Jose in Atlanta as planned, then boarded a Delta 767 to Brazil. I really wanted to sit in the big leather seats at the front of the plane (the ones that laid back completely flat into a bed, and had their own lcd tv, and plenty of room, etc.), but they said my ticket was $1,000 too short to sit there. So AJ and I sat in a roomy 18" seat towards the back of the plane. Like row 38 of the back of the plane. With 3.4" of legroom part of the plane. You get the idea. Sleep was more a dozing proposition than a voluntary activity.
Well, lunch is about to be served. After lunch it's orientation time, then a quick trip to the church. I'll post more later, with pictures!
Mark
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Anticipation
Just two more days until the team leaves for Brazil!
Our Hutchinson First Church kids did a great job in collecting over two huge plastic bins worth of school supplies, hard candy, and small toys. I am looking forward to carrying them to Brazil and giving them to the kids in Rio! Many others at First Church also have given a lot for us to take into Brazil. Thank you for your gifts!
Most of our supplies and gifts we are taking into Brazil are already at the church, packed into suitcases weighing 50 lbs. in "The Price is Right" style (as close as we dared without going over). We will be meeting on Thursday morning and heading to Wichita!
Our plans are to meet our partners from San Jose, CA in Atlanta on Thursday night, and then fly together to Brazil, arriving early Friday morning.
Check back often. If things go well, I hope to update the blog every day or two with what is going on, as well as a picture or five.
Pray for your work and witness team!
Our Hutchinson First Church kids did a great job in collecting over two huge plastic bins worth of school supplies, hard candy, and small toys. I am looking forward to carrying them to Brazil and giving them to the kids in Rio! Many others at First Church also have given a lot for us to take into Brazil. Thank you for your gifts!Most of our supplies and gifts we are taking into Brazil are already at the church, packed into suitcases weighing 50 lbs. in "The Price is Right" style (as close as we dared without going over). We will be meeting on Thursday morning and heading to Wichita!
Our plans are to meet our partners from San Jose, CA in Atlanta on Thursday night, and then fly together to Brazil, arriving early Friday morning.
Check back often. If things go well, I hope to update the blog every day or two with what is going on, as well as a picture or five.
Pray for your work and witness team!
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