Friday, October 28, 2005
How Thursday went
The lunchtime event at the University went very well. Andrew spoke from John 20 – Doubting Thomas, on the basis for our faith – faith which is objectively grounded in a witnessed resurrection, and through we experience a new life in Christ. Receptivity seemed excellent: almost the whole group is new since Andrew last spoke there, so a good range of new contacts. One notable thing was the number of student attending small, informal, often nameless churches without a fixed meeting place. Just like ours. It was also interesting to meet Claudio and Jessica – a Brazilian/American couple, linked with Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, sent to plant a church in Floripa. Calvary Chapel is interesting, being committed to expository preaching, but Arminian soteriology.
The evening surfers’ event was interesting. Florianópolis is hosting, back to back, two major events on the international tour (http://www.surfersvillage.com/news.asp?Id_news=14745), and the local Surfers’ Mission, most of whose leading lights we know well, was determined to use the event for outreach. Kati, from the Peregrinos, was heavily involved, and invited the church for the Thursday night special event. We REALLY wanted to encourage her in this, so we went. The evening started with some surf films, some with Christian content. Then a time of praise. Then some testimonies. Then an evangelistic talk. Then a raffle of surfers gear. Interesting. Some things we would have done differently, but not the preaching. Nor the chance to encourage young people who are sincere and want to reach others who have a great deal, and very little.
The surfers’ mission, Florianópolis, is in great need of theologically and spiritually mature input. Through Kati, and the others we know who are in the process of leaving the IBVN church and are currently without a spiritual home, we seem to have got a little involved. Pray for wisdom!
The lunchtime event at the University went very well. Andrew spoke from John 20 – Doubting Thomas, on the basis for our faith – faith which is objectively grounded in a witnessed resurrection, and through we experience a new life in Christ. Receptivity seemed excellent: almost the whole group is new since Andrew last spoke there, so a good range of new contacts. One notable thing was the number of student attending small, informal, often nameless churches without a fixed meeting place. Just like ours. It was also interesting to meet Claudio and Jessica – a Brazilian/American couple, linked with Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, sent to plant a church in Floripa. Calvary Chapel is interesting, being committed to expository preaching, but Arminian soteriology.
The evening surfers’ event was interesting. Florianópolis is hosting, back to back, two major events on the international tour (http://www.surfersvillage.com/news.asp?Id_news=14745), and the local Surfers’ Mission, most of whose leading lights we know well, was determined to use the event for outreach. Kati, from the Peregrinos, was heavily involved, and invited the church for the Thursday night special event. We REALLY wanted to encourage her in this, so we went. The evening started with some surf films, some with Christian content. Then a time of praise. Then some testimonies. Then an evangelistic talk. Then a raffle of surfers gear. Interesting. Some things we would have done differently, but not the preaching. Nor the chance to encourage young people who are sincere and want to reach others who have a great deal, and very little.
The surfers’ mission, Florianópolis, is in great need of theologically and spiritually mature input. Through Kati, and the others we know who are in the process of leaving the IBVN church and are currently without a spiritual home, we seem to have got a little involved. Pray for wisdom!
Three times world champion Tom Curran (right, see http://www.surfersvillage.com/gal/pic.asp?iCat=60&iPic=555&offset=) gives his testimony, translated by Claudio, who with his wife Jessica has recent arrived in Florianópolis to plant a congregation of Calvary Chapel.
Paulinho preaching the Word - an excellent evangelistic talk, one of the best we have ever heard in Brazil.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Prayer Matters
Today – Lunchtime
Andrew is speaking at the Christian Union at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.
Tonight – 19:30
We are going to the Cris Hotel on Joaquina beach for an evangelistic meeting of the Surfers' Mission. There is a big championship on here at the moment, and the local chapter of the mission is trying to use the moment to reach out, and also stand up on its own feet. One member of the group, Kati, is a regular at the Peregrinos, and we are going in order to support her work and witness.
Saturday – 20:00
A movement sponsored by Youth For Christ – Geração Compromisso (Commitment Generation) is being launched in Florianópolis. Andrew has been asked to preach at the event, held at the Trindade Presbyterian Church.
Sunday – 10:00 and 17:00
The Peregrinos are starting to meet on Sunday mornings, for training and for moments of definition of our direction as a church. This Sunday we will be looking in the morning at the form of our meetings, which need to grow in a certain regularity of form (not necessarily formality!) as the church grows, and for the church to grow. In the afternoon we will be returning to Romans, left before we went to the UK.
Next week
On the one hand, there is the usual work at IBE. Then a desire to visit all members of the Peregrinos to chat about the church (this has been happening over the last three weeks, but I would like to see everyone before we travel again.) And then preparations for the Encontro da Fé Reformada (Encounter of the Reformed faith) in Goiânia starting on 9 November. We fly, God willing, to Brasilia on Saturday 5 Nov, to preach there on Sunday, travelling to Goiânia on Monday. Plus Cora’s studies – she is back to the ETCW grindstone. Please pray on!
Today – Lunchtime
Andrew is speaking at the Christian Union at the Federal University of Santa Catarina.
Tonight – 19:30
We are going to the Cris Hotel on Joaquina beach for an evangelistic meeting of the Surfers' Mission. There is a big championship on here at the moment, and the local chapter of the mission is trying to use the moment to reach out, and also stand up on its own feet. One member of the group, Kati, is a regular at the Peregrinos, and we are going in order to support her work and witness.
Saturday – 20:00
A movement sponsored by Youth For Christ – Geração Compromisso (Commitment Generation) is being launched in Florianópolis. Andrew has been asked to preach at the event, held at the Trindade Presbyterian Church.
Sunday – 10:00 and 17:00
The Peregrinos are starting to meet on Sunday mornings, for training and for moments of definition of our direction as a church. This Sunday we will be looking in the morning at the form of our meetings, which need to grow in a certain regularity of form (not necessarily formality!) as the church grows, and for the church to grow. In the afternoon we will be returning to Romans, left before we went to the UK.
Next week
On the one hand, there is the usual work at IBE. Then a desire to visit all members of the Peregrinos to chat about the church (this has been happening over the last three weeks, but I would like to see everyone before we travel again.) And then preparations for the Encontro da Fé Reformada (Encounter of the Reformed faith) in Goiânia starting on 9 November. We fly, God willing, to Brasilia on Saturday 5 Nov, to preach there on Sunday, travelling to Goiânia on Monday. Plus Cora’s studies – she is back to the ETCW grindstone. Please pray on!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Priscila and Daniel, who are to marry on 3 December.
Priscila is from Florianópolis, and met her Virginian fiancé when interpreting for a Southern Baptist team in Santa Catarina 5 years ago. She has been attending the meetings of the Peregrinos, and before we went to the UK, asked Andrew if he could take their wedding. She then went to the US, returning with Daniel, and we have been having a great time on marriage prep and the planning of the service itself, which will be bi-lingual, for the benefit of Daniel's family. Please pray for their wedding, and their marriage, and especially that they will rapidly find their own place to live in the States. Daniel's family are believers, as are Pri's mum and sisters, but her father and wider family are spiritists: may the wedding be a gospel opportunity too.
We have been meeting Daniel and Pri at the little pizza and pancake restaurant just down the road: tonight was our second meeting of this type – a very good time.
Door of the Customs Division of the Receita Federal (Inland Revenue) in Florianópolis.
After the best part of six years, the process of moving from England is now over. According to an official with whom I spoke today, interpreting a letter received during our time in England, our imported goods are now no longer subject to any customs procedures. All aspects of our legal situation here are now tied up - Praise the Lord!
What this means in practice is that a large quantity of goods, most of which have zero value - such as defunct computers and a broken microwave, as well as goods vandalised/destroyed in the move, and which have been kept in a friend's garage for the last two years of our six here - can now be disposed of without recourse to the customs people.
Thanks for praying over years, especially regarding our permanent visa, which provided the basis for the closure of the customs' process.
What this means of course is, that, if we were to move back to the UK tomorrow, we would have to enter a five year exportation process...!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Tonight at IBE, for the first time since 2001, Andrew has a completely new class - a group none of whose members he has taught before. They seem a nice lot, mainly Baptists, but with a Presbyterian, a Lutheran and a Catholic thrown in to the mix, it promises to be an interesting ride.
Tonight was a big game between Inter and Goiâs. On the way home from IBE, this bar was packed - all men, all glued to the screen. It wasn't a final, but important for all that. If Goiâs had won, there would have been a reduced chance of Corinthians (a São Paulo team with a fair following here) going on to win the championship. Inter took the game, making a Corinthians championship very likely.
The world's top chain of fine restaurants is especially committed to the educational process in Brazil. This month, they are providing a helpful guide to Brazilian football slang.
Maranata
Our visit to Maranata Bible Institute was a blessing once again. The journey is long, but delightful. Life there is simple, but good – God-centred, Christ-centred, Gospel-centred, mission-centred. IBM has been passing through a prolonged and deep crisis, but it is still alive and well, with more students than for a long time due to enter next year. The place needs help – the absolute shoe-string budget for the students means that there is little left over for teachers’ pay, let alone for development. But the shoe-string budget also means that very poor student can come to this hardworking, thrifty, serious school.
We try to make some contribution – more at the capital than income level. We have made donations to the library in the past: this year we took three old computers along. They are newer than the other machines available to the students – and will be fine for simple word-processing for a few years yet. We know that there are many missions’ needs around the world – our own budget needs a boost – but we feel that a relatively small but well-maintained investment in Maranata could be of great importance in terms of long-term harvest.
Anyway, here are some pictures from what was a great week.
Our visit to Maranata Bible Institute was a blessing once again. The journey is long, but delightful. Life there is simple, but good – God-centred, Christ-centred, Gospel-centred, mission-centred. IBM has been passing through a prolonged and deep crisis, but it is still alive and well, with more students than for a long time due to enter next year. The place needs help – the absolute shoe-string budget for the students means that there is little left over for teachers’ pay, let alone for development. But the shoe-string budget also means that very poor student can come to this hardworking, thrifty, serious school.
We try to make some contribution – more at the capital than income level. We have made donations to the library in the past: this year we took three old computers along. They are newer than the other machines available to the students – and will be fine for simple word-processing for a few years yet. We know that there are many missions’ needs around the world – our own budget needs a boost – but we feel that a relatively small but well-maintained investment in Maranata could be of great importance in terms of long-term harvest.
Anyway, here are some pictures from what was a great week.
The drive to Maranata is long, but takes us through some stunning and varied scenery. Pylons in the mountains south of Curitiba serve to break the impression of a world lost since the dawn of time. Even so, I am always half expecting to see pterodactyls on the wing.
A delight for us on the way to Maranata was to stop in Curitiba for lunch with Jason Butler - one-time youth Pastor of the International Baptist Church in Brussels, Belgium, now leading a mission, CCI, in Brazil.
Maranata Bible Institute - our fourth year of teaching the third year students. We feel like part of the furniture.
Professors Valdir and Márcia and their three children, Kerem, Mateus and Samuel - our hosts for Thursday lunch.
An unusual sight in any culture these days - the joy and self-abandon of a book.
Greenness. Copious rain in September had left the landscape around Maranata more beautiful than ever, but the resultant spore and spring-pollen laden air was not good for asthma. Andrew is almost always ill here: this year worse than ever.
In the classroom - for the first time at Maranata, using the laptop and projector - what a revolution! The photo was taken just before the start of class, with two students still to arrive. Reading of newspapers is not a feature of our course!
Cora's birthday fell on the Wednesday of our week at Maranata, and we had a long afternoon out together, visiting Londrina, one of the large cities of Northern Paraná. This portrait was taken in Baby Buffalo - an excellent restaurant where we lunched – as the name suggests, not a place for vegetarians!
As is our wont, when visiting a city, we popped into the Cathedral. Londrina's has a modern structure, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As ever, the atmosphere was quiet and reverent (at least outside of a mass time!) with people of all ages coming in to pray.
The cathedral is notable for the emphasis on Jesus. The main door has the words Christ, Yesterday, Today, Forever emblazoned around it. A huge wooden crucifix has the text "He loved me and died for me" beneath. We had to look hard for Mary, who normally dominates Brazilian Cathedrals. Every pillar in the vast structure had one of these posters: National Evangelization Project - We want to see Jesus. We were struck by the general clarity, as compared with most evangelical churches, until we reached some other posters at the far end of the building...
Having witnessed the confusion in the cathedral, we saw more just outside. This street evangelist was noisily trying to cast demons out of a (admittedly fairly wacky - drugged?) shoe-shine boy. The air crackled with tension - at this moment the adversaries are apart, but there were points when they seemed about to come to blows. The public looked on, smiling.
On the return from Londrina we stopped to photograph ourselves at the marker for the Tropic of Capricorn. We were slightly surprised that Londrina is above the line, not having realised that the city is north of São Paulo. I remember well, on my first visit in 1997, noting a similar marker on the motorway shortly after pulling out of Guarulhos airport and heading North to São José dos Campos.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Maranata is always a place of feeling in contact with the natural world. This year, a small dove had made her nest right in the doorway of Pastor Artêmio's house. Perhaps, as a single mum, she felt that the security of a human habitation gave protection for her two eggs, which hatched the first day we were there.
The chicks on our last day - four days old. Note the egg "teeth".
A particularly handsome stork, not a type common around Floripa.
Artêmio Neto, Daniel´s son and one of our best young friends in Brazil, always greets our arrival at his home with some natural wonder. This time a fish that can survive in dried up mud-patches for long periods.
We always seem to bring the rain - in this case it held off till Thursday afternoon.
Physical work in the buildings and grounds is part of the students' contribution to Maranata. They pay in the region of 55 pounds per month for tuition, board and lodging, but also work for 2 hours 45 minutes, 5 days a week on the maintenance. Here Senhor Angelo is at work in one of the vegetable plots.
The kitchen crew - a good range of Brazilian faces!
Manuel and Ellen and their family. Having spent a long period in Ellen's native Canada, the family all speak English, the first Maranatenses we have known who do so. Manuel should be in our third year group next year.
Our students for this year. All from year three, a quieter and less strikingly brilliant group than last year, but we ended up feeling very drawn to them. From left: Adélio; Ageu; Marcos; Paula; Ana-Laura; Hosana; her sister Marta; directly in front of her Neimer; Angelo. As well as being fairly evenly split between men and women, the group is also divided between North, Amazonian, Brazil, and the southern industrial heartland.
A key element of the week at Maranata is the practical workshop, with the students expounding set texts in five minute outline sermons. Marcos here opens up Malachi 2:17 - 3:5
Neimer - 1 Peter 1:22- 2:3 - Yes, friends, the text for the grass sermon!
As ever, the drive away from Maranata has a sense of driving away from one of the places we love the best, and where we are are best loved.
The curse and blessing that is child labour.
We left Maranata with a slow leak in one tire. We stopped soon afterwards to get it seen to. If this lad were in England, he would have been in school. As it is, for the last 8 months, he has worked with his Dad, while doing 4 hours of school. Shock horror, you may say. But on the other hand, while his British counterparts are squabbling over Neighbours and computer games, he showed us the meaning of the word Work: a wheel removed, checked, problem identified, repair effected and wheel replaced with total competence and zero fuss. He charged us 5 reais - £1.20. I felt churlish to pay so little, and yet would have felt churlish to pay him more. Do you know what I mean?
These issues are not as straightforward as some think.
This grotto, to Nossa Senhora Aparecida, (Our Lady Appeared, Patron of Brazil) was part of the garage buildings where our tire was repaired.
As we drove past the Itajaí Valley, we were listening to the account of the first dawn over Narnia, in the BBC version of the Magician's Nephew, and watching a quite superb sunset. An hour or so later, we were home, safe and sound.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Maranata
Our annual visit to the Maranata Bible Institute, Paraná, will take place, God willing, next week. This week is part of their regular curriculum now – a week on Expository Ministry. We plan to travel on Monday, returning on Saturday, with both of us teaching through the week. We can hardly believe that this is the fourth year already that we have made this trip. We understand that this year’s group of final year students has a larger proportion of women than usual, so we are planning for Cora to have more space to develop the “Bible Studies” part of the course.
Please pray for a blessed week and safety in the 20 hours or so of driving involved in making the trip.
Our annual visit to the Maranata Bible Institute, Paraná, will take place, God willing, next week. This week is part of their regular curriculum now – a week on Expository Ministry. We plan to travel on Monday, returning on Saturday, with both of us teaching through the week. We can hardly believe that this is the fourth year already that we have made this trip. We understand that this year’s group of final year students has a larger proportion of women than usual, so we are planning for Cora to have more space to develop the “Bible Studies” part of the course.
Please pray for a blessed week and safety in the 20 hours or so of driving involved in making the trip.
Florianópolis (28º0'33" S 48º 29'17" W) to Maranata (23º 45'0" S 51º14'54" W) - faster by Google Earth than by car!
Back home to Brazil.
The visit to Britain was very good – and represented the first time in which we had left a home which is definitely ours at each end of the journey. We felt very much involved in life in England, and consequently the readjustment here was a bit harder than normal. On the other hand, the wonderful welcome from the church and specific encouragements have spurred us on and we are now back in the swim.
The visit to Britain was very good – and represented the first time in which we had left a home which is definitely ours at each end of the journey. We felt very much involved in life in England, and consequently the readjustment here was a bit harder than normal. On the other hand, the wonderful welcome from the church and specific encouragements have spurred us on and we are now back in the swim.
Peregrinos
One of the best encouragements was discernible the first time Andrew opened up the word with the church, on our second Friday night back. People all seem so much more “switched on" with the Bible – the effort and learning curve of preaching over the last ten weeks has not only helped the guys who spoke, but their wives, and has raised consciousness in general of how we must listen to the Bible. The same factor was visible on the Sunday following, when Andrew closed the Sermon on the Mount series. This is REALLY good!
Wedding bells
One of the girls who have more recently come into the church, Priscila, will be marrying an American, Daniel, at the end of the year. Time with them talking over their marriage, in both senses of the word, will be important amongst the other duties of the coming weeks.
IBE
Andrew will restart at IBE only after our visit to Maranata, but has already spoken for three hours, interpreting for an American visitor. This was the first time when we have done this in a more formal setting (public speaking as opposed to private conversations) and it was great to see that it worked. Larry, the Pastor, spoke extremely simply in short phrases, and the whole thing flowed. Andrew was utterly exhausted by the end though – far easier to teach for three hours than interpret!
Rodrigo and Lívia
Throughout these last months, contact with Rodrigo and Lívia in Belo Horizonte has been important. (See the visits described in the archives for March and June 2005) They are now preparing to spend time in the UK, improving their English in order to do the one year Cornhill Training Course, and have needed help and guidance on many issues. Their own church is supporting them remarkably well, and they have bursaries to cover course fees, but the exchange rate being what it is, they will be on a shoe-string budget. Any help towards living or transport costs would be gratefully received.
Money
Speaking of which, our own support has also slipped somewhat over the past year or two – for good reasons, such as churches sending their own missionaries, but we are slightly concerned with the situation, especially in order to maintain the possibility of visiting poorer churches / communities who cannot afford to offer us full transport costs. Our car also needs replacing – it is in the phase where maintenance costs are rising, and yet we do not have the capital to change it for a lower maintenance car. Please pray over this situation.
A visitor
Five minutes back, and already a visitor! Our dear Dutch friend from the Carey conferences, Kees van Kralingen, had to be in São Paulo this week to teach and make contact with colleagues in his very large, detergent producing firm. He took the trouble to fly down for the weekend, and we had a really wonderful time with him. What an encouragement a visitor can be, even so soon after time in the UK. He came to the Peregrinos on Sunday, and was closely questioned by the church on the spiritual conditions in Holland. Priscila made notes of Andrew’s sermon in English, so that Kees could follow. An excellent time!
One of the best encouragements was discernible the first time Andrew opened up the word with the church, on our second Friday night back. People all seem so much more “switched on" with the Bible – the effort and learning curve of preaching over the last ten weeks has not only helped the guys who spoke, but their wives, and has raised consciousness in general of how we must listen to the Bible. The same factor was visible on the Sunday following, when Andrew closed the Sermon on the Mount series. This is REALLY good!
Wedding bells
One of the girls who have more recently come into the church, Priscila, will be marrying an American, Daniel, at the end of the year. Time with them talking over their marriage, in both senses of the word, will be important amongst the other duties of the coming weeks.
IBE
Andrew will restart at IBE only after our visit to Maranata, but has already spoken for three hours, interpreting for an American visitor. This was the first time when we have done this in a more formal setting (public speaking as opposed to private conversations) and it was great to see that it worked. Larry, the Pastor, spoke extremely simply in short phrases, and the whole thing flowed. Andrew was utterly exhausted by the end though – far easier to teach for three hours than interpret!
Rodrigo and Lívia
Throughout these last months, contact with Rodrigo and Lívia in Belo Horizonte has been important. (See the visits described in the archives for March and June 2005) They are now preparing to spend time in the UK, improving their English in order to do the one year Cornhill Training Course, and have needed help and guidance on many issues. Their own church is supporting them remarkably well, and they have bursaries to cover course fees, but the exchange rate being what it is, they will be on a shoe-string budget. Any help towards living or transport costs would be gratefully received.
Money
Speaking of which, our own support has also slipped somewhat over the past year or two – for good reasons, such as churches sending their own missionaries, but we are slightly concerned with the situation, especially in order to maintain the possibility of visiting poorer churches / communities who cannot afford to offer us full transport costs. Our car also needs replacing – it is in the phase where maintenance costs are rising, and yet we do not have the capital to change it for a lower maintenance car. Please pray over this situation.
A visitor
Five minutes back, and already a visitor! Our dear Dutch friend from the Carey conferences, Kees van Kralingen, had to be in São Paulo this week to teach and make contact with colleagues in his very large, detergent producing firm. He took the trouble to fly down for the weekend, and we had a really wonderful time with him. What an encouragement a visitor can be, even so soon after time in the UK. He came to the Peregrinos on Sunday, and was closely questioned by the church on the spiritual conditions in Holland. Priscila made notes of Andrew’s sermon in English, so that Kees could follow. An excellent time!
With Kees in the North-Eastern restaurant just round the corner.
