Friday, June 30, 2006
Group gathered at Kari's flat to watch Brazil versus Ghana. Most are from MEUNI, except for Marcel, on the right, who is not at the university, but is a regular with the Peregrinos.
Saturday 24th June 2006 - Missionary Conference Itapema
Andrew was invited to participate in a weekend conference on missions at Itapema Presbyterian Church. This is the largest Presbyterian church in the southern two states of Brazil. Gathering around 500 in a town of 20 000, it is totally outside the norm for the region, and is striking for the fact that this strength is built on a conservative theology and resolutely "traditional" practice. It was important to meet the two pastors, Josiel and Samuel, and we hope that the link will be productive in the long term.
The promontory of Bombinas and Mariscal, near to Itapema. Pastor Josiel took us out for after lunch to climb the hill at the end - a wonderful afternoon.
View of the promontory from the hill top.
Rafael Costa and his girlfriend Bruna, who came to the missions conference. Rafa is a friend whom we had not seen for a LONG time: to spend an afternoon together was a real treat.
Andrew was invited to participate in a weekend conference on missions at Itapema Presbyterian Church. This is the largest Presbyterian church in the southern two states of Brazil. Gathering around 500 in a town of 20 000, it is totally outside the norm for the region, and is striking for the fact that this strength is built on a conservative theology and resolutely "traditional" practice. It was important to meet the two pastors, Josiel and Samuel, and we hope that the link will be productive in the long term.
The promontory of Bombinas and Mariscal, near to Itapema. Pastor Josiel took us out for after lunch to climb the hill at the end - a wonderful afternoon.
View of the promontory from the hill top.
Rafael Costa and his girlfriend Bruna, who came to the missions conference. Rafa is a friend whom we had not seen for a LONG time: to spend an afternoon together was a real treat.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
The largest ever meeting of the Florianópolis Peregrinos - 34 people crammed into our flat.
Reformed Baptist Congress, Volta Redonda, RJ 14-17 June
Our journey to Rio was a good one.
1,2 A beautiful dawn start, with a great view of Florioanópolis city centre and the North of the Island, before a brief stop in São Paulo.
3 The TAM staff were wearing silly yokel hats in Brazil colours, for the Festa Juninha and the World Cup.
4 The line up of GOL planes at Congonhas shows the strength of the company - and the collapse of Varig in the domestic market.
5,6 In two shots of the approach into Rio the Sugar Loaf, Corcovado (with the statue of Christ) and the Maracanã Stadium can all be seen.
7-9 For the first time we followed the most interesting trajectory into Santos Dumont airport, coming in over a shoulder of the Corcovado, banking hard in front of the Sugar Loaf before touching down on the incredibly short runway. The photo of a TAM plane doing just this was taken last November: this time we were inside.
Volta Redonda - we stayed just by the largest steel plant in Latin America.
Evening meeting - Bob and Cathy Selph at front. Bob was the main speaker at the event, ably interpreted by Daniel Deeds. His ministry majored on the place of the Moral Law, seen as the Ten Commandments, in the life of reformed baptists, along with other aspects of church life and polity.
Friends 1
Friends 2
The youth
The official organisation of the Igreja Batista de Fé Reformada in Volta Redonda occurred after the end of the congress, with most people staying on and others arriving to participate in the solemnities / festivities. Here members of the church stand together, with their Pastor, Paulo César Valle at the front right. The church has a site, still under the original name: Congregação dos Peregrinos em Volta Redonda.
Paulo e Deise and their three lovely children.
A Brazilian church celebration would be nothing without cake and balloons!
On our way home.
For the first time we took off in the westerly direction from Santos Dumont Airport, Rio de Janeiro. Despite the filthy state of the window, the view was still worth recording. While in the air the pilot kept us updated with news of the Brazil v Australia game. It was scoreless until we were on the approach to Congonhas airport, when Andrew spotted the smoke of a firework below us, and knew that Brazil has just scored.
We had quite a long wait in the departure lounge at Congonhas, catching the last part of the hard-fought Brazil v Australia match. It is nice to watch with a crowd. Notice the preponderance of Brazil colours.
And so home, landing after sunset, to be welcomed by Rafael and Greyse from the Peregrinos, bearing placards saying, ANDREW and CORA. Students don't change much!
Our journey to Rio was a good one.
1,2 A beautiful dawn start, with a great view of Florioanópolis city centre and the North of the Island, before a brief stop in São Paulo.
3 The TAM staff were wearing silly yokel hats in Brazil colours, for the Festa Juninha and the World Cup.
4 The line up of GOL planes at Congonhas shows the strength of the company - and the collapse of Varig in the domestic market.
5,6 In two shots of the approach into Rio the Sugar Loaf, Corcovado (with the statue of Christ) and the Maracanã Stadium can all be seen.
7-9 For the first time we followed the most interesting trajectory into Santos Dumont airport, coming in over a shoulder of the Corcovado, banking hard in front of the Sugar Loaf before touching down on the incredibly short runway. The photo of a TAM plane doing just this was taken last November: this time we were inside.
Volta Redonda - we stayed just by the largest steel plant in Latin America.
Evening meeting - Bob and Cathy Selph at front. Bob was the main speaker at the event, ably interpreted by Daniel Deeds. His ministry majored on the place of the Moral Law, seen as the Ten Commandments, in the life of reformed baptists, along with other aspects of church life and polity.
Friends 1
Friends 2
The youth
The official organisation of the Igreja Batista de Fé Reformada in Volta Redonda occurred after the end of the congress, with most people staying on and others arriving to participate in the solemnities / festivities. Here members of the church stand together, with their Pastor, Paulo César Valle at the front right. The church has a site, still under the original name: Congregação dos Peregrinos em Volta Redonda.
Paulo e Deise and their three lovely children.
A Brazilian church celebration would be nothing without cake and balloons!
On our way home.
For the first time we took off in the westerly direction from Santos Dumont Airport, Rio de Janeiro. Despite the filthy state of the window, the view was still worth recording. While in the air the pilot kept us updated with news of the Brazil v Australia game. It was scoreless until we were on the approach to Congonhas airport, when Andrew spotted the smoke of a firework below us, and knew that Brazil has just scored.
We had quite a long wait in the departure lounge at Congonhas, catching the last part of the hard-fought Brazil v Australia match. It is nice to watch with a crowd. Notice the preponderance of Brazil colours.
And so home, landing after sunset, to be welcomed by Rafael and Greyse from the Peregrinos, bearing placards saying, ANDREW and CORA. Students don't change much!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Visit to Recife and the Sertão Pernambucano, 3-10 June
Map of northeast Brazil, showing Recife and Arcoverde.
Paulo Brasil and Samuel Vitelino. Great friends, enormous fun to spend time with, men of erudition and scholarship, a huge passion for the gospel and for gospel preaching, and a certain appreciation of food.
Samuel's grandma. She is the only person we have ever met with over 100 descendants.
Cora on the balcony of the Vitelinos' flat, Recife.
The old Road of the Jews: since 1654 the Road of the Good Jesus.
The Jews of Recife, sheltered by the Dutch, were driven out after the Portuguese secured the region. They fled and founded another city of islands and rivers, by the sea. In honour of their former protectors they named it New Amsterdam. But the dominant colonial power on that continent renamed it...
New York.
It is wonderful to see a street plaque that reminds you of such a vast swathe of history, embracing three continents.
Images of Recife
Recife by night.
Baobab tree in the grounds of the government buildings, Recife.
Graças Presbyterian Church, Recife, where Andrew preached twice on Sunday morning.
Sunday night congregation, First Presbyterian Church, Recife.
Into the Sertão
The Sertão is the interior region of the north-east - dry and poor. It has seen poor investment, and has lost a huge swathe of population, as economic migrants have left in desperation for the big cities of the south-east. Samuel's desire is to invest in it spiritually, and our ministry aim for this trip was to lead a brief refresher course on exposition in the heart of the state of Pernambuco. The visit was good, but marred by illness. Cora developed severe flu on arrival at Arcoverde, and was unable to do her workshop with women. Andrew came down with the same on return to Recife.
Scenes of the Sertão - oddly green this year after two months good rains.
Faces of the Sertão
Arcoverde Presbyterian Church, where the event was held.
Paulo preaching to open the congress.
Photo time
Samuel preaching in the Congress.
Pastor Arnaldo and his wife, Daniella, from Arcoverde Presbyterian church.
Rash on Andrew's arm on the day of his worst flu-fever.
Glenn and Winifred Every-Clayton: the first time we have met up since 1998. How much has happened since then, and how good it is now to meet as colleagues, with six years of experience to chat over.
Map of northeast Brazil, showing Recife and Arcoverde.
Paulo Brasil and Samuel Vitelino. Great friends, enormous fun to spend time with, men of erudition and scholarship, a huge passion for the gospel and for gospel preaching, and a certain appreciation of food.
Samuel's grandma. She is the only person we have ever met with over 100 descendants.
Cora on the balcony of the Vitelinos' flat, Recife.
The old Road of the Jews: since 1654 the Road of the Good Jesus.
The Jews of Recife, sheltered by the Dutch, were driven out after the Portuguese secured the region. They fled and founded another city of islands and rivers, by the sea. In honour of their former protectors they named it New Amsterdam. But the dominant colonial power on that continent renamed it...
New York.
It is wonderful to see a street plaque that reminds you of such a vast swathe of history, embracing three continents.
Images of Recife
Recife by night.
Baobab tree in the grounds of the government buildings, Recife.
Graças Presbyterian Church, Recife, where Andrew preached twice on Sunday morning.
Sunday night congregation, First Presbyterian Church, Recife.
Into the Sertão
The Sertão is the interior region of the north-east - dry and poor. It has seen poor investment, and has lost a huge swathe of population, as economic migrants have left in desperation for the big cities of the south-east. Samuel's desire is to invest in it spiritually, and our ministry aim for this trip was to lead a brief refresher course on exposition in the heart of the state of Pernambuco. The visit was good, but marred by illness. Cora developed severe flu on arrival at Arcoverde, and was unable to do her workshop with women. Andrew came down with the same on return to Recife.
Scenes of the Sertão - oddly green this year after two months good rains.
Faces of the Sertão
Arcoverde Presbyterian Church, where the event was held.
Paulo preaching to open the congress.
Photo time
Samuel preaching in the Congress.
Pastor Arnaldo and his wife, Daniella, from Arcoverde Presbyterian church.
Rash on Andrew's arm on the day of his worst flu-fever.
Glenn and Winifred Every-Clayton: the first time we have met up since 1998. How much has happened since then, and how good it is now to meet as colleagues, with six years of experience to chat over.
Friday, June 02, 2006
North-Eastern trip
Please pray for our journey tomorrow to Recife for the pastors' training days in the interior of Pernambuco state. We have had a heavy week of considerable busyness, combined with flu, which particularly today has knocked Andrew out totally. Cora yesterday. Our flight leaves in the evening, arriving at 1.30, and with a day of ministry to follow.
Programme for the Pastors' Conference
Please pray for our journey tomorrow to Recife for the pastors' training days in the interior of Pernambuco state. We have had a heavy week of considerable busyness, combined with flu, which particularly today has knocked Andrew out totally. Cora yesterday. Our flight leaves in the evening, arriving at 1.30, and with a day of ministry to follow.
Programme for the Pastors' Conference
