Thursday, September 14, 2006
Bec and Tom's Visit
Our children are here, and will be until 29 September, God willing. It was eight months to the day since we last saw Tom that we picked them up from the airport here: Bec had left for Birmingham a few days earlier in January. It is the longest time we have been apart, and it has not been easy. We are now together and – as ever – talking, a lot.
Bec is actually not too well. She arrived with what we thought was just jet-lag, but she is running a temperature and has recurring headaches. We have had to delay our departure for Marquito´s family's beach house for her to rest up here. Please pray for a quick recovery.
Next week, on Thursday 21 September, we are exploiting the presence of Bec and Tom to have an evening for students on Postmodernism in the Universities – a general chat about the shifts taking place in European and Brazilian Universities and how Christians need to handle them. Tom will open the subject up, and then we will have an open debate. A good number of MEUNI people have already expressed interest: please pray for a good evening.
The University Chapel
We are still not in the Chapel, and may not be. Are the building repairs taking place there due to last one week or six months? Why are existing users being told one week, and new users six months? WHAT IS GOING ON?
In the meantime, we are still in the flat. The last two weeks have had low congregations, with many people travelling for the end of semester break. (This should have happened in June/July, but the need to catch up with professors' strikes means that everything is running late: situation normal.) Even so, a low Sunday can still mean 20 people, and with a number of visitors threatening to come this coming Sunday, we may be in for a Sardines' Service.
We will be in Genesis 14, God Willing. This chapter which deals with the theme of a war fought by the people of God will need careful handling in the Brazilian situation. It is striking how this cultural difference affects preaching: war is a relatively easy metaphor to use in the UK, but here it is an area for great care. (And perhaps should be in bellicose England?!)
Our children are here, and will be until 29 September, God willing. It was eight months to the day since we last saw Tom that we picked them up from the airport here: Bec had left for Birmingham a few days earlier in January. It is the longest time we have been apart, and it has not been easy. We are now together and – as ever – talking, a lot.
Bec is actually not too well. She arrived with what we thought was just jet-lag, but she is running a temperature and has recurring headaches. We have had to delay our departure for Marquito´s family's beach house for her to rest up here. Please pray for a quick recovery.
Next week, on Thursday 21 September, we are exploiting the presence of Bec and Tom to have an evening for students on Postmodernism in the Universities – a general chat about the shifts taking place in European and Brazilian Universities and how Christians need to handle them. Tom will open the subject up, and then we will have an open debate. A good number of MEUNI people have already expressed interest: please pray for a good evening.
The University Chapel
We are still not in the Chapel, and may not be. Are the building repairs taking place there due to last one week or six months? Why are existing users being told one week, and new users six months? WHAT IS GOING ON?
In the meantime, we are still in the flat. The last two weeks have had low congregations, with many people travelling for the end of semester break. (This should have happened in June/July, but the need to catch up with professors' strikes means that everything is running late: situation normal.) Even so, a low Sunday can still mean 20 people, and with a number of visitors threatening to come this coming Sunday, we may be in for a Sardines' Service.
We will be in Genesis 14, God Willing. This chapter which deals with the theme of a war fought by the people of God will need careful handling in the Brazilian situation. It is striking how this cultural difference affects preaching: war is a relatively easy metaphor to use in the UK, but here it is an area for great care. (And perhaps should be in bellicose England?!)
# posted by Andrew and Cora @ 8:06:00 am 
