Some of the most troubling moments in traveling come when you experience a situation in which you know what you would do as an American, but not what you should do now and here. The other day I realized I hadn’t asked whether or not it was acceptable to tip cab drivers, and so I gave the fellow a few extra Reais (R$) and left before an awkward exchange. There isn’t much you can do when there’s a language barrier that prevents you from asking simple questions or understanding the answers. On the other hand there are moments when you realize that conditions are the same the world over.
Spending time with the kids: This week there have been several incidents which have opened our eyes to the conditions our Brazilian neighbors live with daily. I Peter 4:12-13 says “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy,” and at times this world certainly seems strange. At the beginning of the week we were in a small, poor town in the interior of Brazil. We had plans to do VBS with the children of the neighborhood. This was my first time coordinating anything, and for some of our team it was the first time to participate in any way in a VBS program. However, they took the concept and ran with it. They worked hard, played hard, and colored with the best of them. It came off like a dream. In between sessions we would visit members’ homes and share a meal with them. Some of the homes appeared to be in the middle of slums, but the hospitality and generosity always overflowed. On the second day of VBS the father of a boy told us he had invited another little boy, a six year old, who hadn’t come. While roaming his neighborhood he witnessed the robbery of a bakery. The thief later found the little boy and killed him.The Hard Side of Brazil: Only a few days later we were back in Recife and enjoying an evening at the beach with youth from the Boa Vista congregation. While at the beach, nightfall came quickly and the twenty of us were made to sit down and hand over our cell phones by three guys claiming to be armed. They shouted at us, threatening to take our lives, ignoring our pleas for mercy. One of the younger boys apologized over and over as he rifled through Briana’s purse looking for her valuables. These young people have been greatly harmed by the snares of the world, lured into a lifestyle of darkness. but there is hope. Hope that is forever, hope that surrounds us all. In our community of faith we can be sure there are others who are striving toward bringing hope to them.
Here in Brazil the church has spread across Brazil in only the last thirty years. The local churches are hoping to open a new orphanage soon and everywhere we go we find friends. In my Father’s world I can find comfort in everything, despite the risks and the despite the fact that I know my mother worries (by the way, sorry for not telling you earlier about the beach thing, Mom, it didn’t quite come up in conversation). This week we are preparing for the next events scheduled as we continue to go about our Father’s business. Next week we will be teaching three English classes a day using Hymns and the Bible. The week after is a camp for the local teens. We have lots of materials to prepare before then. Finally, at the end of July we will be in the Lar Cristão orphanage in São Paulo, where we will use what resources we have to help with reconstruction there. The world may never be perfected, but we are perfected in our striving. For that we will continue working and praying. We are all thankful for our continued safety and the ability to do.
- Robin
“They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their chains to pieces.” Psalms 107:13-24
