In theory, we got to sleep in this morning; but in fact, most of us got to bed so late last night it was a wash...but we had fun getting this tired!
Our devotionals continue to be a very special time of worship and preparation for the day. Today I spoke about Ephesians 2:10: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." At the end of the devotion, Bruno, a 21-year-old member, and his friend, Flavia, played and sang an original song he'd written a few months before on exactly this verse. My favorite words from this song are that before we were created by God "we were in your dreams." It is a beautiful piece ~ truly inspired ~ and a great complement to this morning's meditation.
I asked for stories of encouragement, and Andrea told us about a little girl who was complaining bitterly about the heat. She took the child aside and told her to sit down to cool off; when she looked back she noticed that the child was sitting in the shade. There are no trees: this is a downtown sports complex with artificial turf. Andrea looked up and in the otherwise cloudless sky there was a single cloud directly over the little girl. Sure - there were other kids there that day who were hot - but it gave Andrea the opportunity to tell the child to look up and see how much God cared about her.
Today was full, but almost routine: lunch with a church family, then off to the ball field for three hours of baseball clinic. Everyone is reporting that the children they talk to are telling them how glad they are that we are doing this and how much fun they're having. For us baseball is fun, but ordinary. Here, it is novel ~ what kid doesn't like hitting stuff with a stick?
At lunch I had a long discussion with Marcello, a man who has a hospital project in the Amazon, as well as a relationship with a Presbyterian school in the Amazon. He shared how for the past 10 years he has taken groups to his hospital compound to construct buildings, administer health screenings and teach the children. He says that with good sense it is a safe trip and that in 10 years of bringing in groups, he has had no problems. I hope to look into these projects to see if there is a role for FPC to play.
Another man, Joachim, is the full-time administrator of a non-profit organization with several outreaches to street children and families suffering from the effects of having a member with AIDS. He, too, has opportunities for short "courses" of mission with the street children, and will provide us with information about how we might help.
My host family, Fabrizio and Andrea Souza and their children Thiago (14) and Natalia (13) are a delight. Fabrizio is an engineer and Andrea is a linguist who is completing her dissertation for her doctorate. Fabrizio is also the Sunday School superintendent and Andrea sings in the praise band. They have a housekeeper named Maria who (Andrea tells me) is in awe that they have "a pastora" visiting in their home. She loves this family and prays for them - Andrea says that Maria considers it a privilege to take care for my needs. She is a master of Christian hospitality!
Tomorrow we are scheduled to visit an orphanage ~ I've never been to an orphanage, although I have helped at crisis pregnancy centers and worked with troubled children. I'm sure it will be an emotional morning.
So, it's late and my own dreams are calling...miss you
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