Yes, it was a very fun, interesting, and tiring experience. We left bright and early at 5:30 a.m. on Friday and returned at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday. It was an 8-hour roadtrip. We went by omnibus, which is like a cross between a church van and the economy section of an airplane, complete with DVD player. We only made two bathroom stops on the way there and one on the back. Chris Buxton, you would be proud. :)
The theme of the Retreat was Desafiando Gigantes, or Defeating Giants. The main text was taken from 1 Samuel 17. (I'll pause while you get out your Bible and read.) Even though everything was in Portugese and not much was translated, I understood a lot of what was said. Or I at least got the main idea. By Sunday morning though, I was so physically (from lack of sleep) and mentally (from trying to understand everything that was happening) exhausted that I could hardly force myself to listen to the message.
This weekend I did learn that Brasilian retreats are a lot like and a lot different from American ones. I can't exactly pinpoint all of the differences (except for the obvious language and meal differences) though. Sorry. A few things I noticed, though:
~We only had cold water for showers, and I didn't hear anyone complain.
~Brasilians are loud and very, very loving.
~Hammocks apparently make wonderful beds.
~Fun happened naturally.
So, as you can tell, Brasil and Brasilians are great! Here are some pictures so you can see it for yourself. God bless!
All the Natal girls
The whole Natal gang
No comments:
Post a Comment