Growth before birth

I think I've mentioned this before, but just in case you forgot, I'm going to tell you again why I like living here longer-term. Growth and development. It may sound like I'm talking about a fetus or a toddler. Not exactly. I'm talking about adults. They just happen to be at the fetus stage of their Christian walk. The seeds have been (and are being) planted. Now we're watering them and hoping to see signs of faith and commitment begin to grow. And I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that I get to watch it all unfold. Witnessing this growth is one of the greatest blessings in life.

Yesterday, one of my readers, who has studied with 2 other LST workers since starting in June, began to study the Bible in Portuguese with one of the church members!!! He has been interested for a while and has participated in many activities with God's people here. I knew it was just a matter of time. So, of course, I was very anxious to find out how the study went. I didn't have to wait long. During our reading session tonight, he told me that during the Bible study he learned that every kind of knowledge could be found in the Bible. He said it with such wonder and amazement and excitement that it made me love and respect the Bible all over again. It made my heart very happy. I'm really excited to see this reader grow in his knowledge of the Bible and his love for Jesus. And what a joy it will be to see him some day become a beautiful baby!

Jesus had siblings?!

I wish you could meet my readers. They are wonderful! I really enjoy talking with each of them. I’m sure you would too. We talk about all sorts of things from English words to American culture to international affairs. And, of course and most importantly, the Bible. To give you a little insight into what goes on in an LST reading session, I’d like to share a few excerpts from some of our conversations. Both of the following exchanges happened in two separate reading sessions with the same reader. I’m going to call him Thiago (which, by the way, is the Portuguese form of James). I look forward every week to reading with him. We share a lot of laughs during our sessions. He comes twice a week and has such an excitement for learning English. He also has developed some good relationships with some of the people from the church and is learning a lot about the Bible and its Truths, as you will see. For now, I’m going to give you some of the more serious conversations. I’ll post some funny stories at a later date. Enjoy!

Excerpt #1
After reading about the angel telling Mary that she will become pregnant and give birth to Jesus.

Me: So, what are your thoughts about this lesson?
Thiago: I agree with this. I think it’s true. But [thoughtful pause] I don’t think Mary is still a virgin.
Me: (after a few seconds of shock) Well, I don’t think she’s still a virgin either.
T: Really?
Me: Yes, she had other children.
T: Mary had other children?!

(Apparently the Catholic church here in Brazil teaches that Mary is still a virgin and Jesus’ brothers and sisters talked about in Matthew 12, Mark 3, and Luke 8 aren’t actually his real siblings. They’ve come up with several reasons why, but I don’t know all of them.)

Excerpt #2
During the lesson about Satan tempting Jesus in the desert/wilderness. Right after reading “Worship the Lord your God and serve only Him.”

Me: What does this mean?
T: That we should only worship God and no one else.
Me: Yes, we should only worship God and Jesus.
T: Jesus too? Why?
Me: Because Jesus is God also.
T: What?! Jesus is God?
Me: Yes, He is.
T: No, He’s the Son of God. Not God.
We then have a brief discussion of how Jesus can be both God and man and continue the rest of the lesson. At the end:
Me: What did you learn in this lesson?
T: I learned that Jesus is God and God’s Son. But I don’t think I agree.

Followed by a brief discussion of why he doesn't agree.

(Well, Thiago dear, it is just fine if you don’t agree yet. I’m just glad that you have now heard the truth that Jesus is God as well as God’s Son.)

I’m very anxious and excited to continue reading with Thiago and to see what else God has to teach him through me. I hope you enjoyed this peek into the work God is doing here at the Comunidade de Cristo church in Natal. May the Lord give you this week a glimpse (or hopefully more) into the work He is doing where you are.

Life

I've never been much of a city-watcher. But then again, I've never lived on the 8th floor of a building overlooking a city 20 times bigger than the largest town I've lived in in the last 23 years. When I lived on the 5th floor of Summit (or Nutt, as I refuse to call it) at Tech for 3 years, I liked to look out those big windows and see what was happening on campus. Unless it was the 10 minutes between classes, I usually saw nothing of interest. Not here. Now, I enjoy standing on the balconey of my apartment or staring out my bedroom window and watching the city of Natal. I always see something interesting, from a soccer game to a couple fighting on the street to a campaign parade, as well as the occasional helicopter. As I stare out at the city I now call home, with its dark alleys, decorative apartment buildings, and beautiful people, my heart fills with thanksgiving, and I am in awe of the God of the impossible. The God who whispers words of love and redemption and hears and understands words of faith and praise in all languages. The God who has perfect plans for each of His children and loves them all equally and unconditionally. Yahweh. Our Creator. Our Father. Who brought me here to Natal, Brazil, for a reason I have yet to fully comprehend. As I take in the beauty of Natal and contemplate the mysteries of the divine, I am overcome by a sense of calm. Life is right.

What attracts you?

No, I don't want to know about your preference for blue eyes and a good heart. I actually want to know what attracts you to God? Why do you love Him? I've been pondering this since a conversation I had with a reader yesterday. For me, it began when I experienced God's love through His people as I was growing up. Today, while His love is still the foundation of my faith, it's also His consistency. He is the same today as He was 1000 years ago and as He will be in 1000 years. I never open the Bible and discover that He's not who I thought He was or that He's not who He portrayed Himself to be. He IS and He never changes (James 1:17). And His presence is constant as well. He never leaves me (Heb 13:5). The second I start to think He has, He shows me otherwise. Yes, God is the one constant in my life. And in an ever-changing, ever-decieving world, this is very Good News! And you, what attracts you to God?

Now, I'm sure you're wondering about that thought-provoking conversation. We were reading from Luke 12:23-31 about seeking God's kingdom. We started talking about what that means and why we should do it. Somehow, the question "What attracts you to God?" came up. His response was "Here (the church). You. These classes." Wow. How humbling is that? This person has been reading for a few months with several different Americans. He has visited the church many times, coming almost every week now. He also has studied the Bible in Portuguese with one of the missionaries. All because he saw something in the people he met at the church and through Let's Start Talking that attracted him to God. It seems that the love we, God's people, show to others greatly influences God's kingdom (as evidenced by pretty much the entire New Testament). This just drives home the point that we are God's representatives, His ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20). We can attract people or we can drive them away. What affect does your life have on people?

Great News!

A few posts ago, I introduced you to Francisco. He was an LST reader who decided to give his life to Christ and was baptized last month. He was so excited about his new Life that he went and told his good friend, Geraldo, about Jesus. Well, last night Geraldo also gave his life to Jesus. How beautiful! I, unfortunately, did not have my camera. To see pics and read a bit more of the story, click here read my roommates's blog.

Hopefully I will write many more posts like this one in the future!

I'm not fluent yet...

I'm learning Portuguese. It's a daily process. One that will continue every single day that I'm here. I have a lot to learn.

For example, in my last post I said that the theme of the retreat was, in English, "Defeating Giants." Well, after reading my roommate's blog (who is fluent in Portuguese), I realized that I was wrong. The theme, translated into my mother tongue, is "Facing Giants."

Just thought I'd let you know. :-)

Retreating Brasilian Style

This was a weekend of firsts. My first Brasilian retreat. My first Brasilian roadtrip. My first time to travel outside Natal. My first experience with the Brasilian birthday custom of breaking a giant balloon filled with candy (and flour, in this case).

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