Day Off
Its my day off today. Yesterday I taught my first Sunday School class to the pre-teens. It went alright. There were only about 10 of them and they actually listened well compared to my classroom experience last week. It would have been nice to follow some of the fancy poster and game ideas I found in the SS material here but lugging stuff around on the bus when its already so crowded on Sunday´s didn´t appeal to me. So we played some games, read Psalm 139, talked about how we are all unique and God knows everything about us. I let them pray with their hats on and eyes open (shocking I know). Not sure what I´ll do next week as I´m sure the novelty of having a gringa for a teacher may soon wear off. Just getting everyone to read the passage was kind of challenging as many are emberassed about their reading level since some are quite behind. However, in the end I managed to get each one to co-operate and was able to encourage those who were hesitant about their skills.
Not surprisingly I did not give my testimony at the evening service. There were too many other things going on. In some ways its too bad because I was all keyed up and had even written and outline. One of the girls from Morumbi even came just to give me some support. So while that was a bit of a letdown it was a good thing too since I really wasn´t feeling all too well. The evening sermon ended up being about recovery and dealing with suffering. Some of the passages really hit home and I responded to the altar call (something we have every week here). I do feel a bit better now but I can´t seem to shake a feeling of constant tiredness. I even went to bed before midnight and when I woke up at 7:30 this morning I went back to sleep. There is a virus going around and my stomache is kind of not so good today so please keep that in your prayers.
The Saturday evening youth event went really well. We had 50 people show up and there were even some visitors. Tiago gave his testimony and I had a really great chat with Suzana and him on the way home. Marcia my roomate has also been a great listener and a different Tiago prayed with me during the altar call. He lost his mom a month ago so it was really humbling to have him be the one supporting me when I´m sure he came to the front for his own reasons. Still not sure what is behind the emotional roller coaster I´ve been on since Friday but I hope things get sorted out soon.
Rahel is going to be at another ministry for this week and I know I´ll miss her a lot when she leaves later this month. She´s been another great listener and source of encouragement as well as a partner in crowd control at the Compassion project. Maybe I should hide her passport like Pastor Marcelo keeps threatening to do.
Not sure what the week will hold. Thursday is Dia dos Namorados here which is essentially Valentine´s day except it only applies to couples. On Saturday the youth are having a somewhat romantical (yes I made that word up) ´Jantar da Amizade´ which translated is ´Friendship Supper.´ Tiago (the non-married one) said we could go together so I already have a ´date´ per se. But before anyone starts getting any ideas let me assure you that there is nothing to get excited about.
I almost feel guilty taking this day off when I see how hard my roomate works and how over tasked Tiago and Suzana are (not to mention everyone else I know here). The pace of life here is insane. Some quick last minute observations. I really miss silence. The only time its quiet around here is at 3 am on Sunday night. I am also dreading/afraid of doing those house visits to the families of the Compassion kids. While the people are generally lovely the poverty they live in is scary and ugly and I find it hard to rise to the occasion. Some homes are better than others but on Friday I could hardly wait to get out of there. I think that´s probably a fairly normal initial response so please pray that His grace would be sufficient as I know it can and will be. Here are some lyrics to a Derek Webb song Rahel introduced me to. I hope it challenges and inspires you and trust me poverty is hard to see even when you are in the middle of it.
Rich Young Ruler
`Poverty is so hard to see
When it's only on your tv and twenty miles across town
Where we're all living so good
That we moved out of Jesus' neighborhood
Where he's hungry and not feeling so good
From going through our trash
He says, more than just your cash and coin
I want your time, I want your voice
I want the things you just can't give me
So what must we do
Here in the west we want to follow you
We speak the language and we keep all the rules
Even a few we made up
Come on and follow me
But sell your house, sell your suv
Sell your stocks, sell your security
And give it to the poor
What is this, hey what's the deal
I don't sleep around and i don't steal
I want the things you just can't give me
Because what you do to the least of these
My brother's, you have done it to me
Because I want the things you just can't give me.`
Not surprisingly I did not give my testimony at the evening service. There were too many other things going on. In some ways its too bad because I was all keyed up and had even written and outline. One of the girls from Morumbi even came just to give me some support. So while that was a bit of a letdown it was a good thing too since I really wasn´t feeling all too well. The evening sermon ended up being about recovery and dealing with suffering. Some of the passages really hit home and I responded to the altar call (something we have every week here). I do feel a bit better now but I can´t seem to shake a feeling of constant tiredness. I even went to bed before midnight and when I woke up at 7:30 this morning I went back to sleep. There is a virus going around and my stomache is kind of not so good today so please keep that in your prayers.
The Saturday evening youth event went really well. We had 50 people show up and there were even some visitors. Tiago gave his testimony and I had a really great chat with Suzana and him on the way home. Marcia my roomate has also been a great listener and a different Tiago prayed with me during the altar call. He lost his mom a month ago so it was really humbling to have him be the one supporting me when I´m sure he came to the front for his own reasons. Still not sure what is behind the emotional roller coaster I´ve been on since Friday but I hope things get sorted out soon.
Rahel is going to be at another ministry for this week and I know I´ll miss her a lot when she leaves later this month. She´s been another great listener and source of encouragement as well as a partner in crowd control at the Compassion project. Maybe I should hide her passport like Pastor Marcelo keeps threatening to do.
Not sure what the week will hold. Thursday is Dia dos Namorados here which is essentially Valentine´s day except it only applies to couples. On Saturday the youth are having a somewhat romantical (yes I made that word up) ´Jantar da Amizade´ which translated is ´Friendship Supper.´ Tiago (the non-married one) said we could go together so I already have a ´date´ per se. But before anyone starts getting any ideas let me assure you that there is nothing to get excited about.
I almost feel guilty taking this day off when I see how hard my roomate works and how over tasked Tiago and Suzana are (not to mention everyone else I know here). The pace of life here is insane. Some quick last minute observations. I really miss silence. The only time its quiet around here is at 3 am on Sunday night. I am also dreading/afraid of doing those house visits to the families of the Compassion kids. While the people are generally lovely the poverty they live in is scary and ugly and I find it hard to rise to the occasion. Some homes are better than others but on Friday I could hardly wait to get out of there. I think that´s probably a fairly normal initial response so please pray that His grace would be sufficient as I know it can and will be. Here are some lyrics to a Derek Webb song Rahel introduced me to. I hope it challenges and inspires you and trust me poverty is hard to see even when you are in the middle of it.
Rich Young Ruler
`Poverty is so hard to see
When it's only on your tv and twenty miles across town
Where we're all living so good
That we moved out of Jesus' neighborhood
Where he's hungry and not feeling so good
From going through our trash
He says, more than just your cash and coin
I want your time, I want your voice
I want the things you just can't give me
So what must we do
Here in the west we want to follow you
We speak the language and we keep all the rules
Even a few we made up
Come on and follow me
But sell your house, sell your suv
Sell your stocks, sell your security
And give it to the poor
What is this, hey what's the deal
I don't sleep around and i don't steal
I want the things you just can't give me
Because what you do to the least of these
My brother's, you have done it to me
Because I want the things you just can't give me.`
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