Brazil Trip Recap

A month has passed, but I wanted to recap how the rest of my trip to Brazil went back in December. Here are the highlights:

• The group from Midtown had a great trip. As I wrote earlier, the 2 groups of people connected instantly and many good conversations took place. More than just a partnership in spirit, it quickly became clear that the 2 churches compliment each other well and have specific things that they can learn from each other. Moving forward, we will continue many of those conversations and seek to grow a true partnership between the 2 churches.
• The Christmas event in the favela went very well. There were about 60 children there, and we all played games, gave out Christmas gifts, and shared with them about Jesus and why we celebrate his birth! This event built on some of the ongoing efforts of the church in Brazil, and will hopefully provide some momentum in the favela moving forward.
• For me personally, the trip was simply an overall reaffirmation of my desire to move there, and that God is at work. I began to visualize what it will be like living there, I felt the desire to begin investing in relationships there, and I even got a little excited about the process of learning Portuguese! In the next week or so, I will give an update on my progress in getting to Brazil.

As you can see, the trip was definitely a success. In the short run, it has encouraged and excited both myself and some of the others who went. But even more than that, I look forward to seeing the results of this trip years down the road.

Connection

Day 11. The pace of my trip has definitely picked up from the first week to the second. The group from Midtown got here Sunday, so I have been with them most of the time, helping them explore the city and connect with people. So far, my prayers for the group have been realized. The Midtown group and the Brazilians seem to be experiencing the same commonalities of spirit and purpose that I have felt since my first trip here in 2005. I have been encouraged to hear the depth and authenticity of many of the conversations that have been taking place. I know that both groups have been encouraged and challenged by the interaction. The rest of the trip will be more of the same, and will include a growing dialogue on how the 2 churches can come together and partner even more in the future.

One thing that we are all very excited about is coming up this Saturday. Both churches have come together to buy Christmas presents for a group of children who live in the favela, (ghetto) and we will be going into the favela to spend some time with them, give them the gifts, and tell them about Jesus. Please pray for this, as many of these children have probably never heard about Jesus before!

Quick Update

It’s my 4th day here, and already the trip has been a good one. I arrived on Sunday, and after a quick nap went to the evening church service. I don’t understand much of it of course, but it is always a cool experience to hear worship songs that you are familiar with being sung in another language.

The past 2 days have been spent mostly thinking through and planning for the group coming down next week from Midtown. Thanks to Fabiana, Raul, and Demps for all their work so far. The trip seems to be coming together pretty well, and I look forward to my friends from Midtown being here.

The pic below is the view from my home away from home….. My cousin’s apartment in Belo Horizonte.

2 Weeks in Brazil

Since I just arrived in Brazil for a brief 2 week visit, I thought it might be a good time to give an update. First, the purposes of the trip. This first week I traveled alone, and will continue to develop relationships with both the Brazilians and Americans who are involved in the church and ministry in Belo Horizonte. I hope that it will be a time of mutual encouragement and that God will continue to reveal what he has in store for me over the next year. Throughout the week I will also be making preparations for the second week of the trip, which I am very excited about….

Next Saturday, a small team of people from my church in Columbia will be coming down for what will hopefully be the beginning of a long and good partnership between 2 very similar churches in different parts of the world. The main purpose of the trip is for the 2 groups of people to connect, get to know each other a little, and begin to discuss how a cross-cultural relationship can grow and benefit both churches. This will be Midtown’s third international partnership, and it will have a completely different dynamic from the ones in Mexico and India. I am excited for some of my friends to see firsthand what God is doing through the ministry in Belo Horizonte, and to be able to be a part of it. If you are reading this, please take a minute and pray for our trip. I will do my best to give a few updates along the way!

Best Birthday Ever!

Last week was my 40th birthday, (surreal) and since it was a big one I wanted to celebrate by taking a trip somewhere and doing some fun things with a few friends. After weighing several options, I decided to go to NYC for a few days. I have several friends who live there, and I really love the city. Two of my friends from SC, Lauren Reilly and Michael Bailey, went with me, and the trip could not have been better.

Here are the highlights, in order of occurance:

• Went sailing on a 40-foot sailboat: (What a great, different way to see NYC!) Took a 2-hour sailing trip all around southern Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty. Amazing!
• Saw Spiderman on Broadway: Got rush tickets, and got to see a great show for cheap! The writing and the music were pretty weak, but the aerial stunts and special effects were like no other!
• Ate doughnuts at the Doughnut Plant: Tried to hit this place the last time I was in NYC, but it was closed. Best doughnuts I have ever had. Definitely get a square jelly filled one!
• Went to Coney Island: Ate a Nathan’s hot dog, walked on the pier, and rode a roller coaster. Had never been to CI before. If you are from SC, it is pretty much a combination of Myrtle Beach and the State Fair! (in other words, extremely entertaining)
• Had dinner at a cozy little jazz club on the Upper West Side called Smoke: Great food, and great music!
• Visited Trinity Grace Church on Sunday: Great church with several locations around the city. If you ever know of someone looking for a church in NYC, this is a good one.
• Lunch at The Burger Joint: This used to be a fun little “secret” spot, but now the word has gotten out. Still pretty fun, and decent burgers.
• Birthday dinner at Numero 28, (brick oven pizza) and dessert from Veniero’s. (more amazing desserts than you can imagine!)
• And the finale…. watched an incredible sunset and the 4th of July fireworks from my cousin’s 20th floor apartment!

Thanks to Lauren, Bailey, and all my friends in NYC for making this the best birthday I have ever had! Thanks especially to Kelli and Greg for the generous use of their great apartment for the weekend, and to Brandy for your exceptional thoughtfulness and planning. You really made this my best birthday celebration ever!

Blog Redesign

Now I know what you’re thinking. “Who cares.” Right? Well, I agree with you. First, I am neither a designer nor an artist. So announcing that I have “redesigned” my blog is just opening the door for all kinds of critique. (or even jokes) Second, not all that many people read my blog to begin with, (and even fewer actually visit the site as opposed to reading it through RSS) so who is going to see this new design anyway?

However, in light of the fact that I am trying to get to Brazil as soon as possible, communicate what all God is doing in that, and stay connected with as many people as possible, I did feel that the blog needed a little update. In addition to the cosmetic changes, information about Brazil is much more accessible, (see the menu at the top of the page) and there is better information about fundraising and my progress in that.

Having said all that, take a minute and check it out. Would love any feedback or suggestions!

A New Question

A while back I wrote about how often people say to me, “I thought you were in Brazil?” Well, it seems that the question is changing. Now I am starting to get the question, “Are you still planning on going to Brazil?” Haha – talk about a good indicator of my progress! It is interesting; on one hand it seems like things are going at a snail’s pace. It has been a year and a half since I made the decision to move to Brazil, and I still have a substantial way to go. But on the other hand, a lot of things had to happen and I am encouraged by all that God has done so far. Last year I was able to finish remodeling my house and rent it out. Then I took a trip to Brazil to go on the yearly staff retreat with the leadership there. After some training back here in the US, the holidays, and finding a great temporary job here in Greenville, I finally got started on the fundraising part of the process in January. In those short 4 months, God has already provided over 50% of my monthly budget for Brazil!

Through several conversations the past few weeks, God has reaffirmed my desire to be there. As I hear updates on the ministry there, and talk with my Brazilian friends online, I am encouraged by what God is doing and am excited about getting to be a part of it soon. As you read this and whenever you think of me, I would appreciate it if you would take a few seconds and pray for God’s provision in the fundraising and all of the other logistics that have to fall into place for me to go. Thank you!

Easter, A Week Later

I know I am slow in posting this, but last week’s Easter service at Midtown was one of my favorite worship services ever. The thing that impacted me so strongly was the way the service displayed the relevance of the resurrection to our lives today. Having grown up going to church and hearing the Easter story my whole life, it is easy for the power of it to get lost somehow. But last Sunday, reading about the resurrection from the Bible, telling the stories of people’s lives that have been changed today some 2000 years later by that same risen Jesus, then celebrating it all through baptism and song…. I don’t have the words to express how much I was encouraged and reminded of how great our God is! For the past week I have kept re-living that picture and those thoughts as the song “With Everything” plays on my iPod and in my truck over and over again…

Big Scary Decisions

Recently I have been talking with a couple of friends who are in the middle of some pretty big life-direction decisions. One is leaving the comfort of home, family, and friends to follow her heart to a new place with many unknowns. The other is postponing something she has wanted for a long time to go down a path that seems to be the best decision right now. In talking with both of them, some things came to mind that I have learned in my life direction/calling struggle of the past few years.

1. Many decisions have a way of tricking us into thinking they are bigger than they really are. Very few decisions are forever, (marriage, kids) and most choices can be adapted or completely changed down the road if needed or desired.
2. Only you can know what’s the right choice for you. Feel free to ask lots of people what they think and truly weigh their opinions. Lots of wisdom can come from this. But in the end, only you know and can decide what is right for you. And it may be very different from what most other people would do.
3. Analyzing reaches the point of diminishing returns fairly quickly. (I am the king of over-analysis) Think, pray, consult others, then make a decision. As mentioned above, you can usually adapt or change later if needed.
4. Growth comes from doing, not thinking about something. You don’t learn to ride a bike by thinking about it. You try it, fall a few times, and eventually get it. Same with decisions.
5. Trust both God’s power and goodness. He will guide your steps, but he rarely illuminates the path until you start walking. If you walk in a “wrong” direction, he is both caring enough and powerful enough to correct you and get you going in a better direction.
6. Most people have far more regrets in life of inaction than action; more “I wish I hads” than “I wish I hadn’ts.” This is very true in my life. Although some of my “action” decisions have not gone well, I really don’t regret those… they have made me a better, stronger, and wiser person. On the other hand, I do regret many of my “inaction” decisions. I will always wonder, “what if?” In other words, just do it!

A New Day

Today a friend of mine asked me how I have been, and after thinking about it for a few seconds my answer surprised even me; “Great….. probably the best I have been in 3 years or so.” Those who are close to me know that the past few years have been a low spot for me; life direction questions, financial problems, struggling with depression, etc. So much so that I almost became another person. Over time I changed from extrovert to introvert, from never sitting still to not feeling like doing anything, and from leading to being passive. I have often had the thought that people who have met me or gotten to know me in the past few years don’t even know the real me at all.

The decision to move to Brazil was definitely the turning point in all this, although things did not change overnight. The past 18 months have been long and hard. In trying to work through the challenges of dealing with my house, business, and personal finances in preparation for Brazil I have experienced stress and anxiety to degrees I never even knew existed before. However, things are slowly but surely falling into place. The fog of depression is starting to lift, and for the first time in what seems like forever I am starting to feel like myself again. I am working full time, as well as fundraising for Brazil. I am feeling much more energetic and social, and even have a few personal projects in the works.

It is difficult to describe my faith through all of this. At times it was just barely a flicker. So dim that there were times when I wondered if it had gone out. But God kept it and me alive, and he used (and is still using) the entire experience to grow my faith even deeper and stronger than it has ever been. So if you happen to be in that dark place… keep hanging on. He is there, and he is working. The fog will eventually lift, and the light of a new day is brighter than ever.