Saturday 13 August 2011
A new day.
Not everything always goes smoothly, and at the moment I am not managing to connect to the internet. I choose not to stress about it, no point really. It just means that what when I bring an update, it’ll be a longer one then doing it more frequently. Still, I keep writing and eventually it should work... I really hope so . Sat here in the prayer room again. It’s quite warm so I have the door and window open to allow the breeze to flow through. There’s a big black bug flying around which I have kept an eye on, and it just left which is nice. A lizard just crawled down the wall opposite me and it’s all a reminder that I’m in a prayer room in Brazil in the countryside and not in a nicely air-conditioned building. Although there is air here...it’s just natural air.
Anyway, today I get the morning here and this afternoon I’m going into one of the slums in the city centre where a team is going to do an evangelistic outreach. I used to work a lot in the slum so it’ll be good to be there again. I imagine there are still quite a few people I know who are still there. I don’t know if they’ll remember me, but I hope I remember their names. I’m good with names. I used to know everyone’s names here, including their family members and stories. But so much has happened and new people have entered my life since, so I don’t know if I’ll remember. I hope to maybe see a couple of the girls I used to work really closely with, Adriana (Rachel) and Janaina. Don’t know if they’re still living in the slum. Praying for God to break into their lives.
So I guess today is my first day of doing the prayer and action thing. Exciting. Sat here I my mind has so many thoughts going through it... so many things I’m thinking about. So much to figure out and pray about, so many things that I’m being reminded of, and also trying to settle in and get adapted to this place that will be where I am based the next 3 months. But the overriding sensation is the peace in knowing I’m in the right place in the right time and that God has a purpose. And in that I rest.
Friday 12 August 2011
Arriving.... first impressions.
I arrived safely in Fortaleza a little over midnight on Wednesday. It was so nice to see Peter and Selma again and it feels like no time has passed since I was last here, and even lived here. Not much has changed, yet things have changed at the same time.
Yesterday was a day of adjusting to a new time zone and the temperature. I managed to have a lie in and just savoured the fact that I’m back in Fortaleza. Even the heat is a welcome heat which I had missed. I got to see familiar faces and new faces. Most of the familiar ones are still the same and it’s been so good to get lots of hugs and chats and realize that my Portuguese is still there, if with a slightly croaky voice still.
I am staying at Sítio Graça, the restoration farm that belongs to YWAM Fortaleza. It’s about one hour drive from the city centre of Fortaleza, on the coast. Yesterday afternoon Selma and I drove to Praia do Presídio and went for a walk on the beach. So beautiful to feel the sand between my toes and the warm sea water cover my feet. The sun was setting and the beach was so peaceful. Such beauty reminding me of God’s beautiful creation.
Sítio Graça is a farm for the restoration of street boys, but at the moment there is only one boy in restoration living here along with the staff of YWAM. They have a lot of ministry going... work with pregnant girls, work in the youth prisons, reaching poor communities. I haven’t sat down and got an overview of what is happening yet, but they stay busy. Yet it’s a time of new beginnings, new leadership, new challenges, and more than anything, seeking the heart of God for how to walk into what lies ahead.
It’s good to be here and see what is going on. It’s good to connect with people. It’s good to share life. And it’s good to be here to listen. Listen to what God is doing and saying. Right now I’m sat in the little prayer room at the farm. I can hear crickets outside and the breeze flowing through as I sit here writing. A place of peace and I know I will spend a lot of time here during these next few months. It really blessed my heart yesterday as I came to see it and one of the staff members here said this is her favourite place to be on the whole farm. God is really putting the reality of prayer and intimacy with God in the hearts of His people, and it is the key to seeing justice. There is no other way. And I know that He is wanting to draw His people into the reality of His heart, so that they will walk in tune with what He is doing, seeing lives and situations from His perspective and partnering with Him.
7 years ago I painted a picture with the text “Deus quer fazer algo novo” (God wants to do something new), and it has hung in the office here ever since. And I think it’s what He is doing here at this time- something new. And I am excited to be here and to get to partner with Him in it.
I am here and I know there is a purpose for me being here. I want to pray much and listen to God even more, and as an outflow of that I want go with the staff to meet the poor and broken and needy in this city and bring them Jesus, who is hope and justice.
So there you go. A few reflections as I’ve arrived here, right at the beginning. I hope to take some photos and post them too so you can see what it looks like here too, and I intend to keep blogging, as much as I can, mostly for myself, but also for whoever wants to get a glimpse and partner with what God and I are doing here in this season.
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Travelling.
Travelling today wasn’t something I was looking forward to. The actual travel I mean. I started feeling a bit rough on Monday and so getting up this morning at 4:30 am with my throat still sore and my voice croaky wasn’t the best start to my trip.
Still, I’m sat in Sāo Paulo at the airport having made the biggest leg of my journey, waiting for the last flight of the day to board. It’s been a long day, I have to admit that. Once I arrive it’ll be 24 hours travelling and 24 hours of day which is very strange. Even sitting here it’s only 7pm, yet my body is telling me it’s midnight and I should be sleeping long ago. Jetlag is a strange phenomenon.
My layover in Amsterdam was uneventful. I had a coffee and sat next to the smoking area which was quite fascinating. This tiny narrow room people would crowd into to smoke...I suppose you wouldn’t even need your own cigarette if you went in there, you could just breathe in everyone else’s smoke.
Once I had settled into my seat ready for the 12 hour flight from Amsterdam to Brazil, some lads asked if I could swap seats with one of them so they could all sit together. I said yes and wanted to be kind. But I must admit I did feel a tad discouraged in the middle seat in a row of four, especially when those sat next to me were larger guys. It was a bit cramped, but I decided to make the best of it. Watched some films, tried to sleep a bit, and kept shifting my leg position (as much as you can sat in an airplane seat) to keep circulation going. It was a long flight, but ok. The flight staff were very positive and most of the food was reasonably good (I like flying with KLM).
Arriving in São Paulo was pretty stressful. After walking quite a bit to get to passport control, it took about 50 minutes to get through. I was feeling pretty shattered from the flight and still not feeling great so I had to keep focusing on getting through it. Then at baggage claim it was quite chaotic with tons of people crowded around the luggage belt an no-one really managing to get to their bags. I realised that being polite and waiting my turn might cause me to miss my connecting flight, so I squeezed up to the belt and managed to get my suitcase and bag before dragging them to a trolley to head out in search of the transit check/-in desk.
And that’s when I realised: this airport is very stressful when you’re connecting from an international to a domestic flight. After a lot of walking and asking and taking the lift up and walking some more I finally found GOL check-in desks. The self-service check-in didn’t work for me so I almost ended up in the long queue. But then I remembered my Flying Blue Silver Elite card which is still valid. That took me to a desk with no queue and I was soon relieved of my heavy bags in exchange for a boarding pass for my next flight. With an isle seat... we’ll see if I end up keeping it this time.
After going through security again I go a can of Guaraná Antártica which tasted so good, and then I found a little cafe type place in the gate area. Horrendously expensive for Brazil but right now I don’t care. Coffee with milk and a pāo de queijo was what was needed.
My flight boards in half an hour. My eyelids are heavy and my throat is sore and I feel exhausted. But I’m grateful. Grateful that the journey has gone ok so far. Grateful that I can hopefully sleep for a few hours on this last flight. And grateful that I am going somewhere familiar and that I get to see friends who are like family again. I think I’ll get excited once I’ve slept and feel a bit better. Right now I just want to arrive and sleep!
That said, I’m not managing to log on to the free 15 minutes of internet. Apparently you need to use a pin they email you... which is kind of ironic because I need internet to log into my email. Anyways, I guess this little report from my journey will have to be posted after I get to Fortaleza, which means that I did arrive and that all is well.
A new day.
Not everything always goes smoothly, and at the moment I am not managing to connect to the internet. I choose not to stress about it, no point really. It just means that what when I bring an update, it’ll be a longer one then doing it more frequently. Still, I keep writing and eventually it should work... I really hope so . Sat here in the prayer room again. It’s quite warm so I have the door and window open to allow the breeze to flow through. There’s a big black bug flying around which I have kept an eye on, and it just left which is nice. A lizard just crawled down the wall opposite me and it’s all a reminder that I’m in a prayer room in Brazil in the countryside and not in a nicely air-conditioned building. Although there is air here...it’s just natural air.
Anyway, today I get the morning here and this afternoon I’m going into one of the slums in the city centre where a team is going to do an evangelistic outreach. I used to work a lot in the slum so it’ll be good to be there again. I imagine there are still quite a few people I know who are still there. I don’t know if they’ll remember me, but I hope I remember their names. I’m good with names. I used to know everyone’s names here, including their family members and stories. But so much has happened and new people have entered my life since, so I don’t know if I’ll remember. I hope to maybe see a couple of the girls I used to work really closely with, Adriana (Rachel) and Janaina. Don’t know if they’re still living in the slum. Praying for God to break into their lives.
So I guess today is my first day of doing the prayer and action thing. Exciting. Sat here I my mind has so many thoughts going through it... so many things I’m thinking about. So much to figure out and pray about, so many things that I’m being reminded of, and also trying to settle in and get adapted to this place that will be where I am based the next 3 months. But the overriding sensation is the peace in knowing I’m in the right place in the right time and that God has a purpose. And in that I rest.
Friday 12 August 2011
Arriving.... first impressions.
I arrived safely in Fortaleza a little over midnight on Wednesday. It was so nice to see Peter and Selma again and it feels like no time has passed since I was last here, and even lived here. Not much has changed, yet things have changed at the same time.
Yesterday was a day of adjusting to a new time zone and the temperature. I managed to have a lie in and just savoured the fact that I’m back in Fortaleza. Even the heat is a welcome heat which I had missed. I got to see familiar faces and new faces. Most of the familiar ones are still the same and it’s been so good to get lots of hugs and chats and realize that my Portuguese is still there, if with a slightly croaky voice still.
I am staying at Sítio Graça, the restoration farm that belongs to YWAM Fortaleza. It’s about one hour drive from the city centre of Fortaleza, on the coast. Yesterday afternoon Selma and I drove to Praia do Presídio and went for a walk on the beach. So beautiful to feel the sand between my toes and the warm sea water cover my feet. The sun was setting and the beach was so peaceful. Such beauty reminding me of God’s beautiful creation.
Sítio Graça is a farm for the restoration of street boys, but at the moment there is only one boy in restoration living here along with the staff of YWAM. They have a lot of ministry going... work with pregnant girls, work in the youth prisons, reaching poor communities. I haven’t sat down and got an overview of what is happening yet, but they stay busy. Yet it’s a time of new beginnings, new leadership, new challenges, and more than anything, seeking the heart of God for how to walk into what lies ahead.
It’s good to be here and see what is going on. It’s good to connect with people. It’s good to share life. And it’s good to be here to listen. Listen to what God is doing and saying. Right now I’m sat in the little prayer room at the farm. I can hear crickets outside and the breeze flowing through as I sit here writing. A place of peace and I know I will spend a lot of time here during these next few months. It really blessed my heart yesterday as I came to see it and one of the staff members here said this is her favourite place to be on the whole farm. God is really putting the reality of prayer and intimacy with God in the hearts of His people, and it is the key to seeing justice. There is no other way. And I know that He is wanting to draw His people into the reality of His heart, so that they will walk in tune with what He is doing, seeing lives and situations from His perspective and partnering with Him.
7 years ago I painted a picture with the text “Deus quer fazer algo novo” (God wants to do something new), and it has hung in the office here ever since. And I think it’s what He is doing here at this time- something new. And I am excited to be here and to get to partner with Him in it.
I am here and I know there is a purpose for me being here. I want to pray much and listen to God even more, and as an outflow of that I want go with the staff to meet the poor and broken and needy in this city and bring them Jesus, who is hope and justice.
So there you go. A few reflections as I’ve arrived here, right at the beginning. I hope to take some photos and post them too so you can see what it looks like here too, and I intend to keep blogging, as much as I can, mostly for myself, but also for whoever wants to get a glimpse and partner with what God and I are doing here in this season.
Wednesday 10 August 2011
Travelling.
Travelling today wasn’t something I was looking forward to. The actual travel I mean. I started feeling a bit rough on Monday and so getting up this morning at 4:30 am with my throat still sore and my voice croaky wasn’t the best start to my trip.
Still, I’m sat in Sāo Paulo at the airport having made the biggest leg of my journey, waiting for the last flight of the day to board. It’s been a long day, I have to admit that. Once I arrive it’ll be 24 hours travelling and 24 hours of day which is very strange. Even sitting here it’s only 7pm, yet my body is telling me it’s midnight and I should be sleeping long ago. Jetlag is a strange phenomenon.
My layover in Amsterdam was uneventful. I had a coffee and sat next to the smoking area which was quite fascinating. This tiny narrow room people would crowd into to smoke...I suppose you wouldn’t even need your own cigarette if you went in there, you could just breathe in everyone else’s smoke.
Once I had settled into my seat ready for the 12 hour flight from Amsterdam to Brazil, some lads asked if I could swap seats with one of them so they could all sit together. I said yes and wanted to be kind. But I must admit I did feel a tad discouraged in the middle seat in a row of four, especially when those sat next to me were larger guys. It was a bit cramped, but I decided to make the best of it. Watched some films, tried to sleep a bit, and kept shifting my leg position (as much as you can sat in an airplane seat) to keep circulation going. It was a long flight, but ok. The flight staff were very positive and most of the food was reasonably good (I like flying with KLM).
Arriving in São Paulo was pretty stressful. After walking quite a bit to get to passport control, it took about 50 minutes to get through. I was feeling pretty shattered from the flight and still not feeling great so I had to keep focusing on getting through it. Then at baggage claim it was quite chaotic with tons of people crowded around the luggage belt an no-one really managing to get to their bags. I realised that being polite and waiting my turn might cause me to miss my connecting flight, so I squeezed up to the belt and managed to get my suitcase and bag before dragging them to a trolley to head out in search of the transit check/-in desk.
And that’s when I realised: this airport is very stressful when you’re connecting from an international to a domestic flight. After a lot of walking and asking and taking the lift up and walking some more I finally found GOL check-in desks. The self-service check-in didn’t work for me so I almost ended up in the long queue. But then I remembered my Flying Blue Silver Elite card which is still valid. That took me to a desk with no queue and I was soon relieved of my heavy bags in exchange for a boarding pass for my next flight. With an isle seat... we’ll see if I end up keeping it this time.
After going through security again I go a can of Guaraná Antártica which tasted so good, and then I found a little cafe type place in the gate area. Horrendously expensive for Brazil but right now I don’t care. Coffee with milk and a pāo de queijo was what was needed.
My flight boards in half an hour. My eyelids are heavy and my throat is sore and I feel exhausted. But I’m grateful. Grateful that the journey has gone ok so far. Grateful that I can hopefully sleep for a few hours on this last flight. And grateful that I am going somewhere familiar and that I get to see friends who are like family again. I think I’ll get excited once I’ve slept and feel a bit better. Right now I just want to arrive and sleep!
That said, I’m not managing to log on to the free 15 minutes of internet. Apparently you need to use a pin they email you... which is kind of ironic because I need internet to log into my email. Anyways, I guess this little report from my journey will have to be posted after I get to Fortaleza, which means that I did arrive and that all is well.