Ibura, Vera Cruz & Camaragibe
We wanted to get a taste of Sunday in Brazil but what we got was a smorgasboard. I was a little nervous about today not knowing what to expect.
Recife has 8 churches and 1 minister. Pastor Adriano splits his dutys between them all, and the mission workers Wieske & Vanspronsen fill in for when needed. Each congregation has an elder and a deacon who also lead the worship services.
We've been left with many impressions and its worth the time to note some of them without getting into too much detail.
The people down here don't know what Mentos are. I broke out my roll of pepermint / drop halfways one of the services and offered it to my Brazilian brother on my right. He had a look of confusion on his face and shook his head. Oh well....more for me.....
All the churches we visited are open air, and although not air conditioned, still comfortable with the ocean breeze and fans circulating throughout. Pews don't exist and you need to come early to get one of the larger plastic chairs. I don't fit the small ones, and if I tried I would have to take it home with me....
It's interesting to note that all children attend the service. There's no babysit so they are as much a part of the worship as the parents are. I appreciate the argument that they too are part of the congregation but I certainly found it disruptive. In all 3 services there was a steady stream of parents and older siblings constantly taking the toddlers away or trying to silence them. Rev VanOene would not approve.
In Ibura, an elder led the worship service, and during the closing prayer kept his eyes open scanning the congregation for those who might be doing the same. An unfortunate young girl in the front row got caught and was silently disciplined. I closed my eyes right after....
After the worship service we spent over an hour chatting with two sisters who are working hard to keep Guido School a reality in Recife. It's been a difficult go of late, and they were very happy and encouraged to hear about the history of our schools' humble beginnings as well. They are going through many of the same struggles and we do well to keep them in our prayers.
In Vera Cruz we attend the Lord's Supper with attestations in hand. Not much different than we're used to other than the stares and smiles we received when our names were announced.
Chris introduces us to everyone as Steve and Martin. To the delight of some Brazilians these two names put together remind them of a famous Hollywood comedian. It's getting old, but we still smile when they laugh at us. We're both learning a lot of patience and trying not to roll our eyes.
Camaragibe was our last stop. It's the second oldest congregation in Recife and situated in a very tough part of town. We didn't understand a word of the sermon but we did note the enthusiastic capella singing. No pipe organ, no piano. The singing was awful but it was beautiful.....go figure....
Despite the language and and cultural differences we did feel at home in all the churches. We were greeted with enthusiastic smiles and vigorous handshakes by many. It was evident that God's gospel truth was alive in the hearts of the people in these places. His Word knows no boundaries...
A tiring day, but one filled with many impressions. And a full roll of mentos minus 1.
Blessings all
sounds like you had a wonderful Sunday! May the Lord continue to bless you in the week ahead - you aren't missing much in the way of weather here ... cold rain!
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