Pantanal - Wedneday to Friday

A Graca seja convosco! (2 Thess 3:5)

So we'll fill you in on what we've been up to since Wednesday. It is amazing how much God can pack into a few short days! None of us has returned the same as we left, and we are all also very exhausted!

Wednesday we started working at Villa Pantanal, a small concrete Methodist mission and church which sits near one end of the slum on the outskirts of Curitiba "Coor e ch eba." It is lead by the Bishop's wife, Audir. Having spent Monday and Tuesday visiting the orphanages, which as Roger later commented, were actually fairly nice places, the slums were then a bitter surprise. It was dirty, trash and dogs everywhere. Driving in on our small bus, we saw people pushing around old metal carts piled up with garbage. Rev. Singleton explained to us that many of these people survive by collecting garbage and trading it with the city authorities for food.

At Pantanal, Wednesday through Friday, we ministered to children, in a vacation Bible school type way. We'd have a two ministry times for the children, in the morning and another in the afternoon (because the children there go to school either in the morning or afternoon); then late afternoon through suppertime Thursday and Friday we held a church service.

Wednesday we focused on the story of Joseph. In the morning we had 23 children come. Some of us guys did a short skit for the kids, acting out the story. That afternoon there were 17 children, making 30 all day.

In the evening our hosts had us over for a soccer game - at 9pm - apparently for these Brazilians it's never to late for soccer. Rev. Singleton enjoyed watching us make fools of ourselves when we first played a game of Americans versus Brazilians (the score was likely somewhere around 1 to 85). We hit the sack exhausted that night.

A memorable quote from Thursday is from Troy, "Don't drink the water." He was sick all morning from drinking the water at the soccer field the night before, so he stayed home from Pantanal that morning. On Thursday the number of children which in total had come Wednesday to Pantanal (30) came just in the morning. We taught on the story of Jonah that day (remember this - it will come up later). Thursday afternoon the number of children swelled still more, over 40, twice that of the previous afternoon.

In the evening we held a church service. It was small, comprised mostly of us American's, the local Brazilians working at the mission with us, and children. A few of the parents of the children came. Rachael and Troy shared some thoughts and personal reflections with us. They said some very meaningful and wise things, especially considering they were asked to do so on the spot. Rev. Singleton also asked two of the Brazilian workers with us to share. Sarah, the Brazilian girl with amazing stamina and joy who we'd seen work so wonderfully with the kids, shared a few words. The guitar player from the church we visited Tuesday, Diego, a young man of great sincerity and passion for Jesus, spoke to us about his involvement in Pantanal and in music ministry. He and J.D. lead us in several songs during the service, some in English, some in Portuguese. It was also beautiful to sing some songs that both the Americans and Brazilians knew, together in two languages! By the end of the week a Brazilian was singing "I love you, Lord" in English, and we found ourselves singing things in Portuguese!

If we'd thought that 70 children was a lot to deal with throughout all of Thursday, we were in for a surprise Friday. In the morning alone we were gladly overwhelmed by 75 children in attendance! All these in a small concrete building. Another 75 precious children came Friday afternoon. By this time we were looking around at each other in awe for the sheer number of children. We talked about the story of the Prodigal Son that day.

Also on Friday several of us (J.D., Nate, and Colin) got up earlier than is healthy to go with Pedro (one of our hosts, the Bishop's younger son) to paint the church (Pantanal), J.D. having powerwashed it Thursday. We experienced the hospitality and generosity of the couple who live behind the church in the slum. The man is a painter by trade, so he came out to help us, even continuing to paint while we went to eat lunch! His wife brought us out some of the amazing Brazilian coffee in the morning (the best coffee you'll ever taste). (unfortunately we forgot that the coffee was made out of the local water, so we found ourselves echoing Troy's wise words, "don't drink the water." Also on Friday, Steven, the artist in our group, put his skills to work finishing painting some children's pictures on the wall's of the church. He did a beautiful job! Some of the rest of the team helped finish the painting later in the day. We think it looks great, especially the name in bright red lettering!

Friday evening was an incredible experience. Have you ever attended a church service with an average age of approximately 5?! At the service at Pantanal Friday evening there were 150 children, plus about 25 to 30 adults. The service was a bit chaotic at times, having that many children (and in a concrete building which echoes all their little voices!). It was also very hot and sweaty! (For this reason many of us decided to buy them ceiling fans - for only 20 American Dollars apiece). But despite the physical discomforts and all, the service was a wonderful experience. The best word to describe the service, if not simply "Jesus," is the word "overwhelming." This was our last time at Pantanal (so we thought at least, for we went back briefly on Sunday), and here before us was the culmination of our work there all sitting before and among us, in the form of 150 sweaty, smiling children. Indeed the poignancy was heightened in that this was our last time to see the children, for the time on Sunday there was mostly just the Brazilian workers and us. Nate and Pastor Roger shared some things on their hearts to the children and the rest of us. We sang several songs, in both languages, all the time mixing both languages up. One thing is for sure though: the Brazilians there love to clap when they sing! So that evening we all left red-handed (but not from illegal activity) and many of us left red-eyed (though not because of the cameras).

Shortly before we left, Pastor Audir gathered us around after the children and their few parents had gone and spoke to us moving words which affirmed and defined for us all that we'd seen and known that week. We then prayed, joined together in an uneven circle behind the church, surrounded by concrete and with the moon above shining clear. Perhaps needless to say, we were all roundly exhausted. Yet there was the feeling as we gathered there in such a humble state, that we were a part of something so much bigger.

We wonder if perhaps someday we will say, "I was there back in 2006." Or perhaps it may be that we won't see the results. Bishop Joao Carlos himself, (our host), now a great man of God and of love, whom God has used in causing incredible growth and life to the church there, grew up very poor and was brought to Christ by missionaries to his family when he was young. We all wonder who may be among all those children? May it be another like the Bishop? What else is God doing there? God has been sparking amazing life all over that region; it is reminiscent of the early church. With excitement we wonder and look to what He might do from a small, concrete church in the slums. We can only wonder, watch, and pray.