Milton back to church.

Onèsimo and Denilze are people whom God put on our path over 30 years ago. A friendship where you sometimes don't see each other for a long time. They took us into Rio for a day. We know Rio from the past, but the Olympic Games and a World Cup have literally turned the city around. It has become a modern city with a tram and metro. Feels almost like Rotterdam.... Of course the dichotomy between rich and poor has only become more poignant as a result. We were looking for Onèsimo's house, but a woman from the neighborhood warned us not to drive further up the mountain, "That's life-threatening," she said. Many neighborhoods are completely under the control of criminal gangs.

But now about Milton.

We were walking in Rio and stopped at an ice cream vendor in the square. I started a conversation and he told me that he is from Bahia (northern Brazil) and lives here alone, without family. He felt very lonely. 'Go to a church, there you will find friends and a new family' I tell him. He becomes silent and looks at us... then he tells us that last week he had a dream in which four people came to him to tell him that he had to go back to church.... and now the four of us were standing for him... He also tells that he had a frightened dream where a fireball came towards him, but a voice told him not to be afraid and would be secure... You understand that a little later we were praying with Milton in the square and that Onèsimo gave his telephone number to keep in touch and to help find a new family in a church. Just start a conversation and suddenly you notice that God has prepared the meeting. Cool huh?!

Brazilian birthday.

We went to dinner with a family 'na horsa', which means far from civilization, a dirty road, living from what the land produces... We arrive in a house where a birthday is being celebrated. The lady is 88 and her grandson Vinicius also had his birthday, 33 years. But her sister of 91 was the captain of the team! If we want to sing a song in Dutch, never heard it before and never met a foreigner.....just one more song...please .... Finally... Onèsimo made sure that everything was filmed and later ended up on Facebook! Good food, a lot of singing and praying together.... Lovely people with a big heart and bright shining eyes.... And of course for the occasion at its best!

Back in Minas.

At the moment we are back in Minas. The rain seems to have stopped during the day and the temperature has risen to 28 degrees celcius. We also have to deal with those who are sick. Cristina and Juliana (granddaughter) were in bed with a high fever and pain and we took Christiane back to Minas as sick. Omicron is taking is taken over here, but Christiane turned out to be negative for covid on the rapid test that was taken. Please pray for health, Jennie has a bladder infection.

Share your life with other people. That seems to be a central theme on this trip. We notice how important it is not just to have meetings or to organize Christian events, but to really share your life with each other. Sometimes the conversations are not easy, maybe even painful, but you always come close to each other and to God, who gives grace not only for you personally, but also to live together, to encourage each other, to live together in the plans God has made for his people. Something that we will surley take back to the Netherlands...

Blessings!

Jaap and Jennie