I love to tell the story. That is actually one of my fondest hymns from the old days of worship, but the truth is I love to tell stories. I love to pass on to people information that they are unaware of or unfamiliar of and I really enjoy seeing their eyes widen as they learn new things or are reminded of cool stuff that is related to a time they do not easily recall. I love to tell stories.
So at birthday time I tell the kids their story of the day they were born. The details even escape me but I hang on to the high points as far as I can remember and I always embellish to keep their attention. So tonight Blake was reminded of his birth story, and I am also reminded of that day and how very special it was.
The summer had been so hot. Shar was very pregnant and still working and driving the old probe around. I was coaching at Belton High and Mrs. Hable the Athletic Secretary was ready for Sharla to call any moment during that 2nd week of football practice. This was before we or very many people had cell phones and land lines still ruled the world.
Mrs. Hable got the call and I vividly remember her running onto the practice field yelling for me. She hugged me and told me to go home and get Sharla because the baby was coming.
The next memory is seeing Shar in the entry way of the house. Black tank top and black leggings, she calmly paced our small living room and spoke out directions. We drove to Kings Daughter's in Temple and I recall she was mad that I was driving too fast. Still a complaint of hers.
Our first 2 nurses were cranky elderly women who did not really pamper Sharla the was she envisioned or deserved. That was a long hour or so but all things improved when Saint Dana showed up. The old nurses were excused, or room accommodations were greatly improved and Sharla was now calm since the best OB nurse in the state was at our side.
Labor was long and difficult and even though Dana took great care of us I know Shar was hurting. When the pushing finally came I did my part the best I could but Sharla and Dana did all the work. My sister and mother were on a conference call from California and could hear the whole thing. That was technology back then.
When our son finally came into Dr. Furman's arms her face became serious. Dana hid it the best she could be I could see concern. Dr. Furman calmly said "sorry coach but you don't get to cut this cord." I was confused and worried and did not have a good grasp on what was happening until I looked over the bed rail and saw my son in a light blue and pale shade. My heart sank and the seconds seemed like years as Dr. Furman slipped her fingers under the umbilical cord that was wrapped around my son's neck and calmly cut.
Blood sprayed my orange and white stripped polo. And then he cried, and I cried and Sharla cried and Dana went to work. She cleaned, suctioned and wiped him down fast, wrapped him up and handed my son to Sharla. Blake was here.
I share that story with my son every year, so he can understand how a childhood friendship between two girls can last a lifetime. How good medicine and good doctors really do have the knowledge to save life and how faithful our God is.
We praise God for our son this day and all the days that have passed and all the days that will come. Please continue to bless us God and we strive to raise him to serve you. All good things come from you oh Lord.
Happy Birthday Blake Samuel.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Final Night
This is our final night in Rio. It has been a blessing and a learning experience to be here for these 2 weeks. We will read for 3 hours in the morning before packing and heading the airport in the afternoon. We had a wonderful home cooked meal by Tami and Bruno and we have grown to love them as family. The kids show their love and respect by calling them Tia and Tio (pronounced chia and chio in Rio). It has been a blessing to be in their home and enjoy an authentic Brazilian home that is devoted to Christ.
Thank you to all that have followed us on this journey. It has been your prayers and faithfulness that has allowed this trip to take place and we hope to share the stories and pictures with you upon our return to Texas.
May God bless us all, in all parts of the world, as we strive to serve him better. I have a better understanding of how wonderful heaven will be with saints and believers from all over God's creation praising Him.
Blessings to you all.
The Bundy Family.
Thank you to all that have followed us on this journey. It has been your prayers and faithfulness that has allowed this trip to take place and we hope to share the stories and pictures with you upon our return to Texas.
May God bless us all, in all parts of the world, as we strive to serve him better. I have a better understanding of how wonderful heaven will be with saints and believers from all over God's creation praising Him.
Blessings to you all.
The Bundy Family.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Rules?????
There are special rules that exist in the country of Brazil, in the state of Rio and in the city of Rio De Janeiro. These are not rules that I have studied and figured out on my own but rather I have been taught these by hour host family Bruno and Tami, along with the missionary Kevin, his wife Debra and their niece from Frisco Sydney. Also, the readers that we have had are willing to fill us in on little tid bits of information that will help us understand the local way of life.
Traffic:
Traffic laws in general are more a suggestion and less an actual law. There is really no enforced speed limit on the vast majority of the roads. It is not like we are on the raceway but you drive as fast as you need to in a safe manner. No one really cares. Traffic lanes are there but they don't really matter either. The general rule is "if you can fit then it is good." One major item is that pedestrians DO NOT have the right away. This is a very important. The car, bus, truck and motorcycle always get the priority. My favorite is the red light rule. After 10 am which is when rush hour basically ends, the rule is that if you are at a red light and it is clear then you can go. It makes no sense to Carioca (person born in the city of Rio) to sit at a red light and wait if there is no cross traffic coming. I am going to start practicing this rule in Forth Worth. The most interesting thing in Rio traffic is that there is no road rage. In all the circumstances I have discussed, if you do happen to cut someone off or block traffic with your delivery truck or walk out in front of a car that is moving (slowly) then they let it go. A simple honk of the horn can mean "hurry up", "please move" or "it's your turn". Manners and friendliness supersede all other obligations.
Soccer:
The theory that soccer or futbol is their passion here in Brazil would be a gross understatement. It does not matter how old or young you are, rich or poor, athletic or nonathletic. You have a team and you are loyal to your team. Even more, the country has a law or mandate that Brazilian teams can only have a maximum of 3 non-Brazilian players on their team. The people of Brazil are not only loyal to their team but the government makes it almost a law to be loyal to the players from their country.
The other night we went next door from Bruno's house to his parents home. We went to watch the second half of the Flamengo (Rio) vs. Santos (Sao Paulo) game. It was a close game and the winner was decided late by a penalty kick near the very end of the game. When the foul was called in favor of Flamengo, Bruno's father (65 years plus) jumped (?) to his feet, grabbed one of the brothers Blake's age and began to dance around the room. When the goal was scored seconds later the dance and singing began again. Bruno being for another team sat there in disappointment at the fact that his fathers team won. It is because of Paulo (Bruno's dad) and the younger boys living there that Blake has become Flamengo, along with Bruno's wife Tami. Your team is your family and your team sometimes supersedes your family. Interesting.
Fashion:
To say that the laws of fashion are different in Rio would be another understatement. In general clothing is more fitted or tighter here in Rio. This is for men and women alike but primarily for women. It is winter here in Rio, or it will officially begin in one week and since it was a cool 79 degrees today with 88% humidity it is obviously warm. I am in a constant sweat, but I had two readers today come in to read in hoodies and comment on the cool weather. If you are looking for a comparison to the states then think of Houston in December.
So clothing is tighter and that is fine. But the laws of fashion change once you reach the beach. We spent a few hours on the beach at Barra (Baja) and Blake and Anna both noticed some interesting items, along with Shar and myself. First, you do not need to be any particular shape, size or build to sport the string bikini if you are a female. And the rule for all women is the smaller the better. That is all I will say about that. But I will say that I did have to "shush" both Blake and Anna Jo a few times as a wearer of these suits bent over in an interesting position and revealed more to my children then they wanted to see. Second, although the board short is growing in popularity around the younger men, the most common swimwear would be the speedo. This swim piece also does not seem to be restricted by the size of the man or the girth of his belly. Come one, come all, the speedo is well and alive in Brazil.
I find the rules or laws of Brazil interesting. Where they are strict in some area's they are loose in other, and when it comes to swimwear they are almost non existent.
Traffic:
Traffic laws in general are more a suggestion and less an actual law. There is really no enforced speed limit on the vast majority of the roads. It is not like we are on the raceway but you drive as fast as you need to in a safe manner. No one really cares. Traffic lanes are there but they don't really matter either. The general rule is "if you can fit then it is good." One major item is that pedestrians DO NOT have the right away. This is a very important. The car, bus, truck and motorcycle always get the priority. My favorite is the red light rule. After 10 am which is when rush hour basically ends, the rule is that if you are at a red light and it is clear then you can go. It makes no sense to Carioca (person born in the city of Rio) to sit at a red light and wait if there is no cross traffic coming. I am going to start practicing this rule in Forth Worth. The most interesting thing in Rio traffic is that there is no road rage. In all the circumstances I have discussed, if you do happen to cut someone off or block traffic with your delivery truck or walk out in front of a car that is moving (slowly) then they let it go. A simple honk of the horn can mean "hurry up", "please move" or "it's your turn". Manners and friendliness supersede all other obligations.
Soccer:
The theory that soccer or futbol is their passion here in Brazil would be a gross understatement. It does not matter how old or young you are, rich or poor, athletic or nonathletic. You have a team and you are loyal to your team. Even more, the country has a law or mandate that Brazilian teams can only have a maximum of 3 non-Brazilian players on their team. The people of Brazil are not only loyal to their team but the government makes it almost a law to be loyal to the players from their country.
The other night we went next door from Bruno's house to his parents home. We went to watch the second half of the Flamengo (Rio) vs. Santos (Sao Paulo) game. It was a close game and the winner was decided late by a penalty kick near the very end of the game. When the foul was called in favor of Flamengo, Bruno's father (65 years plus) jumped (?) to his feet, grabbed one of the brothers Blake's age and began to dance around the room. When the goal was scored seconds later the dance and singing began again. Bruno being for another team sat there in disappointment at the fact that his fathers team won. It is because of Paulo (Bruno's dad) and the younger boys living there that Blake has become Flamengo, along with Bruno's wife Tami. Your team is your family and your team sometimes supersedes your family. Interesting.
Fashion:
To say that the laws of fashion are different in Rio would be another understatement. In general clothing is more fitted or tighter here in Rio. This is for men and women alike but primarily for women. It is winter here in Rio, or it will officially begin in one week and since it was a cool 79 degrees today with 88% humidity it is obviously warm. I am in a constant sweat, but I had two readers today come in to read in hoodies and comment on the cool weather. If you are looking for a comparison to the states then think of Houston in December.
So clothing is tighter and that is fine. But the laws of fashion change once you reach the beach. We spent a few hours on the beach at Barra (Baja) and Blake and Anna both noticed some interesting items, along with Shar and myself. First, you do not need to be any particular shape, size or build to sport the string bikini if you are a female. And the rule for all women is the smaller the better. That is all I will say about that. But I will say that I did have to "shush" both Blake and Anna Jo a few times as a wearer of these suits bent over in an interesting position and revealed more to my children then they wanted to see. Second, although the board short is growing in popularity around the younger men, the most common swimwear would be the speedo. This swim piece also does not seem to be restricted by the size of the man or the girth of his belly. Come one, come all, the speedo is well and alive in Brazil.
I find the rules or laws of Brazil interesting. Where they are strict in some area's they are loose in other, and when it comes to swimwear they are almost non existent.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Rio Day 4, 5, 6, ????
I forget what day I am on in this blog exercise but I want to try and continue to share what is happening here. I feel obligated to relate to you how God is working in the world. I, and possibly many of you feel so consumed by the life we live in the states. Our busy lives, our countless activities and how important or significant we see our daily or weekly schedule to be. I am forced to examine my life, my wants and desires, my prayers and my concept of our God. It may sound strange to you but I am not sure that God cares if Anna can do a cartwheel or if Blake can field a ground ball at short stop. I am so very thankful that Blake and Anna and Sharla and I are seeing the church that exists outside of our North Tarrant County bubble. To see God at work in peoples lives in vivid and clear ways and to be reminded of the global church and a global God. These are difficult concepts for me to keep at the forefront of my thoughts and I hope my children will be more aware and open to these concepts as they grow.
Church here was great today. It was the 12 year anniversary of this congregation plant here in Rio. I am nearly forced to tears when I hear Christians worship with songs that I recognize and with words that I cannot pronounce. To hear foreign voices to my sheltered ears praise our God with intense emotion and passion and volume. Brazilians can sing. Our host is the worship leader and he (Bruno) has a passion for worship. I have some video from worship this morning that I will post upon our return so be looking for that.
I have been overwhelmed with some comments from our Brazilian readers (students) this week. I was and most likely still am very unaware of how important English is to the people we are reading with. I was unaware of how important it is to spend time with Americans. I am still amazed at how the Gospel has a way of soaking into someones heart and causing them to think about this life from God's perspective.
Here are some interesting things that have been said to Sharla and I this week. I will most likely say these things more correctly than they were expressed to us, but you will understand the meaning. Brazilians are very kind and loving people so when they speak the speak from their heart.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to listen to your voice."
"I appreciate so very much that you want to teach me your beautiful language of English."
"I never dreamed that I would have had the opportunity to spend the evening and eat a meal with an American family. It is a dream to me."
"I cannot understand what would make you come here and teach me English?"
"Is there anything I can do to service you? I repay you for teaching me English"
"Did God tell you to come to Brazil for teaching English?"
and then on the lighter side.....
"When are you going to leave?" (Bruno, the husband of the couple we are staying with. His English is perfect and he wants his house back.)
It is a blessing to be here and do just a little work so God's kingdom can be introduced to a handful of people in Rio.
Church here was great today. It was the 12 year anniversary of this congregation plant here in Rio. I am nearly forced to tears when I hear Christians worship with songs that I recognize and with words that I cannot pronounce. To hear foreign voices to my sheltered ears praise our God with intense emotion and passion and volume. Brazilians can sing. Our host is the worship leader and he (Bruno) has a passion for worship. I have some video from worship this morning that I will post upon our return so be looking for that.
I have been overwhelmed with some comments from our Brazilian readers (students) this week. I was and most likely still am very unaware of how important English is to the people we are reading with. I was unaware of how important it is to spend time with Americans. I am still amazed at how the Gospel has a way of soaking into someones heart and causing them to think about this life from God's perspective.
Here are some interesting things that have been said to Sharla and I this week. I will most likely say these things more correctly than they were expressed to us, but you will understand the meaning. Brazilians are very kind and loving people so when they speak the speak from their heart.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to listen to your voice."
"I appreciate so very much that you want to teach me your beautiful language of English."
"I never dreamed that I would have had the opportunity to spend the evening and eat a meal with an American family. It is a dream to me."
"I cannot understand what would make you come here and teach me English?"
"Is there anything I can do to service you? I repay you for teaching me English"
"Did God tell you to come to Brazil for teaching English?"
and then on the lighter side.....
"When are you going to leave?" (Bruno, the husband of the couple we are staying with. His English is perfect and he wants his house back.)
It is a blessing to be here and do just a little work so God's kingdom can be introduced to a handful of people in Rio.
Father
First I need to say thank you to my father for being such a great dad to me all of these years. He will admit his flaws and has always encouraged me to seek the wisdom and guidance from other men, and even in that action he is being a great dad. I am thankful for the wonderful memories I have with my dad and for the man that he is. His service to our country, his faithfulness to our Lord and his love for our family. My dad has always encouraged me throughout my entire life to be better, in all areas, than he is and was. That has always impacted me, most likely since I have always considered my dad so,...... cool.
Anyway, Happy Father's Day dad (Don R. Bundy). I love you very much and I am grateful for all you have done for me and for our family.
Anyway, Happy Father's Day dad (Don R. Bundy). I love you very much and I am grateful for all you have done for me and for our family.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A Little Kissing is Good......
There is a great story about kissing in my younger years, but you will have to find David Gililland and go back to 1994 at ACU in order to get the truth. Let's just say that I had a quit the reputation. Annnyyywayyyyy.
When you enter any mission field from the States you are given an introduction into the local culture so you act as normal as possible and offend as few people as possible. In Africa you did not cross your legs and show the bottom of your feet. In Asia you most often remove your shoes when entering someones house. There are things you should know when entering a culture so you can be respectful of the people you are trying to serve.
In Brazil amoung other cultural items we were taught, you kiss. It is not some open mouth kiss to every stranger you are introduced to.The common custom is to kiss or "air kiss" both cheeks (facial cheeks) of women you meet. Women kiss women, men kiss women, men do not kiss men (at least not in a church setting).
So this is the custom. Thanks to my Aunt Janice from Connecticut I was ready for this exchange (I thought). She always kissed us this way and it became a sign of endearment from her that my sister and I always appreciated.
The problem begins when you enter into the culture and away from just the idea or teaching of the culture. This greeting kiss normally (if not always) takes place between family members or very close friends. This is not just a casual greeting on the street. But in the church we are all brothers and sisters and family under God, so when Shar and I and the kids first arrived at church it was kiss fest 2012, and that was just on Saturday with the staff. On Sunday it was as if we had been there 20 years and then left and returned. I was kissed by every elderly woman in the room and Shar seemed to be very popular. But once Sunday passed the kiss became something we had to force ourselves to remember. Bruno and Tami are our hosts but should we kiss every day? Saints these two are by the way. If you come to Rio and do not meet them then you have missed out. Bruno's family (mom, dad, siblings live right next door.We see Bruno's mom almost every morning before we catch the bus. She has somewhat adopted us so she gets a kiss. I decided to choose to error on the friendly side and kiss everyone that has the willingness to greet me. Shar normally follows my lead but sometimes forgets and then goes in for the apology greeting kiss. I get confused sometimes and just go for the good old church hug instead and the other person tries to kiss and then we end up in some awkward side hug kiss. Very awkward.
And since men do not kiss then the hug is the substitute for male to male greetings of significance. But when you do not know someone it is often a bit unnatural also. I want to do the full on Bubba Martin hug (California people) or the Clint O'Rear hand shake bro-hug (Hills people) but neither are working. It is more of a side half hug back pat that I am now giving and receiving. I think tomorrow I will just introduce the entire country of Brazil to the loud High Five and call it good. Mission work is very stressful.
Love to you all.
Bundy Family
When you enter any mission field from the States you are given an introduction into the local culture so you act as normal as possible and offend as few people as possible. In Africa you did not cross your legs and show the bottom of your feet. In Asia you most often remove your shoes when entering someones house. There are things you should know when entering a culture so you can be respectful of the people you are trying to serve.
In Brazil amoung other cultural items we were taught, you kiss. It is not some open mouth kiss to every stranger you are introduced to.The common custom is to kiss or "air kiss" both cheeks (facial cheeks) of women you meet. Women kiss women, men kiss women, men do not kiss men (at least not in a church setting).
So this is the custom. Thanks to my Aunt Janice from Connecticut I was ready for this exchange (I thought). She always kissed us this way and it became a sign of endearment from her that my sister and I always appreciated.
The problem begins when you enter into the culture and away from just the idea or teaching of the culture. This greeting kiss normally (if not always) takes place between family members or very close friends. This is not just a casual greeting on the street. But in the church we are all brothers and sisters and family under God, so when Shar and I and the kids first arrived at church it was kiss fest 2012, and that was just on Saturday with the staff. On Sunday it was as if we had been there 20 years and then left and returned. I was kissed by every elderly woman in the room and Shar seemed to be very popular. But once Sunday passed the kiss became something we had to force ourselves to remember. Bruno and Tami are our hosts but should we kiss every day? Saints these two are by the way. If you come to Rio and do not meet them then you have missed out. Bruno's family (mom, dad, siblings live right next door.We see Bruno's mom almost every morning before we catch the bus. She has somewhat adopted us so she gets a kiss. I decided to choose to error on the friendly side and kiss everyone that has the willingness to greet me. Shar normally follows my lead but sometimes forgets and then goes in for the apology greeting kiss. I get confused sometimes and just go for the good old church hug instead and the other person tries to kiss and then we end up in some awkward side hug kiss. Very awkward.
And since men do not kiss then the hug is the substitute for male to male greetings of significance. But when you do not know someone it is often a bit unnatural also. I want to do the full on Bubba Martin hug (California people) or the Clint O'Rear hand shake bro-hug (Hills people) but neither are working. It is more of a side half hug back pat that I am now giving and receiving. I think tomorrow I will just introduce the entire country of Brazil to the loud High Five and call it good. Mission work is very stressful.
Love to you all.
Bundy Family
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Rio Day 4
Our first day of work. Reading. We really did not know what to expect and once we had an idea of how the actual reading sessions would go we or mainly I was slapped with the reality that each session will have a completely different identity of it's own.
We woke up early and met Jefferson at the street to catch the bus. Public transportation in Rio reminds of us of New York, where it is very common to walk several blocks to catch the bus and there is a very healthy amount of sidewalk traffic along with a seemingly lawless road traffic that is oddly enough very aware and respectful of pedestrians. Blake has almost been hit two days in row. The boy is clueless about speedy taxis and aggressive buses.
After a 20 minute or so bus ride to the church we began to set up our reading areas. Kevin and Mariah and Kevin's niece Sydney arrived a few minutes later and Kevin and Sydney helped us with details that we did not yet know of. We are scheduled to read from 10 am until 8 pm. with an hour break for lunch. It is not uncommon for readers to not show due to traffic or on conflicts and time seems to be a secondary concern. Showing up 30 minutes late or 30 minutes early is common and needs to be acceptable to us. Shar did well. I struggled. To dive into too much detail would become boring so I will simplify my explanation of the day.
There are men and women of various adult ages who want to learn English so badly that they freely and excitedly sign up for a free English course with a complete stranger. That idea is so non-Western that I have trouble even typing it. I cannot explain to you the joy that my readers had in learning our language.
From barely speaking any English at all to living in the states for 15 plus years. Students at what would be university level coming after their classes to people going to work early so their boss would give them time off to make it to English class. Business professionals to unemployed. All varieties of socioeconomic status and educational background. It was truly humbling to hear of their joy for this opportunity.
The process of day one is to form a relationship in order to be a better asset to the readers in the hope that they will become interested in the local church. So as we are talking I am hearing every story possible. How readers had lost their jobs, separated from spouses, traveled to various countries, reconnected with parents or children, burred parents or children. The list goes on and on. Why are these sweet people sharing their lives with us? It is amazing to me.
I am assuming there will be pictures down the road with these persons and I will gladly share those with you. The Brazilian culture is very kind and gracious and friendly and it is a welcome change to what we are used to in The States. I am very curious to see how God will use us in these two weeks. I will be curious to see what seeds we will plant or water and it will be a blessing some day to see what God grows from the work here in Brazil.
Our wonderful hosts met us at the church at 8:30 to ride the bus home with us. Life here also has a New York feeling. People go to work later in the morning and get home later and night and when we arrived the house this evening at 8:45 Tami began to cook their dinner, which was not ready until 9:30 and it was an awesome pasta/sausage dish that I can smell now and wish I had some. Too Doo Bein.
Blessing on you all.
We woke up early and met Jefferson at the street to catch the bus. Public transportation in Rio reminds of us of New York, where it is very common to walk several blocks to catch the bus and there is a very healthy amount of sidewalk traffic along with a seemingly lawless road traffic that is oddly enough very aware and respectful of pedestrians. Blake has almost been hit two days in row. The boy is clueless about speedy taxis and aggressive buses.
After a 20 minute or so bus ride to the church we began to set up our reading areas. Kevin and Mariah and Kevin's niece Sydney arrived a few minutes later and Kevin and Sydney helped us with details that we did not yet know of. We are scheduled to read from 10 am until 8 pm. with an hour break for lunch. It is not uncommon for readers to not show due to traffic or on conflicts and time seems to be a secondary concern. Showing up 30 minutes late or 30 minutes early is common and needs to be acceptable to us. Shar did well. I struggled. To dive into too much detail would become boring so I will simplify my explanation of the day.
There are men and women of various adult ages who want to learn English so badly that they freely and excitedly sign up for a free English course with a complete stranger. That idea is so non-Western that I have trouble even typing it. I cannot explain to you the joy that my readers had in learning our language.
From barely speaking any English at all to living in the states for 15 plus years. Students at what would be university level coming after their classes to people going to work early so their boss would give them time off to make it to English class. Business professionals to unemployed. All varieties of socioeconomic status and educational background. It was truly humbling to hear of their joy for this opportunity.
The process of day one is to form a relationship in order to be a better asset to the readers in the hope that they will become interested in the local church. So as we are talking I am hearing every story possible. How readers had lost their jobs, separated from spouses, traveled to various countries, reconnected with parents or children, burred parents or children. The list goes on and on. Why are these sweet people sharing their lives with us? It is amazing to me.
I am assuming there will be pictures down the road with these persons and I will gladly share those with you. The Brazilian culture is very kind and gracious and friendly and it is a welcome change to what we are used to in The States. I am very curious to see how God will use us in these two weeks. I will be curious to see what seeds we will plant or water and it will be a blessing some day to see what God grows from the work here in Brazil.
Our wonderful hosts met us at the church at 8:30 to ride the bus home with us. Life here also has a New York feeling. People go to work later in the morning and get home later and night and when we arrived the house this evening at 8:45 Tami began to cook their dinner, which was not ready until 9:30 and it was an awesome pasta/sausage dish that I can smell now and wish I had some. Too Doo Bein.
Blessing on you all.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Rio Day 3
This was our last day of rest before starting our LST work on Tuesday. We will read with the locals Tuesday through Saturday so today we attempted to see the famous Statue of Christ that sits atop a large mountain that is surrounded by the largest urban forest in the world and directly above the city of Rio. When we say directly above Rio that means we can see the entire city. Beach, mountains, tourist area, slums and business district. It is awesome. We were also planning on a half day at the beach since this was to be the first clear day here in Rio.
We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny morning. Rain the last few days was predicted to pass and the sunny morning was looking to be a promising day. We took a taxi from Bruno and Tami's house over to Kevin's house. He lives in a nice gated community in what we would call a condo. Very cool. About 20 minutes away by taxi.
After leaving Kevin's we drove the hour or so up the mountain and when we arrived at the entrance to the statue the clouds thickened and by the time we reached the top of the statue there was at least a 40 mph wind and heavy down pour was beginning. At one point we were trying to make an escape to a sheltered area and Anna was literally being blown away from us. The tile floor, a good rain and her fear caused her to slide away from me. Needless to say our day plans of enjoying the Statue of Christ and a half day at the beach were canceled by an all day rain shower. So we returned to Kevin and Debra's house and enjoyed some home made leftovers and a peaceful day of conversation, the Wii and some needed down time.
We returned to Bruno and Tami's house by taxi and are getting ready for our first day of reading tomorrow. Please pray that our interactions with the readers will be guided by God's hand that our words will be guided by the Spirit. We are excited but nervous about the unknown.
Blessings and bon noche.
We woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny morning. Rain the last few days was predicted to pass and the sunny morning was looking to be a promising day. We took a taxi from Bruno and Tami's house over to Kevin's house. He lives in a nice gated community in what we would call a condo. Very cool. About 20 minutes away by taxi.
After leaving Kevin's we drove the hour or so up the mountain and when we arrived at the entrance to the statue the clouds thickened and by the time we reached the top of the statue there was at least a 40 mph wind and heavy down pour was beginning. At one point we were trying to make an escape to a sheltered area and Anna was literally being blown away from us. The tile floor, a good rain and her fear caused her to slide away from me. Needless to say our day plans of enjoying the Statue of Christ and a half day at the beach were canceled by an all day rain shower. So we returned to Kevin and Debra's house and enjoyed some home made leftovers and a peaceful day of conversation, the Wii and some needed down time.
We returned to Bruno and Tami's house by taxi and are getting ready for our first day of reading tomorrow. Please pray that our interactions with the readers will be guided by God's hand that our words will be guided by the Spirit. We are excited but nervous about the unknown.
Blessings and bon noche.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Rio Day 2
Today has been a whirlwind of a day. I have had several times during the day when I wanted to stop and write down the events but I did not have time or resources and therefore I will only be able to provide the details I can recall at this late hour.
First I have to try to explain something. Rio is freaking huge. Do you know how big this city is? My guess was 2 to 3 million. Sharla guessed around 1.5 million. Our missionary/guide/parent said that the estimate is 8 to 12 million people. That is what we are dealing with. So when I talk about Rio you have to understand as I am still trying to, that what life or cars or streets or people look like in one area might be completely different than life in another area but it is all inside this giant place called Rio.
Church: I will find out later what neighborhood we are living and working and worshiping in, but today was Sunday and Church. The building is awesome. So much more than I expected. 12 years old is the church plant here and Kevin is one of the original missionaries. The church sits on a slight incline below a small mountain or big hill. Auditorium on the left connected by a breeze way to a 3 story building holding classes, offices and an open air court/multi purpose room. We arrived for class fashionably late as we would in Ft. Worth. Shar enjoyed a cup of fresh espresso and the kids and I snacked on pastries and bread before heading to class. The kids went to a kids class with Bruno's little sister Hebecca and Shar and I entered auditorium to here Kevin class on what I think was bible history. Very cool to hear him teach and ask and answer questions in Portuguese.
After class church began with singing. Christians are similar world wide I guess because the church was sparse at the beginning but after 2 or 3 songs it was nearly half full. I would guess around 150 or so but I was not counting. Bruno lead the worship with a small praise team. The church has a great energy and clapping is a church wide part of almost every song. Communion was buffet style at the front of the church and the offering was accepted in red velvet bags that were on a stick and controlled by 3 or 4 people throughout the church. The sermon was on 1 Cor. 12 and discussed the body of Christ having different parts. Great sermon by Jefferson the Evangelist. I was particularly encouraged by 2 items. 1. Toward the beginning of church they had birthdays announced. 2 men in there late 20's maybe were brought up front. Jefferson prayed over them and then as they were seated the church began to sing a birthday type song to them. After a few more announcements took place an older gentleman entered and Jefferson stopped what he was doing to welcome this brother and announced it was his birthday. Even though the official moment had passed the man was invited to the front and another prayer was lead over him. The same song then began and this man left the stage as if he had just won a boxing max. Hands raised and waving. It was very fun to watch. 2. At the end of the sermon Bruno lead a final song that dealt with family and the church and encouraged the congregation to express their love for one another. From that moment on the entire church engaged in a church wide time of hugging and kissing (which I will address in a moment) and time together. We were greeted and loved on by people from all over the church and members freely moved around without worrying about the singing or the order of worship. In the states we would have kept this time to the people right around our pew but in the Brazil the pew is ignored and the family is the priority. It was a blessing.
After church we stayed for a meal at the building. It is a weekly event to eat a church with the members, most of whom stay. The meal is prepared by one of the ministry teams as a fund raising event. Roughly 3$ a plate for fresh black beans and rice, chicken, this stuff that is ground up root that has been toasted and looked like sawdust and salad. It was a great meal and good to see the church stay and eat together.
From Church we (Blake, Anna, Shar, Mariah, Kevin, Tami and I) piled into Kevin's Fiat SUV (Fiat is big here) and headed to the more visible and well know part of Rio. Our destination was an event called the Hippie Fair which is located on the coast in the tourist section and was about an hour drive from the area of the church and where we are staying. It really was just your basic outdoor fair that mainly sold hand crafted goods for tourists but it had some great stuff. I was really close to buying a hand made blow dart gun but Shar decided that was not an ideal souvenir. Blake did find his treasure which was a stuffed Parana and Anna left empty handed and hopes for better luck in our next outing. From the Hippie Fair we walked about two blocks to the beach and let the kids run wild. It was a good release of energy for them and a chance for us to sit and talk and enjoy the more scenic side of Rio. Then we went to the mall. I know you think it is crazy but since Rio is so big there are actually 4 or 5 malls in Rio that are huge. This one we went to seemed enormous and then Kevin explained that they had recently built a second mall right next door and attacked the two together. We really just went there for easy food and some Italian ice cream that Kevin loves. From my earlier post I described Rio as India with a touch of L.A. This is so very true. Every shop you would expect in the Galleria (Dallas) is available and money is being spent but as we leave we drive by on of the largest poverty areas in Rio that houses nearly 200,000 people. It is interesting to clearly see the various levels of society within a only a mile or two of each other.
We returned to Bruno and Tami's (it is pronounced like t ah mee) and relaxed and hung out until bathe and bed time. Our conversations with Bruno and Tami have been enjoyable and I am pleased with how similar we actually are.
It might seem like all we are doing is playing but here is the reality. We arrived on Saturday morning and did nothing that first day but become aware of what we are about to do. Sunday is church and the church is closed on Monday so our LST work does not actually begin until Tuesday. I promise we will do what we came here to do. Blessing to you all and I will discuss kissing tomorrow. Chow.
First I have to try to explain something. Rio is freaking huge. Do you know how big this city is? My guess was 2 to 3 million. Sharla guessed around 1.5 million. Our missionary/guide/parent said that the estimate is 8 to 12 million people. That is what we are dealing with. So when I talk about Rio you have to understand as I am still trying to, that what life or cars or streets or people look like in one area might be completely different than life in another area but it is all inside this giant place called Rio.
Church: I will find out later what neighborhood we are living and working and worshiping in, but today was Sunday and Church. The building is awesome. So much more than I expected. 12 years old is the church plant here and Kevin is one of the original missionaries. The church sits on a slight incline below a small mountain or big hill. Auditorium on the left connected by a breeze way to a 3 story building holding classes, offices and an open air court/multi purpose room. We arrived for class fashionably late as we would in Ft. Worth. Shar enjoyed a cup of fresh espresso and the kids and I snacked on pastries and bread before heading to class. The kids went to a kids class with Bruno's little sister Hebecca and Shar and I entered auditorium to here Kevin class on what I think was bible history. Very cool to hear him teach and ask and answer questions in Portuguese.
After class church began with singing. Christians are similar world wide I guess because the church was sparse at the beginning but after 2 or 3 songs it was nearly half full. I would guess around 150 or so but I was not counting. Bruno lead the worship with a small praise team. The church has a great energy and clapping is a church wide part of almost every song. Communion was buffet style at the front of the church and the offering was accepted in red velvet bags that were on a stick and controlled by 3 or 4 people throughout the church. The sermon was on 1 Cor. 12 and discussed the body of Christ having different parts. Great sermon by Jefferson the Evangelist. I was particularly encouraged by 2 items. 1. Toward the beginning of church they had birthdays announced. 2 men in there late 20's maybe were brought up front. Jefferson prayed over them and then as they were seated the church began to sing a birthday type song to them. After a few more announcements took place an older gentleman entered and Jefferson stopped what he was doing to welcome this brother and announced it was his birthday. Even though the official moment had passed the man was invited to the front and another prayer was lead over him. The same song then began and this man left the stage as if he had just won a boxing max. Hands raised and waving. It was very fun to watch. 2. At the end of the sermon Bruno lead a final song that dealt with family and the church and encouraged the congregation to express their love for one another. From that moment on the entire church engaged in a church wide time of hugging and kissing (which I will address in a moment) and time together. We were greeted and loved on by people from all over the church and members freely moved around without worrying about the singing or the order of worship. In the states we would have kept this time to the people right around our pew but in the Brazil the pew is ignored and the family is the priority. It was a blessing.
After church we stayed for a meal at the building. It is a weekly event to eat a church with the members, most of whom stay. The meal is prepared by one of the ministry teams as a fund raising event. Roughly 3$ a plate for fresh black beans and rice, chicken, this stuff that is ground up root that has been toasted and looked like sawdust and salad. It was a great meal and good to see the church stay and eat together.
From Church we (Blake, Anna, Shar, Mariah, Kevin, Tami and I) piled into Kevin's Fiat SUV (Fiat is big here) and headed to the more visible and well know part of Rio. Our destination was an event called the Hippie Fair which is located on the coast in the tourist section and was about an hour drive from the area of the church and where we are staying. It really was just your basic outdoor fair that mainly sold hand crafted goods for tourists but it had some great stuff. I was really close to buying a hand made blow dart gun but Shar decided that was not an ideal souvenir. Blake did find his treasure which was a stuffed Parana and Anna left empty handed and hopes for better luck in our next outing. From the Hippie Fair we walked about two blocks to the beach and let the kids run wild. It was a good release of energy for them and a chance for us to sit and talk and enjoy the more scenic side of Rio. Then we went to the mall. I know you think it is crazy but since Rio is so big there are actually 4 or 5 malls in Rio that are huge. This one we went to seemed enormous and then Kevin explained that they had recently built a second mall right next door and attacked the two together. We really just went there for easy food and some Italian ice cream that Kevin loves. From my earlier post I described Rio as India with a touch of L.A. This is so very true. Every shop you would expect in the Galleria (Dallas) is available and money is being spent but as we leave we drive by on of the largest poverty areas in Rio that houses nearly 200,000 people. It is interesting to clearly see the various levels of society within a only a mile or two of each other.
We returned to Bruno and Tami's (it is pronounced like t ah mee) and relaxed and hung out until bathe and bed time. Our conversations with Bruno and Tami have been enjoyable and I am pleased with how similar we actually are.
It might seem like all we are doing is playing but here is the reality. We arrived on Saturday morning and did nothing that first day but become aware of what we are about to do. Sunday is church and the church is closed on Monday so our LST work does not actually begin until Tuesday. I promise we will do what we came here to do. Blessing to you all and I will discuss kissing tomorrow. Chow.
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Rio Day 1
We are in Rio. Cannot believe it. The trip has been great so far besides being very tired. We left DFW at 5:40 on Friday evening and arrived in Atlanta at 8:30. Our plane to Rio was boarding at 10:00 so it was a fast walk from terminal A to E. A fast snack at the food court and we were in the air by 10:30 Atlanta time. That is when the fun started. Anna fell asleep around 12:20 or so. Sharla and Mariah were in and out of consciousness from 2 am forward but never really got any good sleep. I finally made Blake lay down at 3:30 and he crashed until we landed at 8:40. Needless to say we are TIRED!!!!!
We were picked up at the airport by the missionary Kevin Reynolds (brother to Burt for you ACU people) and the evangelist named Jefferson. The rest of the day has really been a blur. We went to our host home which is a great young couple named Bruno and Tami. They are very solid. Then to church for a meeting and an english class from the readers who were involved in the previous LST trip that ended two weeks ago. It was really encouraging to see the impact that the previous team had. 11 people were present for the english class which went deeper into a section in Chapter 2 of John and Chapter 2 of Acts. Great dialogue with people wanting to learn english and getting to hear about Jesus. I was honestly surprised at how the gospel caused these english learners to question what the scriptures were saying. Before you knew it we were in a study. It was just wonderful.
We are eating tonight at Bruno and Tami's house/apartment/home with about 7 kids from the youth group. Brazil is just awesome. It has a feel to me of Mexico and Dallas. Kevin the missionary says it is described as India blended with L.A. Tight streets, crazy drivers, unplanned homes and building projects surrounded by slums in the hills and brand new construction around the corner. Small neighborhood shops, markets and butcher shops fill the air with a strong aroma of fresh food and yesterday's trash. It is something to get used to.
We are so excited to be here and for our kids to see the Church and the work in God's the Kingdom in Brazil. It will be a blessing and we will love it just as soon as Sharla gets some sleep. The kids are going to crash and I run on batteries. Planning on getting some pictures out.
Love to you all.
We were picked up at the airport by the missionary Kevin Reynolds (brother to Burt for you ACU people) and the evangelist named Jefferson. The rest of the day has really been a blur. We went to our host home which is a great young couple named Bruno and Tami. They are very solid. Then to church for a meeting and an english class from the readers who were involved in the previous LST trip that ended two weeks ago. It was really encouraging to see the impact that the previous team had. 11 people were present for the english class which went deeper into a section in Chapter 2 of John and Chapter 2 of Acts. Great dialogue with people wanting to learn english and getting to hear about Jesus. I was honestly surprised at how the gospel caused these english learners to question what the scriptures were saying. Before you knew it we were in a study. It was just wonderful.
We are eating tonight at Bruno and Tami's house/apartment/home with about 7 kids from the youth group. Brazil is just awesome. It has a feel to me of Mexico and Dallas. Kevin the missionary says it is described as India blended with L.A. Tight streets, crazy drivers, unplanned homes and building projects surrounded by slums in the hills and brand new construction around the corner. Small neighborhood shops, markets and butcher shops fill the air with a strong aroma of fresh food and yesterday's trash. It is something to get used to.
We are so excited to be here and for our kids to see the Church and the work in God's the Kingdom in Brazil. It will be a blessing and we will love it just as soon as Sharla gets some sleep. The kids are going to crash and I run on batteries. Planning on getting some pictures out.
Love to you all.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
8 year old baseball
Since I am not coaching soccer this Spring I decided to coach Blake's baseball team with another dad from last Springs team and from church. Great idea, but the reality is that this is a bunch of work.
So my buddy who was going to coach with me and who we go to church with has this son who is Blake's age and the two boys are great friends, but my buddy's son is a bit of a dare devil and so it was not too surprising when he called me with the news that his son had broken his arm falling out of a tree and would not be playing baseball this season.
So me team went from 12 to 11 and now I have no assistant coach. But God was watching out for us. When we were drafting our team (yes a draft with player evaluation and a closed door team picking session with some dads that take 8 year old coach pitch way to serious) we picked some kids based on more than their ability. We picked a really good player who we go to church with and another friend that goes to church in Trophy Club. We got lucky or were blessed to grab a kid late in the draft whose father is a praise minister at Gateway, and a few other kids that are just good boys that come from good homes. The environment of our team is really healthy.
So we went 1 and 3 in pre-season pool play and that put us in the lower league which hurts my pride but is o.k. We won our first game 14 to 6 against the Diamond Backs and tonight we faced the Twins.
First inning we are down 5 to 1. My kids are playing poor in the field and my # 1 and # 2 batters both got out. 6 to 2 in the second inning and 11 to 6 in the 3rd. We are in for a rough night. But in the bottom of the 3rd inning our bats come alive and we tie it at 11, but with a 5 run per inning run rule we are forced to go to the 5th and barely make it there with 3 minutes left on the clock. We are home and through a few acts of divine intervention and a good tag by Blake on a hard grounder hit to second we get out of the inning only giving up one run.
Bottom of the 5th and my son is up to bat, hitting in the 4 hole tonight. The other problem is that this is coach pitch and I am the pitcher. My nerves are active to say the least.
First pitch and Blake drives it into right field and as I take a knee at the pitchers mound I watch him round second and then third and before I can blink the little squirt has tied the game at 12 - 12. The next two batters are not very strong hitters and both get on base with singles. The 7 hole hitter hits a grounder to 2nd and is thrown out while both runners advance, but now we are reaching the bottom of tonight's lineup and I am worried. But I swear to you that when this goofy 8 year old, who gets confused between right and left field stepped to the plate he looked like a hitter, and tonight he was. Second pitch was line drive over 2nd and the White Sox win 14 to 12.
Shar had to miss the game for Anna's soccer practice and dog training school for Daisy which sounds lame but is very necessary. But in the place of Anna Jo and Shar was a man from our church. An elder and my mentor this year, Kurt Parsons came to watch Blake play baseball. Now I did send him a schedule but had not grade expectation that he would make a game but he did and stayed the entire game and even listened to my poor post game speech and waited to shake Blake's hand and encourage him. Having Kurt there this evening did not replace family or grandparents by any means and it was not meant to. But it does impress upon me the reality that this man has an interest in my spiritual growth as a person, husband and father and is willing to invest time in my children and family. I am grateful for The Hills Church and the leadership that is has and their desire to impact the body in real ways. I hope my son appreciates that this man took time out of his day to watch a little boy play baseball. I hope my son sees that our church family goes beyond the walls of the building.
Friday, March 09, 2012
So that Summer idea.....
Sorry for dropping the ball on the summer blog idea. There are thousands of great ideas that have never matured, and my idea was not even that great.
News Flash.
1. My head football coach (my boss) took another job in coaching and left 5 weeks ago.
2. The OC/Assistant Head Coach is a great great man and he applied for the job.
3. He was not selected. He did not get the job which he very much deserved and would have excelled at.
4. Another man/coach was hired.
5. I met the new head football of coach of Keller High this morning.
This same thing happened to us 5 years ago and that is how we ended up in Keller/Fort Worth/The Hills Church. I wonder what God has in store for us now? I'll let you know what happens.
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