Brazilian Adventure

I'm home. I've been all the way to Brazil and back. I didn't think Brazil was so far, but it took me 33 hours to get there and probably longer coming back. That is as long as it takes me to go to my wife's project in Africa. I was a great trip, if you don't mind discomfort--overnight travel, long lay overs, extreme heat, fire ants, canker on my tongue, sleeping on a foam that gradually became nothing in about ten minutes, etc.

In the Sao Paulo airport, I could have rented a room to sleep called Sleep Fast. Not a bad idea when you have ten hours to spare and you flew all night, except that it cost $49. (Forty nine dollars for the first hour, that is.) I saw young couples coming out of there. Must be someone thought of another way to make renting the rooms worthwhile.

The project on the Amazon river was impressive. Not the project so much, maybe, the young people running it. They bought this beautiful property for $225,000 without a penny in their pockets, and paid it off in five months. The leader, Brad Mills, is married to David Gate's daughter, Lena. They have two little boys. I am wonderfully impressed with their dedication and balanced, intelligent approach to ministry. The Lord is blessing them greatly.

They operate three mission boats on the Amazon river. They've interested 200 Brazilian professionals--docs, nurses, radiologist, dentists etc.-- to volunteer from mission trips into the interior. Now they are part of OCI's network of missions and I deem them worthy of our support.

I went with the purpose of speaking at a convention-like weekend four times. I ended up speaking six times. I had prepared three messages on Medical Missionary work and preached only two of them. I believe the Lord led me to touch other subjects. The Lord gave us a very spiritual weekend. The people are very friendly, good looking, intelligent and fun loving. Of course, the Adventist involved in this project are upper-middle class professionals. Much of the country reminded me of Dar Es Salaam, or Santo Domingo--steamy hot, sewers running down the streets, tropical fruit growing everywhere, children playing soccer on every street corner etc. The young ladies are beautiful. The older ladies still dress like they were beautiful. I guess it is too hot to dress otherwise. Last year, the Amazon river experienced its biggest flood on record, something like 50 or 60 feet above normal. This year, they set the record in the opposite direction. The waters have never been so low.

All in all, the trip was worth it, even though, I left my cell phone, pen and little note book in a motel in Miami. It was still worth it. The cell phone is coming by UPS. It's still kind of early right now, but I think I'll go to bed anyway. Tomorrow, I must speak at assembly. Yuk! As in rare cases, I haven't a thing prepared and I don't even feel like trying. Tomorrow, God will fill my mouth, just watch.

Love to all.