Archive
for Bill & Sue's Journal
Tuesday
afternoon, June 12, 2007
It’s Valentines Day in Brazil
today. Sue and I walked downtown and wandered around through some shops
a while, looking for a gift. Earlier
this morning, as a gift she gave me a wooden shoe I’d picked up in
Holland years ago but had done nothing with, but she had it all painted
and with fancy designs. (What does that say for me…empty handed on
Valentines?) After looking through several stores, she chose a cool
purse. After a little more shopping
around, we
splurged and had a “romantic” lunch at McDonald’s. When we got home,
she transferred all her stuff into the new purse and headed out to ESL
classes.
The
Valentines banquet at church is planned for this Saturday evening, and
there are over forty that have signed up for it. It had been scheduled
for this past weekend, but since that was a holiday weekend here, and
many of our folks were traveling, we switched dates.
On Sunday, June 3, our friend Carlinhos died
of cancer. I had recently asked prayer for him and his wife Suzana. He
was a record producer with Sony Music of Brazil. After we had an
extended Bible study in their home, he accepted Christ as his Savior.
It was neat seeing him grow spiritually over the past couple years, and
I baptized him just a year ago. In 2005 I did a wedding ceremony for
him and Suzana on their 30th wedding anniversary, since they
had never had a church ceremony, and had asked if I would do that now
that they were both believers.
Sunday
into Monday was a long night with the wake. I did his funeral Monday
morning, and as he had requested I included the gospel as most of the
family and friends were unbelievers. By noon he was buried. That was
the tenth funeral we’ve had for people from our church family over the
past year, but the first one who was a member of our little
congregation.
Thursday
was a holiday, and Sue and I went by to visit Suzana at home. She has
had such a fine testimony through all that’s gone on recently. When I
had talked with her a couple days before Carlinhos’s home-going, she
commented that she remembered my testimony of when Sue was so sick
three years ago and how I had given her over to the hands of her
heavenly Father to do with as He saw fit. She said that she had prayed
the same prayer with Carlinhos that afternoon. Suzana is a nurse, and
she is one that we credit with helping save Sue’s life when she was so
sick. She had made a visit to the hospital here one afternoon when
things looked their worst, and immediately called the doctor saying
that Sue wouldn’t make it through the night if he didn’t transfer her
to a hospital that could properly care for her. To make a long story
short, that was done and praise God, she’s still here today.
This
past Sunday was Pastors’ Day here. The church family surprised me with
a gift of a new shirt and they also gave Sue some earrings. It was a
special time with almost everyone coming up, giving hugs (that’s as
common as shaking hands here) and expressing how much they appreciated
and had grown through our ministry.
Well, I just took a break.
I
just got back from walking to the post office to mail a card and a
letter. Yes, every once in a while regular mail is still used. I
remember years ago when we were first in Brazil, waiting for written
word from the states…any news, sometimes even what the writer eaten for
dinner, was interesting. I’ve commented to
folks
that when we first arrived here and our daughter Natali was born, it
took six weeks to get baby pictures to the grandpas and grandmas. Now,
through internet, we can take a shot and have it seen on someone’s
computer in a matter of a couple minutes. When we lived in the Amazon,
we marked schedules days in advance to talk by shortwave radio. Now I
phone weekly to talk with my folks by Skype on computer for two cents a
minute! Times have sure changed!
Ok,
I’ve rambled on long enough for now, and gotten you up to date a
little. Better get some other work done. Have a great week ahead. Tchau!
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