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Early Monday morning, November 9, 2009
We returned very
early Friday morning from a great four-day CHN getaway at Iguaçu Falls
in south Brazil. CHN stands for Christian Hospitality Network,
an organization of Christian
Hotel and
Bed & Breakfast owners in the States.
Each
year they choose a different continent and invite missionaries working
there to a time away (at CHN expense). Our only costs were for
traveling there; everything else – hotel rooms, great meals, etc. were
on their tab including beautiful gifts (like candy, books, CDs and
DVDs) left on our beds each night.
Traveling
with the CHN team was a group of doctors, counselors and financial
advisors ready to help in any way they could. Included as well were
several masseuses who gave us free massages each day (well, again, free
for us...but paid for by the owner of Chick-Fil-A restaurant chain).
And, of course, a trip to Iguaçu
Falls
national park. (see pictures on our blog, http://spoelhof-brazilnuts.blogspot.com/
)
The
first evening’s meeting with instructions about the days ahead was
required, from there on, attendance was optional for any other
meetings. We could sleep in, sit by one of the four pools, take a nap
in hammocks under the palms, go sight-seeing, shop, or whatever! Just get away and relax!
There were three
hundred forty-five missionaries from all over South
America that came to this shindig. We
met friends and colleagues from all the different places of our past
ministries, and got to meet folks from Chile,
Argentina, Paraguay, Peru
and Ecuador
as well.
We’d been to the
falls many times before, but thought it would be fun to see them one
more time before we leave Brazil. They were as
spectacular as ever. God’s
handiwork there in the middle of a jungle is breath-taking with over
two hundred different falls! Why it’s not a Wonder of World is beyond
me!
Over
the years, we’ve learned to live with names we’ve been called and the
preconceived ideas about who we are or what our work is, but to be
called “heroes” is something we were definitely not accustomed to, nor
to be treated as such, but these past few days were an exception.
One
of the neatest surprises was the night we came into our room, and
there, along with the other gifts we got, were several cards and
letters from family and friends “back in the States” expressing thanks
for what we do and what we meant to them. We both cried as we read
them, and I prayed for all of them as we went to bed that night.
Sue
got to see the doctor while there and have a check-up. As Sue told all
that she’s been through physically in recent years, the doctor listened
in amazement and said that it’s just a miracle that she’s alive! I’m thankful for that….that’s she’s alive,
that is!
After all
the pampering, it’s now back to work again for a while.
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