Keeping my eyes open.

Not long after we were married I told my husband, P, that when I was a cadet on my Summer Placement that God had called me to work in Brazil. P said, ´Now you tell me! Why didn´t you mention this before!´ The truth was that I hadn´t thought about it since then. 8 years ago I had returned to the college after my Summer Placement and shared my thoughts about Brazil with my Sectional Officer. He told me that I should work in the UK and I breathed a sigh of relief! I thought no more about it until P and I were working in our first married appointment in Erskine, West Scotland. I wondered whether my thoughts had turned to warmer climes because I was feeling a bit chilly, so together P and I sought guidance from God. Many, many times God confirmed that He wanted us both to work for The Salvation Army in Brazil and so P became as convinced as I was that God had put a massive signpost in front of us pointing in the direction of Brazil. However, not once did God tell us why He wanted us to go or what we would do when we got here.
As we are approaching our 11th wedding anniversary we find ourselves here in Brazil working in the Corps at Sao Miguel Paulista. We were both thrilled and amazed to receive this appointment; thrilled because we love working in Corps and amazed because we can´t speak portuguese! God has still not given us any word about why he has sent a girl from Basingstoke and a boy from Pompey to work here but He has given me one very clear instruction, ´Keep your eyes open´. I was sitting on the platform waiting to preach in our Welcome Meeting last August when I felt God say this to me. So, I have tried to do this in a literal sense in every meeting.
Yesterday, I was walking through the market on the way to the Post Office to collect a parcel (see photos below) when I passed a makeshift shelter made from a large umbrella and bits of cardboard. A major thunderstorm had just ended and the multicoloured umbrella caught my attention. The answer came before I even asked the question, ´Keep your eyes open´. It felt like God was talking to me again and then I asked Him, ´What are we to do here?´
I once had a DC who said, ´The call is often seeing the need´. He had spent some years working in the Caribbean. It occurs to me that God has taken the trouble to write down what He wants us to do in the Bible and Jesus was kind enough to share His manifesto at the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4). I probably don´t need God to tell me why I am here, I just need to keep my eyes open, see what needs doing and do it!

Preferential treatment

Last week I decided to take A. shopping with me. I was a bit concerned about whether he would slow me down and whether I would get back to the apartment in time to have lunch and take him to school at 13:30. I really didn't need to worry. In Brazil they have something called preferential treatment so if you are elderly, disabled, pregnant or have a small child with you, you will always be able to go to the front of the queue, sit down on the bus or train or be served at a special counter. So, as I walked into the Post Office I was very surprised to see that there was no-one else in the queue (very unusual!) but even better than that, as soon as I stood at the front of the queue I was called over to a special counter where I was served immediately. I really think I should take A. shopping with me more often!
So, because we had some extra time on our hands we were able to buy some birthday presents for Daddy and have a look at some televisions. Last year we bought a Brazilian TV in a Brazilian Makro and P. has enjoyed watching premiership football on it and I have enjoyed watching the occasional film. However, two weeks ago our apartment block was hit by lightning. I was at the Hall for a prayer meeting that had just ended and we heard an enormous bang - like a bomb going off. We have alot of tropical thunderstorms here, practically every day in the summer months, so I thought it was a particularly loud thunder clap. However, when I got back to the apartment I found that P. was in the bedroom as the light in the living room was no longer working. He told me that the apartment block had been hit by lightning and the other casualty had been our TV. Fortunately, we insured it with SAGIC and our policy covers lightning. Yesterday, the light fitting was repaired and today P. took the TV to a repair shop. This is life in Brazil - there is always something to be repaired or fitted or organised and because we are so new here it takes us a long time to find out where we need to go or what we have to do. It is a great adventure!

March 1st 2010

Last week we gave away two of the church chairs to a family of five. It was a bit unusual but they only had three chairs in their house and there are two more children who stay with them every weekend. We sit on benches in the main church hall and we have about 20 - 25 blue plastic chairs in the store cupboard. We haven't missed the chairs yet. We also gave them a big box of food and some clothes. They have attended every meeting since and last night both parents knelt at the mercy seat. It is not exactly organised social work but when people come to the Salvation Army Hall in Sao Miguel Paulista and ask for help, we help them in the best way we can.
So, how did I get here? I had no idea when I gave my life to God at the age of 12 that I would one day live in Brazil. Although, I had a feeling it was something that would change my life forever, which is why it took me so long to do it. I had been going to the Salvation Army Sunday School in Basingstoke since the age of 3. My Auntie G. took me with her and when my sister was old enough, she came too. Several times a year the Sunday School leaders would give the children an opportunity to come to the front and pray and give their life to God (ie become a Christian) but I had resisted for 9 years. Then, one Sunday afternoon I was happliy ignoring God's voice calling me to follow Him when something shocked me. We were coming to the end of the prayer time and Mrs L, the Sunday School teacher at the front of the hall, was saying, 'I know there is someone here who should be at the front praying'. I was shocked. How did she know? Of course, I can look back now and realise that after 9 years the Sunday School teachers all knew that I wasn't a Christian and must have been tempted to give up all hope that I would ever make a commitment as I was heading sulkily into my teenage years. However, God used that moment to give me the big push. I turned to my sister who was 4 years younger than me and asked her to come with me. She said, 'No', and I thought that I would stay in my seat but instead I got up and knelt at the Mercy Seat. Two seconds later my sister, C, was kneeling next to me. Mrs H (my favourite Sunday School teacher) came and knelt between us and as she put her arms around us she said, 'I am so glad you have decided to do this'. For the next 6 years I tried to be a good Christian but my prayers seemed to just float away unanswered and I just couldn't seem to find the joy and peace that I was supposed to have. Then, at the age of 18, I had an amazing encounter with God. I repented of my sin, found salvation and was filled with the Holy Spirit. What a difference that made!
And now, 27 years later, here I am living in Brazil with my husband, P, and my little 4 year old boy, A. We arrived here on 1st August and immediately took up our appointment as the Commanding Officers of Sao Miguel Paulista Corps, in the Eastern part of the city of Sao Paulo, Brasil.
I have started this blog so that I can talk about my life here in Brasil for those people who are interested. It will make my e-mails a little shorter...! I am also going to set up a Facebook page for Sao Miguel Paulista so that I can illustrate my stories with photographs and videos and give an update of the work that is being done here.
Well, that's enough for today. My husband has just phoned to say that it is getting dark (at 6pm) and I should come home now. He's probably right. Thank you for reading my first blog!