A little while ago I was walking home from school with my 6 year old, A, when we both shared a rather lovely moment. A. was walking very slowly and not being very co-operative. Not something that happens every day but not unusual for a tired and hungry little boy. I was getting very frustrated and beginning to get a bit cross, so he said, 'I don't love you any more'. So, I said, 'Well, I love you, now come on!'.
I don't know why, but at that moment I decided to elaborate. 'In fact, 'I said, 'I never stop loving you'.
A. stopped where he was on the pavement, looked at me and said, 'Really?!' I was surprised by his reaction; surely he knew that I loved him. 'Yes, ' I replied, 'I never stop loving you. When you are very good I love you, when you are naughty I love you, whatever you do, wherever you are, I always love you. It never stops'. 'Oh, 'he said, 'I never knew that,' and he gave me a big smile and held my hand.
'So, did you think that every time I get cross with you that I stop loving you?' I ventured. 'Yes!' was his answer and it really did shock me. If we had not had this conversation A would have gone through his life thinking that I turned my love for him on and off according to how he behaved and that just isn't the way it is. All mothers and fathers will probably agree with me when I say that this feeling of love is so strong, so profound, so deep that it can never find an end. It never stops. It's just there - all the time.
I did, of course, ask the obvious question, 'So, when I get cross with you, do you stop loving me?'
And the answer was, 'Yes'.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Lost in a world of the Booming Bass and Booze
On 8th February, after a very long and arduous day, we travelled by car from Sao Miguel Paulista to our new appointment in Liberdade, in the centre of Sao Paulo. At about 10pm, P. stopped the car and said, 'This is our road', but we couldn't turn into it because it was heaving with students; they were on the pavements, in the bars, maybe some of them were even in lectures in the university building which we discovered that night was situated at the end of our road, but more relevant to us on that night, they were also all over the road. They were having a street party and this was no Diamond Jubilee Celebration.
A student had parked his car outside a bar, opened his boot wide to display two loud speakers that the Wembley Arena would have been proud of and people all around him were dancing to the funky beat. With a pint of beer in one hand and a spliff in the other, these students were celebrating the beginning of term - in our road.
We wondered how we were going to reach our new place of residence but slowly we drove through the partying crowds who seemed surprised that anyone would want to drive down this particular road at this time of night. Eventually we were able to park outside the Salvation Army Hall and were greeted by the outgoing Officer. We carried a sleepy A. up to the first floor apartment and discovered that the noise was almost as loud inside the building as it was outside due to the heavy bass beat and crowds of students walking past our windows.
Rua Tagua is well known in Sao Paulo, perhaps even Brazil. It has been featured on the television because of the problems that are caused by the students during term time. The students not only celebrate the beginning and end of term with a party, but every Friday night they celebrate the end of the week and on other nights, although not as loud or as crowded, the road is still noisy. I have been told that it is not as bad as it used to be. About 10 years ago there was a bar situated directly opposite the Salvation Army Hall and Officer's apartment. The noise was unbearable and officers with young children had to move. Further back than that, so I have been told, people would dance naked in the street. I thank God that things have improved since then, however, it is still a problem for the residents of this area.
Jesus told His disciples to, 'Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation..' Well, we do not have to travel too far because the world comes to us every night. Soon after we arrived I began prayer walking the street, putting Rumos (the Brazilian War Cry) through each door and talking to as many people as possible. In this road there is a University, a Seventh Day Adventist Church and School and The Salvation Army building which houses our church, a Social Project, Divisional Headquarters and three apartments with residents (which includes my family). My vision is that these establishments work together to restore order in this place and my first step is to try to arrange a meeting with the Principals of the school and university.
There have been evenings when I have left the comfort and security of my apartment to talk to the young men (it's always a young man) who are playing their music so loud that the walls of our apartment are vibrating and my head is thumping with the incessant bass beat. So far, I have been received with politeness and all but one have turned down or turned off their music. They are students and they are studying subjects like Radiography, Law and Physical Education. They are doing what most students do in countries all over the world - but whereas most students have a Student Union Bar they can go to - here they party in the street.
In every group there is a leader and so I prayed to God that He would touch the lives of the key people in this group. After the winter break and a quieter period of four weeks, the students returned and celebrated the beginning of term in their usual style. The music was so loud and the base beat so depressing that I had to go out and find where it was coming from. I walked to the other end of the road and was amazed by the sight of about 200 students doing a kind of funky line dance in the middle of the road. The music was pumping out of the back of a red car parked outside the bar and I asked who the car belonged to. A tall, young man with no shirt and a gold chain around his neck introduced himself as G, the owner of the car. I explained to him that I lived at the other end of the road but we could hear his music inside our apartment and it was very difficult for my 6 year old to sleep. We agreed that he would stop at midnight and in fact, the music stopped half an hour earlier. An ex-student, F, friend of G, was keen to practice his English and at that moment I realized that an opportunity had just been presented to me. Surrounded by students partying I shared the gospel with him and told him that God had called me to work in Brazil and God had told me to walk down the road and talk to him and to tell him that God loves him and he needs to change his life and follow Jesus. F's eyes opened wide and he was eager to listen. He told me that he had attended a Catholic School and was now working as a Lawyer. I offered to pray for him on the street and he accepted but do you know what, at that moment, another car parked up beside us and started pumping out music in competition with my new 'friend' G. I bellowed my prayer as loud as I could and I doubt very much if F heard anything but I know God did. I will never know if he opened his Bible when he went home or if he even remembered our conversation the next day but I keep praying for F and G - I am sure I am going to see them again. In fact, last Friday the party was in full flow when I spoke to G at 11pm once again. These students are very determined and the music didn't stop until 12:30am that night.
It is obvious that I cannot continue this ministry on my own so I am praying that we can find some way in which our church can develop a ministry with these students. In the meantime, please pray for my friends G and F. I believe God gave me an opportunity to speak to them and I pray that they will respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. God is on these streets; He owns them and He wants them back!
A student had parked his car outside a bar, opened his boot wide to display two loud speakers that the Wembley Arena would have been proud of and people all around him were dancing to the funky beat. With a pint of beer in one hand and a spliff in the other, these students were celebrating the beginning of term - in our road.
We wondered how we were going to reach our new place of residence but slowly we drove through the partying crowds who seemed surprised that anyone would want to drive down this particular road at this time of night. Eventually we were able to park outside the Salvation Army Hall and were greeted by the outgoing Officer. We carried a sleepy A. up to the first floor apartment and discovered that the noise was almost as loud inside the building as it was outside due to the heavy bass beat and crowds of students walking past our windows.
Rua Tagua is well known in Sao Paulo, perhaps even Brazil. It has been featured on the television because of the problems that are caused by the students during term time. The students not only celebrate the beginning and end of term with a party, but every Friday night they celebrate the end of the week and on other nights, although not as loud or as crowded, the road is still noisy. I have been told that it is not as bad as it used to be. About 10 years ago there was a bar situated directly opposite the Salvation Army Hall and Officer's apartment. The noise was unbearable and officers with young children had to move. Further back than that, so I have been told, people would dance naked in the street. I thank God that things have improved since then, however, it is still a problem for the residents of this area.
Jesus told His disciples to, 'Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation..' Well, we do not have to travel too far because the world comes to us every night. Soon after we arrived I began prayer walking the street, putting Rumos (the Brazilian War Cry) through each door and talking to as many people as possible. In this road there is a University, a Seventh Day Adventist Church and School and The Salvation Army building which houses our church, a Social Project, Divisional Headquarters and three apartments with residents (which includes my family). My vision is that these establishments work together to restore order in this place and my first step is to try to arrange a meeting with the Principals of the school and university.
There have been evenings when I have left the comfort and security of my apartment to talk to the young men (it's always a young man) who are playing their music so loud that the walls of our apartment are vibrating and my head is thumping with the incessant bass beat. So far, I have been received with politeness and all but one have turned down or turned off their music. They are students and they are studying subjects like Radiography, Law and Physical Education. They are doing what most students do in countries all over the world - but whereas most students have a Student Union Bar they can go to - here they party in the street.
In every group there is a leader and so I prayed to God that He would touch the lives of the key people in this group. After the winter break and a quieter period of four weeks, the students returned and celebrated the beginning of term in their usual style. The music was so loud and the base beat so depressing that I had to go out and find where it was coming from. I walked to the other end of the road and was amazed by the sight of about 200 students doing a kind of funky line dance in the middle of the road. The music was pumping out of the back of a red car parked outside the bar and I asked who the car belonged to. A tall, young man with no shirt and a gold chain around his neck introduced himself as G, the owner of the car. I explained to him that I lived at the other end of the road but we could hear his music inside our apartment and it was very difficult for my 6 year old to sleep. We agreed that he would stop at midnight and in fact, the music stopped half an hour earlier. An ex-student, F, friend of G, was keen to practice his English and at that moment I realized that an opportunity had just been presented to me. Surrounded by students partying I shared the gospel with him and told him that God had called me to work in Brazil and God had told me to walk down the road and talk to him and to tell him that God loves him and he needs to change his life and follow Jesus. F's eyes opened wide and he was eager to listen. He told me that he had attended a Catholic School and was now working as a Lawyer. I offered to pray for him on the street and he accepted but do you know what, at that moment, another car parked up beside us and started pumping out music in competition with my new 'friend' G. I bellowed my prayer as loud as I could and I doubt very much if F heard anything but I know God did. I will never know if he opened his Bible when he went home or if he even remembered our conversation the next day but I keep praying for F and G - I am sure I am going to see them again. In fact, last Friday the party was in full flow when I spoke to G at 11pm once again. These students are very determined and the music didn't stop until 12:30am that night.
It is obvious that I cannot continue this ministry on my own so I am praying that we can find some way in which our church can develop a ministry with these students. In the meantime, please pray for my friends G and F. I believe God gave me an opportunity to speak to them and I pray that they will respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. God is on these streets; He owns them and He wants them back!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
All change!
Yesterday I had a good experience travelling to pick Andrew up from school. I now have to reconsider my opinion of the Sao Paulo metro and the people who use it. Given my previous comments regarding the metro, it is only fair that I share this with you.
As I arrived at the metro station in Sao Joaquim I could see that there was a train waiting on the platform, so I pelted down the stairs as fast as I could and ran towards the open doors. As I got near I heard the beeps which warned that the doors were about to close and so I stopped in front of them and made a kind of, 'Oh well, I will just have to wait for the next train', kind of face to the three men standing in the doorway. However, the three men beckoned me on and so I jumped onto the train and found that not only had the men cleared a space for me to get on but they had actually been holding the doors back for me. I said, 'Obrigada', and we all settled into our journey without another glance or word. However, I noticed that one of the men was wearing a silver cross around his neck and I wondered if I had been helped by one of God's angels....
It has been a while since I have written on this blog. Things have been a little hectic since October. I had an unexpected stay in hospital and then two weeks later P and I received Farewell Orders from Sao Miguel Paulista. Working for The Salvation Army often brings surprises but this was the biggest surprise of all!
The Salvation Army operates an appointment system whereby the leaders at Headquarters will decide where each officer willl work and when they will move. As The Salvation Army graciously provides a house or an apartment for each officer to live in it means that officers can move from one appointment to another with a certain amount of ease. In the UK there is a process of consultation and each year everyone knows which day the new appointments will be announced and whether or not they will be moving but here in Brazil, in November 2011, no-one knew who would be moving or when they would find out.
The email said that we were to be the Corps Officers of Corpo Central which is in Liberdade, a tourist area in the centre of the city and not far from Avenida Paulista, the main commercial hub. So, on February 8th 2012 we said a fond farewell to the people of Sao Miguel Paulista and handed over the work to two experienced Brazilian officers. We were sad to leave but we realise that this is not our ministry, it is not our work and the Corps at Sao Miguel Paulista was not ours to keep. The work is the Lord's. He was working in that place before we arrived and He will continue to work long after we have gone. When we arrived in Sao Miguel Paulista in August 2009 we had little knowledge of the culture or language and wondered how we would be able to lead a church without these basic skills. We were amazed at how the Lord went before us and enabled the work to be done and we are grateful for the patience and encouragement of the people there.
And so now we are at our second appointment in Brazil; Corpo Central. Our apartment is in the same building as the church hall, Divisional Headquarters and a Social Project called Tres Coracoes (Three Hearts). There are exciting things happening here and many opportunities for urban mission. However, before I write about this I am going to have a holiday - after almost three years in Brazil we are coming home for a long holiday and we are looking forward to spending time with family and friends. I am praying we will be renewed in body, mind and spirit so that when we return to Sao Paulo in June we will be ready to work in the centre of the biggest city in the southern hemisphere because we have signed up for another three years.
As I arrived at the metro station in Sao Joaquim I could see that there was a train waiting on the platform, so I pelted down the stairs as fast as I could and ran towards the open doors. As I got near I heard the beeps which warned that the doors were about to close and so I stopped in front of them and made a kind of, 'Oh well, I will just have to wait for the next train', kind of face to the three men standing in the doorway. However, the three men beckoned me on and so I jumped onto the train and found that not only had the men cleared a space for me to get on but they had actually been holding the doors back for me. I said, 'Obrigada', and we all settled into our journey without another glance or word. However, I noticed that one of the men was wearing a silver cross around his neck and I wondered if I had been helped by one of God's angels....
It has been a while since I have written on this blog. Things have been a little hectic since October. I had an unexpected stay in hospital and then two weeks later P and I received Farewell Orders from Sao Miguel Paulista. Working for The Salvation Army often brings surprises but this was the biggest surprise of all!
The Salvation Army operates an appointment system whereby the leaders at Headquarters will decide where each officer willl work and when they will move. As The Salvation Army graciously provides a house or an apartment for each officer to live in it means that officers can move from one appointment to another with a certain amount of ease. In the UK there is a process of consultation and each year everyone knows which day the new appointments will be announced and whether or not they will be moving but here in Brazil, in November 2011, no-one knew who would be moving or when they would find out.
The email said that we were to be the Corps Officers of Corpo Central which is in Liberdade, a tourist area in the centre of the city and not far from Avenida Paulista, the main commercial hub. So, on February 8th 2012 we said a fond farewell to the people of Sao Miguel Paulista and handed over the work to two experienced Brazilian officers. We were sad to leave but we realise that this is not our ministry, it is not our work and the Corps at Sao Miguel Paulista was not ours to keep. The work is the Lord's. He was working in that place before we arrived and He will continue to work long after we have gone. When we arrived in Sao Miguel Paulista in August 2009 we had little knowledge of the culture or language and wondered how we would be able to lead a church without these basic skills. We were amazed at how the Lord went before us and enabled the work to be done and we are grateful for the patience and encouragement of the people there.
And so now we are at our second appointment in Brazil; Corpo Central. Our apartment is in the same building as the church hall, Divisional Headquarters and a Social Project called Tres Coracoes (Three Hearts). There are exciting things happening here and many opportunities for urban mission. However, before I write about this I am going to have a holiday - after almost three years in Brazil we are coming home for a long holiday and we are looking forward to spending time with family and friends. I am praying we will be renewed in body, mind and spirit so that when we return to Sao Paulo in June we will be ready to work in the centre of the biggest city in the southern hemisphere because we have signed up for another three years.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Doing Something: Reaching out to the Homeless (2)
There has been a breakthrough recently in regard to reaching out to the homeless. Not something initiated by our own church, sadly, but another church has started a regular soup run on a Friday night. Our church has agreed to work in partnership with them and P. has gone out on a Friday night on several occasions with a team of young men that changes each week. Now that he is familiar with the routine he intends to take other people from our church with him in the future. Not only has P. been able to help with the giving out of soup but he has been able to pass on donations of food for the church to use in preparing the meals and more recently, blankets.
The Salvation Army received a massive donation of brand new blankets to be given out to the homeless, particularly needed in the winter months. Our own church was given 40 blankets to distribute and P. took some of them with him the last time he helped with the soup run. As he had permission from the men to take publicity photos I feel I can share them with you here (see side bar). You will notice from the photos that some of the men have large wooden carts with them. These are used to collect cardboard. P. learnt that they can sell 1kg of cardboard for 30 centavos (that is about 10p). How much cardboard do they need to collect in order to buy a loaf of bread which is about R$ 4,00 (about £1.45)? No wonder I see these men walking up and down the street throughout the day - they seem to be the hardest working men in Sao Miguel.
P. had more success in giving out the blankets than I did. I saw the lady with the blanket (see previous blog) walking along the street opposite our church hall so I quickly grabbed a blanket and crossed the street to give it to her. Her own blanket was grey and dirty and I was holding a brand, new, clean pink blanket. She had stopped to beg food from the bar opposite our church and when I offered her the blanket she refused it. I asked the young girl from the bar to explain to her in portuguese that the blanket was a gift and I wanted her to take it and I left the blanket with her. I don't think she managed to give her the blanket either and of course, she did not return it to the church. In fact, later that evening while I was giving out Rumos ( the Brazilian War Cry) in the street, the owner of the bar came and asked if I had any more blankets. I explained that the blankets were only to be given to the homeless and he said that he would, indeed, be giving them to the homeless! I found it very difficult to believe him and said that The Salvation Army would be distributing the blankets and I could not give any to him. I then took the opportunity to invite him to our meetings but he began to wander across the road back to his bar.
We are so pleased that a neighbouring church has begun this soup run because it gives us a stronger link with the homeless on the street. We have plans to develop this work further but we know we will need to do alot of planning before we can put it into action. In the meantime, we will continue to support the work of the Friday night soup run and pray that God will open more doors of opportunity for us.
The Salvation Army received a massive donation of brand new blankets to be given out to the homeless, particularly needed in the winter months. Our own church was given 40 blankets to distribute and P. took some of them with him the last time he helped with the soup run. As he had permission from the men to take publicity photos I feel I can share them with you here (see side bar). You will notice from the photos that some of the men have large wooden carts with them. These are used to collect cardboard. P. learnt that they can sell 1kg of cardboard for 30 centavos (that is about 10p). How much cardboard do they need to collect in order to buy a loaf of bread which is about R$ 4,00 (about £1.45)? No wonder I see these men walking up and down the street throughout the day - they seem to be the hardest working men in Sao Miguel.
P. had more success in giving out the blankets than I did. I saw the lady with the blanket (see previous blog) walking along the street opposite our church hall so I quickly grabbed a blanket and crossed the street to give it to her. Her own blanket was grey and dirty and I was holding a brand, new, clean pink blanket. She had stopped to beg food from the bar opposite our church and when I offered her the blanket she refused it. I asked the young girl from the bar to explain to her in portuguese that the blanket was a gift and I wanted her to take it and I left the blanket with her. I don't think she managed to give her the blanket either and of course, she did not return it to the church. In fact, later that evening while I was giving out Rumos ( the Brazilian War Cry) in the street, the owner of the bar came and asked if I had any more blankets. I explained that the blankets were only to be given to the homeless and he said that he would, indeed, be giving them to the homeless! I found it very difficult to believe him and said that The Salvation Army would be distributing the blankets and I could not give any to him. I then took the opportunity to invite him to our meetings but he began to wander across the road back to his bar.
We are so pleased that a neighbouring church has begun this soup run because it gives us a stronger link with the homeless on the street. We have plans to develop this work further but we know we will need to do alot of planning before we can put it into action. In the meantime, we will continue to support the work of the Friday night soup run and pray that God will open more doors of opportunity for us.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
An unexpected visitor
A few weeks ago, during the last ten minutes of the Thursday night holiness meeting, a man ran into the church whilst people were praying for each other in pairs. He lent on the back bench and in a breathless voice said, 'Someone help me, please'. I asked the Sergeant Major, G, to speak with him and G took him into another room.
Some of the women stopped praying and became very concerned. The man was obviously running away from someone and we wondered if someone else or a group of people were going to follow him into the hall. I asked C if we should close the doors which are always wide open during every meeting but she said that we should leave them open because we do not know what this man might do.
After the meeting was over, I locked the church and came to the front gate where two of the women were laughing. They told me that the Sergeant Major had taken the frightened man home. I asked them why they were laughing and they said that the man had been running away from his wife!
Some of the women stopped praying and became very concerned. The man was obviously running away from someone and we wondered if someone else or a group of people were going to follow him into the hall. I asked C if we should close the doors which are always wide open during every meeting but she said that we should leave them open because we do not know what this man might do.
After the meeting was over, I locked the church and came to the front gate where two of the women were laughing. They told me that the Sergeant Major had taken the frightened man home. I asked them why they were laughing and they said that the man had been running away from his wife!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
A tragic event on the Avenida.
It is not very often that you can thank God that you were ill but half way through last week I realised that it was probably good that my family and I were in our apartment at tea-time last Saturday and it was because I was feeling unwell.
We had planned to visit some friends and have a meal together but I had felt very flu-ey since Thursday and by Saturday morning I just couldn't get out of bed. So, reluctantly P phoned and cancelled. I slept until 4:30pm and P and A went to the market. They were back by 5;00pm and I joined them to watch a DVD. I prayed that I would feel well enough on Sunday to go to church because I had lots of people to talk to and the new Bible Study groups were going to have their first session.
When I woke up on Sunday I still felt unwell but all the flu-ey symptoms had disappeared and I felt well enough to go to the hall. During the morning meeting the Sergeant Major spoke to me. He told me that on Saturday evening the father of the man who lives in the house next to the hall had been shot and killed on the Avenida. When I had the time I googled the news story to find out the details and it was true. The 68 year old business man had left his Auto Parts shop at 6:30pm on Saturday and got into his Corsa. As he drove up to the traffic lights a man on a motorbike stopped and shot at him through the glass of the back seat window. The shot killed him. This happened on the Avenida, very close to where we live. If we had visited our friends that day we would probably have been arriving home at that time.
I cannot say if God saved us from witnessing or being involved in this tragedy but I do know that because I was ill we were all safe in our apartment at the time that it happened and for that I can thank God.
How can a person cope with the sudden, traumatic death of a loved one? The man who was killed had lived in Sao Miguel for 38 years and was well known in this area. His son, daughter in law and 7 year old grandson live in the house next to our church. I prayed that God would open the door so that I would have the opportunity to offer some love and support. My first few attempts bore no fruit but on Sunday I asked G to come with me and together we rang the bell. The son came to the gate and opened it to us and we talked together at the entrance to the house. He gladly received the card and plant that I offered to him on behalf of the church members and he said that he would give them to his mother who is 64 years old. As I struggled to speak in Portuguese he told me that he could speak some English and so the door was open for me to bring words of support and comfort to him.
We don't know why this tragedy has happened and why the man on the motorcycle would want to kill a 68 year old businessman but we do know that we do not want it to happen again. So, not only are we praying for the family who are bereaved, but we are also praying that God will bring peace and safety to this neighbourhood.
We had planned to visit some friends and have a meal together but I had felt very flu-ey since Thursday and by Saturday morning I just couldn't get out of bed. So, reluctantly P phoned and cancelled. I slept until 4:30pm and P and A went to the market. They were back by 5;00pm and I joined them to watch a DVD. I prayed that I would feel well enough on Sunday to go to church because I had lots of people to talk to and the new Bible Study groups were going to have their first session.
When I woke up on Sunday I still felt unwell but all the flu-ey symptoms had disappeared and I felt well enough to go to the hall. During the morning meeting the Sergeant Major spoke to me. He told me that on Saturday evening the father of the man who lives in the house next to the hall had been shot and killed on the Avenida. When I had the time I googled the news story to find out the details and it was true. The 68 year old business man had left his Auto Parts shop at 6:30pm on Saturday and got into his Corsa. As he drove up to the traffic lights a man on a motorbike stopped and shot at him through the glass of the back seat window. The shot killed him. This happened on the Avenida, very close to where we live. If we had visited our friends that day we would probably have been arriving home at that time.
I cannot say if God saved us from witnessing or being involved in this tragedy but I do know that because I was ill we were all safe in our apartment at the time that it happened and for that I can thank God.
How can a person cope with the sudden, traumatic death of a loved one? The man who was killed had lived in Sao Miguel for 38 years and was well known in this area. His son, daughter in law and 7 year old grandson live in the house next to our church. I prayed that God would open the door so that I would have the opportunity to offer some love and support. My first few attempts bore no fruit but on Sunday I asked G to come with me and together we rang the bell. The son came to the gate and opened it to us and we talked together at the entrance to the house. He gladly received the card and plant that I offered to him on behalf of the church members and he said that he would give them to his mother who is 64 years old. As I struggled to speak in Portuguese he told me that he could speak some English and so the door was open for me to bring words of support and comfort to him.
We don't know why this tragedy has happened and why the man on the motorcycle would want to kill a 68 year old businessman but we do know that we do not want it to happen again. So, not only are we praying for the family who are bereaved, but we are also praying that God will bring peace and safety to this neighbourhood.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Brazilian Beggars
Last Wednesday was a cold day in Sao Paulo so when I went to my portuguese class at Mackenzie University I wore the jacket that P gave me for my birthday last year. It made me a target for beggars who tend to ask the more smartly dressed pedestrians for money because they assume that they have more money than the less smartly dressed pedestrians.
As I walked back to the metro from the university I was stopped by a small, middle aged woman who told me a long story about her daughter who was sick. I explained that I couldn't understand everything she was saying because I only speak portuguese a little. She summed everything up for me in one English word, 'Money'.
In these circumstances I always follow the example of Peter in the New Testament and I said, 'I can't give you any money but I do have Jesus. Can I say a prayer for your daughter?' The woman walked away as soon as she realised that I wasn't going to give her any money but her son and daughter looked surprised and a little interested. The teenage girl was wearing a face mask and her brother explained that she had a problem with her stomach. I don't know if that was true but I said I would pray for them in the street if they were willing. So, as I was praying for the young girl her mother continued to beg from other passers by and her brother stood beside her in support. The young girl closed her eyes and I prayed a very simple prayer in my simple portuguese that God would heal her and that she would know the power of the Holy Spirit in her life. I left her with a hug and a promise to continue to pray for her which I did as I continued to walk down to the metro.
As I was praying I asked God if I had done the right thing and I received a challenge. I have prayed with alot of beggars in the past two years who, I suspect, humour me while I am praying in the hope that they will receive something at the end of the prayer. I felt God saying it is good to pray for people but instead of just witnessing to Jesus why not ask them to put their own faith in Jesus? What really brings life changing power into a person's life? It's when they themselves put their trust in Jesus, repent of their sin and accept His forgivenes and love. When they are fully given over to Him then He is able to work in their life in an amazing and powerful way. I can be absolutely sure of that because that is what Jesus has done for me.
As I walked back to the metro from the university I was stopped by a small, middle aged woman who told me a long story about her daughter who was sick. I explained that I couldn't understand everything she was saying because I only speak portuguese a little. She summed everything up for me in one English word, 'Money'.
In these circumstances I always follow the example of Peter in the New Testament and I said, 'I can't give you any money but I do have Jesus. Can I say a prayer for your daughter?' The woman walked away as soon as she realised that I wasn't going to give her any money but her son and daughter looked surprised and a little interested. The teenage girl was wearing a face mask and her brother explained that she had a problem with her stomach. I don't know if that was true but I said I would pray for them in the street if they were willing. So, as I was praying for the young girl her mother continued to beg from other passers by and her brother stood beside her in support. The young girl closed her eyes and I prayed a very simple prayer in my simple portuguese that God would heal her and that she would know the power of the Holy Spirit in her life. I left her with a hug and a promise to continue to pray for her which I did as I continued to walk down to the metro.
As I was praying I asked God if I had done the right thing and I received a challenge. I have prayed with alot of beggars in the past two years who, I suspect, humour me while I am praying in the hope that they will receive something at the end of the prayer. I felt God saying it is good to pray for people but instead of just witnessing to Jesus why not ask them to put their own faith in Jesus? What really brings life changing power into a person's life? It's when they themselves put their trust in Jesus, repent of their sin and accept His forgivenes and love. When they are fully given over to Him then He is able to work in their life in an amazing and powerful way. I can be absolutely sure of that because that is what Jesus has done for me.
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