Chã de Cruz

The last Wednesday evening and Thursday during our stay in Recife were spent at the Zoë Project in Chã de Cruz. This is a sister project to the work in Tejipio and is where most of the young people we met at camp during our first week live. It is a particularly poor area with families of up to 12 sleeping in one room. However family is really important and despite the difficulties it was heartening to see brothers and sisters helping each and bringing each other along to the church.

On the Wednesday evening we quite literally took up our mats and travelled on the metro and the bus up the windy hill out of the city. The church were holding a special praise service for the camps which had taken place over the summer which included the last camp that we had helped out at. The service was very moving with praise that we recognised - we almost kept up with all the actions this time - and inspiring talk by the Pastor. Karen, Jenefer, Barbara and Rebecca were asked to sing their rendition of 'The Lord's My Shepherd' which they had perfected earlier in the kitchen. There will be X-factor appearances for them!

During the service the young people were able to relive their camp memories through the various photos that came up on the screen. Karen and Jenefer were disapppointed to be the only members of the team not to feature... but then they were probably working hard in the kitchen.

We learned the meaning of 'close fellowship' that night as all 10 of us, Emma the Latin Link worker and our new friends Everton and Pedro, all settled down to sleep on the cold church floor. While we didn't enjoy our cold showers in Tejipio, suddenly with only one basin between all of us, we realised that we had been living in the lap of luxury.

We had an early start on Thursday as the children and young people arrive at the project before 8am. We had been asked to lead their 3-hour programme morning and afternoon, with around 350 children. As a team we had our concerns about our ability to do this - it is hard enough to carry out a programme in your own country and in your own language without trying to do the same half way round the world.

Following on from our Bible study experience in Chã de Cruz we had developed a programme with a number of different stations. This time prayer was not the focus but English language and skill and sports games. We felt that this would make the large numbers more manageable by putting them into smaller teams. We also had tuned into the fact that Brazilians are very competitive and would enjoy the team element.

On arrival the children had breakfast - for some it would be their largest meal that day. Our programme began with some songs and Bible teaching once again focusing on the Lost Sheep. The older young people were treated to a drama on the Prodigal Son. Through this we wanted to remind the children and young people that they are very special to God.

Sometimes the best laid plans go awry and when the heavens opened we temporarily panicked. However God was on our side and as a team we managed to work together and think on our feet. We were able to run the language stations in the church and the sports stations in the covered refectory area. The morning was a great success with everyone thoroughly enjoying the variety, and of course the competition! We were exhausted and we were only half way through!

Lunch was an opportunity to share with some of the project workers and to find out a little bit more about the area. We even managed a conversation about the World Cup and Thierry Henry's interesting tactics against the Republic of Ireland. Some of the project workers had been participants in the past and have now learnt skills which they can now use to support themselves financially.

The afternoon brought even more children many of whom were younger and we were concerned that they would not be able to concentrate on the planned activities. However again we were surprised and realised God's hand with us as the majority of them worked together to have a really fun afternoon. We gave some of the older young people leadership responsibilities and we could literally see them blossoming under the challenge.

As we walked away from the church to catch the bus back to Tejipio it was with a mixture of relief, excitement and sadness. We appreciate all the prayer support back home and firmly saw God's hand at work with the team during those manic few hours.

So long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehen goodbye or just Tchau!

It is with regret that we intimate the departure of two of our esteemed colleages. Davina phoned - Karen and Jonny were asked to leave the Big Bloomfield House. They entered the diary room for the last time on Friday 13th August and in a flash they were gone. Out of our lives forever and away to a new start in a foreign land.

We look forward to seeing them next Sunday.

They have been an integral part of the team.

Jonny - Brad Pitt - Simpson has left a trail of borken hearts throughout Brazil. On Friday, the teenagers in Teijipo declared a period of mourning as they kissed photos of him on their camera and made hearts with their hands. He is gone, but not forgotten. He live on forever in their memories. Well, until the next Step team comes out with a hot boy on it. Or just a boy. With a pulse. We know he found the adulation hard to handle. Yeah right. Back to earth aka Belfast with a bump. David was tempted to buy a teeshirt which had 'Brad's Dad' emblazoned on his chest.

Karen. Well, what can I say. Or sing. She has been an inspiration to Kym and Aggie without the fluffy rubber gloves. She got down and dirty in the kitchen every day, and put herself through pain for her ministry. She was ATTACKED by starving mosquitos while battling her way through shower cleaning, selflessly sacrificing the look of her own legs just so we could clean ours. And despite all this, she had a song for every occasion, and a smile for every small child. Well, the last bit is not strictly true but it makes her sound quite sweet. We will miss you and your bites. 'And now, the end is near, and we must take the final curtain....'. (Shower curtain....!)

Food Glorious Food - mark 2

We know we've already mentioned it, but as we are now 3 weeks into the Brazilian diet, we felt it may be good to share in a little bit more detail the source of our energy.

Beans Meanz Heinz.....Beans means Brazilian breakfast, lunch, tea and supper! The staple diet of Brazilians is rice and beans in a variety of forms. Beans on their own, beans with chicken, beans with chorizo, beans with unidentified meat, beans with salad, beans with, well, more beans.
Lesson 13: Be prepared for 10 people in one room after a bean diet. Enough said.

Snacks are popular in Brazil and consist of crisps and some dodgy chocolate which tastes like Scotbloc. They are also keen to give out packets of biscuits at every opportunity - traybakes at a church event are replaced by a packet of biscuits cut in two. We mean you get half a packet for a light snack! Ladies, take note. Brazilian style fast food is a pear shaped ball of deep fried chicken, aptly renamed a chicken apple by Stephen Simpson.

However, by far the favourite of our team - particularly Sharon and Rebecca - is the popcorn in a packet which tastes like sugar puffs! This is sold in shops but also at all train stations and bus stations. In fact, before buses leave the station, there are sellers who come on to the buses and sell refreshments up and down the bus (including single sweets!). Rebecca is keen to point out that the popcorn is indeed evidence that there is one good thing about public transport in Brazil!

Lesson 14: Multi tasking is essential on public transport - grabbing onto bags, gripping onto the rails as you are flung around corners but most importantly balancing your precious packet of sugar puffs (a hefty 15p) just under your chin for maximum consumption.

Breakfasts were amazing. Fatima prepared a changing feast for us daily. The staples were fresh pineapple, papaya and watermelon, as well as bread rolls still hot and soft from the oven. Granola and yoghurt - prize for anyone who can take the lid off in one go - as well as coffee and a variety of freshly made fruit juices. Occasionally we got scrambled eggs, tapioca pancakes or cheesy/eggy couscous, fried bananas and the team favourite, cake.
Even after such a breakfast, lunch was the main meal of the day and it was usually, yes, you guessed it, rice and beans, as well as salad and chicken, fish or liver. The latter was not a favourite it must be noted. Tea, when it happened, was bread and cheese rolls, or sometimes, yes, beans and rice. However, on a team reconnaissance mission to the local supermarket, Sharon introduced us to the nectar of the conserve world. Banoffee style spread for use on bread rolls. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G in the words of Laura Bush. The solidified version, tasting almost like fudge, also went down a treat.

Guarana has continued to be a party favourite, with the main consumers being the Simpson boys. As if David Simpson needs something to make him more hyper! In an attempt to prepare ourselves for bikini body, or in Davids case, 'speedo time', we have occasionally sampled Guarana Zero - the diet version. All the fun with none of the calories!

Lesson 15: Make your dental appointment prior to visiting Brazil.

Toiling at Teijipo

Our main focus for the past two weeks have been the workshops in the seminary at Teijipo, and they took place each Monday - Wednesday, twice a day. We continued this week in a similiar format, and numbers grew as the week progressed. Barbara and Sharon did a great job in introducing each session, and leading a short English lesson with a particular theme - this week's themes were Colours, countries and the senses. This lent itself to some more face painting which the children loved. The most popular country was Brazil - no surprise there!

We were really thankful to God for keeping us focused during these workshops, especially as energy levels began to dip. We were so blessed by the variety of children that came, some of which had only ever been involved in the fringes of the project. We had done a drama workshop in the first week which had proven difficult as drama wouldn't be a subject they would use much in school. However, we were keen to give it another go as it can be a powerful tool in introducing the gospel to young people. We read the story of the Good Samaritan in Portugese and English as the team acted it out. The children then worked in groups to make up their own drama about 'helping other people'. Some of the end products were innvoative and creative and they really enjoyed the activity.

The final day was their favourite - they got to make friendship bracelets and do some more banner painting in craft. The boys enjoyed it just as much as the girls and great credit must go to Christine and Rebecca who were kept on their toes, and supplied the craft materials. By the end of the workshops the groups have painted five banners for the church - Faith, Hope,Love, Joy and Peace - and one picture based on the Lost Sheep story which they had heard in puppet form the first week.

As a special treat, we took the children to the zoo on Friday morning. About 15 children came along to the excursion, and we took charge of two children each. Two may not seem much in theory...!!! They really enjoyed their day out, culminating in a trip to the park and some refreshments. For many, this would have been their first visit to somewhere like the zoo and we hope they will remember it.

We had organised a party for the children on the Friday night at the seminary to celebrate the end of the workshops. We wanted to use it as an opportunity to invite the parents along to see what their children had been involved in, but also to give them a chance to hear a short message from David and the Pastor, never losing sight of the fact that all our work is aimed at bringing more people to the seminary and ultimately to Jesus. We had considered that there would be about 40-50 children, and some parents, representing most of the faces we had seen over the past two weeks.

We were completely unprepared for the 80+ who showed up!!! It was a culture shock, and gave us an insight into the mammoth task which Emma, Hannah and the Pastor have ahead of them. Many of the children would not have come to the seminary, but they are also not used to instructions or working in big groups. We started off with David giving a short introduction and then getting the children and young people to sing some of the songs they had been singing over the past two weeks, the favourite being 'Alleluia - Praise ye the Lord' in Portugese. The competitive nature of the song lends itself well to the Brazilian spirit! We had hoped to play some games after but the sheer numbers and the size of the room meant that it was difficult to involve everyone. However, we struggled through and ended with some food - cake, guarana (the local fizzy drink) and some sausage baps, mindful of the fact that many of the children do not get properly fed at home.

Whilst some of the team felt quite shell shocked and deflated after the party, Emma and the Pastor encouraged us not to be disheartened - the children had all had a great time, and it brought many new faces into contact with the church for the first time. It was the biggest single gathering of children which the church has seen since the church plant began. We are glad that God used us and let us see a little bit of the impact that our visit has had on the local community.

Prayer points:

• That the children from Teijipo who came along to the party may be encouraged by their contact with the church, and come along to Sunday School or other events organised by Emma and Hannah;
• Specifically a few children have been regular attenders at the workshops and are at a vulnerable age where they may become prey for local criminals or abusers - Carol, Mykael, Renom and Lucas;
• For the Latinlink Striders, Emma and Hannah and the Pastor and his wife (Roberta), as they seek direction for the development of the project at Teijipo.

Planes, trains and automobiles - or just buses!

We have been learning a lot about public transport in and around Recife.


An early experience was our journey to the Stewarts on our first Saturday. Laura got the fright of her life (so shocking she didn't even squeal) when she witnessed a pickpocket relieving an unsuspecting passenger, who had just got of the bus, of his wallet. What Laura hadn't expected was for the pickpocket to take a leap and squeeze through the top bus window above her; throw his loot at a fellow passenger; and take his place on the bus, as if nothing had happened. The rest of the bus travellers did not even bat an eyelid.

Lesson 10: Never sit under an open window - it could be raining men!

Think Formula One on a Translink bus. That's what the driver on our Cha de Cruz bus was plainly thinking of when he took the corners on our white knuckle ride on Saturday night. Brazil doesn't need theme parks. Every bus ride is a rollercoaster. Unfortunately we haven't paid heed to the instruction not to draw attention to ourselves as our screaming caused another passenger to shout to the driver "Stop scaring the gringos!" We were literally holding on for our lives and got a little more up close and personal as a team than we ever thought possible.

Lesson 11: Make 'sure' you wear deodorant - it will give you the 'right guard' when travelling on a bus.

While we had a relaxing time at Porto da Galinhas, the journey back to Recife was a little more adventurous than we had expected. It seemed a simple enough instruction - get off where we had got on less than 48 hours before. But somehow everything looked a little different going the other direction. And despite 10 pairs of eyes watching out for the right stop somehow we all managed to miss it. We hadn't expected an impromptu city tour of Recife with our weekend bags and Barbara's wheelie suitcase. In the rain. Again. (Barbara insists that we inform you that this was a small wheelie suitcase in which was contained the team's first aid kit and many other useful items- of which we have been very thankful. Sometimes we think she is related to Mary Poppins).


Thankfully tour guide Sharon recognised the centre of Recife and headed us off in the right direction to the train. Conveniently she had brought an umbrella and herded us like a gaggle of geese through the crime-ridden streets. Each one of us had an episode of CSI in our minds as we remembered all the horror stories that we'd ever been told. Every crossing was negotiated to ensure that the whole team could make simultaneous safe passage while protecting our precious cargo (aka all the havaianas we bought in Porto). How proud we were of our stealth like abilities to navigate the city streets when we reached our final destination safely and with cargo intact - the train station! All that practice Jonny has had on Call of Duty came in useful after all.


Lesson 12: In a foreign country it is useful to ask the bus driver where you should get off, and never be too proud to ask for directions (men take note).

Variety is the spice of life

After a couple of days relaxation at Porto da Galinhas (Port of Chickens) we got back into the thick of things on Saturday night when we went up to Cha de Cruz. We had been asked to lead the Bible study which was aimed at mature teenage Christians and is normally led by Pastor Marcio from the seminary.

Cha de Cruz is about an hour and a half away but we will tell you more about the journey in another blog. It was good to be there to see some of the teenagers that we had met in the first week at camp. Cha de Cruz is the site of a sister project which has been running for nearly 20 years. It is a glimpse of what the work in Tejipio could become. It is a particularly poor and difficult area with many social problems. The project therefore has made a huge impact on the lives of many, providing both physical and spiritual nourishment.

We decided to focus our time on prayer, using the Lord's Prayer as our text. David led a short intro and then we looked at different aspects of prayer. Jonny and Laura shared from personal experience how prayer had worked in their lives.

Rebecca had organised a number of prayer stations which helped the young people think about different ways of praying. We had a map of Brazil to encourage them to pray for their country; paper fish on which they could write the names of non-Christian friends; salt and a candle to remind them that they should be salt and light in their community and washing hands to encourage them to serve each other. While the Brazilians don't do anything quietly it was moving to see them huddled in prayer at each station in their small groups.

Sunday was Father's Day here and the church at the seminary had organised a community outreach through a special Father's Day breakfast. It was well attended including people who would not normally attend church on a Sunday. Again it was very emotional as fathers were given the opportunity to relate their feelings about their children.

At church last night Jonny and Laura again shared their testimonies. God's hand was clearly in this as Pastor Pedro preached about listening to God's direction for your life, using the story of Jacob wrestling with God as his illustration. Praise is always a joy to be involved in, despite the language barrier and we do like it when we recognise a song. We even added to it by ended the service with a rendition of The Lord's My Shepherd.

Last night Jonny and Sharon took an overnight bus ride with Judith Stewart and Judith Burns to the interior, to a project that Sharon had spent time with during her previous stay here. Apparently she is being treated like a celebrity there and people keep stopping her in the street to speak to her. Perhaps it is a good thing they are only staying one day as they return on the overnight bus tonight.

Workshops began again this morning and it seems that even Brazilians don't like cold, wet Monday mornings. Attendance was poor this morning but picked up this afternoon. Perhaps, given all that we have to do this week, God knew that we needed things to be a little easier today. It is great to see the children and young people engage with us even if sometimes they seem to have far too much energy! We are grateful to Everton, a local Brazilian guy, who has come to help us with language and interpretation - and who managed to correct our dodgy translation of "He's got the whole world in his hands"!

Workshops will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday in Tejipio. On Wednesday evening we will move up to Cha de Cruz to take part in a praise service and get ourselves ready to take the programme there on Thursday. This is a daunting prospect for us as over 300 children attend the project during the course of the day. We are planning a 3 hour programme that we will repeat both morning and afternoon.

Prayer points:

• Safe return for Jonny and Sharon from the interior and that they will get some rest on the overnight bus


• Health for the team and energy to get us through the next few days


• For the workshops in Tejipio - that relationships with the children would continue to grow and we would see God touching their lives.


• The programme at Cha de Cruz - that our confidence will be in God and that what we do will have an impact on the children and young people who are there

PS - it's not all sunshine here you know. Today it has tipped it down with rain. The Brazilians have even found it cold. We however are still complaining about the heat! We are grateful to Fatima who sorted us out with hot chocolate, soup and sweet breads for tea - a real winter warmer!

Things that go bite in the night and other stories

We have faced a number of challenges, none as much as our new found friend: the mosquito. Chanel has been swapped for DEET, body cream replaced by antihistamine and vitamin supplements replaced by allergy tablets. Picture a pepperoni pizza with extra pepperoni - an exact representation of Jardine's legs. Forget Carlo Eatalotti - bring on Pepperoni Jardioni.

In the lead with over 50 bites - Karen Jardine.
A close second with over 40 bites - Jenefer Maguire.
Some were early starters but fell by the wayside (Sellar) as the competition hotted up (sorry - swollen up!) Forget Merlot - it just proves that the late 70's were a great vintage in the blood stakes.

Last night it got so bad that when we went for some light relief to one of the more upmarket shopping centres the rest of the team stood appalled as Karen rushed out of the pharamacy to apply arnica gel on the many bites, much to the dismay of a local Brazilian lady. Thankfully they were only on her legs.

Lesson 7: Know your audience before performing minor medical procedures in public.

Other members of the team have experienced less exotic ailments. As with most foreign travel there are unavoidable disruptions in the stomach department - running has happened both on and off the pitch.
Avoiding the cold water in the shower (there is no hot tap) caused Laura some pain when she creaked her neck in shock. Jenefer suffered a similar injury getting out of bed (aka the mattress on the floor) - it must be an age thing.

Lesson 8: Refer back to lesson 2

David 'Kaka' Simpson had the opportunity to fulfil the dream of a lifetime today when he dribbled past a Brazilian (on the football pitch). Pitchside commentary suggested he wasn't bad for a 'gringo' of his age from Northern Ireland. However his moment of glory was cut short when a left side hook, sorry boot, caught him just below his left eye and he was almost stretchered off. Thankfully cold ice has reduced it to a black eye and he now looks like he comes from the 'hood'. We're hoping this macho image will scare off any would be attackers.

Lesson 9: Really - we're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland.

PS We realise that we have yet to mention Christine so this is us mentioning her now. She is a pillar of patience, a study in self-control, and a fine example of faithfulness (+ she's our treasurer and holds all the money - so we keep on her good side!)

Workshops

On Tuesday morning we were disappointed that no children arrived to take part in the workshops. We had been warned that not many would come but we had not expected a zero turnout. The time was used however to walk round the local community and make banners to advertise what was happening at the seminary.
Tuesday afternoon brought some new faces to us. Our theme was animals and the team met the children at the door with their faces painted in various animal guises - pig, cat, donkey, butterfly, monkey and lion. For one of the games we hid in the garden and the children had to try to find us. Again our white skin makes us easy to spot! These exercises were to help their English but also for fun. We did drama and sport with the young people with varying degrees of success. It proved that you can't take for granted that young people have a particular knowledge or skill in certain activities which would be standard back home.

After the workshop some of us stood outside the seminary beside our home made banners to try to encourage more children and young people to come to the workshops the following day. This was a good time as the children who attend afternoon school were on their way home, often accompanied by their mothers.

This could be a daunting situation given our lack of language skills and yet it proves God does indeed work in mysterious ways. Barbara literally took a step of faith and crossed the road to speak to some passing children and their mothers. She was easily able to communicate with them in a way that surprised even her and she was really encouraged by their response.

We reaped the reward of her step of faith this morning (Wednesday) when about 15 children came along, including children with no previous connection to the project, and some who have not been seen for a few months.

Encouraged by the response that face to face contact had, David, Sharon and Karen headed out into the community this morning to talk to local children and their families about what is happening in the seminary and also to advertise a special breakfast taking place this Sunday to celebrate Father's Day.

Again we were rewarded by seeing 30 children attend this afternoon's session, during which they made Father's Day cards which will be given out at the breakfast service on Sunday morning. During the craft sessions the young people have been making banners of peace, love and joy which we hope can be used to decorate the church once we have left.

We have been given the opportunity to take the Bible Study for the young people at the Santa Cruz project on Saturday night. We are excited to see the young people who we met at the teen camp last week but slightly daunted by the communication difficulties. We spent some time tonight discussing and preparing to ensure that we encourage, challenge and teach the young people (you would think being Presbyterian we would be used to planning things by committee, but planning a Bible study that way brings its own challenges).

Most of the young people are mature in their discipleship and this weekly Bible study, normally led by Pastor Marcio, forms a solid foundation for their Christian walk. After prayerful consideration we have chosen to focus on the Lord's Prayer, and we hope to give them the opportunity to respond through a prayer room with different stations.

Points for prayer:

• Give thanks for the children who came to the workshops today that they may be encouraged to return to the seminary, particularly this Sunday for the special Father's Day breakfast. Some have very challenging family relationships.
• As a team we are heading away for a couple of days to Porto de Gallanhas for a break. We are quite tired and are working hard. Please pray that this would be a time for rejuvenation and rest before getting stuck into things again on Saturday night.
• Pray for our preparations for Saturday evening and that the message will be well received.

Another 48 hours

After a night back at the seminary meeting the other Step teams coming to the end of their trip, we got up early the next day to take the local Sunday School. Sunday School (in the mornings) and Church (in the evenings) meet in the upstairs room of the seminary each Sunday.

We had been asked to lead the Sunday School and we didn't really know what to expect. We followed a similar format to Kidzone starting with teaching them Our God is a great big God. They really love action songs out here. The language barrier was a challenge but Sharon and Rebecca told the story of the Lost Sheep using puppets and all in Portuguese. The children were transfixed with the puppets and laughed in all the right places.
Barbara then explained the story in a mixture of English and Portuguese - she has been amazing at picking up the language and is our human dictionary at times! She told the kids that they are all precious to God. What we hadn't realised when putting together the programme was that most of the children who come to the Sunday School are not yet Christians. The message was particularly apt.

Sharon also led a memory verse hunt, with parts of the verse hidden in the grounds of the seminary. The children love games here and so finding the little scrolls was particularly exciting. They were quick to pick up the memory verse which was Luke 15:10. We finished off playing games - musical chairs and musical statues work anywhere!

We thank everyone for their prayers back home. There are things that we will do differently next time but all the children seemed responsive and the leaders grateful. We are also continually learning that God works through us in ways that we don't realise and that ultimately he is in control of our time out here.

On Sunday evening we took part in the church service, singing and introducing ourselves in Portuguese. But for us the highlight of our Sunday was later on when Pastor Marcio, his wife Roberta, and Emma took time to be with us while we had our supper. They explained the work of the Zoe project in Cha de Cruz, of which Tejipio is a sister project.

Pastor Marcio showed us a DVD about the project which in 2008 had 250 children attending each day, but has now grown to 500. The last time that Sharon was here her team had prayed that the work of the Zoe project would expand. What an answer to that prayer!
The DVD told some of the stories behind the children we had met last week at the teen camp. We were moved to hear the conditions in which they live and play. We also learnt that last week some of the young people were leaving the camp at 6am to go to work, joining in with the others at 6pm when they returned.

We will have the opportunity to visit Cha de Cruz over the next couple of weeks which is slightly daunting as Pastor has asked us to lead the activities of the project on Thursday 12 August. We are excited, if slightly nervous, about this.

This afternoon we began our workshops which are a follow up to the work of the camps, reaching young people in the local community, many of whom are not Christians. Over the next 3 days we will run a programme with sport, craft and drama as the main activities. Each session begins with a theme and an opportunity to teach a little English.

Some points for prayer:

• That the workshops will be well attended and will be relevant to those who attend.
• That the children who come to the workshops will hear the Christian messsage at the start of each session and will become followers of Jesus
• That we would have inspiration and guidance as we plan the Santa Cruz programme
  
• Good health for the team - a few dodgy tummies so far which can make folk exhausted

Food glorious food

Those of you who know us well will know that food is very important to us. Fatima, who cooked for the teen camp last week, has offered to cook for us for the rest of our time here and also to wash some of our clothes (apart from our smalls). She caters for all our idiosyncracies and even baked a cake for Stephen's birthday on Sunday.

Beans and rice are a staple in Brazil and we have had more than our fair share. Fruit is also in abundance, most days starting with fresh pineapple and water melon. Egg mixed with cous cous was a delicacy that we were introduced to last week but this morning we enjoyed a Brazilian fry up - forget cinammon scones ladies, cinammon fried bananas are the way forward. We love getting fresh fruit juice every morning of various flavours and the coffee is strong and sweet. Our teeth are under serious pressure.

Lesson 4: Never forget to bring your toothbrush but don't leave it lying around at cleaning time.

Fatima's husband Paulinho (aka David Bailie in shorts) works hard to keep the seminary in good shape so that it can be used by all the Step teams that come, for the Bible teaching classes that happen in the evenings, and for the local kids that come along to the project. He has a special nighttime routine of locking us in (for own safety of course!) but it has meant that we have had to break into the canteen to have our tea (lanche). This involves poking a special stick through a gap at the top of the door and pushing the lock out. The Simpson boys will be pros at the end of our time here.

Lesson 5: Don't drop the stick through the door before you've managed to unlock it. Thanks Jonny.

As with everything Brazilian time is flexible. We generally start the day with breakfast (cafe-de-manha) at 8am, and lunch (almoço) can be anytime from 12 - 2 but is the main meal of the day. Tea generally... happens.

Lesson 6: Always keep an emergency packet of crisps handy.

And that's camp!

In the morning O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I present my requests before you and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3

As the Psalmist perhaps did we got up at 4am for a service in the Garden of Light (but it was pitch black). The theme for the last day was on suffering or being different for Christ.

The atmosphere was very special. The cocks were crowing and the fire was lit at the front. Pastor Marcio (leader of the church plant with his wife Roberta) spoke about Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, submitting with "not my will, but yours". He led on to the suffering of the disciples and missionaries. The BPC team was used as an example of people giving up time and money to help and it was so humbling as that point some of the teenagers began to cry with gratitude. We all linked arms and sang together in a circle.

Despite not understanding the language God works above that and his presence was very real.

Breakfast was served outside: an array of fresh fruit, yam, chorizo, fresh rolls and cake!.

The camp theme was learning to be soldier for Christ (guerriho). The young people did a presentation in groups about each element of the armour of God. The dramas revealed some situations that they live through and with which we can identify e.g. peer pressure. As a group we did a drama highlighting the importance of fellowship and community as the body of Christ in order to protect each other against the Devil. This is vital for us a team and the church, locally and internationally.

Drama is proving to be the best form of communication. We are so accustomed to pointing as a way of being understood that we are starting to communicate that way amongst ourselves.

We played some crazy games in the dark which the teenagers take so seriously that even 17 - 18 yr old boys cried when they lost. We are so white that we were painted black in an attempt to merge into the darkness (night falls around 6pm). During free time we also played games such as guessing the amount of grass stalks in each others hands and Uno Brazilian style which had extra rules adding to the fun.

One of the nights was 'Ecology night' when the girls made beautiful headdresses from palm leaves and flowers. They had a fashion show at dinner (usually comprising rice, meat and beans). Desserts are not part of the culture here but as a treat we were given chocolate spread in individual portions (like strawberry jam at home).

The bus was "late" again so while the young people waited Stephen began to drum in true BB fashion to which the boys loved to march (Billy would be very proud). Then two other boys began to drum with amazing rhythm. A circle was formed and Sharon & Rebecca were pushed into the middle to dance with a few keen partners. Their breakdancing was outstanding (not Sharon & Rebecca - the young people!). Brazilians are born with rhythm in their blood although Stephen did us proud. We felt like celebrities as they took several pictures with these odd specimen of blue-eyed blondes.

How humbling is it for us to know that the money raised through the fundraising was used to sponsor each of the 40 or so young people who came to camp. The seminary was almost too quiet when they left and the sadness was enhanced by the rain, pathetic fallacy at its best. Then came the toilet cleaning with one cloth, blocked drains and bins full of used toilet roll. (Forget the toilet duck and rubber gloves).

We are exhausted yet know God's faithfulness to us and the young people who were visibly strengthened to be a soldier of Christ.

The weekend

The weekend started on Friday night with torrential rain which didn't dampen our spirits as we negotiated public transport for the first time (ably led by Emma) and made our way to a local pizzeria. It definitely made a change from all the rice and beans!



We had a Portuguese style pizza which had olives, onions, ham, and egg washed down with some Guarana (aka Red Bull Brazilian style).



Lesson 1: Never let Laura Bush drink glasses of this stuff when she is sharing a room with you.


We headed back for an early night which was just as well after our very early start.


The girls very kindly let Sharon Simpson practice her effleurage (physio skills) on their swollen ankles - a combination of heat and lack of water (and this wasn't just for the over 30s on the team!)



Lesson 2: Always bring a physiotherapist with you to a hot country!


Ankles fully restored today we have met up with long term Latin Link workers Judith and Adrian Stewart who have kindly hosted us for lunch. Conveniently enough they live right beside the beach and we just had to check out the local sights - it would have been rude not to.



The journey here was an adventure in itself. We had a 20 minute walk to the bus stop and didn't realise that we were the local attraction. Jonny Simpson may look like "Brad Pitt" (according to the teenagers from Tejipio) but we felt like superstars when everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the muitos gringos walking past.



Getting the bus was an education. We saw some of the poorer areas of town and were amazed that the rickety bus made its way up some very steep inclines and also a ravine. It was like playing chicken with the approaching traffic with our lives in the hands of a flip-flop wearing, mobile-phone-using driver.



Lesson 3: Public transport improves your prayer life.



Later today, if we make our journey back successfully, back at the seminary we will be sharing a barbeque with some other Step Teams who are coming to the end of their time here. We will also be getting ready to take Sunday School tomorrow morning and David might be speaking at the church tomorrow evening - not in Portuguese just yet.



Some points for prayer:

• For Sunday School tomorrow as Barbara teaches the story of the Lost Sheep and others taking part with the puppet show, memory verse and singing.


• Community outreach on Monday morning to advertise the workshops we will be doing over the next two weeks.


• For the workshops next week - drama, craft and sport - aimed at young people from the local community, most of whom will not be Christians.


• Continued good relationships within the team, and good health and rest.

Teen camp

We didn't have too much time to prepare before 50 young people from the local community descended on the seminary on Tuesday evening. They were due to come at 4pm... but in typical Brazil style they arrived after 8pm! We are learning that nothing really runs to time but this is very good for us.


And as the young people were late arriving that gave us more time to clean the kitchen, wash all the bathrooms, sweep all the floors and make decorations for the camp. We are working very hard :)


For this first week we are mostly serving those who are leading the camp. This means that we are washing all the dishes - including huge dirty pots with no hot water; and cleaning all the bathrooms several times a day.



There is alot of time scheduled for showers in the time table for the young people and today we found out why! This afternoon's activity involved an obstacle course around the seminary which involved crawling in lots of mud. Not to be outdone Rebecca had a go at the muddiest part, crawling through a tunnel while a leader hosed down all those taking part.


The football field, which is in very bad condition due to the recent rainy season, (it's not really a football field at all...one half is submerged in mud up to about mid-calf length) was the scene of absolute muddy carnage with leaders and young people covered from head to toe. It didn't help that Stephen chose to pounce on Mrs Maguire providing her with her first mud bath of the trip. Laura followed close after, this time dragged by her new admiring Brazilian friends. Stephen didn't get off lightly and ended up having a wrestling match against three Brazilian lads.


We will post pictures when we can! They are truly a sight to behold.



Seriously it has been good to get along side the young people from Tejipio and although communication can be difficult at times they are really keen to get to know us and ask us lots of questions. Building up relationships with the young people is a key part of the ministry of the church leaders.


The young people at this camp are mostly Christians, some only recently coming to faith, so it is an incredibly important time for them spiritually. The theme of the camp is "Me, a soldier for Christ?" and focuses heavily on discipleship. Each morning the young people have devotional time with their leaders and then there is a 'culto' with singing and teaching.



The singing here is something else - lots of energy is required and while the boys mostly like jumping up and down in worship the girls make up dances to the words. We should have had some samba lessons as well as Portuguese before we came out!



The camp will finish up on Friday evening and is non-stop energy and enthusiasm.



As well as thanking God for his goodness to us so far it would be great if you could pray for the following for the rest of the camp this week:

• Brazilian team leaders as they adapt the programme to meet the needs of the young people


• For the young people that they would be built up and strengthened in their faith


• For the BPC team as we continue to try to communicate with the young people and demonstrate Christ through our actions


• David & Christine as they lead the BPC team and adapt to the changing programme


• That we would have the strength, energy and enthusiasm for the next few days.

Bom Dia!

Well, we're here! All travel went well even if it did feel like a very long time and we managed to have a cheese and ham sandwich as an integral part of every meal.

Judith Stewart and Emma "the Strider" (long-term Latin Link worker) met us at the airport and taught us how to use the cash machine before taking us to the seminary.

When we arrived in Recife the sky was very grey - a sight we are very familiar with in Belfast. What we weren't expecting was the 28 degree wall of humidity that goes with it.
We were told the accommodation would be basic - all the practice that we have had in sleeping on church hall floors has been worth it for our 3 week stay on mattresses on the floor. We do have showers - but they do take your breath away each morning as they are so cold!!

All the people at the seminary are very friendly. We are well looked after by Fatima who is cooking for us and Paulinho her husband who is the ultimate odd-job man & caretaker. Both of them keep an eye on us.

We have been really blessed to have Rafa with us for the first few days. He is an English student of Judith's and while he has been practising his English on us he has also helpfully translated a lot of what has been going on. He has had to go back to work now and we will miss him!

So far Rebecca has proven the most tasty for the local mosquitos who seem to be enjoying their new menu of Northern Irish prime blood. But we are all well and getting used to the heat. Most days it is sunny and rains at night. But night time happens at 6pm which is a bit of shock and happens quite suddenly.

Earlier today Barbara said that she thought that culture shock would be something that overwhelmed her when she first arrived. We are slowly learning that culture shock can be a whole variety of things but we have found that the welcome has been warm.

The final countdown

Well... it's the final countdown and we're doing last minute packing. The exciting news is that the teen camp is back on next week and thanks to the money you've helped us to raise we are able to sponsor some spaces for local young people to come along.

While the camps that have been running these past three weeks have been mostly for local young people with no connection to the church, this camp will be mostly for young people who are already Christians.

Please pray for the team putting together the programme who finish one camp today (Saturday) and have to come up with a whole new programme to run from Tuesday to next Saturday. And pray for us that we would come with new energy and enthusaism and quickly settle in to work alongside the Latin Link Striders already out there.

Thanks!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped us with fundraising for our trip whether at our social evening in March, sponsoring those who took part in the Belfast marathon, at the talent auction at the beginning of June and at Laura & Karen's coffee morning. Others have helped specific individuals and we are really grateful for all your support. Thanks also to TBF Thompson who have also supported the project financially.

It means that as well as covering some of our costs, thanks to your generosity we will also be able to bring a gift out to the project in Tejipio.

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy because of your partnership with the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Phil 1:3-5

The Project

We will be working in Tejipio, a poor area on the outskirts of Recife where the Congregational Church Pernambucana are teaming up with NGO Compassion to run social projects amongst the poorer families of the local community.

It seems easy for churches to set up projects for children but when these children enter their teenage years and still are living in poverty the temptation to get involvedin crime and drugs can often be very strong.

During July/August 2010 there will be four weeks of camps for local teenagers from the various Compassion projects that exist in the Recife area. We'll be there for an action-packed week 4 with lots of fun, learning activities, sports, swimming pool and gospel presentations. Afterwards we'll be helping with follow up workshops, visiting in the community, basic DIY of the project premises and the possibility of some field trips with the children of Tejipio.

Enough to keep us all out of mischeif :)

Orientation

Imagine going to a new place, where you don't know the language, don't the culture and don't have a clue what's going on!

We feel a little like that on our way to Brazil (apart from Sharon maybe who has been to the project in Recife before).

To help us become a little more clued in Latin Link organised an orientation weekend for us and the other team heading to South America this summer.

It was a great time to think about what it means to be together as a team, think about our different roles and more, importantly, be reminded that above all we are going to serve God and without him we really can't do anything at all.

We also spent time with the Every-Claytons, a missionary couple who have lived in Recife for over 30 years and have been directly involved in the project that we will be working on. It was good to hear about life there and find out a little bit more about what to expect. They also provided some useful translation. "A project relating to the draining system... oh that probably means you'll be working on the sewers!" Hmmm... ok then!

Oh, and we also found out about all the disesases we might catch when we're out there. Dengue fever is quite prevalent at the moment and we can't be vaccinated for that... but forewarned is forearmed... and of course your prayers for our health are greatly appreciated!

From Bloomfield...

From Bloomfield to Brazil is a long way. Nearly 4500 miles in fact.

But our team (David, Christine, Sharon, Jonny, Stephen, Laura, Rebecca, Jenefer, Barbara and Karen) are excited to be travelling out to Recife on 25 July to share in the work of Latin Link.

We're excited because we know that not only is God doing exciting things through the local church in Recife, but also that we have the privilege to share in that - even if only for a short time.

Through this blog we hope to share with you what we're doing, how God has been teaching us and how we've seen Him working.

Stay in touch - we'd love to hear from you.

The Brazil team