A Long Journey

[Typical river village, we passed hundreds on the way]

After almost 8 days in a boat, I’m back. Brin and the girls seemed to do well in my absence. There were 9 of us on the boat, 5 Americans and 4 Brazilians. The slow, (between 6-8 mph) monotonous journey allowed plenty of time for talking and reflection. I wonder how N. American life would be different if it took 10 hours to go 60 miles. It certainly helps to explain the importance of relationships in this culture.

Overall, we’ve concluded that the trip was a good first step. Our goal is to have a new base location selected by the end of the year, so that leaves plenty of time. Of the two towns, Portel was the most livable. A clean town situated on a peninsula at the headwaters of three clean rivers (in contrast to the dirty Amazon at Breves). After spending a half day in Portel, talking to pastors, towns people, and boat captains, we decided we needed to get a better look at the rivers. We found several well established churches in the town of about 25,000, but our mission specifically targets the hidden villages and communities which have no church, so we really wanted to find out how evangelized the rivers were.

[In Portel a few of us rented scooters to see the city]

We traveled up the Anapu River for about 5 hours, we stopped at a random house and asked if we could dock there for the night. We talked with the family, a Catholic family who were very kind and eager to help. The family had no food, so we gave them what we could for dinner and invited them to eat breakfast with us in the morning. Through our conversations with them, it seemed that stretch of the Anapu had several healthy churches, both Catholic and Evangelical. But we also found that you could travel another 36 hours up river, and they didn’t know as much about this more remote region. We left the next day for home, traveling 30 hours at one point without stopping.

[The family we met on the Anapu]

Our conclusion is that we need to plan another trip upriver to get a better feel for the villages there. There are also 2 other cities, in totally different regions of the state, we are planning on visiting on other trips. Please pray for the vision of the Xingu Mission, as we continue to look towards God for guidance.

Here are a few interesting things I saw on the trip:

[This truck’s body was entirely made of wood]

[One of the Brazilians with us caught a nice Peacock Bass]

[Several times we would see people paddle out from the shore in a canoe to try and catch a ride on a big boat. They would grab onto a rope or tire that is hanging from the boat, if they missed they would just wait for the next boat. This is a common way for people to get up and down the river quickly. In this picture, the guy caught the rope, but his girl missed, he eventually paddled back to her]

exercising faith

[Mia drinking from a coconut]

I am starting to get nervous or antsy or just confused, I guess. Trying to “keep the faith” but also realizing that the only way I will flourish here is by using faith. Faith that God will provide a working vehicle so I won’t be stuck at home or at the mercy of others for rides. Faith that, despite the erratic hours I put into home schooling, Ella will learn. Faith that I will walk humbly and generously, even as I have been pushed into an upperclass society just by being American and having the money to pay for a plane ticket to get here. But what I think it comes down to is that I am having feelings of nervousness as I slowly inch my way to the frontlines of people lives, wondering what role God will use me in as I cling to faith in Him. I am figuring out that I won’t have to look far to find ways to keep my faith in God lively, relevant and desperate. I worked with a young woman the whole day yesterday, only to find out later by someone else that her father is abusive and just the night before stole all her family’s money. She never mentioned any struggles nor seemed at all sad, and even if she would have tried to communicate a problem to me I doubt I would have comprehended it. But I am just plain sad for her now. I missed her pain. What good am I? Don’t bother sending care packages because I really don’t deserve them. When I looked into her eyes a day later, I had to look away or I would cry. Don’t try to tell me that I need to have faith that God can work through me. I know that. I just am experiencing some anticipatory aches that I will surely encounter as I get close to the ugly side of people’s lives. Am I ready for the ugliness?

Speaking of ugly, Mia has two different skin problems at the moment, neither very bothersome, just gross. One is a harmless chemical “burn” on her hands and arms. I have it too and I am told it is likely from lemons (I didn’t believe that at first). She also has budding case of impetigo, along with both her siblings. Josh is coming home in hopefully 3 days or so and I really want to have my children tidied up and myself looking at least as attractive as I can living in a jungle. Really I am certain Josh will be glad to be home and tell me about his river adventures, he had an obvious joy in being able to join the other guys in looking for people who have not met Jesus. This is what being here comes down to and Josh was as happy as I have ever seen him.

A Survey Trip

Tomorrow I (Josh) will be leaving on my first big trip. I’m going with 3 of the other missionaries on a survey trip. We will be visiting two cities, Breves (bre-vease) and Portel, and scouting them out as a possible future base for the Xingu Mission. They are about halfway between Altamira and Belem, a large city on the coast, just south of the mouth of the Amazon. Between here and Belem are hundreds of small dots on the map. Each dot representing a small town, and for every dot there are probably 20 other small villages that are not on any map.

The mission leadership has a vision to evangelize the area from here to Belem. If you look on a good map of the region, rivers look like arteries, running every which direction. And on each river there are countless people living without the knowledge of Christ. They’ve identified these two cities as possibly good locations for a base, to then be able to reach beyond to the hundreds, if not thousands of small communities along the rivers. We will be evaluating the cities with a number of criteria to determine if they are a good fit. Some of the things we will be looking for.

Ø A good banking system. Some remote towns have no good way to access money.

Ø Internet. Almost a necessity to stay connected to the rest of the mission and to the many supporters and churches back home.

Ø Modern grocery stores. We’re not looking for Kroger’s here. But do they have decent-sized stores with a reasonable supply of goods?

Ø Healthy churches. If there are already churches that are reaching this area, we will look somewhere else.

It’s exciting to be a part of such a trip. Who knows how God will use this to lead the mission, and maybe even down the road, our family. We’ll be taking a mission boat, it’s about a 32-hour boat ride and we’ll be gone about 10 days. Please pray that God reveals His plan to us on this trip. Pray for Brin as she stays back with the kids. I look forward to sharing more when I return.

Chasing Waterfalls

One of the things Brin and I had been wanting to do since we got here was visit a waterfall and cave that we had heard about. The journey is just difficult enough (a 45 min. motorbike ride and 30 min. jungle hike) to keep the crowds away. We were guided by three Brazilians, Beto (my language tutor), and two of his friends - Alisao and another name I can't pronounce, let alone spell.

It was great to be able to experience more of the jungle, relax in the cool water and explore the cave. But more than that, it was a great opportunity to get to know the guys we went with. Alisao plays electric guitar in our church's worship band (looking every bit the part with his Bono-esque glasses). Beto, my language helper, has ambitions of studying to be a tour guide (I didn't know that was a college degree...), so this excursion was just up his alley. In working with Beto and getting to know him, I have seen his heart for the Lord. He is helping with a new church plant in Altamira. The church meets in the garage of the pastor's home. The crowd has long since overgrown the meager facility, spilling out into the street. They have purchased land and are just starting construction on the new building. When I asked Beto when it would be done he just laughed. It seems starting the project is victory enough. Work will progress slowly, and only as funds come in. The other guy that came with us is a young man from Beto's church, whom he is discipling.

We are slowly learning more and more about Brazil, the culture and the work here. We are looking forward to the day when we feel more a part of things here. For now, we are content with mostly observing from the outside, getting glimpses of where God may use us in the future.

Josh is 33

Josh celebrated his birthday yesterday. Complete with the Brazilian tradition of breaking eggs on his head and dousing him with flour. The Brazilians found it funny that he just sat there and took the abuse, normally the birthday person will run to avoid his friends armed with flour and eggs in comical pursuit. Of course Josh didn't know what he was supposed to do, so instead he just goodnaturedly endured the abuse and later taught his aggressors some English slang, "Watch your back!" ~bzp

Brazil Top Ten List: You might be in Brazil if...

Note: this list is in no way meant to be disrespectful. If a Brazilian went to the U.S. they could come up with an equally rediculous list. Laughing has helped us deal with all of the changes we've experienced, we hope this can help you laugh with us.

10. You know you’re home when you turn down your road and smell that familiar aroma of a rotting cow carcass that your neighbor disposed of in the ditch.
9. As you lay in bed at night, sweat being kept at bay with a fan, it sounds like someone is cycling your fan from low to medium to high – until you realize it is just the voltage changing randomly on it’s own.
8. Three words: pregnant bare midriff.
7. Brazil’s answer for the pickup truck: the bicycle. We have seen bicycle riders carrying things such as plate glass windows, sheet cakes, lumber, other bikes and infants.
6. Do you need to take your dog to the vet? Call the dog taxi. I guess even bikes have their limits, so if you need to transport your pet call the dog taxi - a motorcycle pulling a small cage on wheels.
5. You hear it coming down the street. What is it? A locomotive? A runaway concert stage? Oh, it’s just a truck blasting it’s speakers, stacked 10 ft. high, advertising some local store.
4. You lose all concept of monetary value after paying $4.50 to eat as much meat as you can cram down your gullet (at the local charrascuria) and then turn around and pay $600 for a washing machine that would be an entry-level model, at best, back home.
3. While driving a motorbike, danger comes not only around the next corner, but from the sky! You must be constantly aware of boys flying kites, that at times could lose enough altitude for the string to be neck-level (a “string burn” would be bad enough, but rumor has it they embed glass in the string to cut down their adversary’s kite string, in a sort of aerial sword fight).
2. When inquiring about car insurance you discover that, while you can get auto insurance here, it doesn’t actually “work” (on further investigation, it is clarified that the paying in works just fine, it’s the paying out that doesn’t work).
1. If something drops into the trashcan next to the toilet, right it off. I don’t care how valuable it is, or where you had to buy it. It’s not worth it. (If you’re confused, ask someone who’s been to Brazil).
-JTP

Learning to Wash

Here is my new washing machine. Isn't it pretty? I didn't think to include a picture of my dryer, surely you know what a clothes line looks like.
My language session turned into a lesson on how to use my new washing machine. Here is my language helper Denise (din-easy) and I pouring over the instuctional manual. Even Denise learned some new Portuguese words. Words for "postpone", as in if I would want to postpone the centrifuge in the event I cannot get the clothes on the line right away.
-BZP

An Altamira New Year

Like most New Years Eve’s of our marriage, Josh and I spent this one separate from each other (Josh usually found himself with a bunch of teenagers at a lock-in on New Years Eve). Josh stayed home with the girls while I went to party for all the area Vineyard church’s. Josh, however, was able to bring in the New Year with Mia. She was awakened by the fireworks outside her window at midnight so they took a little stroll outside to watch them.

There were about 450 people at the church where they had worship band playing for people singing, clapping and dancing. They prayed in the New Year. Praying for the local pastors, broken families, church workers and the whole community of Altamira. It was a great place to be at the beginning of a new year. Happy New Years to all of you back home!
-BZJ

Zen and the Art of Procuring Motorcycles

It appears as though we might have procured ourselves a motorcycle. Procure is both an English and Portuguese verb so I am going to use it if I can get twice as much bang for my buck. Getting the motorcycle was no small task. There is paperwork required on Josh's end, that he did not have, and papers that the owner should have had, that he did not. Finding used motorcycles are not easy either, although easier than finding a car. There are not classified ads here so you know if something is for sale if you hear about from someone else or you see a for sale sign. Josh often went to look at a motorcycle he heard was for sale only to find out it was not or already sold. One time we went to check out a motorcycle which was supposed to be in great condition, only to find it in a million parts. Apparently there was a peculiar knocking that required investigation. Motorcycles are like mirages, Josh said, just as soon as he got close enough to a bike to take it for a test ride, it would just disappear. One time Josh took his language helper with him to look at a bike. His language helper is really intelligent and works hard at his English but he is not fluent. While looking over a bike, Josh asks this language helper to ask the owner if the bike had ever been raced. Racing is kinda common here and it would obviously devalue the bike. Without asking the owner, Betu answers "No." Knowing that there was no way Betu would know that Josh presses him to aks the owner, which Betu does and again tells Josh, "No, the bike has not been erased." Good! Because we were really concerned that some of the decals might have been changed around. So after almost a month of searching we are proud owners of our fisrt vehicle. I just can't drive it. Yet.

A Foreign Version of the Familar

Christmas here is a strange blend of the familiar and foreign. The other day I saw one of those stupid dancing Santas like they used to have at Wal-mart stores. But I also saw another Santa that I’ve never dreamed I would see. One of the peculiarities her in Brazil are the advertisement trucks, they are trucks (sometime just motorcycles or bikes) stacked high (sometimes 10 ft. high) with an assortment of speakers. These trucks drive slowly up and down the streets blasting their wares. Usually it’s a combination of music and a voice convincing you to buy something (I guess). These trucks are so loud that when one passes by you have to stop your conversation, there’s no chance you’ll be heard (even if you are inside a store). The sight I saw the other day was a Santa on top of one of these trucks, dancing and throwing candy to no one in particular.

The other evening we went down to the riverfront where they had some Christmas decorations set up. Everything from a nativity to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. The girls loved it. Brin and I weren't sure what to think...

This morning (Christmas Eve), we opened our presents. Tonight we have church (as usual on Sunday evening) and then tomorrow morning we have a breakfast at church.

Even in the familiar act of opening presents, we experienced something that reminded us again that this was to be no normal Christmas... Some of the presents we bought were wrapped at the store, and they used Portuguese gift tags. To top that off, the order is reversed: who it is from is on the first line, and then who it is for is second (backwards from what I was used to). We finally got all the gifts sorted out, but Ava ended up opening one of Mia’s gifts. She was so excited (see picture below), even though it was actually a gift she had bought for Mia (she didn’t even recognize it).


To see more Christmas pictures, and a short video go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/brinleezj/Christmas

Scratching Where it Itches

Now I know where the carnival rides from the Tremont Turkey Festival go during the winter. Altamira, Brazil. No kidding. I think I recognized some of the “carnies” from last summer. We really did go to a fair that was in town. The girls loved it. They rode the rides, won some candy at a shooting gallery and even bought carnival treats (carmeled apple, carmeled popcorn, and cotton candy).

The other day Brin asked Ava if she likes it here in Brazil. Her answered captured how we sometimes feel: “Yeah, but I itch a lot… but that’s ok, I like to scratch.”

Our House

I’m not sure many of you are interested, but I thought I would post some information about our house. Our house is actually sort of a duplex. We live in Bud and Suzannes old house. I did not include drawings of their new part, just know that it’s plenty big and plenty nice. The only access to their side is through the shared office between. We are slowly getting comfortable in it. Although it is much smaller than our old house, it seems to be adequate for our needs. The rooms are all small (except for the master bedroom). There are some quirks, such as the low ceiling in the kitchen, lack of outlets, and weird placement of light switches (some ridiculously low, others ridiculously high). We do have air conditioning in the office, the rest of the house stays relatively comfortable. With a fan on us at night we are usually comfortable. We spend a lot of time outside, the veranda and gazebo are great for the kids to play on.

We’d love to have any of you come and visit and see it first hand! We even have an extra bedroom (the girls are currently sleeping in BR 2, but will soon move into the bigger one).

The pictures are: 1) A view of the front of our house, 2) a view of the kitchen and dining room area from the front hallway, 3) a view of the kitchen from BR 2, and 4) a view of BR 2.

A Little Missionary Journey

This past week I had the chance to go on a day trip up river with Bud. It gave me a better picture of the ministry that Bud has. We took the “speedboat” (I use that word loosely, it was only speedy in comparison to the other larger wooden boats), an aluminum hull boat about 4 ft. wide and 15 ft. long with a 40-horse outboard motor. Our journey was about an hour up river to a community called Boa Esporansa. The purpose of the trip was for Bud to meet with, and disciple, a couple who hosts a church meeting in their home. They themselves are young believers, but the most qualified in the area to lead the young fledgling church. The couple has been going through discipleship material that the church gives out to new believers and Bud was there to answer their questions and encourage them. He spent 2 or 3 hours talking with them and praying with them. I tried to keep busy, listening to the Portuguese, walking around the homestead, and reading. It was fun to get out on the river and see some more remote areas, but more than that it was exciting to see firsthand people with a hunger to learn more about Christ, and the role that I may play in the future.

Jungle Bells

We’re anticipating Christmas just like the rest of you. Tonight we decorated a tree and ate some Green and Red Hershey’s Kisses that Angie (another Missionary with Xingu) brought in from the States. It was a timely moment to replicate our family’s Christmas traditions that we had always done in the States. It was lovely, for the most part. Look closely at Ava in that last picture. Notice that lower lip? As touching as our family time was tonight it was also pretty indicative how the entire day went. Mia spent the night puking last night; she’s fine now because apparently she didn’t eat any more dog food. Mia was whiney and clingy, Ava was disobedient and antagonistic with Caleb (although better from days past) and Ella was poorly motivated to do her schoolwork. There were moments today where I resented my children and their overwhelming neediness. It was nice to end the night with a tradition that the kids could connect with their pasts. -BZP

See more pictures from today at: http://picasaweb.google.com/brinleezj/DeckingTheHalls

I scream, you scream

Our first field trip was to the ice cream factory. Actually it is just a storefront with a little production room and freezer in the back. Since we are such good customers, they let us come on a day they were making the ice cream and gave us a little tour and lecture. At the end we got samples, which is what the kids wanted all along. Me too. My favorite is maracuja (passion fruit) and abacaxi (pineapple) and coconut and chocolate. They also make popsicles there in a variety of flavors, including corn.

Note to those who like to critique our blog… if you thought our grammer and spelling was poor before we left for Brazil it is getting exponentially worse each day. I think the immersion in Portuguese is putting our English off kilter.

Monkey See

Yesterday we got to watch a pair of white monkeys playing in the jungle that borders our back yard. It was so exciting even though the sighting lasted less than 5 minutes. 

Identity Crisis Sprinkled with Parasites

As of lately I have found myself thinking about my self. The Brazil Brin is different but I am not always sure in what ways, or even if they are good ways. I do realize that during this time of self-reflection it is an obvious opportunity to figure out what sort of person God created me to be.

I have not been very pleased with myself since we got off the plane in Altamira. I have allowed my attitude to be based on circumstances and shushed the urges of the Lord to grow in challenging situations. A year ago it took a lot of courage for me to listen to God and follow the path He laid out for me. But I did it. Now I am on that path, and I find my behavior like that of Peter witnessing Christ walking on water. I feel close to drowning as I take my eyes off Christ and instead focusing on the waves crashing around me. Waves of sick children. Waves of culture shock. Waves of inadequacy. Waves of a chaotic schedule. I cried over silly circumstances, like when Ava sat on the fan we had just bought and broke it. A fan. Granted it is really, really hot here but c’mon, that girl was known for breaking things and I never cried before.
The waves are beginning to calm down now but I still have the memories of how I floundered attempting to make sense of my new world. I question much, who I am and who others are. Above all, I am deeply loved by God and He has set the course for me. Everyone I interact with is a masterpiece of God. I write that but question whether I really know it, or live it. Evidence of the words that fly out of my mouth would say otherwise. If I have a hard time getting along with someone, I comfort my ego by saying, “I was voted Miss Congeniality in college, people usually like me.” That is only a placebo to heal a wound that occurs when I view others through fleshly eyes. Josh reminded me of a time when I was annoyed by a friend who had quit, what I thought, was a solid career to work at a lowly comic book store, because of a conviction he had. I put such emphasis on status and position that I could not comprehend why someone of such quality would choose to be apart of something of lesser quality. I am ashamed to say I have seen people by what they do, not who they really are; a creation of God. I let ugly and erroneous thoughts cloud my estimation of people and also myself. And that is just the one example Josh could think of, there are so many more I am certain.

So what do I do now since all this has flooded my conscious? I want to know more, I want to have more experiences, but I want all of these under the umbrella of my relationship to God.

Jed left today which is too bad because he missed the mass treatment of pinworm in our household (Jed on his last day pictured). All 10 of us got de-wormed. The girls ate their medicine crushed in a tablespoon of coconut ice cream, none the wiser. I kinda didn’t want him to leave because it solidified the certainty that I am here for good.

Out on the Rio Xingu

Sunday afternoon we left on a long anticipated boat trip. Before coming to Brazil, we had talked with the girls for a long time about how we would be living near a big river and would go out on boat trips and see the jungle, and on and on. I think our girls starting wondering if we had made all that up. It wasn't until about the 4th day when they actually saw this misterious river. And almost 3 weeks past before setting foot on a boat.
We spent only two days on the river, but there was a pink dolphin sighting (no kidding, there are pink dolphins here), we saw and heard monkeys playing in a tree and were able to spend most of the day on a white sandy beach. It was good time of relaxing for the whole family.

Choosing to Feel Good

I went to the “Supermercado” with a Brazilian to stock my house with all the housekeeping essentials. She knew no English with the exception of colors and I knew ridiculously few Portuguese words, strong on colors. Mostly she just loaded up my cart and behaved as if she had just won a shopping spree. I wasn’t sure what a few items were but didn’t question her until she started picking out really pretty, but expensive glassware. I gave her a not-a-chance look and motioned for the checkout. We went home and organized. Pleased with finally putting together a home and having a new friend to help (with good taste I might add), I feel my shoulders start to relax and my attitude more grateful. My circumstances became easier and the burdens of feeling out of place dissipating. I stopped fixating on what God could possibly have been thinking by placing me here. I feel better, yet ashamed that I couldn’t feel this way no matter what the circumstances of the moment are.

-BZJ

Just Do What it Takes

I got upset the other day while cleaning my outdoor bathroom (we do have an indoor one as well!). I wasn’t entirely sure if I should approach it like I would in America. That would involve a sponge, Tilex, Comet, rubber gloves and good ventilation. I knew that wasn’t right so I asked Suzanne if I could just use the garden hose and spray the entire thing down. She said “sure.” So I did. But the hose didn’t reach so I could only spray the portion of the bathroom to where the stream of water would reach and use buckets of water for the rest. The mess seemed to grow worse and I was drenching myself in the process. I knew I could not be doing this the right way. Twenty minutes into the project my tears mix with the hose water until Gabriella arrives and finds the cleaning process, and my current state, quite pitiful. She laughs so I do too.

Everything takes so long here. And a lot more effort. And a lot more flexibility. And that is just how it is and I am sure I will get used to it. But at this point it is just simply painful to my psyche. We passed a bike on a bumpy road with a guy pedaling and a girl riding sidesaddle behind. That is how people get around. What impressed me was that the girl was carrying a two layered sheet cake completely decorated. The kind of cake that if I were to have one made in the States I would have secured it in the back seat of my mini-van and, very cautiously, driven directly from the bakery to home. Maybe that will be me someday or at least it won’t seem incomprehensible.

-BZJ