Sept. 4-6, Manancial de Vida Christian Church, Brasilia, Brazil
Friday 11:00 a.m.: Greetings from Brasilia, the national capital of Brazil. It’s just lovely here! I had a good overnight flight, leaving Atlanta at 9:30 pm and arriving here at 7 a.m. on Friday. I almost didn’t make the 9:30 departure, because thunderstorms in Atlanta meant we couldn’t take off from Kansas City until an hour late. But I managed to make the flight in Atlanta, thank the Lord. My bag was not as lucky. So my checked bag will be arriving here sometime tomorrow afternoon. I’ve already been taken to Walmart by my hosts, and have picked up a couple things to carry me over until my clothes arrive tomorrow afternoon. I won’t look pretty, but that shouldn’t hinder the word of the Lord, smile.
This is my second time to Manancial de Vida Christian Church, my second time to participate in their annual Congress. It’s their church’s 25th anniversary, so a great time of celebration. My in-ear monitor is sitting in Atlanta as we speak, tucked safely inside my bag, so I won’t have it for tonight’s meeting. Hopefully it’ll arrive in time for tomorrow night’s meeting.
I speak tonight, Saturday night, and Sunday morning.
Saturday 8:30 a.m.: Good start last night. Service started at 8:00 p.m. This is a desert region—it gets very hot in the middle of the day, but when the sun goes down it cools rather quickly, so that by 8:00 p.m. it’s very comfortable outside.
They hooked me up to an in-house in-ear monitor system, and it worked just fine for me. They were able to fix the bugs in the system from the last time I was here, so I was very grateful.
At the close, five people came forward to express for the first time in a public context, their loyalty to the cross. They were going public for the first time.
After the service was over, things things were just starting. They had a meal system set up in another facility. Meals were available for pay, and the meals available were just wonderful. They gave me a plate, a Brazilian dish, that was just fantastic. I normally don’t eat at 11:30 p.m., but by then I was hungry, and the food so tasty, I just went for it. I ate this huge plate at 11:30!
I learned of two books of mine that are translated into Portuguese and printed here, that I didn’t even know existed. Envy, and Following the River. I had no idea. I thought I had three titles in Brazil, but there are five.
As I write this morning, my bag should be arriving to Sao Paulo. Hopefully it will make its way to Brasilia later today. Somehow trips like this were meant to be done with one’s garment bag, not without it.
Saturday 6:00 p.m.: My garment bag has arrived! My host went to the airport (actually twice today because phone contact wasn’t working), and brought it back from the airport to my room for me. I will have fresh clothes for tonight’s service, yay! In this case, getting the bag 36 hours late is better than not at all, believe me! I’m grateful. Somebody bless Luiz in your prayers.
Sunday 7:30 a.m.: I got back at 1:00 a.m. again last night, so my Saturday report is not being written until this morning. Already this morning I’ve listened online to a sermon by Rick Warren recommended to me by my son, Joel, it’s here at this link, you may enjoy it:
It was good to listen to a message on Jacob this morning, considering that I myself am speaking on his life later this morning, smile.
Anyways, last night’s service seemed to go well. I spoke on Envy, and the group was attentive. Last night was the close of the conference, and many folks will not be with us this morning because they’re hitting the road. A few of the out of town guests, however, will be staying over for the Sunday services.
They all ate together once again after the Saturday evening service. The meal didn’t start till around 11:30 p.m. The name of the meal I really enjoyed is “carne de sol.” This is one of the delightful things about the Brazilian culture, they love to eat meals together, all the time. Americans could do better here.
Yesterday my translator, Luiz, paid two trips to the airport to track down my bag, and drove all over Brasilia looking for a copy of my Portuguese translation of Envy. Eventually he found one. He asked for one thing in return. He took me to pray for his father, who was lying on his bed at home. He was on his back because of back pain, and is struggling with Parkinson’s. A 3-star General in the army. Not a believer, still bound by traditional spiritualism. I fought in prayer for his healing. Please pray for Luiz’s father! May healing and salvation come to this family. Luiz’s parents and brother live together, none are believers yet.
Good morning! It’s Monday morning, I have a 4-hour layover in the Atlanta airport, as I make my way home today, arriving into K.C. at noon. In time to do Labor Day with the family, smile.
We had an excellent meeting Sunday morning, good response. I did the life of Jacob. The pastor expressed a strong connection with the message, he said he is not always understood among his brethren in Brazil because of some of his understandings, and he felt the message confirmed what he holds in his heart. That sometimes God does lead us strategically through seasons of darkness. For sure!
Next: Tomorrow I am speaking to the One Thing Internship at IHOPKC. I’m trying to think, this may be my first time to speak to this particular internship. Then Thursday I head down to Colombia.
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