The People Are the Best Part

Computer connections have been inconvenient or unavailable, and time to sit and write has been limited, so this is the first post to this blog since I wrote Tuesday afternoon from the Cincinnati airport. The trip itself to Brazil was relatively without stress—except for the fact that four of our 12 tour members, departing from Johnson City, TN did not make it on the plane Tuesday night. They had been scheduled with only a one-hour connection time in Charlotte, NC, departure point for our flight to Rio. Their flight was severely delayed and had not even taken off for Charlotte when our flight FROM Charlotte took off for Brazil.
US Air accommodated them nicely, putting them in first class for their delayed flight the next day! But because we had booked the Brazil leg of the trip separately, getting them on new flights one day later wasn't easy, or without expense.
But they had good flights one day later; we were able to meet them at the airport and get them to their rooms relatively easy, and the major stress for me was relieved.
The worship services at the convention are long and loud, and listening to Third World-style shotgun preaching with phrase-by-phrase (sometimes word-by-word) translations into English can actually be exhausting. But there have been high spots and moving moments.
High spots: Fellowship! We've spent time with folks we wouldn't have enjoyed if we weren't here together with them. Some from the U.S., some from points around the world.

We first met New Zealanders Lyndsay and Lorraine Jacobs when they were directing the World Convention ministry. They served as international ambassadors for the cause of Christ and Christian unity. And their exuberant greetings and warm hugs were typical of what we always experienced from them. What a joy to visit with them on our first morning here.
High spots: the people.

At the end of yesterday's morning service, the leader asked us to form in groups, Brazilians with international visitors, to pray together. We found ourselves in a circle with a sweet lady and her children (grandchildren?) and a young man about 30. As soon as we joined hands, both she and he began praying in Portugese. The intent expression on her face and the passion in their voices were so moving to us, especially accompanied by the hum of prayers being raised from a hundred circles across the auditorium. We could not communicate with them with our words, but her warm handshake and his hug both before and after we prayed confirmed that this was a simple, brief experience that we won't forget.

Yesterday we met a group of happy children who were moving from one American to another to practice their English.  They were like beautiful, well-adjusted kids anywhere, and their enthusiasm and smiles brightened the day for all of us. We met Nathan (whose picture I didn't get), a well-spoken young man who does youth and worship ministry at his church. These were "his kids," he said, and I'm not sure if that meant from his family or from his church, or both. In either case, it was good to know that these happy children are growing up with the influence of Christ in their lives.