The Brazilian people tend to be quite friendly and welcoming. They also tend to be more relationship oriented. This means that relationships are valued more than time or tasks, which can be difficult for us Americans at times. But there is much that we can learn from them in being more friendly and hospitable. The people at the School signed up on a meal schedule to have us over, so for the first few days, we didn’t have to eat at home. The noon meal is usually the biggest meal and supper may not occur until 7 or 8pm (19:00 or 20:00….they often use 24 hour time). In American culture, at the dinner table, we constantly ask for people to pass various dishes to us. In Brazilian culture, they don’t want to inconvenience anyone, so they may reach or get up and walk around the table to serve themselves.
It is hard to believe that we have only been in Brazil since Thursday, because so many things have happened and we have much to think about. We were slightly worried about going through Customs, but the lady believed that we were moving to Brazil and she waved us through. Even at the airport in Brasília, we experienced some Brazilian culture. The airport was fairly crowded and most of the seats were taken at the waiting area for our gate. Then our gate was changed to downstairs. The downstairs section was even more full and there were people standing on all sides. After giving our tickets to the gate agent, we got onto a bus that would shuttle us to our jet. In the United States, most people have a large bubble. In other words, they like to maintain a lot of personal space. Brazilians don’t seem to mind being quite close to one another. In fact, many Brazilians tend to stand quite close when they are talking to you. We have been received here with much excitement by the Brazilian missionary candidates, staff, and fellow Portuguese learners. God provided a house for us to rent that is near the school where we will be receiving most of our language help. The way people build their houses is part of their culture. In the United States, houses are usually framed with 2x4s, insulated, sided, and drywalled. Roofs are often shingled and floors are often carpeted or made of a laminate. Our house, which seems fairly typical here, is made of brick and plaster. The roof is made of clay tiles and the floor is all tiled. No one uses carpet here. From the street, you would immediately notice that every house has a brick wall or fence around it. Our neighbor even has an electric fence on top of his wall. Windows usually have metal bars on them to guard against intrusion. Thankfully, this small town seems more safe than other parts of Brazil. The Brazilian people tend to be quite friendly and welcoming. They also tend to be more relationship oriented. This means that relationships are valued more than time or tasks, which can be difficult for us Americans at times. But there is much that we can learn from them in being more friendly and hospitable. The people at the School signed up on a meal schedule to have us over, so for the first few days, we didn’t have to eat at home. The noon meal is usually the biggest meal and supper may not occur until 7 or 8pm (19:00 or 20:00….they often use 24 hour time). In American culture, at the dinner table, we constantly ask for people to pass various dishes to us. In Brazilian culture, they don’t want to inconvenience anyone, so they may reach or get up and walk around the table to serve themselves. We are getting settled into our house and trying to get all our documents in order. On Monday, our language learning advisors took us to a larger city, where we bought a lot of kitchen stuff in the morning. That afternoon, we went to the Federal Police and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to complete the list of requirements to register my wife’s visa here. On the way home, a large storm with lots of lightning rolled in. It knocked out the internet at the school and may have fried some electrical equipment. It continues to rain today. We even found ourselves riding through the rain on a bike with my wife riding on the back, holding an umbrella. She had a prenatal appointment today, and the bike ride occurred in order to see the hospital facilities during visiting hours. I also purchased a couple of large appliances today. All in all, it has been a good day. God continues to supply all of our needs.
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Convenience is a factor in most of our decisions. But does it sometimes keep us from doing what God would have us do? Many people may look at our situation and wonder, “How could they?” How can we move to Brazil right before our baby is born? What about expectant grandparents and family members or all of our friends? But suppose we waited until the baby was born, then left. Would that be convenient? Now everyone wants to hold the baby and watch it grow. But God’s will is not always easy and convenient. My wife may think sitting for 8 hours on a jet is inconvenient, but I’m sure Mary’s journey to Bethlehem was even less convenient. When Jesus asked one man to follow Him, the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” (Luke 9:59) It seems unlikely that the man’s father was already dead, though possibly he was in danger of impending death. In any case, Jesus’ response leaves no room for a disciple’s delayed obedience. Certainly, it would have been more convenient for the man to bury his father and maybe collect some inheritance. Instead, Jesus instructed him to preach the gospel of the kingdom. My wife tells me that she often thought, “Someday, maybe I will go into missions”. As the years went by, she finally realized, “What is going to change in me between now and someday? I might as well go now!” There is never a very convenient time to take such a step. It is similar to the concept of an unbeliever who waits to decide about Christ until it is too late. Such an incident is recorded in Acts 24, when Felix listened to Paul share about his faith in Christ. As Paul discussed righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and sent Paul away, saying, “When I have a convenient time, I will send for you.” There is no record that Felix ever placed his faith in Christ. Apparently there was no convenient time for that. Let us not think lightly of our Lord’s commands or too highly of earthly things. We must often ask ourselves, “Am I allowing convenience or comfort to keep me from doing what I believe God would have me do?” |
AuthorWe are normal people who believe that God would have us serve Him in Brazil. We are saddened by the existence of people who do not have access to the gospel due to their location and language. We want to live among such a people group and plant a church among them, shepherding the believers as they grow to maturity. Archives
November 2019
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