Sickness, etc

It's been a rough week in Belo this past week. Had subway for dinner Sunday night...bad idea...I was sick for Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. Turns out, Subway actually isn't that fresh if you live in Brazil. That made the beginning of the week difficult on top of the difficulty of going to campus each day trying to meet random people who probably don't know much English, start building a relationship and then hopefully get them to want to hang out later and further develop the relationship. After I got well on Wednesday, I tried to start regaining my strength and energy. And wouldn't ya know, I got sick again Saturday morning with some kind of sinus infection or something. It has been a trying week indeed. On top of being physically broken, God has really broken me spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I have been drained in every way possible with what feels like every moment of each day this week. God has really opened my eyes and heart and shown me how much I lack...how much I value control, and how little I can really control my life and be happy. I tend to manage a lot because I enjoy it and am good at it. I found out that whenever there are situations in which I have the choice of where to be or who to be around, it is hard for me to make a commitment of who to be near. Looking past all the complexities, it is evident that I feel I am in control instead of God’s sovereignty. Romans 14:17-23 puts this lie to death and sets me free.

It is becoming more and more difficult to find the time to blog each week. I am trying to keep everyone updated with relevant and vulnerable information, but at the same time, it is hard to express in words, especially in the short frames of time that I am allotted. I hope that you are finding this even the least bit encouraging. It was very nice to get to skype with my parents Sunday, while fighting the weak network we have for the house. It was very refueling, and fulfilled a heart-felt need.

I ask that you pray for the team and I specifically that we would be healed of all the sickness. There are for certain 6 of the team members sick right now with sinus infections, allergies, cold, etc. We can’t exactly quarantine ourselves and the sickness keeps spreading. I have had it twice in the past week and a half now. Thank you for all the continued prayers and support. Hope to update you again soon. There are some pictures posted on my facebook if you wish to see a little of the fun that’s been happening and some of the Brazilian contacts I have made.

Brasil dia sete

It has been a week in Brazil, and it has been a lot of fun, a lot of hard work, very mentally, physically, and spiritually draining, and a mixture of all things. We have been running nonstop spending almost all of our time with Brazilians, lacking restful sleep each night, and just simply pushing ourselves to the limit of our capacities for people, and being intentionally relational to students. We started going to campus on Monday. We arrive at campus around 10 in the morning and usually leave around 4, and on Fridays, 7 or 8. The cafeteria I am assigned to has proven itself so far to have very, very few students who can speak even broken English. It has placed expectations on me to learn and use the language, which has mentally and emotionally drained me much faster than expected. It is very difficult to listen to all of the talks, training sessions, etc. due to the translations that extend the time needed for each talk. Even to sit down and blog is taking a lot of energy out of me. However, it has been great to meet students, learn the little of the language that I know, and start thinking and praying for these students. With my personal ministry on campus, I have been turned away by a lot of students, and awkwardly enough had the best response to a group of eight dental students. We had our first discussion group Thursday night and introduced our theme for the summer, "Origem" or "Origin." We have posed the importance of the questions, "Where did we come from?, Where are we going?, What is our purpose?, and What is wrong with the world?" From these questions, we will introduce the idea of the perfect man that ever lived, and for whom all things were created, Jesus Christ.

Some of the more difficult areas of the week have been trying to connect and spend enough time with God, oddly enough... Worshiping God in another language is beautiful, yet not easy. I feel I can't truly feel the worship because I don't understand the words, and can't completely cry out to God. It has also been difficult to have rest and comfort while at home because I am constantly having to put others' needs and interests before my own, even at my place of vulnerability and rest (Phil. 2:3-4). It has also been difficult trying to spend all day and all night without much intentional, eternal-centered conversation, but rather the relational foundations of building relationships with strangers of another nation, language, culture, and even faith.

Thank you for all the prayers and may I ask that you continue to pray specifically for my rest, capacity for people, servant-hood, the language, and vulnerability to the body. Here are the Brazilians that I am trying to pour into right now.

Matheus

Diego

Paulo

Julia

Andressa

Vitor

Enrique

Gustavo

Bernado

Bruno

Davi

Gustavo

Diogo

Mario

MAtheous

Lucas

MArcelo

Gilerma (Gil-e-air-may)

MAteus

Renatha

Gabi

Julia

Clara

Rafaela

Fernanda

Anna Paula

Lorena

Clarissa

Juliana

Thank you all! I will try and write more soon! Please be patient for updates and spread the word on the blog!

Wes

Driving in Belo/ Day 1 Training/Random thoughts

We started cultural training today in learning what to expect from the Brazilian culture when greeting, socializing, etc. We had breakfast which consisted of some sweet bread with a deli meat and cheese, coffee that is incomparably better than American coffee, and fresh mangoes and bananas. For lunch we had a chicken stroganoff with rice and tomatoes. It was delicious. Apparently lunch is the big meal of the day in Brazil. Dinner is typically small. After lunch, we went out into the city of Belo and learned how to drive. We have been told that the driving is very aggressive and scary...to add to this, the random person I sat next to on the 8 hour flight to Sao Paulo, told me that there were only 2 places in the world that he is afraid to drive...New York City and Belo Horizonte...We found out exactly why today. Brazilians will do anything and take the car anywhere it can go. You constantly need to be checking your mirrors and watching everyone around you. Motorcyclists weave in and out of traffic in between lanes doing whatever they please. If your arm is outside of your car, you are likely to lose it. Despite all this, it was very exciting driving and did not seem too bad once you got behind the wheel. I actually think it is scarier to watch as a passenger. After driving, we now have free time until an hour from now when a lot of Brazilian students will be coming over for us to meet and begin relationships with. We've been told that our capacity for people will need to be greatly increased to be accepted within the culture. For example, we were told that it would not be weird for the students to stay for 6 or 7 hours tonight and consider this a "short time." We also had some language training and are starting to learn key phrases and words. I am very eager to learn the language to partially break down any type of barrier between the students and I.

Some random thoughts:

Our house is amazingly huge (estimating around 4000 sq ft). There is no air condition, no heat, the doors stay open all day and the windows stay open all night. Our room has a giant window that overlooks either Belo or a suburb of Belo, but it is a beautiful view at night, but especially in the morning. "Belo Horizonte" actually means Beautiful Horizon and proves true from the view we have from our home. It has an amazing vacation feeling because the city is literally nothing but mountains and hills with a city hidden within each bend and slope. The warm days and cool nights add flavor and relaxation while being in the house, experiencing the city, and soon the college campuses.

Every where we go, people stare at us. It is a weird feeling being the foreigner for the first time in my life, but at the same time we are told the students are very accepting and will do anything to make us feel loved. It is hard to believe that we are only on day 2 but we will be here for a long, but relatively short 2 months. I already miss some small things in everyday living, the advanced technological conditions of the U.S., and other random small things like hot shower water and the weight room. God will continue to work in my heart and make less of these worldly desires. On another note, I love the food, the relational touch of the Brazilians, and the relaxed mountain-side feeling of living.

Excited to learn more, write more, and grow in my walk with Christ while hopefully impacting others. God has given me this summer to exponentially grow in my view of him, my relational capacity, and my way of expressing my love to others, along with many other things.

For now i have to go, but i will try and write more and post pictures soon.

Wes

Wifi

Took about 6 hours, but finally set up the wifi for the house...thanks to Peevy's help

Very frustrating but now have the capability of texting through an app, email, skype, facetime, etc all from my phone in the house as well as laptop and phone access for everyone else.

Named the network "Frustrating" appropriately enough

Finally Arrived

After flying for 24 hours, dealing with a near customs disaster(customs threw away our customs papers for about 10 of us), sleep deprivation, we finally made it to our home in Belo Horizonte, Brazil...or should I say mansion. Pictures are soon to come after wireless internet is made available(landline only right now) along with hopefully detailed stories of the trip down here.

We met our CO Brazil staff today and had our first meal together as a team. Already, I am experiencing the shock of being without internet or phone technologies at my fingertips whenever I please, the helplessness of actually being a foreigner and unable to understand any words spoken around me, and just the poverty of the city. I am rooming with 7 other guys in one small room so The summer will be a challenge for certain. Prayers needed!

Write again soon!

Wes

I am excited to leave in 9 days!!!! I thought that this blog would be a better conduit of communication for the summer rather than trying to send emails to everyone and others I don't have addresses for! Please share this with others! Thank you all who are supporting me in prayer and/or financial means! It means so much to me! I hope to stay in contact with all of you consistently throughout the summer.