brazil 2010 trip journal
DESCRIPTION
A daily description of our short term missions trip to Lagoa Santa and Sao Paulo, Brazil this June.TRANSCRIPT
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Gary and I want to thank each and every one of you that prayed for us
while we were in Brazil and for those whose financial support made our trip
possible. We have put together this trip journal to give you just a taste of our
time in Brazil. While we have done our best to summarize, words can not do
justice to all that was experienced as we came along side the work that God is
doing in Lagoa Santa, Brazil, through Rev. Len and Diane Warden and Pastor
Fernando and Esther Pedro.
We carried with us the blessed presence of God and left our blessings in
every home and place that welcomed us as Jesus told his disciples to do when he
sent them out. And we did our best to serve as His ambassadors making His
appealed to be reconciled to God through Christ.
Please enjoy this journal and please continue to pray with us for those
who have had seeds planted in their hearts and lives, that God will bring about a
tremendous harvest and that our time there will yield lasting fruit for His
kingdom and glory. Amen and Amen.
Team members from Left to Right: Chip and Jude Upjohn, Jeremy and
Bonnie Holmes, April Upjohn, Frederic Webb, and Janice and Gary Spencer
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day One (June 14th & 15th): We scrambled out of bed at 7:00a.m. California time and grabbed our bags and a
mountain bike we were taking to give to Pastor Fernando Pedro (more on this later), and
we headed to SFO. Our chauffer was our good friend and past Brazil Team member,
Wayne Tonkin. We arrived at the airport only to find the security line was a mile long.
Eventually we got through the line and were able to make it to our gate only about 15
minutes before we were to board. It’s a good thing we didn’t leave any later.
Our first leg of the flight to Houston went well, and then we made our connecting
flight to Guarulhos with no problems. The first leg was about 3.5 hours air time not
counting boarding and deplaning. The second leg of the trip was supposed to be just
over 10 hours landing in Guarulhos at around 8:50a.m. Brazil time. About a half an
hour before landing, the plane began to circle and the captain told all that the airport
was fogged in at Guarulhos. We ended up being diverted to Rio De Janero where we sat
at a gate on the plane for over three hours before finally getting clearance to fly back to
Guarulhos. We finally landed at the intended destination around 2:00p.m.
We were met by our friend and host for the evening, Danilo Dantas. He and his lovely
wife, Suzana, have been our friends since our first trip in 2006, and it was so good to be
able to spend some time with them. Danilo drove us to their apartment where Suzana
was waiting with a big hug for both of us. We watched Brazil’s first World Cup match
in their home while snacking on grilled strip steak, smoked provolone cheese slices, and
palm hearts. Then we went out for Brazilian pizza (nothing like American pizza) to their
favorite...Giovanni’s. We had a great visit over dinner and by the time we got home and
tucked into bed it was 11:00p.m., making our first day of the trip 37 hours long!
Day Two (June 16th): We had a lovely breakfast with Danilo and Suzana, and then showered while he took
her to work. Then he came back and took us back to the airport for our short flight to
Confins near Belo Horizonte and our real destination, Lagoa Santa. It was a quick and
uneventful flight, and we soon found ourselves jamming our luggage and the bike into
the Warden’s FIT to head off to lunch and then to make a delivery. It was truly a delight
to see Len and Diane as we wheeled the luggage cart out through the security doors.
They are so very dear to us and it was so good to be with them again.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Two Cont.: After catching up over lunch, we dropped by Pastor Fernando and Esther’s house to deliver the mountain bike that Adam Hagmann donated for him. This bike will be used
in a bike ministry which takes place on Sunday mornings (most churches meet on
Sunday evening and not in the morning). Pastor Fernando was so excited as he and Len
and Gary put the bike together and then he gave it a quick trial ride.
We said our Tchau’s and headed over to see the property that Len and Diane moved
to for the church just two week’s earlier. Their home is very rustic and charming with
stained glass windows in the bathrooms and white window shutters with heart cut outs.
Len gave us a tour of the grounds and told us of all the plans for the church and other
uses of the building and home.
That evening we went to a prayer meeting at the church, which was all in Portuguese,
except for when Gary and I prayed, and then back to Len and Diane’s. We turned in
hoping for a good night sleep.
Day Three (June 17th): We awoke to the rooster’s crowing...just like home for us. We had a common
Brazilian breakfast of pozinas (a bread roll) with white cheese slices and ham, and a
banana. Then we headed off to Belo Horizonte to help Len and Diane shop for groceries
for the meals for the team that would be arriving the next day. Then it was back for
lunch and a walk around the lake (we only made it about a third of the way around and
then doubled back) and found our way back to Len and Diane’s. They live just two
blocks up from the lake and have beautiful views from almost any window in the house.
That evening we went to the home of some of our other friends, Ricardo and Frances.
It was nice getting to see their beautiful home completed this trip. On our last visit it
was under construction. Their daughter, Victoria, gave us the grand tour after dinner,
and their son, Higor, made it home just in time for us to say goodnight and head back to
the Warden’s.
Part of the dinner conversation centered around a desire to see Higor be able to come
spend some time living with a family from our church and go to school here in the states
for a while and be involved in our church youth group. We are praying that God opens
up the right opportunity for this as a continued connection with our friends.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Four( June 18th): We woke up and began preparing for the arrival of the rest of the team. Keep in
mind that of the other six people arriving, they were from three different states and
churches. We would all be spending that day getting to know each other before heading
to the location of our first English Weekend. All arrived safely, but three team members
arrived with no luggage (a situation that took the next two days to remedy). We got to
know each other over lunch, and then we loaded up the vehicles and headed to a
beautiful hotel hidden among the trees right at the edge of Lagoa Santa. We got situated
in our rooms and then waited for the arrival of our “Brazilian Friends.”
Most of the English Weekend participants arrived in time to have dinner with us at
8:00pm (yes, dinner was almost always that late or later). Then we got together for some
introduction games and a little fun before we were sent back to our rooms to visit with
out Brazilian room mate and to get some shut eye. I had two room mates for this
weekend. One was a team member named April and the other was a Brazilian Friend
named Jaqueline. We all hit it off quite well and I was able to make a good connection
with “Jackie.” Gary had only one room mate, a Brazilian friend named Arnaldo. The
made an immediate connection too, and Gary ended up sharing
his testimony with him that first night. It turns out that Arnaldo
and his wife are believers and are a very special couple. They
are the adoptive parents of two brothers who are just so lucky to
have such lovely people come into their young lives.
Day Five (June 19th): Busy was the word for this day. We scrambled from activity
to activity with our new Brazilian friends, challenging them to only speak English. For
some this was no problem, like for my room mate, Jackie. But for others it was a
challenge. We were able to have two “one on one” conversations this day, and I ended
up learning that one of our Brazilian friends, a young man named Kalino, was studying
English in order to get involved with medical missions. Kalino was also looking for a
local church in Lagoa Santa since he had just moved there a few months earlier, and I
was able to invite him to church that Sunday evening and get him connected with Len
and Diane and Fernando and Esther.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Five Cont.: A big part of English Weekend is speaking English, but an even bigger part is making
new friends. We made several new friends, some of which we believe will become key
friendships for the future (like Gary’s friendship with Arnaldo).
That night we had a special treat. One of the participants in English
Weekend just happened to be a musician with a band, and they came
and gave us a performance of typical Brazilian Pop Culture music.
Toward the end of the evening, Gary & I were encouraged by a couple
of our Brazilian friends to take the stage and sing. Gary accompanied
me on the guitar as I sang “Heart of Worship.” It really touched several
people.
Then we wrapped things up with a bonfire and marsh mellow roast. It was a bit
amusing trying to teach our friends how to make smore's. What fun!
Day Six (June 20th): We spent the morning and early afternoon finishing up our first English Weekend.
This is the day that we spoke a bit on a spiritual level with everyone. While there were
no huge break through moments, we did get to have some very good conversations.
After lunch, we had a gift exchange with our room mates and then parted ways. We
headed back to the Warden’s to watch World Cup soccer and prepare for the Sunday
Evening Church Service.
This was one of the highlights for Gary and I, because we were invited to give the
message. Our friend, Ricardo, served as interpreter. We shared a very simple message
from our hearts about entering into a deeper relationship with God and learning to
really understand and receive His incredible love that He lavishes on us. And we spoke
about how these two things should shape our relationships with each other. We were so
excited to see that our host family made it to church and seemed to be really engaged as
we shared.
Our host family took us home after church for a light supper and visit. We stayed
with our same hosts from our last trip, Leonel and Lara. They have two children, John
Pedro and Maria. We couldn’t resist getting out the gifts we brought for them which
included some Disney figures and a squishy ball that lights up when you toss it. We had
such fun playing and laughing, and the kids cried because they didn’t want to say
goodnight to Tio Gary and Tia Janice.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Seven (June 21st): After the first English Weekend, we were all ready for a day of relaxation, so Len and
Diane arranged for us to meet at their home, have team devotions, and then head off
with some Brazilian volunteers from their church to take us to lunch out in the country
at a farm/restaurant called Panel De Pedra (which means pot of stone). Here they cook
everything in stone pots over open fires. The food was absolutely delicious and the
company was gracious.
We returned to the Wardens, and the guys watched soccer while the ladies had a
jewelry party. Diane had met a woman at the local Saturday flea market who makes
beautiful stone jewelry, so she invited her to bring her wares, and we had fun oooohing
and aaahing. I picked a few nice pieces to take home with me.
We were picked up by our host families for dinner and an evening at their home.
Lara prepared a chicken lasagna dish that was delicious. Even though Lara speaks only
a little English, we sure had fun communicating at meals and spending time together.
Leonel is conversant in English, so he was a big help at the times he was at home.
Days Eight - Ten (June 22nd-24th): So much for relaxation. Next it was time to get to work
helping with some renovations to prepare the building and
grounds for the church to move in to in a few months. The
guys worked very hard digging a narrow ditch the length of
the property for the pipes that will connect the bathrooms
being constructed to the existing sewer line. (This actually
took three days). The ladies worked in the yard, painted the
picket fence, and painted one of the walls inside the soon to be
sanctuary. Interspersed between digging, scraping, painting, sweeping, weed pulling,
etc., we would watch an occasional World Cup match, and we
enjoyed wonderful lunches home cooked from scratch by
Jilda. We ate very well and worked very hard! Then we
would get picked up by our host families and spend the
evenings with them.
Wednesday evening was a special treat at our host home
with Leonel and Lara. They invited their friends over to
have dinner with us, and Leonel grilled steak and veggies.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
We all did our best with a little English and a little Portuguese, and a lot of laughing as
we tried to share with each other about our lives and interests. It was probably the most
fun evening we had while in Lagoa Santa.
On Thursday evening, we had a Chuhasco (bar-b-q) at the
Wardens. All the attendees from the first English Weekend and
also from the church were invited. Leonel and his friend Anderson
grilled the meat, and we all sat around and enjoyed wonderful
food and equally wonderful conversation. We were happy to see
Kalino and also Arnaldo and his wife Frances and their two sons,
along with the host families and their children.
Len and Diane and Fernando and Esther were really thrilled
with the turn out for the evening and that both Anderson and
Leonel spoke to them about volunteering to help with maintenance once the church
moved to this new facility. This was a huge breakthrough!
Another highlight was our dinner with Arnaldo and Frances and Len and Diane. We
had some conversation in English and some in Portuguese, and we enjoyed pasta and
beef parmesan from chef Arnaldo’s cozinah. It was so gracious of our host family to
share us with this other family so that we could get to know each other a little better. It
was wonderful fellowship, and we hope that Len and Diane will stay connected with
Arnaldo and Frances.
A final observation from this time spend working on the grounds that will soon house
the church in Lagoa Santa is that it was a great time of bonding for the team. As we
worked, we shared life stories, talked about our church families, prayed with each other,
and shared in the unity in the body of Christ. What a blessing to be working together
with a common goal even though we were
from five different churches and states.
Day Eleven (June 25th): Today was our final breakfast with our
host family and our final time in the
Warden home. We had devotions and
prayed a prayer of consecration over the
property and then headed for the airport to
fly back to Sao Paulo.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Eleven Cont.: We said our goodbyes to Pastor Fernando and Esther and boarded our flight to
Guarulhos. Upon arriving, we were met by our driver who would see us safely to the
location of our second English Weekend. We traveled by rented van to Ubatuba, a three
hour plus ride over the coastal mountains and down to the most beautiful beaches. The
drive was a bit unnerving but the scenery was spectacular!
Danilo and Suzana organized this English Weekend,
and we saw a few familiar faces from past visits. Among
then were Marlene (who was baptized a short time ago)
and Raquel, a young lady who aspires to become a judge.
My Brazilian room mate this time was Margarete, and she
was very nervous at first but then really began enjoying
the challenge of speaking only English. And Gary’s
Brazilian room mate was a young man named Denis. He
was a very mature 21 year old, and he drove us for some
shopping and sight seeing in Ubatuba during free time the
following day.
We enjoyed dinner and our introduction games again
with this new group, and Margarete showed me some
pictures of her family. It was very hard for her to make
the decision to be away from her husband and two small
children to participate in English Weekend, so she ended
the day with a call home. Then we said our goodnights and I slept well. Oh, and I
forgot to mention that I started the day waking up with no voice. This made
communicating even more interesting, but we managed and the Lord blessed the time.
Day Twelve (June 26th): It’s hard to imagine how we are able to pack so much
into one day, but we managed to find a way to do a
number of fun activities with our new Brazilian Friends
from Sao Paulo. And we got a nice surprise visit from
Eliana (who stayed in our home 3 years ago for 10 days)
and her brother and his girlfriend. We were so thrilled to
get to see her again and to meet a part of her family.
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Twelve Cont.: At the end of the day we met for a favorite English Weekend tradition in Sao Paulo,
and that’s Videoke! I had no voice, so I had to sit it out and enjoy the entertainment, but
Gary picked up the slack and hammed it up for the both of us! And Danilo had fun
doing Elvis among others. Suzana topped them both by singing “Smoke Gets in Your
Eyes.”
Day Thirteen (June 27th): This was our final day to build friendships and
enjoy the atmosphere of English Weekend. I
especially enjoyed a one on one conversation I had
with two young ladies, Rachel and Ligia. Gary had a
good one on one with Denis. You just never know
what will develop when you share your heart with
people.
These are all our new friends from Sao Paulo
along with a few friends from previous trips. We
exchanged gifts and hugs and then sent our Brazilian
Friends on their way home, and then we walked
down to the beach and splashed around and kicked the soccer ball around for a bit.
Then we relaxed until our debriefing meeting with Len and Diane and Danilo and
Suzana to talk about how both weekends went and to pray for all our new friends.
Afterward we enjoyed dinner and then tried to watch a movie together, but exhaustion
took over and we turned in about half way through.
Day Fourteen (June 28th—29th): We had our last time of devotions and then shared our last breakfast in Brazil. Then
we loaded our bags back on the rented van and made the drive back to Sao Paulo. We
dropped by the store to purchase coffee and a few other items to bring home and then
we made our first on only visit to a Chuhascaria. It was SO GOOD! We were joined by
Tim and Jolee Bubna, the Directors of the C&MA Missions Program for all of Brazil.
For those of you who haven’t yet heard about the legendary Brazilian Chuhascaria’s,
they are restaurants where meat is cooked on large skewers over open flames and the n
Trip Journal
Lagoa Santa & Sao Paulo, Brazil
June 14th—June 29th, 2010
Gary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood ChurchGary & Janice Spencer, Brentwood Neighborhood Church
Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010Journal for Gary & Janice Spencer, Brazil Short Term Mission 2010
Day Fourteen Cont.: sliced right onto your plate. It’s all you can eat in rapid succession one slice after
another! Then when you think you can’t possibly eat another bite, the desert tray comes
by. Gary and I shared a tasty treat called “crema de papaya” which is hard to describe
but very yummy. And finally, the small cups of espresso with whipped crème on top!
After lunch we headed to the airport to get there before the start of the World Cup
match with Chile. In Brazil, everything stops for their games, literally. We rolled into
the airport and found everything closed down (shops, flight check in counters,
everything) so we wheeled our luggage over to the crowd of people gathered around a
flat screen and watched the game. There must have bee 200 or more in that terminal
packed around the screen. And a roar of cheers would erupt with every goal or good
play.
The game ended and we finished our last minute souvenir hunt and said our goodbyes
to the other team members and headed to the check in line. It was backed up almost
into the next terminal, and it took almost two hours just to get checked in to our flight.
We went through security and headed to our gate and boarded shortly after. The flights
home were uneventful, and we and our luggage arrived home safely. We were greeted at
the airport by Wayne (last person to see before leaving and first person to see upon
arriving back). We feel very fortunate to have Wayne as a friend and fellow lover of
Brazil.
It’s hard to explain how it feels to come home from these short term missions trips to
Brazil. A part of you is glad to be home with family and familiar things, but another
part longs to be back in Brazil. The people you meet are so welcoming. After a few
short days you are like family. You can’t go anywhere without getting genuine, loving
hugs and kisses. You are embraced when you arrive anywhere and embraced again
before you go. You are treated graciously and offered unfettered acceptance everywhere
you go. And when a new friend says if you ever need anything to let them know, they
really mean it and will do whatever they can to meet your request for help. What a
lovely country and people!
So once again we thank you all for your prayers for us while we were away and for
those of you who helped to send us with your financial support. Be assured that your
prayers and support made it possible for God to accomplish some very important key
things in His work in Lagoa Santa and in the lives of all who participated in the English
Weekends. We love you all and bless you with His abundant love and grace! G & J