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 Some host families w/  team members: Milton & Isabel (left); Luiz & Alba (center); Anizio & Inez (right)

   

 

   

 

 Joel                                                           Churrasco at the Borges'                     The Borges and guests

   

 

 

Our hosts "spoiled" us with "koinonia" meals at the church, a "churrasco" party, and souvenirs (t-shirts with our team's photo on them, packs of socks, postcards, book markers). The pastors were always present with us on a rotating basis, as were some of our host families (a lawyer even closed his office and a doctoral student put her dissertation work aside just to spend time with us!)

 

Projeto Esperança - Run by Igreja Presbiteriana da Penha in partnership with Compassion International (www.compassion.com) > Precious lessons that we learned: a) It makes more sense to donate money for construction than to do "construction missions" in Brazil (and likely in other developing nations) because this approach helps feed construction workers' families and won't take away a job from those that need it the most (plus construction labor is very cheap, unlike in the US). b) A team member saw first-hand how an otherwise loving father may turn into an abusive one under the influence of alcohol - the team member spent one afternoon comforting and showing love to a project girl that had been beaten up by her drunk father. Communicating God's love to an abused child is no easy task, but the Holy Spirit can do it through us if we are available. c) As social psychologists have observed, except for extreme cases, physical deprivation does not rob one from life satisfaction - one can be happy having little.

Service: Our team performed skits on three of Jesus' parables, taught basic English & Math lessons and arts, played various games, and exchanged information with children on the national flags and ways of life of Mexico, Brazil, and the USA. We also taught basic dental hygiene and distributed toiletries. Monetary and other forms of donations were delivered by the team on behalf of American friends to help the project keep running and finish the construction of a new library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Igreja Presbiteriana da Penha - Precious lessons that we learned: a) Age or race segregation is virtually inexistent in Brazilian churches, particularly Presbyterian. Covenant children actively participate in worship services with adults (see photo below), although they also have their own Bible study in age-appropriate format. The worship service is a racial mosaic; people of all walks in life and with all levels of education worship God together. b) The vertical (relationship with God) and horizontal (social relationships) dimensions of the cross are emphasized equally and are seen as mutually dependent (1 Jo. 3:14-18).

Service: Our team participated in the celebration of the host church's 50th anniversary with preaching, Sunday-School teaching, singing, and special moments of fellowship.

 

  

 

  

 

   

 

Sopão and Servidas: Sopão (big soup) is a weekly food and clothes distribution at the urban slums of São Paulo, together with the proclamation of the gospel message. Servidas is a drug-rehabilitation ministry for street men that choose to quit drugs. It's a farmlike facility where residents are committed to an intense schedule of work, daily Bible study, and cultivation of healthy habits. 

Precious lessons that we learned: a) We learned that Sopão and Servidas are two sides of the same coin, a combination of steps that God has used to radically change lives. In one instance, a street man got saved, quit drugs, went back to school, and discovered an outstanding, God-given singing talent that led him to Germany, where he now sings and records Christian songs. b) For several team members, Sopão was their first opportunity to directly interact with and serve homeless people, many with AIDS. A street man was mourning the death of his wife, who used to be a sexual object to the community (and his sole source of income). c) A team member was brought into a shack to pray for an infant that had high fever - medicine had been purchased by the church, but the infant kept throwing up, to his mother's frustration. The next morning, his mother came to church to praise God for her child's overnight healing. We learned that God still works wonders as He pleases, for His glory, despite our little faith.

Service: We joined the church's Sopão team on a Saturday as we distributed food and clothes in two local slums, while Pastor Carlos Orlandi preached the gospel. We also spent one afternoon with Servidas residents, hearing about their experiences and needs, playing games with them, praying and sharing a meal with them.

 

  

 

 

 

Information about Mackenzie: a) Mackenzie was founded in 1870 by an American Presbyterian minister and his wife, George Whitehill and Mary Annesley Chamberlain. It was officially established as a university in 1952. b) Today, Mackenzie has over 33 thousand students and 12 hundred faculty. It has 28 undergraduate, 8 master's-level, and 1 Ph.D. degree programs. c) Beginning in 2007, Mackenzie and Malone will be partners in educational, research, and outreach projects, including a Cultural Psychology course offered to students from both institutions at Mackenzie, and a scholarship program for Mackenzie students to spend a semester studying at Malone.

 

For more information on the Cultural Psychology course at Universidade Mackenzie, click here.