Final Reflections

Reflections on my first mission trip.

Karlene Lawrence

Leaving Athens was difficult but exciting. I felt so out of my comfort zone going to Brazil but I really felt led by God so I was determined to follow His calling. Kent couldn’t make the trip and leaving my family was difficult but I was somewhat excited to face this new challenge and see what God had in store for this team of people who had committed themselves to serve the Lord. I had promised God that I would let him handle everything and allow him to guide me in this adventure.
Prior to leaving I had a bad case of poison ivy along with an infection so I had been taking medicine for several weeks. I kept asking God Are you sure you want me to go on this trip?
Wayne Brubaker talked to me about having faith and making the trip even though I was not feeling up to par. I then felt that God put him in my path to tell me to quit doubting this mission I was scheduled to go on.
God blessed me when I began to have faith that He would hold me and carry me through each and every uncomfortable situation.
On the way over on the plane I felt sick and laid on the floor in the back of the plane and prayed that I would feel better so I could fulfill God¹s plan. Twenty minutes later I got back in my seat and by the next day I felt the best in weeks. I was so pumped to start the day.
During the first church service I noticed a young girl (19 years old) that seemed really spiritual and moved by the music. Her eyes were closed as she
listened to the music. I felt God calling me to talk to her. I went to shake hands with her and gave her a big smile. Not much else one can do when you don't speak the same language. The next night we divided up into two groups and went to different services. I saw the young girl, Kelly, at the service I attended and I knew I had to speak to her.
I tried to communicate with her and ask her which person was her Mamma but she gave me the sleeping signal. It was minutes later that she asked a translator to tell me her Mom had gone to heaven several months ago and that her Dad had walked out on his family prior to that. I felt so bad for her but told her I¹d be her USA Mom, she smiled. Our spiritual bond developed over the next few days and before I left Teresina she gave me a frog statue for good luck and I gave her a small cross. We both held it to our hearts to show we cherished the time we spent together.
The following week was quite different. We met great people, played with children and taught them how to count to 10 in English and worked at the church. The thing that had the most impact on me was the walking tour we took guided by a sweet Brazilian lady. We walked across the street and down the side of a canal and saw more poverty that one can imagine. Human waste and garbage floated on the water. Garbage lined the sides of the walkway. Homes were nothing but wooden planks nailed together. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life. The smell was awful and I just wanted to cry. Words and photos can¹t come close to describing the sight or smell. Children were left locked in their homes, unattended, while their parents worked. Most children didn¹t have any shoes; others only wore a pair of shorts.
It has now been a week later and I still have that image taped to my mind. I don’t ever want to forget that sight or smell in hopes that it will always be a reminder of how fortunate I am and how God has provided me with so many blessings.
Lastly. God used these two weeks to help me realize how much I take Kent for granted. He has provided for our children, given us a wonderful place to live, loved and supported us and unselfishly allowed me to go on this mission trip without him. When I arrived home he was waiting for me as I got off the plane. We all are blessed to have such a wonderful husbands and families. Absence really does make the heart grow fonder.
AMEN!

June 11th

We're on our way home!! We are leaving shortly for the airport and will be traveling for the next 28 hours. Thank you for all of your prayers so far, please be praying for us as we are flying home. We have had a VERY successful trip and were able to complete significant building projects at both sites. We also were able to spend a lot of time bonding with children and adults at the sites. It is amazing how much of God's love you can share without words! We love you all and look forward to seeing you soon.

June 9th

Today is our 4th day in Manaus, but only our second work day. We worked this morning finishing the braces for the new room. This included mixing and pouring cement on very sturdy scaffolding. Half of the team is getting ready for our Bible school tomorrow. We are also having plenty of time to play with the children in the neighborhood. They are all so inquisitive and curious to learn English and enjoy interaction with us. We have played in the streets with jump ropes, a soccer ball, and even played four square.
I learned today from a worker that the Methodist church in Manaus is only 10 years old and this structure was just purchased a month ago as its present congregation is now meeting in houses.
This neighborhood is very poor and is World Vision supported. Shack-like structures line a river made up of raw sewage. It is comforting to know there is a support structure set up for this community that includes the church and World Vision.
In addition, while in Teresina a worker gave me a very nice soccer jersey. This gift was too nice and hard to accept. This side note is an encouragement that the Gospel comes to life and is better understood when the Body of Christ exhibits it to one another.
Joseph~
P.S. – Hey Mom. I will call soon.

June 8

June 6

Today was a much needed rest day! After days of traveling, hauling, digging, and shoveling, we were given the opportunity to rest and reflect. What better way to reflect than to travel by boat down the Amazon?
We boarded a double decker riverboat and took off down the Rio Negro (Black River), which gets its name from the rotting vegetation that the river picks up from the north. Then some of us went on a hike through the jungle forest to have a "close encounter" with nature. After arriving safely at Lagos Salvador (Salvation Lake), we enjoyed lunch on the porch and watched while some of the group swam. The "meeting of the waters" was one of the highlights. This is where the slow moving Rio Negro meets the fast, clear water of the Rio Amazon. The day cumulated with a canoe ride through the jungle and the sighting of an anaconda, monkey, piranhas, and many birds.
The Amazon is truly a marvel, a powerful demonstration of God's presence and will. Many Psalms have been written over the millenium praising God's creation. Have you ever wondered why God cares for man? As the Psalm says "You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and placed everything at this feet." We have been placed in the most glorious masterpiece ever created!! It is our responsibility to be good stewards of our earth, conserving and caring for our resources, so this will be a daily act of praise and thanksgiving to God.
~Susan and Erin Cooper

June 5

3:30 AM departure from the hotel in Teresina. We arrived at the airport and we were greeted by our new found friends from the Methodist Church. We were all pleasantly surprised that all the Brazilian folks would get up that early to sing farewell. Tears were shed while hugging and kissing goodbye. I was very touched that Kelly, a 19 year old girl that I had bonded with who had lost her mother a few months ago, sacrificed her sleep to come and say goodbye. Yes, I shed tears too! Does that surprise you? We have exchanged email addresses to keep in touch since I’m now an adopted USA mom. Her father left his family some years ago and she lives with her brother. Praise God she has her Teresina church family.
One hour after departing Teresina we arrived in Fortaleza, directly east, just in time to catch our connecting flight to Brasilia. Brasilia is a 2 ½ hour plane ride south from Fortaleza, where we will connect to Manaus, our final destination. All that to say Manaus is west of Teresina but we traveled east, south, then west to get to Manaus making a long day of travel which started very early.
We finally arrived in Manaus, sorted luggage, and went to a lovely hotel, located on the edge of the Amazon. After a little free time we divided into four groups to attend different church services. The service I attended was very charismatic. There was dancing, jumping, and many many prayers, followed by communion. The children were very involved in the dancing and skits, and their smiles were heartwarming.
We elected to skip dinner and dine in the room with peanut butter and crackers and granola bars, with Hershey's kisses for dessert.
Tomorrow we will take a tour of the Amazon river, which will also include some hiking.
One constantly feels the presence of the Holy Spirit ... as we continue our travels.
~Karlene Lawrence

June 4th

Saturday was our last day in Teresina. It started off very well; most of us got a full night’s rest and our first engagement was at 10:30. We went to the church to say goodbye to the construction crew, and Lee made sure they knew we appreciated them letting us work even though we were much slower and unskilled compared with them. Amazingly just about all the work we could have done we actually got done; what is left is mostly skilled labor!
During our last lunch in Teresina I had a lively discussion with Joseph and Anna Clara (our translator/ helper) about how people in Brazil are more touchy-feely and open with their romance than “United Statesians” (I have been reprimanded for using the term Americans to refer only to US citizens). Just the night before I witnessed a teenage couple expressing their love to each other on the newly poured sidewalk just 10 meters outside the church entrance. Without going into graphic details, I will just say that I turned my head away immediately after noticing them because I was embarrassed. Needless to say, it would take a while for me to get used to Brazilian culture.
After lunch Karlene gave the group devotional and made some insightful comparisons between our group and ants. We work together, walk in lines back and forth moving dirt, and we are able to do extraordinary feats for our size because we are working through God’s strength!
The main activity of the day was kids’ VBS at the church. There were about 150 neighborhood kids that packed the church! The theme was the importance of children to the Methodist Church, and the theme song was “His Eye Is On The Sparrow”. Joseph and Anna did a puppet skit telling how God lovew pelicans, dogs, and others as well as sparrows. Then the children made paper plate sparrow and decorated them, and then there was a skit about how the church through the Holy Spirit is a channel for God’s compassion and how the Methodist Church helps those in need, like Steve, who played a hungry elderly man in another skit. Finally, every kid received a goody bag with candy, toys, and school supplies. They were soooooo excited! It was wonderful to see their faces light up. Before they left VBS, they all went around and gave enthusiastic hugs to the adults.
After VBS there was a short going away celebration filled with hugs and t-shirts from the church members to all the team members.
To finish off the day four of us (Steve, Joseph, Wayne, and I) went to play 7-on-7 football (a.k.a. soccer) with church members who play regularly. Joseph made a good showing for the USians, but of course the natives were superstars compared to us. Pastor Fred was probably the best player of all. The competition was at a high level for USians, even though the church members were definitely not in the best shape. Even with the competitiveness of the natives, everyone controlled their emotions and there were no hard feelings afterwards. What a great way to bond with our Brazilian brothers!
~Richard Conway

June 4th (another report)

As I sit on the plane in Brasilia waiting to go to Manaus I reflect on the last week in Teresina. I think of Wellington, Caesar, George, Sebastian, Markos, Paulo & Madelone, Jane & George, Pastor Fred and Fernanda (his wife) and all the other wonderful friends I will leave at the Igresia Metodista (the congregation of Methodists in Terezina). This is my 2nd year in Teresina. It is the hottest city in Brazil. Noone wants to go there to be tourists. Noone wants to go there because of the difficulty in travelling there (36 hours total). The heat can be overwhelming. Both times that I have been to Teresina God has blessed me so much. The hospitality and love that these people show overshadow any difficulties from heat or travel. They truly shower you with love from the second you get to the airport (singing, drum beats, guitar, and tambourines meet you at the baggage claim). It never stops. As we left at 4:00am this morning they were all there. They sang and hugged. We all waved and shed tears of joy (and sadness). Joy at getting to know these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ. Sadness in parting from our Brazilian friends. I rejoice at the part Tuckston is taking in spreading the Gospel in Teresina. My prayer is that Tuckston will have the same fervor to spread the Gospel that I have seen in my time at Teresina.
~Wayne Brubaker

June 2

It was another glorious day in Teresina. We woke and ate early so we could get to the work site before the sun got too hot. Today we made cement and pushed wheelbarrows of cement and dirt. We helped build steps to the church and the sidewalk. Some dug a ditch for pipes-a deep ditch. I almost got claustrophobic when I shoveled just a few minutes.
Lee went to another town and talked on a rural radio station about our church work here in Brazil and sang one of his songs.
We ate lunch with the Bishop and presented her with a "Tuckston to Brazil" shirt. She is most appreciative of our work and generous gifts. She took a suitcase filled with supplies for her church in Recife.
We worked hard in the heat this afternoon, doing much of the same and moving bricks. Erin Cooper and a Brazilian girl went to the school to invite childrens to VBS.
Dinner at the hotel included a celebration for Boyd and Marilyn Andrews' anniversary and Erin's birthday. Afterwards we divided and went to 2 neighborhood meetings for singing and testimonies from our group. As we were leaving on of the leaders of the church was asked if Americans were like he thought they would be? He said NO - they were happier. Then he asked if all Americans were so happy or just Methodists - We said "just Methodists"!!!
~Hilda Fletcher

June 1

After a short bus ride from the hotel to the church, the first to greet us on Wednesday morning was the mule eating grass in the adjacent lot. The workers were already there and it was time to make and pour concrete for the sidewalks. While some of the gang did this others were busy moving dirt with shovels and wheel barrows and picks. Probably, the digging of the ditches for the water line and the electrical line was the toughest job. A smile was on everyone's face as our children played games inside the church with Brazilian youngsters. Playing "drop the hat" and other games made all of us feel young again. After lunch light of our group had the job of separating supplies to send to others churches all over Brazil and to get gift bags ready for the children coming to VBS on Saturday. This project will be finished on June 2 and boxes filled for a lot of others plus having all ready for the children Saturday.
This evening we were blessed to meet the bishop who flew from Receipe on the coast. She preached and Gordon translated. A large number of members and visitors were there. Oh, the music was great and was lead by my friend Wellington, who does a great, great job. At the end of the two hour service, in which we saw lives touched and rededicattions made, the formal service came to an end. Travis Ebbert began playing the bongo drum with their praise ban and many of their women and ours began to do a Brazilian form of line dancing. Boy, was this a sight to watch! There would be more to tell but I'm running out of space.
Thank you again for allowing us to come to Brazil and supporting us through your prayers and gifts; for we as a team of 23 are truly blessed.
~David Fletcher

May 31

We were up with the roosters before 6. Yes, this hotel has its own roosters, hens, baby chicks, and guineas! A good night's sleep gave us the energy we'd need for our first official workday.
The work is going so fast with so many of us helping. Our menial jobs of hauling rocks, stacking bricks, and smoothing out the site freed up the paid workers for more important work, such as laying bricks. The wall around the property was almost finished and the site is much more level today.
We worked hard all day with a break for lunch. After supper, we returned to the site, which had been prepared for a church service. There was great singing, an inspiring sermon by Lee, and lots of smiles and hugs for everyone. It is so wonderful to see so many of our friends from last year. The church has grown and the building was packed, a perfect end to a blessed day. Deus te abençoe.
~Annette Jackson

May 30, 2005

We Made It!!!
The Brazil mission trip made it through 5 flights and about 36 hours worth of travel and landed about 3 p.m. in Teresina Brazil. The church from Teresina was at the airport to greet us, and we joined them in singing praises to our amazing God. It was a humbling and inspiring experience to see believers from the other side of the world singing praises to our God, some of them even were songs we knew. Thank you so much for you prayers, the trip was relatively uneventful and we are all here and healthy. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we set off to work tomorrow!!

The church in Teresina greeted us with a banner that says Welcome American Brothers, we love you in Christ.