Christmastime in São Luís
What is Christmas like in a tropical city? Updated with more pictures.
What’s Up with WhatsApp?
Yesterday a judge here in Brazil imposed a 48-hour ban on WhatsApp, a popular social media platform here in Brazil.* While lesser known in the US, it is a national phenomenon here in Brazil. Businesses depend on it for communication with customers and divulgation of new products. Individuals use it extensively to communicate with others….
Happy New Year (…bear with me here)
Still playing “catch up” with long overdue posts. Here are a few pics from the New Years event the Ebenezer congregation held at the farm of one of our members. The ladies, gathering at the kitchen. Abreu and Rickson Delcy showing the piglet to the kids. Mikey and the piglet, who I affectionately called “bacon”….
The Party at My Place
On Saturday one of the local politicians–in the hopes of garnering votes–sponsored a big “folklore” party at my house. And by that I mean, if you stepped out of my front door, you were literally in the party. Since I wasn’t going to be sleeping much that night (these things go into the wee hours)…
The Puppetry Must Go On!
Since we moved to São Luís, our own involvement in puppet ministry has all but come to an end. We have put on a couple programs for VBS, but other than that, our foam friends are enjoying somewhat of an extended sabbatical. On the other hand, Cicero and Nice Braga–our former partners in puppet-crime–continue to…
Happy 400th Birthday, São Luís!
This is a great time to be living in the city of São Luís. 400 years ago, tomorrow, the French Huguenot explorer Daniel de la Touche landed with a small expedition on this fair island. The ensuing four centuries saw the little city he founded fall into the hands of the Portuguese, the Dutch, the…
Electoral Noise
It’s election time in the US, and I hear the term “electoral noise” batted around, of course referring to the competing voices of the candidates and their minions. Here in Brazil, however, the term “electoral noise” would have a much more literal meaning. Political candidates rent sound trucks and have them drive around the city…
FOCUS Report
Once again Itacyara and I have had the privilege of hosting a team from the US. This is our fifth team since we arrived on the field in 2005, and the second to visit us from Fellowship Baptist Church in Lakeland, FL–our sending church. Every team that has come down has been an adventure, and…
Luau on the Beach (or…Suffering for Jesus in Brazil)
Our last activity with the Kerigma youth group was a luau on one of Sao Luis’ spectacular beaches. While it was bittersweet, due to our impending departure, the ambiance was relaxing and therapeutic. Here is a picture of Itacyara and I with our outstanding group of teens: More pictures here. The Astonishing Adventures of Missionary…
Video: Bahia in 1927
I was going to include this in a Daily Dozen, but it is so cool, I decided to give it a post all it’s own. From Deep Brazil comes this video from the state of Bahia in 1927. This is the kind of thing that Brazilians see imperfectly reproduced in historical novelas. Enjoy! The Astonishing…