THE LAST TIRED LEG OF “A MISSION IN MOTION-MISSION TRIP BRAZIL”

The biggest battle right now is sleep depravation and travel fatigue. Last night we finally got to bed around midnight and then took turns tapping and encouraging each other from across the room to turn over so as to slack off on the snoring. After a few hours of sleep we were up and headed to the Miami airport on a shuttle bus. We left the hotel around 5 am and left Miami about 7:45 am. 

It has been a neat trip. I really enjoyed getting acquainted with the Brazilian culture and it time honored traditions. Let me share a few for future traveler.

·         When eating a meal and you are finished it is proper to cross the utensils in the form of an X to show that you are done.  (Note: In Central America the utensils are laid along side of each other and put off to one side but in Brazil the X is made as a definite symbol of a competed meal.

·         When couples are dating they use a silver ring to let other know that they are going steady. The silver rings are worn on the right hand.

·         When couples who are dating become engaged they both use a gold band on the right hand to show that they are engaged.

·         When couples who are engaged get married they use the engagement rings from the right hand and move them over to the left hand to show the marriage. Both male and fIt emales generally use a gold band and not necessarily a diamond for the lady’s ring.

·         It is generally culturally acceptable to speak up and express oneself in a conversation when a point is thought to need to be made.

·         Thumbs up is a good Brazilian hand motion while our “OK” sign is a no, no.

·         In N.E. Brazil guys seem to dress more casual with casual business dress or shorts and flip flops. If there were a new national symbol for Brazil it may be that the flip flop should be considered. Flip flop business is good in Brazil.

·         The ladies in Brazil tend to dress very sharply and if they are able at all they tend to look their absolute best with current fashions, hair styles and nice nails. Thailand is marketed as “The Land Of Smiles” and it seems that Brazil is universally known worldwide for the natural beauty of the Brazilian women. In a classy way I would like to confirm that the perception is reality as Brazilian women tend to be classy, stylish, educated and cultured. There is a very evident desire to look the best possible.

·         There were many people who exercised daily by walking in morning and noon hours. Most people seemed fit with the exception of a notation that it seems many Brazilians have vision problems for reasons unknown to me.

·         Brazilians in N.E. Brazil like the shade and gravitate to it quickly. 

One observation that became apparent to me as a thought while we were traveling by van to the daily work site was that there is a definite link between leftist leaning or communist governments and the lowly bicycle. It seems that in leftist countries bicycles dominate the landscape. Think about places like Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Laos and other leftist nations and the number of bicycles used for transportation. I thought that it was very telling that so many people in N.E. Brazil use bicycles as a method of travel. It even occurred to me that the United States is headed down the bicycle path to leftism. More simply put …If we are not careful it will not be long before all we can afford for transportation will be the lowly bicycle.

I asked a local missionary about the major industry in the area and he responded that there was no major industry. I further inquired, “Then where does everyone work or make a living?” He responded that most people had government jobs of one variety or another but that the government could not support everyone and that the work of most for the government led to subsistence life styles.

Wake up America the bicycle and a government job are what most left leaning governments can offer. Ok back to Brazil and closing with these thoughts as I ride on a Delta B757-200 Jet somewhere over Florida. I want to plug Christian Missions Unlimited out of Alabama with their extensive and long history of building church buildings in Brazil. The overriding mission of this trip was to get a building built so that an already established church could go from meeting at the minister’s home to meeting in their own church building. By God’s right hand this mission was accomplished flawlessly and with dignity for all involved. The ability for things to work when they are supposed to in a Latin country is somewhat of a miracle. The presence of all of the tools needed to do a job is somewhat of a miracle. For the transportation to arrive on time is somewhat of a miracle. For the team to work together in oppressive heat and sun and still find time to share and encourage each other is somewhat of a miracle. The bricking in, roofing over, installing windows and doors and electrical in 3 work days is somewhat of a miracle, especially when some the medium age of the group was 55 plus. We had one mission trip participant who is 86 years old and he was just as happy as any other to go up on the scaffolding and lay brick all day. Quit a testimony to the American Christian spirit and labors of love.

In closing I am grateful to have been a participant in this mission trip and it was beneficial for me to have spent time in prayer for each participant. It was greatly beneficial that many followed the trip live via Twitter, Facebook, Linked IN, Plaxo, Skype Ping, MSN and the M300 Ministries website. It was most beneficial however that you prayed us through this challenging mission trip.

Be blessed,

Wayne Gaines

Founder/Director

M300 Ministries

http://www.m300ministries.org