Blogs from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, South America - page 4

Lads, I apologize for the belated blog post, the webmasters of the blog site even sent me an email asking if I’m still traveling, but this experience has been too rich to steal an hour or two for writing each day. I scratch notes if I’m lucky. In Brazil, I’ve caught myself on the verge of tears just thinking of what awesome friends I’m lucky enough to have (DC/NC/Br you know who I’m talking about (Ed in case you’re wondering you’re out)), what beauty there is to behold in life, and the human struggle that links us all no matter what country, language, religion, culture, or color. I’ve discovered a deep thirst for all things Brazilian. My father instilled a taste for traveling adventures when he took younger versions of my sisters and I on road ... read more

We took Karine's car to Gramado stopping by an amazing Buddhist Temple on the way. Gramado is a German town in the mountains of southern Brasil. There is a large German and Italian population in this region and the town is designed in the Swiss Alps style. In the winter they have a well regarded film festival similar to Sundance in the US. It rained while we were there, but that was no problem. It was a great time.... read more

Wednesday night ended with a skit night. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, the messages were really appreciated. It was fun to laugh together. We were up well past midnight talking and saying final good - byes. It's amazing how close you can get to someone in just a few days. Thursday we headed back to Porte Alegre. For one last treat, we went for Brazilian pizza and then back to the hotel. Friday we started our journey home. We left Porte Alegre at 12:30 p.m. for Sao Paulo. Since we had an 8 hour layover, Joe Arthur met us at the airport and we were able to go into the city and see the seminary. The traffic was heavy so we had to head back to the airport, leaving at 10:15 p.m. We ... read more

We started Sunday with breakfast and devotions with Bruce Mc Donald. He's been speaking on "Renewing our Passion." While the missionaries were in sessions, Rich prepared for the evening message while Jeff, Sheri and Lynette walked the town. After another dinner buffet, Rich spoke on "When I leave my First Love" from Rev. 2. Jeff and Sheri took care of the babies so the parents could enjoy the service. Monday started with breakfast and devotions. Once again Rich spent time preparing. After lunch we took a short trip to the falls here in Gramado. They were beautiful. Rich, Jeff and Sheri made it to the bottom of the 927 step decline and back. Lynette's knees wouldn't allow her to make it all the way down, but enjoyed the sights anyway. On the way back they saw ... read more

On Saturday we took a two hour bus trip up in the mountains to the Serrano Resort in Gramado. Another beautiful place! We had some free time in the afternoon and were able to walk the town. They are noted for their Chocolate so we'll see what comes home in our suitcases!! We started out the conference with Rich sharing his favorite message from Ecclesiastes "When Life Doesn't Make Sense" on Saturday night. Sunday AM, Bruce McDonald began his series on "Renewing the Passion" and the morning sessions are on evangelism. Wish you all were here. ... read more