We are back on the coast in Paraty with Uiliam and Aryane. Uiliam is a friendly man with humor, and eager to improve his English. Beside being pastor he is a landscaper by trade in daily life and lays out beautiful tropical gardens. His heart is in missions as is his son Ezekiel.
Ezekiel is 20 years old and plans to go to Ireland in February to study and work. He then wants to buy a car and start a kind of cab service in Portugal for other Brazilian missionaries as a way of evangelization. Beautiful to see everyone using their talents to expand God’s Kingdom.
Not bad when the family you are staying with is invited to a weekend in a cottage on a tropical island and you get to come along! Packed and loaded with all kinds of food, the ten of us undertook the trip to the town of Angra dos Reis. From there we took a boat to Ilha Grande, one of the many islands off the coast of Brazil. With the wind in your face, an azure blue sea and the idyllic islets, the 2-hour trip was over in no time. At the little pier we were welcomed by a swimming turtle. The owner of the cottage, Geovan, a good friend of the family also joined us. He was very caring and made all kinds of food for us.
On the wobbly pier at sunset we caught our own crab with a little piece of chicken on a string and the next day we ate delicious crab soup.
It’s very enjoying being awakened by the sounds of tropical birds, a monkey in the tree, the quiet sandy beaches and at night the fireflies through the trees. Of course, the hammock was not missing. Sunscreen is a must for the sun is here directly overhead and is burning heavily.
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- On the boat to the island
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- Quiet beaches
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- Fishing boat
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- The sun right above you
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- Crab catching on the pier
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- Our evening meal
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- Arjan catches crab
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- Delicious soup
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- Relaxing in the hammock
Sometimes communication is hilarious. The English language is a challenge for many Brazilians. For example, the word kitchen can be confused with chicken. We get very good at guessing what is meant sometimes.
But we always find unity in our faith. Old Christian songs are often translated into many languages, so we sang familiar songs together, each in his own language.
A Brazilian custom that still takes a little getting used to is the eating habit. At noon the Dutch stomach starts rumbling, but here they take a coffee, because they don’t eat until 2. Coffee is drunk a lot here. With breakfast, but also at 6 o’clock this black liquid is drunk with a cheese ball, cake or a slice of bread with margarine and only at 9 o’clock is dinner.
So that means, for example, dinner is not eaten before an evening church service, but after it. So we regularly see ourselves going to a little restaurant at 10 p.m. to have a meal and go to bed with a full stomach. Oy, adjusting, the life of a missionary. But we are not complaining!
Meanwhile, we are back on mainland and it is raining regularly at a temperature of 25 degrees. Uiliam is happy because now his lawns can grow well. At various services we get to share the Word and build people up. Rain brings blessing.
One response
Ha Arjan en Amanda,
Ik heb al jullie Posts gelezen en het was of ik erbij was. Heerlijk geschreven en wat een mooie avonturen beleven jullie. En God is daar dezelfde als hier zie ik wel!😁. Ik heb me ingeschreven voor de nieuwsbrief, ben benieuwd naar het vervolg van jullie reis.
Liefs en shalom van ons,
Ruud en Jeannette