Brazil-Culture Shock?

I've been back in Brazil now for 7 weeks and I think I'm experiencing culture shock. I don't like much of anything. Oh, I still think the place where we're staying is beautiful (lots of trees, birds, etc.), but I'm pretty tired of everything else. Especially the food. I don't normally get tired of eating the same food, but beans and rice twice a day has started getting to me. No, it's not just beans and rice, but it is twice a day. In addition there is usually salad (though sometimes that's just lettuce), "farofa" (I think it's made with dry cornmeal, and seems to have some veggies or meat in it at times), the meat of the day (could be chicken franks, or soy-meat, or actual beef, or overly-fried eggs). And often there is another vegetable s well. But no dessert (we've had dessert once in 7 weeks), drinks cost extra, and that's it. Oh, once a week we have what for us looks like an enchilade. Here in Brazil it's a "pancake". (So it's really a meat filled crepe, and they're actually pretty good.)
And I won't even go into the communication issues! At least not today (I don't speak Portuguese, remember, so communicating is very often frustrating). But today that may all begin to change-I start giving English lessons to our SJS students today, so maybe we'll all be communicating with each other a bit better by the time I leave (and yes, I'm taking Portuguese lessons-I think I've had 4 so far-so I'm a long way from fluency).

Well that's it for today, blessings to you all!
Monica

My Dad...

As many of you know I made a trip to Arkansas in March to see my dad, shortly after he was placed in hospice care for cancer (along with having a host of other problems). This was only the second time I had seen him since I was 18 or 19 (and there were only a few occasions prior to that as well.)

Several days ago a few different people asked me how my dad was doing and I hadn't heard anything, so I didn't know. Yesterday I decided to write to his brother to find out what was going on, and this morning I got a call from my dad's former wife saying that he passed away on Sunday. Apparently my uncle was waiting to call me until after he had the funeral arrangements taken care of. Fortunately I had also met the former wife on my recent trip to Arkansas and she had asked for my contact information.

So I'll be returning to Arkansas this weekend (the funeral is tentatively set for Saturday at 3:00 p.m.). Donna, a student in the SJS, has offered to come with me, so we'll leave Friday around noon. The drive is about 13 hours from here.

If you're wondering how I feel about this news, well the truth is I don't know. I've spent the majority of my life not knowing this man and not knowing where he was or having any idea of how to reach him, and wondering how I should feel about him. When I learned in March that he was in hospice, I really didn't "feel" anything, until I started telling people that my dad was dying, then I felt sad. When I got the news this morning, I didn't feel anything those first few moments. Then I told two friends here and I cried a little. An interesting thought occurred to me-now for the first time since my mom died in '97 I am an orphan in reality, not just by experience.

Anyway, it's all very strange and I'll have time to sort it out, over the next few days, during the drive to Arkansas, while I'm there, and as much time as I need once I return. I am very grateful for my recent trip there. I was able to meet the family, see my dad, the town where he grew up, I even went to the church he grew up in. And I told him that I forgave him for all the years of not being there.

Please keep his family and me in prayer. I have a younger sister, Nancy who I'm sure will be devasted. She's about 28 and she lost her (our) younger sister a few years ago, and her mother when she was a teenager.

Thanks for listening-
Monica

HEADING TO THE LAND DOWN UNDER!

BACKPACKER CONFERENCE IN AUSTRALIA-APRIL 3RD THROUGH APRIL 7TH

Want to see where I'll be? The Backpacker conference/forum will be held at:
www.campdrewe.com.au

Here's the proposed schedule of sessions: Remember-I'll be co-moderating in a couple of these-YIKES!

Session schedule and details and description ( we will be flexible).
Various people will be moderating these sessions. All are encouraged to
have their input into these sessions. there may be 'topics' that need
to be covered that are not listed here, topics that are on your heart,
so please be ready to share on these and we can try and cover them as
well.

Monday, April 3

700-830pm - Welcome. Getting to know each other. Backpacker
Ministry History and Development. Catch the Vision. Mutual sharing of
all attendees regarding their involvement or interest in ministry to
backpackers.

Tuesday, April 4
915-1030AM - Session 1 - Kingdom Ministry, Philosophy of Ministry
1045-1200AM - Session 2 Post-Modernism
700--830PM - Session 3 - Backpacker Evangelism, Follow-up
(discipleship), Networking Part 1

Wednesday April 5
915-1030AM - Session 4 - Backpacker Evangelism, Follow-up
(discipleship), Networking Part 2
1045-1200AM - Session 5 - ???
700--830PM - Session 6 - Local Church Ministry, Ministry House
(House Church). Christian Hostels

Thursday April 6
915-1030AM - Session 7 - ESL (English as Second language)
backpackers, various backpacker sub-cultures, Global Ministry
1045-1200AM - Session 8 - Intercession (Why and How to Pray), Prayer
Mobilisation/Discipline
700--830PM -Session 9 - Training and Equipping of Workers


Friday April 7
915-1030AM - Session 10 - Communication, Networking, Accountability,
Future forum(s)
1045-1200AM - Session 11 - Closing, Communion, Praying for one another

***
FORUM CONCLUDES AFTER LUNCH ON FRIDAY...

***
NOTES/DETAILS ON SOME SESSIONS (Session topics and Scheduling are
Tentative. these serve as a guideline. We want to be open as to where
everyone's interests are and to discern what is on the Lord's heart for
this 'movement'. Also hoping to see if there may be an opportunity for
attendees to participate in any scheduled backpacker outreach happening
in Byron Bay during the week forum is being held.

Session 1 - Kingdom Ministry - Basically, working with a very
itinerant group of people, not necessarily adding numbers of people to
local church. Need a Kingdom of God mindset, and understand why do this
kind of ministry and how. Establish a biblical frameview for this.

Session 2 Post-Modernism- what is it? How is Gospel to be communicated
to this culture?

Session 3 and 4 Backpacker Evangelism - Discuss what kinds of
'evangelism' have worked and not worked and share other forms that
could be attempted and would be relevant
Tools for Ministry: DVDs, movies, literature, Web, books (Christian
and secular), BPer New Testament,
backpacker testimonies
Pilgrimage/Spiritual Journey - Backpackers are on a 'spiritual
pilgrimage" - how to equip and encourage them to seek to get to know
God while they 'travel'. The search for Truth has to come from them,
within.
Meals and hospitality, relationships
Backpacker to Backpacker
Living and working in tourist towns
ETC

Session 5 - ?Any ideas?

Session 6 Local church Ministry - what can local church do for
ministry to backpackers (free meals, Backpackers United in Sydney,
Byron Bay ministries, Wanaka in New Zealand)
Ministry house (house church - backpacker focus)
Christian Hostel (The shelter Hostel ministry model), Dilaram house
(YWAM from years ago), L'Abri (Francis and Edith Schaeffer -
worthwhile to obtain copies of the book "L'Abri" by edith Schaeffer and
"Living on the Devil's Doorstep" by Floyd McClung

Session 7 ESL backpacker, etc - Discuss various backpacker cultures
and different means to reach and minister to them. Need for
'long-term' trained teams to move to, live and work in various tourist
communities around the world and equip local churches to minister and
reach out (ie Nepal, Thailand, India, Europe, North And South America,
etc)

Session 8 - Intercession/Prayer - some testimonies concerning
Backpacker ministry, teaching, the importance of seeking God and
learning to hear from Him and knowing His way in all of this

Session 9 Training and Equipping Workers - what should be involved in
the training process - in class training versus practical ministry and
on hands experience. Training and equipping young adult Christians so
they can be effective "Christians" and Christian witness while they do
their backpacker overseas experience journey. Discipleship. Jesus and
His disciples and mobile training and ministry.
Backpacker discipleship Schools
Missions Training, "church planting"...multiplication of ministry
Local church Training
Christian University Students - 'recruiting' them - many will do
backpacker journey during uni or shortly after uni but most do not know
about the backpacker ministry networks that exist and the need to equip
them for their own 'spiritual journey'.

Session 10 Communication, Networking, Accountability, Future forum(s)
Newsletters, Websites, forum Boards. Networking of Ministries and
Individuals. More future forums (if so, where, when, how...Europe?)

WE WANT TO REACH THE TRAVELERS OF THE WORLD!!!

India is coming to an end

Wednesday Jan. 25th
I can't believe it's already drawing to a close, the time has really passed by quickly! We left Goa by train yesterday to come to Pune, which is a few hours from Bombay (now called Mumbai). We had a chance to talk to the YWAM base here about the Jewish World Office, the School of Jewish Studies, the need to reach out to all the Israelis coming to India, and our plans to bring the school here (probably 2007), and then we led their prayer time, focusing on the above.

We spent the rest of the day listening to a great speaker named Anna George who talked about tactics of warfare, vision, and purpose. We got to tour the base (a new facility, recently paid off by a huge offering in Brazil that we were part of back in September), had a nice lunch, then got stuck in traffice (bad enough to rival Los Angeles) while attempting to see the city. There is supposed to be a really nice Synagogue here, one of the oldest in India, that we didn't get to see due to the traffic jam. (Tmw is "Republic Day" where they celebrate their independence from Brittain and they were already closing off some of the streets-I guess for parades.)

It's midnight now and we catch our last train in 4 hours to return to Delhi. I think it's about a 27 hour ride from here. Then we'll meet up with the DTS team and spend the last couple of days there with them.

As for how things have been going (meetings, visiting properties, etc.) it's been great, and I'll share more details another time, when it's not midnight. (We left Goa yesterday afternoon for the 14 hour train ride to get here at 4:00 a.m., so I'm a bit sleep deprived-and yes, this next train departs at 4:00 a.m. as well-same train, we just took a "lay-over" here in Pune.)

Please keep Michael and me in prayer for this long journey, and for our flights onward. He'll be flying to Korea as I make my way back to the U.S. (via Zurich, Switzerland-and no, I don't get to go skiing or anything like that, I only have 5 hours [starting at 6 a.m.] so I will probably not get beyond the airport-and I don't even have any more good books with me!).

Well that's it for now-I leave early Monday morning (really late Sunday night-1:45 a.m.-don't I pick great travel times???) and I'll be in Chicago around 8:00 p.m. (I change plans again in D.C.). Michael leaves Monday night, and I'm not sure when he arrives in Korea.

My cell will be back on as soon as I land in the U.S. on Monday, so give me a call!

Thanks again for all your prayers!
Love,
Monica
p.s. Please pray that I have no more encounters with rats, mice, or cockroaches, I feel like I'm being attacked!!!

Trains in India

Overall, the train travel was a good experience. On the first train (Delhi to Varanasi, about a 14 hour trip), I sat with a very nice Indian (Hindu) family. They spoke English, and the father and I had a very good conversation. He talked about the importance of sacrifice, and how we feel more satisfied when we sacrifice for others. Now I should know this from the Bible, right? But I live in America, and we often (or at least I often) want what we want, and rather than sacrificing what we want to please or satisfy others, we sacrifice others to please and satisfy ourselves. It really made me think. Then the following day I went from Varanasi to Mumbai. This trip was supposed to be 26 hours but was closer to 29. This time I sat with an English guy (maybe around 28) and 3 Korean girls. The girls were sweet and shared their food with us, but didn't talk with us much. They may not have felt so comfortable with English. The British guy was really interesting. He studies Buddhist philosophy and practices different meditations and things, but he doesn't necessarily consider himself a Buddhist. He had just returned from 3 months in Nepal and was on his way to the town of Itagapuri (near Mumbai) for a retreat. There he was planning to sit and meditate in silence on this 10 day retreat. And since he's done it before, he can only eat before noon, not afterwards (newcomers can eat in the evenings as well). He was really excited about it. He shared a book with me that he has read several times about "surrender" and "living in the now". The emphasis is on staying in the current moment, rather that projecting our fears and worries into the future, or dwelling on the past (which can at times be depressing and filled with regret). And he asked me "Didn't Jesus talk about surrendering?" We had great conversations during the trip, and he shared examples with me of staying in the moment and handling situatations with peace (and grace) Ex: A kid sitting next to him on a bus threw up on him. I would have found that pretty disgusting and I would not have been happy. But he looked down at his pants and told himself that nothing had really happened, it was just some food that had been in someone's stomach and it could be washed out later. Then he was able to focus on the boy and have sympathy for him and help him out.
I realized that though I didn't come to India for the purpose of learning anything, I will be learning things, even in places where I don't expect it, like from Hindus and Buddhists. And Truth is Truth. Often as Christians we believe we have a corner on the market of Truth. And yes, Yeshua/Jesus did say that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. But sometimes I think we forget that God created All of us in His image, and I'm convinced that this means any of us can at least have glimpses of Truth, if not more.

The rest of the train ride-noise and lots of people selling stuff and beggars and on the second train cockroaches (lots of them, especially in the afternoon as it got hotter and hotter). But the cockroaches are now gone and I'm left with what I learned/was reminded of from the Hindu family and the Buddhist guy. India is going to be very interesting!

Safely in India

Thanks for all your prayers, and please, keep praying! I arrived
in India around 2:00 a.m. and that went well. The driver from my hotel was
waiting for me, so that was great. The room was shabbier than I expected,
but the bed was comfortable and there was a bathroom, so that was good.
However this afternoon just going to the train station to get a ticket was
somewhat overwhelming. It's very crowded and people approach you all the
time and there are all kinds of vehicles (not just cars, all kinds) and then
the occasional cow walking down the street (actually I think theyre pretty
cute). I couldnt get a ticket for the train I wanted, so Ill be spending
an extra night in Delhi. That cuts short my time in Varanasi, but thats
okay. So anyway, please continue to pray for my safety, I'll be on the
train alone for over 50 hours (that's two separate trips, one short, one
long) plus a 12 hour lay over in Mumbai (Bombay). Pray also that I don't
get discouraged or too overwhelmed. Thats it for now-