My husband and I have adjusted to many different aspects of life here in Brazil – the food, driving a stick shift car, hearing Portuguese every day – but the one thing we have never quite gotten used to is winter.

When we lived in the United States I always looked forward to winter, to sitting in a warm house, reading a book and drinking hot chocolate.  I remember being cold when I had to go outside, but there was always someplace warm you could escape to after the cold outdoors.

In the southern part of Brazil, where we live, winter weather starts in May and goes through August.  The highs are usually in the 50’s or low 60’s with lows in the mid 40’s – but occasionally they can reach the freezing point!  This never sounds very cold to those of us who grew up or still live in the northern part of the U.S., but with no heating there is no place to escape.  The first few days of the cold weather don’t seem that bad – that’s when the house is warmer than the outside air.  After that a change happens and suddenly the house and the outside feel about the same temperature.   The last to happen, and the worst, is when your house is actually colder than it is outside (especially on sunny days!).  That’s because the houses here have no insulation, so the cold gets in and it takes quite a while for it to warm up again.  It just doesn’t seem right when we wake up and can see our breath – in the house!

Space heaters do exist, but the cost of running them is quite high, so many Brazilians make do without them.  We have one that we run at night in our daughters’ room and one that we use in the bathroom when we take showers.  Did I mention yet that there are no hot water heaters?  We do have electric shower heads tries to give us hot water, but in the dead of winter even that doesn’t feel very warm!  The water that comes from the sinks and that we use to wash our hands is painfully cold in the winter.

So what do we do to try and keep warm?  One of the most important lessons I’ve learned here is that of layering clothes.  My 3 year old doesn’t especially appreciate it, but she might when she’s a little older.  We also have lots of blankets on our bed.  I used to think it was funny when our members would brag about how many blankets they had used the night before, not any more!  Other than that we drink lots of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee and wait for the occasional warm day so we can recharge and get ready to face some more of the cold.

Brandi Bivens

Below is a short video clip (one minute, fifteen seconds) from an evangelism event in San Pedro de Macoris. A group of members from Santiago and Moca traveled to SPM to participate. We handed out copies of “The Promise”, a colorful 14 page magazine which summarizes the Gospel story in seven lessons:

1. God’s creation
2. The fall into sin and God’s promise of a Savior
3. The Savior’s birth
4. The Savior’s death and resurrection
5. We are declared not guilty
6. The Holy Spirit gives us peace, and
7. The promise of eternal life.

[Check out the website for Multi-Language Publications if you would like more info on this excellent evangelism tool available in many languages.]

As we handed out “The Promise” we also invited people to a special service in the afternoon. God blessed us with a full house. We thank God for the fellowship the members from the four congregations were able to enjoy, and for the opportunity to share in San Pedro the Gospel Promise of forgiveness of sins and life eternal through Jesus Christ.

In the video, Pastor Alex from Moca hands out “The Promise” in a few colmados (small grocery stores) with typical Dominican music playing in the background.

[Thank you to Missionary Phil Strackbein for submitting the video.]

The Lord bless you with his peace,

NW

A few days ago, we were invited to be godparents at a middle school graduation. This was for the daughter of a couple who we are friends with, and are also members of the church. They stopped by at about 11 p.m. the night before to drop off the official invitation we would need to attend. It stated that the ceremony would start at 4:30 p.m.

As godparents, we needed to bring a gift for the graduate, so we headed to the center of town where the typical graduation gifts are sold. We purchased a large bouquet of red plastic flowers that was decorated for a graduation.

When we arrived at the auditorium where the ceremony was going to be held, it was almost 5 p.m. But there was no need to worry – the program didn’t start until a little after 5 p.m. Shortly after it began, a mariachi band walked on to the stage. A group of students would walk through to receive their diplomas, and then the mariachi band would play a few songs, and so on. There was also a lot of dancing.

Two hours later, the graduation service ended and we were invited to the family’s home for a meal. By the time we left, it was pretty late in the evening.

On the way home, we realized just how “normal” everything had felt. A few years ago, I might have been bored by a two-hour long ceremony that started half an hour late. I might have been upset that we weren’t home by six or so (not the case for things in Mexico). Or I might have worried about what gift to bring.

I guess we have been here long enough that we were able to go, have a great time, and get home feeling tired but happy. And Trinity took it all in stride too. Although I suppose she has less adjusting to do, since she was born here .

Playing the time game in Mexico is not an exact science, and one that needs to be learned through trial and error. I remember a birthday party were were invited to during our first year in Mexico. The event would start at 5, we were told. Being good Americans, we showed up at 5:15 p.m. Well, the hostess had not even showered yet! Since they were typical hospitable Mexicans, they insisted that we come in. We waited for about two hours while the family finished getting everything ready and then a bit longer till the next guest arrived!

So it has been a learning experience. Fortunately, somewhere during our years here, our fast-paced American blood has slowed down quite a bit. We are now remarkably good at arriving late, and I must say I consistently do it .

Every day is an opportunity for us to give thanks for the grace we have been given, but recently the students at the “It Is Finished” Bible Institute and Seminary have shared their stories of thankfulness with each other. During the last term, the Bible students and members of Promise Lutheran Church witnessed a miracle when a student fell from the top of a 30-foot water tower. At first the doctors feared the worst, but as students and leaders gathered to pray, two days later the student came home with only a scratch on his face and a broken arm. Later the student shared his experience of going home and meeting family members who greeted him in awe, “You have very good luck!” “No,” he answered. “I don’t have good luck. My God saved my life.” We rejoice with this student and give God the glory for the life of a servant He is not finished with yet. [slideshow=59]

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Last Sunday, 32 people came into fellowship with our church body in Mexico (officially known as the Evangelical Confessional Lutheran Church in Mexico). This group has been studying with Pastor Esequiel Sanchez, one of our Lutheran pastors, since January of this year. Pictured above is one family from this group.

During the last months, Pastor Sanchez has taught them about the Bible and the Lutheran church. The people grew more and more excited as they learned about Jesus and salvation, as well as issues like the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

The group is very excited about joining the Lutheran church and learning more about the Bible. The plan is that they will join the congregation “Jesus Pan de Vida” (Jesus Bread of Life) in Torreón.

This is good news indeed! It is evidence of the Holy Spirit at work here in Mexico. We are thankful for a growing church body!