Just a quick note to say that our first two days of training have gone very well. This past year a few of us on staff received some training on using experiential learning activities, so we’ve been applying some of those here.
Yesterday we had a special treat. As a staff, we decided not to make a big deal of the July 4 holiday – we wanted to have the trainees experience what it is like to have a holiday come and realize that it is just another day in this place. So we made no mention of it and did not acknowledge it as Independence Day – after all, it isn’t a holiday in Brazil. But the Brazilians knew it was a significant day for us, so for the evening meal, they decorated the cafeteria with red, white, and blue balloons and other decorations and prepared an American-style meal of fried chicken and apple cobbler. They didn’t even have black beans and rice, which is served with ALL Brazilian meals! Then afterwards, they shot off some fireworks for us. It was a nice gift – and the implications were clear not only for missionaries, knowing and celebrating local holidays, but the blessing we can be for foreign guests in our own country if we make note of their cultural holidays and celebrate that with them.
We’ve had training sessions all morning today, this afternoon will be for a Sabbath rest, then we’ll head to a local worship service this evening. Please continue to pray for endurance for the folks being trained. We have lots of fun, but it is very intense.
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