Day 4- Community Center Nearing Completion

Check out the "Day 2 Flavio Video" You Tube video link to the left, Flavio made a nice video of the day.

Meet Pastor Edson Vitorino Nimbu: He has a wife, Linaura and two daughters. He is a native Brazilian (ie. American Indian). His father lived in Northern Brazil and became a strong Christian. Upon returning to his home town, he converted 20 people to Christianity. Pastor does the radio talk show "5 Minutes with Jesus" that is produced by CPTN. He and his congregation have two mission churches in the Favela (slum), we'll be visiting one this morning. He has created a vibrant church that does tremendous outreach. Here he holds a live 220v wire, synonomous with the energy at his chuch.

Meet Maria da Gloria Moraes: Maria's older sister lived in Savador (North of Brazil) and took sewing lessons at a Lutheran church and became a Christian. Years later, both sisters moved to Sao Paulo and started to attend Concordia Seminary Church. Soon after they helped to form a sattelite church, which is Ebenezer Lutheran, under the leadership of Pastor Schneider and several other lay members. Maria is very eager to learn English and sat with Sally and Jessica for an hour reviewing an Avon catalog and learning the words from the photos. She has a ten year old grandaughter who has been with her daily at the church helping out.
The team whitewashed the walls and leveled the soccer field with many of the teenage congregants (Daniel, Bruno and team). Although it was hard work, they had a great time. Can't wait to see the finished field, this morning they are delivering sod for the field.

Here's Wagner, the President of the congregation.He has been wonderful to work with. He has generously provided for all of our needs with patience and humility. Here he is with Jen and Pastor Tom. His wife Sabrina is portraying an old lady in photos below. She uses this charachter to entertain people in local hospitals. She had everyone cracking up...

Stephan makes friends wherever he goes.

Sally and Leslie can now be called the queens of tile!

Here's Sabrina in her old lady costume having fun with some of the kids. Sabrina works two jobs, goes to school studying psychology and manages to volunteer all over the place. Every Friday night she and Wagner have dinner at their home with one of the congregants. She's a great "First Lady" of Ebenezer Lutheran and makes an awesome apple pie.

Mike has worked magic all week. Our Makita tile cutter failed, and here Mike manages to fix it with vegetable oil. He's like Magiver (spelling? the guy on TV that makes stuff with bubble gum, string and plastic explosives).

Alex is the tilemaster! He's laid more square footage than anyone...

Here's how the main activity room looked at the end of the night. WOW, what a difference! We have to finish tiling, start the kitchen, hang new light fixtures and do touch up. For the rest of the trip we'll spend most of our time working with the kids in the Favela and congregants, but we'll still have time to get it done (hopefully).