WHY IS IT CALLED GOOD FRIDAY?

How many of you looked at the photos of our 8 grandchildren? They are all on the page called "The Kids we left behind". Each of our children have 2 offspring. We are very fortunate parents and grandparents. We miss being close to them as they are spread on 3 continents and at present, we are on a fourth.

As I was thinking about them all and asking God's blessing on them, I was reminded that this is Holy Week which is commemorated in a variety of ways all over the world.

Many people who know nothing of the true meaning of Easter celebrate by consuming great numbers of chocolate eggs and regard it just as a welcome holiday from school or work.

In many parts of the world there are solemn processions of one sort and another. Every 10 years the famous Oberammergau Passion Play takes place and thousands of tourists flock to see an amazing reenactment of the Biblical account.

When we lived in Greece, we had to be careful where we were about 11 am on "Hallelujah Saturday" as it is called, the day after Good Friday and before Easter Day. At that hour, hundreds of plates and jugs were thrown from balconies. I don't think I ever understood exactly why. It caused a lot of merriment though.

Some places burn an effigy of Judas who of course betrayed Jesus to the Jewish leaders for 30 pieces of silver. Then, perhaps realising what he had done, filled with remorse (which is NOT the same as repentance) he killed himself.

A modern heresy which is springing up claims that Good Friday was a terrible error. The proponents ask how a loving God could force his only son to die so cruelly. They go as far as saying that it is divine child abuse and cannot possibly be accepted as the means of salvation.

It is true that when we think of our own children and grandchildren, we must shudder inwardly at the thought of such horrific sacrifice but then we are not God almighty, creator of heaven and earth and all that is.

So what is good about Good Friday?

http://youtu.be/oBxEPh7vj2U


Please do click on the link above, it is a You Tube video which we have chosen specially as it has the words of a song which explain so clearly what is good about such a horrifying event.

As you watch, listen and read the words, please remember, this is the ONLY way that we could be made right with our God and Creator who is also our Redeemer and Judge.

If you have teenagers in your circle they may possibly be more interested in this latest, short, very new presentation by the makers of the Jesus film. 

http://www.globalshortfilmnetwork.com/my-last-day-p-344-c-8.html 

THE AMAZING CAKE SALE.

A week ago, the children in the British School who share the Church grounds, decided to have 3 cake sales.
They were raising money to help support  children from a school up in the hills which had been destroyed by floods and landslides 6 weeks or so ago.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN SO MANY CAKES IN ONE PLACE!

The cakes started arriving in our house at 07.15.

Every space in the dining room, the sitting room and the hall was filled with cakes, even the sofas, the tops of cupboards plus the piano and stool We had to bring in 12 extra tables and still the cakes kept coming. Many helpers priced them and at 2pm we took them over to the main hall.
At 2.30 sharp, the multitudes were allowed in, pupils, parents, teachers and all cake lovers.The fire regulations were certainly breached that afternoon.
These pictures just represent the third sale!

What a tremendous effort by the pupils and their parents. The cakes were 99% home made because the idea was to get even the smallest children involved and concerned to reach out to others less fortunate than themselves. We have not heard the final total yet but it was certainly  well over £3000. (About $7000)

Remember that our Lord Jesus said, "More blessings come from giving than from receiving."  Acts 20:35

NB The British School was started many years ago to cater to the needs of ex-patriate children. During the second world war the small group of children with their teachers were moved to the safety of the church premises. Since then the school has grown enormously to include 2 other sites. Most of the students today come from the wealthy Brazilian classes. There are 2000 pupils from kindergarten up to 12th grade. About 850 of them are our very near neighbours during term time.

Introducing Jeremy

No, this is still our blog but I don't know how to move the next item up the page.

Alpha  Brazil Quarterly Review January – March 2011 We have had a great start to 2011! First of all, we have had a number of super training events, but most importantly we are hearing all the time about new courses starting throughout Brazil. It is always so exciting to receive testimonies and photos from our supporters, please do keep sending them to info@alphabrasil.org!

The picture above is of Jeremy Lovelace, (he's the one in front with the T shirt that says Jesus). Jeremy is the Alpha rep. for Brazil and he also happens to be a member of the congregation here at Christ Church Rio where we are filling in for 6 months. Stuart hopes to accompany him to a special training session at João Pessoa where he (Stuart ) was at a conference nearly 2 years ago.

Maybe you recognise him.

We have now watched this man on television in 3 different continents and it wouldn't surprise us if he is also on TV in South America too. But did you know that this intrepid explorer, adventurer and survival expert with a very unusual name is an active Christian? Like most people, he had a sort of faith but doing an Alpha course at Holy Trinity, Brompton in London helped him put the pieces together and realise that God is the one who holds us and this universe He created together. Watch his video here and understand how important it is that we share our faith with others. When was the last time you told someone what God has done for you in the last few days? When was the last time you thanked Him?
This is the link if you want to watch it now. Have you guessed who it is?        http://lnk2.ws/NR

Which brings us back to the  to the title, Alpha in Brazil.

MY PHOTOS OF NORFOLK ISLAND

Me at the Ashburton Air Museum in New Zealand. A friend on Norfolk Island offered me a lift in his private 10 seater jet. We landed first at Keri Keri, a brand new international airport on the northern tip of NZ. I was told that I was the very first international visitor. Fame at last!  later we went to Christchurch, and after a very interesting trip to the air museum, it was back to NI.
I was even allowed to take the controls for a short spell.
Another tale to tell the grandchildren!


Huge magnificent tree, one of many.



Some of the beautiful coastal scenery around NI



The tomato thief caught red handed.One of the many feral cockerels and their numerous wives.



This is the beautiful St. Barnabas chapel which was built to commemorate the life and work of Bishop Patteson, martyred for the faith in his Melanesian diocese.
The money to build this was raised by friends and family in UK and NZ and the work was lovingly done by some of the Melanesian brothers whose headquarters was for many years the island.
This is top of the tourist attractions and one weekday while we were having an impromptu meeting in the church, a tour guide came in with a big group of tourists and asked us to get out!!

All Saints church in the capital, Kingston. This building was given to the descendants of the mutineers on the Bounty after the chapel they built on their arrival at Norfolk Island was destroyed in a gale. The few surviving mutineers and their wives and children, transformed through reading God's word on Pitcairn Island found new life and hope. Many of their descendants still live on Norfolk Island. They and the newcomers fill this church to overflowing at thanksgiving and harvest time. It holds over 500 and is the only time it is filled. (Except for when a notable funeral takes place as happened when I was there for the oldest resident of 104.)
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The bishop of South Sydney (which includes NI) paying his annual visit to the island . This is Bishop Robert Forsyth at the men's breakfast. The ladies had a tea party and the speaker was Margie Forsyth.
The church members are very faithful, numbers are not great as there are at least 6 churches for a population of 2200. Usually some of the tourists come and are warmly welcomed by the regulars.
There was great rejoicing when a youth pastor was appointed by one of the churches who all work together very well.

In this picture you see a portion of the vicarage roof and a plane coming in to land. The weather is obviously not good looking at the clouds and the angle of the tall tree. This makes the arrival even more hair raising. I do not think I have ever seen or heard planes come in as low as they do there. Of course, if the weather is too bad, they sometimes have to turn round and go back again, disappointing for everyone concerned and a waste of money. Fares are already expensive and  this cuts down on the number of tourists who think about coming

.
We were fortunate enough to be on NI when they had the Royal Agricultural show. We were amazed at the different produce, black carrots for example as well as unusual fruits. The baking section was magnificent as was the arts and crafts. Island people often have to be very resourceful. Afterwards they auctioned off large quantities of food and Kathryn bid for vegetables for the dinner party we were planning at the vicarage for church members. Normally vegies have to  come on the plane and are very expensive as is much food there.

A solitary Norfolk Pine silhouetted against the evening sky. The pine tree is the symbol of the island and features boldly on their flag.

Captain Cook discovered this island around the time he visited Australia, It was uninhabited and when he saw the pine trees he thought they would be suitable as masts for the British navy. They did not turn out to be as suitable as he had hoped.

The spot where Captain Cook landed is now a beautiful cared for tourist attraction where you can picnic and some people even have wedding ceremonies there.

It is just one of the many delights and attractions of the place I spent a very happy 6 months.

IN TIMES LIKE THESE

Many of you will have seen the new of the senseless killing of 12 children in their school in Realengo, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. Just one of many tragedies that are occurring all over the world. Some are called  (wrongly in my opinion) "acts of God", others like this atrocity in Rio, are acts of crazed and disturbed people.
The young man who was responsible for this latest massacre was a former pupil of the school and so was allowed to walk in without suspicion. His mother died years ago and he was adopted by a family where there were 5 other children. Some of them noted sadly that he had become more and more detached of late but nobody could have foreseen such madness.
When we see and hear about such outrages we naturally feel for all those concerned, we wonder what has happened to our fellow humans who foster such despair and hatred that it turns to wicked and destructive acts against others.
What other thoughts go through your mind when you hear of tragic events? Do you shrug it off because it has not happened to any one close to your heart? Do you blame others for their intolerance and hatred of all that is different to their own particular belief? Maybe you decide that you cannot believe in a god who allows such atrocities to happen to innocent people. Whatever you think, the fact remains that we live in a fallen world that is full of injustice and pain. That is why Jesus told us that we should not fix our hearts or affections on the things of this world  because it is not our final resting place.Instead, we need to recognise that we are part of this fallen world, as sinners ourselves we must seek his forgiveness and recognise Him as our Lord and Saviour through his death on the cross. By doing this we acknowledge our need and our desire to be part of his everlasting kingdom. Some  mockingly call it "pie in the sky when you die" I call it hope and I thank him daily for faith to follow in Jesus' footsteps.
Please take time to look at this short video and pray for those whom you know who are suffering just now.                            http://www.artofgodmovie.com/

OUR FIRST VISTOR



Entrance to funicular railway

 This shows the entrance to the funicular railway on the favela of Dona Marta. It has greatly improved the lives of many of the residents.
Because the drug runners have all been cleared out of the favela, it is now safe for local visitors and tourists alike to go up. We can well remember the day we took the then British ambassador and his wife and the consul and his wife to visit the work with the children that they had so kindly donated towards.

New Rainbow coloured houses.

They arrived at the church car park in a Rolls Royce I seem to remember but we decided it would be better to do the rest of the short journey in the more ordinary church vehicle. Their bodyguards declined to accompany us.
We arrived at the steep, uneven steps to be greeted by a couple of young men reading Bibles and  with machine guns slung over their shoulders. They knew me of course and I explained that these were friends who were helping with the children's work. They said "OK auntie, go on up". Little did they know!
The visitors were due to spend 20 mins.but actually stayed a couple of hours.
In those days the houses were not like these new brightly coloured ones that have replaced the shacks pulled down to build the funicular railway. These were built by the government, I am not sure if the were paid for by those who moved there. Property is relatively expensive on the hill because it is so central.Some of the old ones still exist. Who knows when they will be replaced too.



The picture on the left and the one below, right show some of the older type homes which are often ingeniously constructed   higher and higher as the money allows and more materials can be laboriously carried up the steep slopes.The picture below shows houses made of bits of wood and corrugated asbestos, plus whatever else can be obtained to keep the residents dry from the frequent showers.They are at the very top of the hill, above the top of the funicular railway and about level with the permanent police post. I should add that it is free to travel on the funicular railway.

People who live here have had hard lives, especially when the drug barons ran the place and spiritism was rife. Now over 80% are practicing Christians and there are many churches on that hill which is overlooked by the statue of  Christ.

Some people call Rio the Marvellous city. It is certainly an amazing place to live.
Please remember to pray on Wednesday 4th April for the interviews (in UK)  for  the new chaplain here at Christ Church. We are merely standing in until one is appointed. May all concerned have wisdom and discernment.

Saturday morning stroll.

Pedra da Gavea (Topsail Rock)

This is Pedra da Gavea overlooking one of the beaches in Rio. Hang gliders go about 600 ft up and enjoy an exciting flight down, over the hectic traffic, landing up on the beach.
This morning Stuart is going to climb it with a bunch of (much younger ) fellows from church. [Photos to follow.]
The last time he did this was over 15 years ago when he used to challenge  sailors from the British Royal Navy to get to the top  with him. Not all of them made it!  Maybe he won't make it this time either. At just over 800 ft it's reputed to be one of the most difficult climbs around Rio with many challenges after a pleasant stroll through what's left of the Atlantic Forest.
Some people go looking for excitement and others are content with a quieter, more peaceful way of life. This is one of the wonderful thing about the way God created us. We are all individuals with free will and He has a plan and purpose for each one of us and gives us gifts to enable us to live life to the full.  Sometimes this requires a certain amount of perseverance.
I wonder what you are doing with your life and if you feel fulfilled. As many of you may recall, I have been an online mentor for over 18 months now. I really enjoy it and find it challenges me to persevere. Last week I reached and surpassed the 500 mark. The site is called Power to Change and is well worth looking at. The sister site that deals with the mentoring side is http://www.truthmedia.com/ . Both these sites come under the umbrella of Campus Crusade for Christ. This organisation is always looking for people who can volunteer time to do outreach online. Besides desperately needing more mentors, they also require writers, script writers, authors, web designers and chat room mentors, just to mention a few. Some are paid positions, others are volunteer opportunities but they all have one aim, to point people to Christ.
Have you looked at Daily Encouragement.net ?  Today they are starting a 40 day Bible reading plan, maybe you would like to follow it too. This is their link again. http://www.dailyencouragement.net/

Still Taking Tiny Steps.

We have now been in Rio for 3 weeks and it has been a steep learning curve in spite of the fact that we have worked here before and speak Portuguese pretty fluently.
The lovely house we remember so well is in the process of being painted, the painters are doing a wonderful job and are so courteous and thoughtful but the smell gets a bit overpowering at times.


View from the top of Dona Marta.







We have met many old friends and some new ones too. It is amazing to see what the Lord has done and is doing in other people's lives and we are so challenged by the many testimonies we have heard.



Kathryn and Kay on top of the world...

 

Many of you will have seen a picture of the famous Corcovado stautue of Christ the Redeemer but maybe not from this angle at the very top of the furnicular railway which runs right up one side of the 45 degree  angle of the Dona Marta favela which is a short walk from our house and the church.          











Although there is a huge improvement in the housing situation in the shanty town there are still great areas where the houses are as poor and ramshackle as they were 20 years ago.
Praise God the drug barons have all gone. This favela was the first in Rio to be made safe and 80 % of the people who live there would call themselves practicing christians.



Dona Marta favela (shanty town)



Little steps

We all know how babies learn to walk, they start to try and pull themselves up and gradually they have the strength and faith to try and take a step. I find that many things in life are like that. In this modern world, we constantly have to learn new things and experience different  situations. We need to encourage one another. We have had encouragement from our younngest (Brazilain) son, Daniel to write this blog about another chapter in our lives. Our return to Rio after 15 years has been a privelige and a real challenge. Our freind from YWAM Boston who has great experience with web design amongst her many other gifts, has helped us to get going so please be patient with us and when you think of us, remember to pray that God will use us in our time here in Rio.

I have something good to share with you all. Most mornings I look at a site called Daily Encouragement net and I find that no matter how busy I am or if I am stressed about something that is looming, this simple website profoundly touches my heart and strengthens my spirit. Try it and see.

Getting going!

Teachers and children at Dona Marta school

This blog is dedicated to our Brazilain son, Daniel who has encouraged us to write down some of our adventures, past and present.
Many thanks to Debi who has come to our aid and set up this blog for us.
We have been in Rio for 3 weeks and have already had lots of interesting experiences. The latest was that Stuart fell down the stairs this morning! PTL he didn't break anything but is quite badly bruised.
Last week we went to visit the children's project in the shanty town (favela) called Dona Marta. We used to help out there when we were here 19 years ago as it's founding. Now there are 140 children registered. It is wonderful to know that in these past years hundreds of children have passed through this organisation, heard the gospel, seen it in action and not one child has been involved in the drug running which  has been such a part of shanty town life in Rio for generations