Off to New Mexico

I will be traveling this weekend. My grandfather and I are going to New Mexico to visit one of his nephews. It is exciting because we will be traveling through some of the places where my great-great grandfather traveled and settled when he was headed out west across this enormous country. He lived in the place where Roswell is before it was ever a settled city. I look forward to sharing pictures with everyone when we get back next week. We don't plan to be back until late Monday night.

It is Marc's house to which we are going. Marc lives in a trailer home at about 8,000 ft. elevation in the mountains. Summer lows are in the 50's F, and highs don't usually make it above the low 80's F. It should be a nice break from the extreme summer heat here.


Please pray for our safety because my 92-year-old grandfather insists on driving most of the way. I ask the Lord to give us safety so that we may both make it back safely without hurting anyone else along the way.

Have a blessed weekend!
Brian

Minha Família

Mais um dia de louvor ao nosso Bom Criador. Glória ao seu santo nome!

Eu queria escrever em português hoje, mas já é muito tarde aqui, e estou meio sonulento. Hummm...

Que tal umas fotos da minha família?

Meu pai (Joe) é evangelista numa igreja numa cidade perto de Abilene. Ele, minha mãe (Debbie), e minha irmãzinha (Sarah) moram lá há quatro anos já. Eu nunca morei em Coleman; em verdade, eles mudaram para lá enquanto eu estava no Brasil. Agora que voltei para Abilene, tem sido muito bom ficar perto deles. Também meu irmão (Joey) mora aqui na mesma cidade que eu.

Agradeço muito a Deus por ainda ter uma família unida. Eu sei que é uma bênção muito especial. Joey é mais velho que eu. Ele tem 28 anos, e é garçom num restaurante aqui (Red Lobster). E ele faz um serviço muito bom! Todo mundo gosta dele lá.

Sarah é a mais nova, e está com apenas 13 anos. Fez 13 o dia quinze de julho, e acredita... Foi a primeira vez que estive junto com ela no aniversário dela, inclusive o dia que ela nasceu. Foi muito especial finalmente estar com ela nesse dia tão celebrado.

Espero que algum dia vocês tenham a oportunidade de conhecer a minha familia. Ela é muito querida. Quero agradecer meus pais por me criar ensinando a palavra de Deus. Isso faz uma base fundamental no meu caráter hoje em dia.

Glória a Deus, pois Ele é bom, e suas misericórdias duram para sempre!

Ah sim... Meu pai também eh fotógrafo :P

The Rest of the Story

Well, I know you guys were waiting anxiously to hear the outcome of the story. When I arrived in Rio Branco for the 2nd time in June of 2004, Diana and I went to First Baptist to talk with the pastor and ask about Jocivan. He had not seen him for a while, and he wasn't able to give me any leads, so we felt like our likelihood of find him was growing slimmer.

Sunday morning we returned there for the worship service, and lo and behold, there was Jocivan seated near the back of the sactuary! I was shocked, and so thankful! The one Sunday that he choose to visit there again was the day that I showed up again after two years! I believe that God brought us back together.

Jocivan was a huge help to use during our two-week stay. He helped us meet important people, and he took us to important places. We interviewed several hundred people while we were there, and I have response sheets from almost every one. We inquired them about local culture, faith, and the city in general. I also want to thank my friend and trip companion, Diana. She helped me think of creative ways of researching that were invaluable.

Our Friend Jocivan

When I was in Rio Branco for my first two-week stay, I went to the First Baptist Church downtown to meet other followers of Christ and to see how other disciples do things in this region. There I met Jocivan, a young man about my age. He invited me to pick up some lunch and go out to the Seminary for Sunday after noon. I saw where he lived, and we sat and sang praises together while he played the guitar. It is amazing how in another world they know some of the same songs (old and new). I favorite was "I Just Want to Be Where You Are." He taught it to me in Portuguese "Eu Só Quero Estar Onde Tu Estás." Foi O Máximo.

Jocivan helped me a lot during the rest of that trip. We even saw a Futebol game together. Can you believe that that is one of the few soccer games that I have been to in Brazil? Well, I lost contact with Jocivan after I left. I was really bumbed, because I didn't know if I would ever find him again. He is actually a university student living in Rio Branco, but originated in another small city in Acre.

After two long years of only imagining and dreaming of being in Acre, I finally was given the opportunity to go back to Rio Branco. The first chance I got, I went to First Baptist and asked about Jocivan, but no one could locate him for me. He had been out of touch. Would Diana and I find him? (Diana Sanchez came along to help me on this trip.) Come back to find out . . .

This is a shot taken from devotional before classes at the Baptist Seminary.

What Is It Like Up There?

Before I left the highly developed Southeast of Brazil to go to the distant North, I had a few Brazilians give me their opinions about what the state of Acre would be like. It's funny how their perceptions are much like ours. "You can't go up there, Brian. You're gonna die! They have jaguars and monkeys in the street." Others told me it was like the Old West, quite lawless and underdeveloped.

There was some truth in what they told me. The state of Acre is still rather underdeveloped in comparison with the coastal metropolises. I did see some Amazon wildlife: parrots, monkeys, and the have sloths, but I never saw them crossing the road. You can pick star fruit right off the trees, and that is delicious!

The capital Rio Branco doesn't have Mc Donalds, but it does have many modern conveniences that you might not expect. I even found a place to access the internet there in 2002. Here is a common place to stop and have a snack on your way home from work.

Tacacá is a leaf that is boiled in water with spices and shrimp. It makes your tongue quiver!!! Strange stuff.

This is a major road heading out of the small interior town of Acrelândia.

Rio Branco, The City

Rio Branco is the capital of the state of Acre (pronounced ah-cree) in the northwestern section of Brazil. The census in 2000 registered just under 253,000. The city is situated in the Amazon rainforest and the climate is tropical all the way. The most intense rains are from November to April, but it is rainy all year. During the rainy season, bus travel to the rest of the country is impossible. The city was founded in 1904, altought that region had already been active in rubber extraction for many years. The city is cut in two by the Acre River, and the river is a primary means of transportation.

This is a view of some typical riverside dwellings near downtown.

The Governor's Palace:
Inside the palace you'll find beautiful art and history of the development of the territory of Acre.

Praça Eurico Gaspar Dutra: a newly renovated plaza in front of the Governor's Palace. This plaza was reopened in the summer of 2002 while I was in Rio Branco. It is a beautiful site to see in the downtown area.

Legislative Palace:
You can guess what they do here.

The First Trip

In 2002, I made my first trip to Rio Branco to get to know the people and the city. Two robbers held me up with a knife the night before, and unfortunately, my subsequent trip to Rio Branco was made alone. I was ready to back out and not fly up to the Amazon. I asked the Lord to cancel the trip, but he didn't. He had plans . . .

The Lord was with me, and during the two weeks I spent in Rio Branco, the Lord was with me in incredible ways! On my last of a series of flights from São Paulo, I met a young lady who was returning home to Acre from her studies in Rio de Janeiro. When we got to the airport at 2:00 am, her grandmother delivered me safely to a safe hotel.

I spent a couple of days in seclusion with the Lord, leaving only to eat and get the essentials. I was afraid of being assaulted again. God reassured me as I prayed and read his word, and he opened up the city to me.

This bed became my prayer bench.