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Oct '99, #3

Greetings from Brazil, Oct. ’99 #3

I apologize for not contacting you sooner. When friends of ours left for the field earlier, we were eager to hear when they arrived and if all went well. I resolved to let everyone know as soon as we arrived. "The best laid plans of mice and men..." We’ve not even been able to keep in touch with our folks. I spent a lot of time setting up our computers so we could E-mail and talk over the Internet, but the best modem in the world doesn’t help much if you don’t have a phone. I never imagined the mission guest house would not have a phone...or that I would be there so-o-o-o-o long.

We arrived safe and sound and, in all, had a fairly good trip. William stayed up until 2 am on the last leg watching "A Bug’s Life"... in Portuguese. Customs was considerate (Brazil likes kids) and the obligatory search was superficial. The stuff we sent in a shared container was less fortunate. Stuff that wouldn’t fit on the plane (like an old cement mixer) we shipped with a friend. Our decision was based on prices when we left and we didn’t really have a way to know that things are considerably cheaper in dollars now. One exception is gasoline. It’s still $2.50 to $3.00 per gallon.

We started looking for a house to rent as our last house which had sat empty, rented just before we arrived. When I figured out the cost of renting last term, I realized it would be much cheaper to buy, even if I had to sell at a loss (in dollars) when we move in a couple of years. This is especially true here where taxes, painting, and much of the repairs are the responsibility of the renter. Additionally, adequate rent houses close to the church are rare.

We wanted a fair house at a very good price within walking distance of the church. We had, at best, $13,000 for every thing. Fortunately the dollar is stronger now. It took about a month to find a house and almost three weeks to get in it. We were carrying our stuff in as others were carrying stuff out so we didn’t get to paint or even clean. Michele especially found the instability, cramped guest room, lack of communication, and the long drive to the church straining. In all we were in "limbo" for about three months.

We found the church here strong and there have been several recent conversions both before and after our arrival. A tree limb destroyed the children’s Sunday School shelter which we pieced back together, but otherwise the building was in good shape. We have agreed to pay the outrageous price to buy the neighboring property and are waiting for the owner to get his documents in order to begin expansion. Necessary house modifications and repairs are on hold as I concentrate on accelerating the pace of the work. Unfortunately the layman who came and did and excellent job in our absence left as soon as we arrived. I had really counted on his help during this difficult transition period. His departure has significantly increased my load and hampered the work while my attentions have been necessarily divided.

Not all news is good. We’ve already had to discipline two members, one for drunkenness and one for adultery. We also started our own "zoo" collecting in the same week two foot parasites, a four inch intestinal parasite, and head lice.

Getting back to the apology for not communicating, it’ll be awhile longer before we’re "on the air". The telephone company says it could be as late as the end of the year before a number is available. We can still be reached the old fashioned way if you haven’t forgotten how to fill out one of those envelope things. Our address is:

Rua Santa Constância 94
60.520 Fortaleza, CE BRAZIL.

Our E-mail address @ yahoo is still valid and will eventually get to us, too. I will E-mail those who have sent me addresses (all 4 of you)


	Greetings from Brazil, Oct. ’99 #3 I apologize for not contacting you sooner. When friends of ours left for the field earlier, we were eager to hear when they arrived and if all went well. I resolved to let everyone know as soon as we arrived. "The best laid plans of mice and men..." We’ve not even been able to keep in touch with our folks. I spent a lot of time setting up our computers so we could E-mail and talk over the Internet, but the best modem in the world doesn’t help much if you don’t have a phone. I never imagined the mission guest house would not have a phone...or that I would be there so-o-o-o-o long. We arrived safe and sound and, in all, had a fairly good trip. William stayed up until 2 am on the last leg watching "A Bug’s Life"... in Portuguese. Customs was considerate (Brazil likes kids) and the obligatory search was superficial. The stuff we sent in a shared container was less fortunate. Stuff that wouldn’t fit on the plane (like an old cement mixer) we shipped with a friend. Our decision was based on prices when we left and we didn’t really have a way to know that things are considerably cheaper in dollars now. One exception is gasoline. It’s still $2.50 to $3.00 per gallon. We started looking for a house to rent as our last house which had sat empty, rented just before we arrived. When I figured out the cost of renting last term, I realized it would be much cheaper to buy, even if I had to sell at a loss (in dollars) when we move in a couple of years. This is especially true here where taxes, painting, and much of the repairs are the responsibility of the renter. Additionally, adequate rent houses close to the church are rare. We wanted a fair house at a very good price within walking distance of the church. We had, at best, $13,000 for every thing. Fortunately the dollar is stronger now. It took about a month to find a house and almost three weeks to get in it. We were carrying our stuff in as others were carrying stuff out so we didn’t get to paint or even clean. Michele especially found the instability, cramped guest room, lack of communication, and the long drive to the church straining. In all we were in "limbo" for about three months. We found the church here strong and there have been several recent conversions both before and after our arrival. A tree limb destroyed the children’s Sunday School shelter which we pieced back together, but otherwise the building was in good shape. We have agreed to pay the outrageous price to buy the neighboring property and are waiting for the owner to get his documents in order to begin expansion. Necessary house modifications and repairs are on hold as I concentrate on accelerating the pace of the work. Unfortunately the layman who came and did and excellent job in our absence left as soon as we arrived. I had really counted on his help during this difficult transition period. His departure has significantly increased my load and hampered the work while my attentions have been necessarily divided. Not all news is good. We’ve already had to discipline two members, one for drunkenness and one for adultery. We also started our own "zoo" collecting in the same week two foot parasites, a four inch intestinal parasite, and head lice. Getting back to the apology for not communicating, it’ll be awhile longer before we’re "on the air". The telephone company says it could be as late as the end of the year before a number is available. We can still be reached the old fashioned way if you haven’t forgotten how to fill out one of those envelope things. Our address is: Rua Santa Constância 94 60.520 Fortaleza, CE BRAZIL. Our E-mail address @ yahoo is still valid and will eventually get to us, too. I will E-mail those who have sent me addresses (all 4 of you)