First Week

Hey Everybody,
I am approaching the end of my first week and it has flown by. I am slowly learning Portuguese, knowing Spanish hurts just as much as it helps. I have received significantly less crazy stares recently and even a few answers. *Obvious statement/understatement, It is a different world down here.
Sunday we went to church, which was interesting. They had a baby dedication. A baby dedication down here consists of 1) A picture slideshow of the baby's birth (exactly what you're thinking). 2) A song sung by the grandmother to accompany the slideshow. 3) The entire family, including the great-grandma, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and anyone else go up on stage and they sing a song. It really adds to any service. We were also introduced as single American students and we would all be willing to go to anyone's house for dinner (Thankfully, no one has taken up the offer, at least to my knowledge).
After church we went to the Pao de Acucar or Sugar loaf mountain. It was pretty sweet. It's two separate mountains that you ride cable cars too. It is situated right at the mouth of the bay and you can see a lot of the city. Let me say this, Rio is a huge city and at no time can you see all of it. It has the largest urban forest in the world and it separates a lot of the city because it is on a chain mountains. You can drive for 2 hrs in any direction and not leave Rio.
Since Monday, I have been working at church in the northern part of the city where a team of around 40 from Knoxville is doing a medical clinic. The team has 3 brothers, one is general practice, one is a dentist and the other is an opthalmalogist. It has been neat working with them because it a serious clinic. I work in the pharmacy counting pills and passing out drugs. I have learned a lot, including reading prescriptions. One guy came to the clinic yesterday with a bullet on the side of his head that the skin had grown back over. He wanted a tooth pulled.
Tuesday night we went to a singles/young professionals bible study/service. A group of young people started in response to challenge for the young people of Rio to go out and DO something for God. It was neat because the Brazillians were very passionate about praising God. It was not uncomfortable, it was kind of like, why don't I praise God like that. On a similar note, we were instructed to do group devotions in Proverbs. Yesterday, I read chapter 28. I had thought that the rich man was someone who was very wealthy and that I would never be like that. Even as a poor jobless college student, I am a rich man, I have so much and I do not want for anything. Verses that I always ignored have come back up and it is pretty cool. Please keep praying that details continue to be worked out and that are budget holds up, because the falling dollar is not helping. Thanks for your encouragement and prayers, I really appreciate it. We've been getting up at 6 and going to bed at 11 or 12. So I'm staying busy.

Ate mais tarde

-Mark

P.S. This will probably be the last note I import on facebook, so you'll have to go straight to the blog page www.summerinrio.blogspot.com There are somethings that everyone on facebook does not need to read.

I'm Here

Hey Everybody,
We made it in yesterday morning with no problems at the airports or in customs. The apartment we are staying in is on a seminary campus in the Tijuca neighborhood. It's nice, but it doesn't have internet and it is on the other side of the mountain and 45 minutes from our missionary's house and most of the work we will do. On a side note, I can't really call the shower a shower, a drip or trickle would be more appropiate. Our missionary, Pastor Eric Reese has been great, he has been very accomodating. He is very passionate about his work and he is pretty funny. He tells about 3 stories at a time.

We had our first clinic this morning and it went pretty well. I took blood pressures all day and began the process of learning portuguese The nationals we work with do a very good job and they organize everything. We are working in the favelas and the clinics are a way to reach these neighborhoods. Most of the favelas are controlled by drug lords or a paramilitary group. Its almost like the mob, the drug lords and paramilitary leaders provide protection and consequently, keep everyone else out. The clinics are one way to get into these communites.

The President of Southwestern Seminary is coming in tonight, which means we luck out. We will get to here someone preach in english tomorrow and go to a really good Brazillian steakhouse for lunch. We might also get to the Christ statue with him.

I will probably be able to check my email almost everyday. So you can give me a holler.
Pray that we don't get sick and we are able to serve to the best of our abilities. Thanks everybody and I will start posting pictures later.

Tchau,
Mark

Visa

My visa came in today, which is awesome, because I am leaving tommorrow. Thanks for praying, God always comes through. As soon as I get my address, I'll post it. If you want to send me something like a note or letter, I'll send you a postcard straight from the one and only Rio de Janeiro. Deal or no deal.
We leave at 8:30 tommorrow night and fly straight to Rio for 9 hrs. I don't know when I will get internet again after that, but I will do my best to keep you guys posted with prayer requests, cool stories and the inevitable awkward anecdotes. It's going to be awesome.

Adeus,

Mark

Number One-One week to go

Hey Everybody,
This is going to be my main form of communication for the summer, so check here for updates. I don't know how often I'll be able to post, we'll see. Right now I am waiting on my visa to come in, so I'd appreciate your prayers, because it is cutting it close. Also pray that we get everything organized and I don't forget anything, because I usually do.

I'll have more information later. I really do appreciate your prayers, that's what is going to make this summer awesome.

Thanks,
-Mark