Addressing An Injustice

Today I depart from my posts regarding Africa to talk about something that just happened to my parents and my sister in Brazil. Instead of telling you the whole story, I will post here a letter I just composed to be sent to the American Ambassador in Brazil. I post it here to ask you to pray for my family in Brazil as they are very saddened by this. I also ask you to pray for me and my sister who lives here as we are so far from my folks and very much wish we could simply give them a big hug today.

I apologize if you don't feel this is appropriate for me to post here, but will return to the Africa reporting tomorrow, Lord willing. Here we go:
Ambassador Clifford M. Sobel
U.S. Embassy
SES - Av. das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 0370403-900
Brasilia, DF Brasil

April 30, 2008

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

Today an injustice was committed at your Embassy. My sister and her three children, (Loide Cristina, Patricia, and Daniel Trindade) together with my parents (Eulalio & Jacira Trindade) were denied entry visas to the United States, after they traveled from Northern Brazil (Macapa) to do an interview with one of your consular officials in Brasilia. Their interview was scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and they were seen by a female employee whose name they didn’t get.

The injustice was not so much the fact that they were denied entry visas. It has to do more with the fact that your employee didn’t even bother to open the envelope with the documentation proving that my sister and my dad both have stable jobs which pay them very well and that they were simply trying to pay me and my sister a visit.

Your employee set her eyes on members of my family and declared: “You intend to stay in the United States; therefore, I am denying you visas.” My sister tried to insist that they only wanted to visit me and my sister, but the lady replied: “Your brother and your sister stayed there and you want to do the same.” She tried to show her the letter I had written, explaining that I am a pastor here, and she encouraged her to look at supporting documents containing bank statements, pay stubs, etc. but all she got was: “I don’t need to hear any more and I don’t need to give you any explanation. As you can see, I am busy here and I have other people to see.” My sister, then, politely, said: “Thank you very much,” and left.

I would like to say: “shame on you and on your selection process.” What your employee did is outrageous and I would like to protest it. I know it is not going to change the outcome of the decision, but I must communicate this to you because it is simply not right.

Now, I know you don’t deal with the day-to-day operations of your Embassy, but just so you know, members of my family, including my elderly parents and my seven month old nephew, (who didn't need to go but went because my sister is still breast feeding him), traveled all the way from Macapa to Brasilia, at great expense to them, and paid all the expensive fees you require, because they had been promised an interview. But in fact they didn’t get an interview. They had a lady who had formed an opinion about them before she even saw their documents tell them “you don’t have a chance” and that was the end of the story. That is so wrong and so messed up. I don’t even have words to describe it. It is, fundamentally, a type of malpractice that should not to be tolerated in any place of business, let alone am Embassy of the most powerful nation in the world.

For the record, my sister married a missionary kid she knew from her childhood and she came to the United States legally when he decided to take a job here. I was hired by the Wooster Grace Brethren Church, where I still work, while I still lived in Brazil, and came to the U.S. as a legal immigrant in 1993. We both came to this country legally and because of our firm convictions as followers of Jesus Christ we would never break the laws of this or any other country, nor would we ever encourage anyone else to do so.

My sister has no intention of living in the U.S. (had your employee checked, she would see that her husband was staying back in Brazil), and my mom and my dad are too old to have any plans to move anywhere, including within Brazil. My dad will be 81 this year and he is still the senior pastor of a church in Macapa, where he has been a pastor for 42 years.

I know it might be hard for you to believe it but let me assure you: there are still people in this world who have no desire to live in the United States. Your employee couldn’t have been more wrong about my sister and my parents, and I am outraged that an employee of this country which I have grown to love so much in my 15+ years as an immigrant here, could have been so arrogant, so pathetically groundless in her denial of visas to my family.

I wish you could see the wrong that was done and use your influence to correct it, but am afraid that my letter may only fall on deaf ears. I hope you understand the hurt that this kind of arbitrary decision causes on people. I have two daughters who are graduating in June and my mom and my dad were very much looking forward to being here for their graduation. But such is life for those whose only 'sin' is to raise suspicions in the mind of someone who obviously is too misinformed or clueless. You ought to check the training you provide your employees, because you certainly couldn’t get it more wrong in this case. Or maybe you just don’t care. In either case, it makes this country look really bad.

I don't expect you will, but if you wish to contact me, you may do so at the address on the bottom of this page and my sister may be reached at 291 South Milton Street. Smithville, OH 44677. Phone: 330-669-9106.

Sincerely Yours,


Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
Associate Pastor of Outreach
The Wooster Grace Brethren Church
Cc.: Representative Ralph Regula, Representative Deborah Pryce, Senator George Voinovich, Senator Sherrod Brown.

Connection Without Words

There are times when an emotion arrests you. I am not one who likes to take pictures of suffering. In fact, though I took lots of pictures while I was in the C.A.R., it's as if my camera went on strike as we arrived at the Pygmy village. Since the first day I set foot in this little village, I was struck with the sense of hopelessness and helplessness that seemed to assail a small band of people whose only "sin" was to be born Pygmies.

I asked Pastor Tom to snap this picture because this boy, one of the quietest ones in the village, kept appearing around me after time I turned around. He looked a little scared, but at the same time he looked like he could be a lot of fun if you were able to get to know him.

I wanted that picture also because we estimated that he is about the age of my son, Joshua, who is 14. Yes, he is a Pygmy and thus has a small stature, but his story goes beyond facts of genetics. This boy's growth has been severely stunted. Fact is, I don't even know how well he can speak. I saw other kids playing and talking, but this one was always by himself. I could tell that he had some serious developmental problems. Looking at him made me so sad. I was arrested by an emotion, a feeling that even though this boy was about the same age of my son, there couldn't be two people in this universe whose lives would be as radically different as his and my son's.

But in spite of all of this, I felt a connection with him. We didn't have to say a word to each other but we knew we shared a moment together. I wish I could have just sat down with him and heard his story. I would have loved to take him to the village and buy him a new set of clothes. I would have been so glad to share with him about my family. I would love to ask him whether he has any thoughts about what he would like to do with his life.

But instead all I have is this picture to remember him by. Don't get me wrong, it's not necessarily a bad memory to have. I look at him and I can see that he even managed to smile. But I can't get over the fact that this boy is about the age of my son. Had I been a Pygmy, had I been born to that clan, I could possibly have a son just like him. He would be left wandering alone in the village, while I would be in the jungle hunting, trying to help the family survive another day. He would never have a chance to go to school and I would probably never reach 5o, my age this year on November 10th.

Why God chose another life for me and my son is a mystery I will never understand this side of eternity. And I don't have to. All I have to have clear in my mind is that God put me this side of the earth for a reason. And after meeting a boy like this one, I have to redouble my efforts to make sure that people like him have an opportunity to beat the odds against them.

Already there is a ray of light shinning in that village. Not only do they have a well with clean water and a couple of latrines, but they now have a little church building, shown here on the background of my picture with my new friend. A pastor comes to the village periodically and shares with the people there about the hope of Christ. I hope and pray that this boy will have a chance to comprehend clearly that Jesus Christ also died and rose for people like him. And that he will be able to surrender to Christ and enter eternity one day in the company of our beloved Messiah who loves him so much.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Questions Google Cannot Answer...

As I reflect back on my experience in Africa recently, there are so many questions I have that for now have to go unanswered. I call these "Questions Google Cannot Answer." Here is just a sample for you:

1. Why is it that in spite of such severe trials, with the weight of the world on their shoulders, people from the C.A.R., and particularly the women, conduct themselves with an air of nobility, a sense of presence that speaks of so much pride for who they are? Why do they look so exquisitely stoic as they go about their daily tasks?

You see this even among those who have to work close to the ground, like the ladies who lower themselves to serve a sweet that they carry on a tray and walk all over town to sell in order to make a couple of bucks, if they are lucky. You see this in the way people dress up to church. You see this among the people who have to conduct any kind of business with the government. I never saw so many people dressed up in full suits and fancy dresses as I did in the two weeks that I was there.

And this happens whether it was early in the morning, when there is a little breeze and the cool air fools you into thinking that perhaps you are in a Mediterranean country, as well as mid-afternoon when all your hopes of a mild weather day have vanished. Obviously, you see lots of people who are wearing tattered clothes, but even them don't have the look of soldiers who have surrendered the battle. There is something about these people's resolve to fight against their odds that ought to be studied and taught in our schools of learning. I wish my children and their children would grow up with this kind of resolve. But I wish they would learn to smile so quickly as so many in that impoverished nation are pronged to do.

2. Why would this boy who was selling goodies in a makeshift marked on the side of the road refused to smile while I took his picture. I tried to interact with him but while all the other children were having a blast as I took their picture and then showed to them, he just sat there, impassive, looking like a tough kid. If you notice, his right hand is touching a little container, which I believe may contain sugar, as if indicating that he was protecting his property. He seemed to be very uncomfortable with adults, or maybe with foreigners.

Even now I close my eyes and think of him and what his story might be. Tears come to my eyes as I go through this in my mind. I estimated that he could be 15-17. Who knows whether he was robbed of a childhood because some relative may have forced him to sit by that stand every day to sell those kids. Perhaps he resented the fact that I was just a foreigner, a passerby who was aloof about his real plight and that of his family. Maybe he was an orphan or perhaps someone near him was nearing death. Oh if he only knew how much I wish I could know and how much I wish I could help him. If he only guessed that if I knew how there is nothing more I would want to do than to care. Perhaps I will have a chance to see him again.

Some other questions have to do with injustice:

1. So many incredibly smart and competent people in the C.A.R. will never be given a chance to show the world what they are capable of. They could help dispel the notion that some ignorant people have that Africans are simply not as smart as we are. If people only knew how wrong this is...

2. Families with 8 or more kids of their own one day find themselves with an equal number of kids living in the same household. This is happening due to kids being orphaned by AIDS. It is the poorest of the poor that inherit this burden, not the wealthiest of the wealth.

Some questions have to do with the practical side of life:

1. Why do people chose to overdress in a country where humidity is almost always at 100% and the scorching sun never seems to go down even at night? I admire the fact that women in general are not going around showing their bodies, but in general they use so much fabric to cover themselves with, in some cases the dresses are so elaborate, so full of intricate details, and the headdress (not to speak of the hair) so meticulously matched with the outfit.

I watched men on Sunday morning services with their suit drenched in sweat. A few fans all the way up in the ceilings were not enough to keep the buildings cool. The men looked like they just got out of the shower. They think nothing of it, yet what a scandal it would be if a pastor showed up to preach in shorts... Men walk around in full suits any time of the day and they don't seem to mind. If this suit-crazed society inherited this from the Europeans or the Americans, I should add that to the list of ways in which we've messed up countries in this world -- not to mention the fact that we made their wardrobe budget a lot higher than what it should be!

I was also amused by the music played in the churches we visited. I had observed this in 2006. A long time ago there were drums and sticks in the church services and more traditional music was played. I have heard stories about how at the time of the offering the Africans sang and danced at the sound of their drums until missionaries started complaining that the whole thing was getting out of hand. Now I was not there so I can't speak for certain about this, but the fact is that at least in the churches we visited this year and in 2006, there were no traditional instruments or traditional music. All you get is this sort of modified Caribbean-like sound that anybody can generate out of an electronic keyboard. In fact, if missionaries were still in charge, they might ban this kind of sound from the church too!

Well, I could go on and on, but you get the idea. If anybody has any thoughts on these questions, please, send them my way.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

All Too Human...

Our team, after our African meal with our new friends

I have been back from Africa for a few days and during this brief period of time I have noticed that some people, as they welcome you back and ask about your trip, have that look on their face that betrays a sense of awe at the fact that we were in Africa. Well, at the risk of disappointing some folks, I decided to post this entry here to remind us that we are all too human, especially the seven of us who went on this trip.

a rare moment of relaxation, with Andre, our chef extraordinaire

To begin with, let me remind you that this team was originally going to go to Pama, in the interior of the C.A.R. That's the village we are partnering with and that's where our four-14 team went last summer. Well, all of that changed when the village was attacked by bandits and two villagers were killed about two weeks before our scheduled departure.

As a resulted of that, we ended up spending all of our time in the Capital city of Bangui. Why is that important? Let me list a few reasons here: 1. We had electricity most of the time; 2. We were staying in an actual guest house and not in tents; 3. We had privacy once we were inside the guest house; 4. We had someone who cooked almost all of our meals, using a lot of the foods and ingredients we had brought. For example, he made pizza and bread from scratch. He also did laundry every day; 5. Though it took some creative prodding and persistent attitude (leaving modesty aside), we did have Internet access and that is the reason you got to read this blog almost every day. Hey, the list could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Andre, our outstanding and gracious chef

Sure, the work was brutal, the conditions less than ideal, and the heat was suffocating at times (though in general it was not that bad). One day, when we did take measurements, we fond out that we were enjoying a balmy 123 degree F day, and we never slowed down the work on that day. Who knows what the temperature may have been on some other days?

Not knowing the language and the culture is also a huge handicap. After a while it starts corroding your mood a little. I observed Beth at the Minneapolis airport, soon after we arrived, saying out loud: "We are back home again. And all the signs are in English. I can understand everything." Only one who has been deprived of that which is familiar can truly appreciate the significance of that statement.

But aside from all that and missing our loved ones back home, there was nothing out of the ordinary that we had to endure. Sure we had our share of sickness. We are only too human. Rick got sick and for a whole day was not able to work, though he tried, as you can see in the picture. Beth arrived with a cough in Bangui, struggled for a few days, got better, then worse, then better, then was greeted by the same cough again on the plane trip back to Paris. I had my own bout with a stomach thing which made me feel like the weight of the world was on my shoulders and for about 24 hours I walked around as though a whole civilization of little creatures was settling down inside my belly.

Humans also are silly sometimes, as you can see from these pictures. I don't know what Pastor Tom intends to do with this picture, but I am sure that Sue will not allow him to put it on the wall of their home. Rick seemed to have found his long lost African brother. They are truly a "brand" of brothers. Too bad Rob never found his brother in Africa but he was picked on enough after the owner of the Moroccan restaurant in Paris asked to have his picture taken "with lightbulb here," as he put it, pointing to Rob.

My IT man reporting for duty

All joking aside, Rob is one of the reasons you could enjoy so many pictures on this blog. Almost every night he would grab my computer and upload the pictures of the day from the different team members. I nicknamed him "my IT man" and he learned quite a few of the corks of my old Dell, which to him seemed like a dinosaur since he was sporting a shiny new HP that pretty much sat on a desk the whole time we were there.

Rob missed the Internet a lot, but refused to try the slow connections in Bangui. He kept saying "let's Google it" whenever a question came up, knowing that we couldn't do it where we were. Rob says that when it comes to the Internet, he can never "regress," meaning, he can't go back to a slow connection. He was willing to regress in a lot of other areas, though, like showering under the light of a lamp, using water out of a bottle to brush your teeth with, riding in a mini-bus that smelled of horse manure, etc., etc. We may never get Rob back to civilization again but he is back on the 5th generation Internet connectivity hub, I am sure.

Humans also have this thing called vanity. I got my hair done on Wednesday before we left. It took two hours and two ladies to do it. Beth and Jeana got theirs done on the day we were leaving. They started at 2:00 p.m. and the two ladies were still working on them at 7:30 when we were supposed to leave for the airport. They ate their last supper (fresh pizza) while seated under artificial light, because electricity had gone out by then. But as you can see, it was all worth the effort and they were ready to board the bus on time.

I came home and my son commented on my hair. He said: "I wonder if Dad is going to be this way when he is 75 years old." I said: "Joshua, as far as I know, there is no statute of limitation on vanity." He just laughed.

Vanity can be dangerous sometimes, though. As we arrived at the airport to catch our plane back to Paris, our friends, Paul & Susan Yalipendi, were there to say good-bye to us. This is the second time they go to the airport to see us off. We were caught by the euphoria of the moment and agreed to have our picture taken right there. Susan had been sporting a different hair style too just a few days earlier and she wanted a picture of the "hair club." We snapped a quick one without thinking, only to be reminded right away that it is generally not a good idea to take a picture at the airport. Thankfully, we all escaped unharmed. Hey, we are only human.

My human side showed itself with a vengeance when I collapsed on the carpet at the airport in Paris. After the ride from Bangui, it was nice just to lie on a horizontal position. It was just a precursor of better things to come, as I dreamed of my own comfortable waterbed, which I had sorely missed (pun intended) since I left home.

I came home and my wife had some wonderful fish waiting for me. Even though it was past midnight, I feasted myself with the "food of the gods," and had no trouble sleeping through on my first night back to my normal human self.

I am so glad that God uses ordinary humans just like me to make a significant difference in the lives of people who live so far away from me. They are humans too.

And being all too human is not such a bad thing after all. Asaph, speaking of the arrogant and prideful in Psalm 73, describes them as people who "have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills." (verses 4-5).

For a moment the Psalmist envies the wicked and admires their super human qualities. It's almost as if he despises the mere humanness of humans. But then, he had a wake up call as he "entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies." (verses 17-20).

The Psalmist had nothing short of a revelation. He discovered that only mere humans can cry out to God and say: "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." (verse 25).

Mere humans can mess up badly sometimes. That's why we can say with the Psalmist: "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (verse 26).

God forbid us if we try to be any less than too human. I am so glad to be perfectly positioned in that humble place reserved to the creature, for it is there that my Creator will take pleasure in taking care of me.

Mere humans invited to Africa. Takers, anyone?

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Rebuking the Oppressor

Few people in the U.S. can even imagine that a place like this still exists in the world. We are naive enough to think that everyone lives in comfortable homes where electricity is available 24-7, water comes out of faucets, hot and cold, refrigerators are stocked with tons of food and on the driveway or inside spacious garages, a couple of cars sit there, waiting for their typical one passenger.

We can't imagine that there are places in this world where people have to walk 20+ miles to get wood to start a fire to cook some food which they cultivated in their own fields. We can't imagine that as soon as the sun goes down (at about 6:30 p.m.) the world grows dark to a multitude of people. And they walk to and from work (the few that are lucky enough to have work) or crowd the mini-vans and trucks, if they can afford to pay the transportation fee, risking their lives just to stay alive for another day that brings little or no hope of change.

Countries like the Central African Republic have a track record of failed leadership in the government. One dictator comes to power and stays in power long enough to get rich, then gets overthrown by a rebel who calls himself a "liberator." The former dictator then exiles himself to places like France or the Ivory coast, and gets to spend the rest of his life in luxury, while the new "liberator" quickly shows his despotic intentions by turning his machine gun touting soldiers against his own people. This has been going on for so long that people have lost the ability to hope for change. They are resigned to live under dictatorships and the cry for freedom gets squelched by the power of the gun.

God looks at this and despises the exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful. He is always looking for those who will stand up for those who have nothing. In Isaiah 1:17 He tells us to "learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Another way of translating "encourage the oppressed" is "rebuke the oppressor."

We feel like every time we go to the C.A.R. and lift up those who are stricken by poverty and fear, we are fulfilling God's command for us to "rebuke the oppressor." I know it is not in your face "you are the man" type of rebuke like Nathan did to David, but it is a quiet voice that grows louder inside the soul of those feeling the oppression.

The video above is an example of this quiet kind of love that eventually will be talked about in the palaces of the oppressor. A group of Westerners gives up the comfort of their life and spends two weeks bringing comfort to some of the poorest of the poor in the C.A.R. One afternoon they spend hours tenderly caring for a small band of Pygmies nobody in this world cares about. They tend to their wounds, give the kids toys that make bubbles, help them pump water, play soccer with them. This is such an empowering experience for those who are oppressed, and we hope that by doing this we give them a little bit of hope.

People from the nearby village come and join the fun. In the end they insist that we give them the soccer ball and the frisbees we were using to play with. They say "you can't give them to these animals" (they emphasize the word "animals), "they wouldn't know how to play with them." An argument breaks out. People there are incapable of understanding why anyone would care about a group of Pygmy.

And remarkably I can see their point. I don't know why anybody would care about a group of people who on the exterior look downright scary. They literally live on the dirt. Though they now have a water well in their village, they never shower. They are wearing (those who have anything on) the same tattered clothes they wore many months ago. Their bodies are covered with sores. They are not what we could call "pretty." They are like props left over from an age long gone by. They even seem to invite exploitation. They may even deserve it.

I don't see why anybody would want to come anywhere close such a group of people. And if they did, they would have to be insane to touch them. But again we are not just "anybody," are we? We were once like the Pygmies -- there was nothing desirable about us, was there? We were also repulsive, weren't we? But God ignored all of that and sent His only Son to die on our behalf. Who would do such a thing?

And that, my friends, is one of the reasons we chose to go to a Pygmy village in the middle of nowhere to share the hope of Christ with "the last of these." We were "graced" and "mercied." We got the bug of compassion and it all comes from knowing this Lord who gave all He had for us. The more we get to know Him, the more we understand that His heart aches for those who have been robbed of their dignity. The more we study His Word, the more we understand how deeply He desires to fellowship with all peoples. The closer we get to this Messiah, the more we despise the arrogance of those who take power by force. The more we feast at His feast of grace, the more we realize that at the foot of the cross we are all equal. And we long for His Kingdom to come. Oh, how we long for the day when justice will be meted out and the despots of this world will run for cover.

And this is just one way we "rebuke" the oppressor.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Not Exactly a Perfect Church

So, I talked about church in Bangui yesterday. I got a couple of comments and then decided to post this video here. I wanted to do this with the post yesterday but the blog was not cooperating. So here you have it, a sample of one of the choirs we got the chance to hear in the two church services we attended in Bangui. This choir is in the last church we attended in Bangui. The angle on the camera is a little weird because I didn't want to get up and record. So I just turned my camera on my lap and tried to get the most people in one shot as possible. This will give you a little taste of church in the C.A.R.

Normally a church has two choirs and they perform during offering. Each choir performs a number because offering is quite an elaborate process in the worship services in the C.A.R. Every person in attendance gets up and marches to the front, where receptacles are waiting for money to be dropped in the appropriate place. Women put money in the women's receptacle, men in the men's one, etc. I was in three services in Bangui, two in Sango and one in French. Each had a second offering for some kind of project they were having.

The last church we attended had a special offering to help pay for plumbing in the church building. They were hoping to raise one million Central African Franks (over a period of time). If my math doesn't fail me, I think that's about three thousand U.S. dollars, which is a big chunk of money. It will take them a while, specially when you consider that the average salary is $250.00 per year, but they will eventually get there.

We discovered on this trip that that there is virtually no church trying to reach the more educated people in the city. Most churches are packed with poor people, which is not bad, but it leaves a significant number of people out. They are the university graduates, the young professionals, the people who work for foreign organizations. One couple we met with complained that they can't find a church that speaks their language. They stated that in most churches the pastors are just trying to get people's money, which might be a harsh accusation, but based on what we saw, money appears to be at least a big part of doing church in Bangui.

For example, after you get baptized, you have to acquire a membership card. Those cost five hundred Central African Franks (a little over one U.S. dollar), which is nothing for us but a great expense for the people there, especially considering that the vast majority of families have many children. Church members have to attend a certain number of church services in order to be authorized to participate in the communion service. And you better make sure you are getting that card punched on a regular basis because it may also determine whether the pastor will marry you or even perform a service for a loved one who passed away. Think of the contradiction of that with the Gospel as we know it. One would think that the C.A.R. could use its own Martin Luther. Who will that be?

Then there is the fact that pastors hold absolute authority over the flock in the C.A.R. They rule with an iron fist in most cases. My seminary students asked me how to change this culture of lording over the sheep which is so prevalent in the C.A.R. I told them not to start a crusade but to go out and be different. To model servant leadership, to be humble, not to put down the other pastors. This might be a hard thing for them to do, especially when they know that many of those pastors are not living according to the biblical standards they are supposed to exemplify.

In other words, I didn't want anyone to get the idea that church in Bangui is without problems. There are many challenges for the Church of Jesus Christ in that city, least of which being the challenge to find pastors that are free from the love of money and ready to serve anyone anytime anywhere God calls them.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Church in Bangui

Children sit in church

Last Sunday I and the rest of our team worshipped at a church in Bangui, CAR. This Sunday we worshipped at our church in Wooster, OH. There are no adequate words to describe the contrast between the two experiences.

The church in Bangui was dark, the sound system was horrendous, the building had virtually no ventilation and the air was heavy and hot. We sat on wooden benches and observed at least two hours of singing, reading, preaching, announcing and more singing until our "blessed assurances" screamed for a cushioned surface to sit on. By the way, the choir was great but the guy operating the keyboard had it preset to a key that was far from the key the people were singing on. It was truly a "make a noise to the Lord," without the "joyful" part.

At Wooster the air conditioner was working at full capacity even though the weather was in the upper 60's and a nice cool breeze from the rain was blowing. We listened to great music and followed along whenever it was appropriate. We sat on comfortable chairs and pews and listened to a great, practical message that we could easily relate to our lives.

But the church in Bangui was packed with children. They sat through the regular worship service and were enthusiastic as they could be with their singing, reciting Bible verses and giving the offering when the time came for them to do so. When people were singing, virtually everyone participated, young and old joined festively in harmonizing voices, singing praises to the Lord. They people dressed up the best they could because they were going to be in God's presence. There was a certain sense of awe at being in the presence of God. And the children, as I already said, were absolutely delightful.

The Bangui church had no guitars, no pianos, no drums, no video projector, no power point, no outline of the sermon, no bulletins, no separate rooms for Sunday school (kids meet outside, sitting on benches, under the scorching sun), no dramas, no coffee or doughnuts, no child care, no parking lot (most people walked quite a bit to get to church), no adult Sunday school. You get the idea.

Yet, the church was filled with people, seven to eight hundred strong. They sang with joy to their heavenly Father, they participated in every aspect of the service, including the message, which was delivered by Pastor Tom in Sango.

I am not trying to say that the church experience in Bangui was better or worse than the church experience in Wooster. But I am saying that the experience taught us that there are many difference ways to do church. Actually, it is more than that. It taught us that meeting with God is the only thing that matters when it comes to church. Everything also is superfluous.

I feel that the people at the church in Bangui were aware that they were in the presence of the living. For sure, some children got in trouble for picking on each other during the service. One was separated from the bunch while others were motioned to remain quiet. But children will be children anywhere. Overall, though, I got the feeling that the people were having a "full church" experience. They sang, they talked back to preacher, they responded during the invitation. They stayed focused through the end in spite of unbearable heat.

I was humbled by the opportunity to worship with my brothers and sisters in Bangui and discovered that most of the things I complain about when it comes to church are truly small in comparison. Sure, the Bangui church was not perfect, but for an imperfect church they weren't bad at all.

There are times when I wish we could revert to the simplicity of church the way the people in Bangui do it. But I understand that they do it out of necessity. Were they to have the options we have, I have no doubt they too would find ways to fill the time with God with other optional elements. And soon they would consider these essential to the way they did church. Such is the nature of man. As one Brazilian proverb says it: "If you can complicate, why simplify it?"

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Home Sweet Home

It's a little past 1:00 a.m. on Saturday morning and I am at home (finally). Since it's about 6:00 a.m. Bangui time, this will be short.

The team arrived safely back, all our luggage made it, and we are so glad to be back home. We give the glory to God for all the things He accomplished through us. Thank you for your prayers!

Please, keep checking the blog. I will be posting some more things here, including videos and pictires.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Heading Back...

It's 4:30 p.m. here. We were successful in getting all our luggage checked at Air France office, got our boarding passes. We had an American style lunch (humburgers) and are working on some last minute things. Some of us went to the market, I had a meeting with the Dean of the Theological Seminary and the ladies are getting their hair done now...

We are ready to go home and would appreciate your prayers. Please, keep checking the blog for the next few days as I will endeavor to put some more pictures here. We have thousands and I will try to select a few more.

Though our short-term mission is coming to an end, the plight of the poor is not. Their struggle continues and we must double up our efforts to speak on their behalf, to work so they can work, to share so they can have the hope of Christ. We count on you to help us as we seek to do just that, with God's help.

With God, for the nations,

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org
PS.: Naza -- Thank you for your encouraging comments. I felt the strength of your prayers and miss taking in the beauty that God has so lavishly bestowed on you. Coming home is sweet indeed. Can't wait to hug Joshua, Carolina & Carissa. Love always.

TALKING TO A RETURNEE FROM AFRICA

I know many of you have been praying for us on this trip. Your prayers have been felt. We have felt the presence of God in every movement we have made. Every encounter with people has been a learning experience. God has been at work here.

Now that we are coming home, there are a few things that you need to know about how to talk to us. I write this not because we don’t want you to talk to us. We want to share but please be patient with us. This trip has changed us and hopefully you will see this. So here are some tips from my heart to help you understand how to talk to a returnee from a trip to the C.A.R.

“Don’t ask, we will tell.” We will have a lot on our minds. This kind of trip has a way of changing your life forever and you have a lot of stories to tell. So please, don’t ask “how was your trip?” if you are expecting only a ten second answer. If you have time, we will tell, if you don’t, just say “I prayed for you” (if you did) or “Glad to have you back home” (if you are… smile!).

The following terms and expressions are expressly forbidden to use with a short-termer from Africa:

“I’m starving.” Look, we know you are using a metaphor, but we’ve been out of the metaphorical word for a while and we have seen what real starving looks like. So, please, don’t say that, if you don’t want to push the wrong button with us.

“Life isn’t fair.” If you say that, we will point you to a group of Pygmies who are despised and rejected by people around them, who call them “animals” simply because they are Pygmies. We will tell you about how they get robbed and taken advantage of every day for the “sin” of looking different.

“I hate my work.” You may indeed hate your work for legitimate reasons, but we would rather not hear that because we can point you to hundreds of thousands of people here who don’t even have a job to hate. We will tell you about the young men who push carts full of wood from as far away as 40 miles, working all day long for $5.

“I can’t do it.” Perhaps you feel overwhelmed by life’s challenge, but we’ve just been with people who day in and day out have to fight for their very survival. A father, whose son is so sick with pneumonia, having to take him back home again and again because the hospital does not have a bed for him? A mother with no milk left in her malnourished body to feed her newborn baby. Yet, somehow they gather the strength to go on. If they can do it, so can you!

The list could go on and on, but I will stop here. My advice to you is that if you see one of us who just returned to Africa and we don’t look too cheerful, it is not because we are not happy to be home. If you see any extra worry lines on our faces, it is not simply because we have not gotten enough sleep the last two weeks. If you detect any hint of sadness on our faces, it is not because we haven’t experienced the goodness of God in some amazing ways.

It is rather that we are trying to process all that we saw and heard and trying to understand what this all means to us who live in one of the most prosperous nations in the world. People who go to poverty stricken areas of this world tend to become somewhat disoriented or displaced, albeit temporarily, in their own culture. For some of us it will be harder than others but we will all experience this reversed cultural shock in one way or another -- hesitating to buy an item in the store because of the price, criticize people for how much they spend on their pets, feeling guilty for living where we are, yearning for a return to a much slower pace of life, etc., etc., etc.

Don't worry. These typical blues normally accompany the reentry process for those who have been blessed and burdened with an extended visit to some of the poorest areas of the world. Some of us might enter into a contemplative phase for a while, and then come out of it with a stronger resolve to serve God by serving the last, the least, the lost of this world. Your people won’t need to get back to our people. You will hear from us directly.

Thank you for your understanding. And please, keep praying for us!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

PS.: I'm checking out. It's past 2:15 a.m. local time. I now know why we didn't have Internet here...

Mansions in Heaven?

Jesus said: “In my Father’s house there are many mansions.” Wait a minute. Did I say “mansions?” Scratch that. He didn’t really say “mansions.” What do you mean “he didn’t say ‘mansions’"? I know He did because I memorized it in my KJV from the time I was a toddler.” Well, sorry, He didn’t say “mansions.” He said “dwellings” or “rooms” in the Greek. That’s all --no more, no less. Now, God may still choose to give us a mansion, but if I were you, I wouldn’t be counting on it. He hasn’t promised us one.

My suspicion is that some translators got a little carried away with the dream of some middle class Americans to have the biggest house in the neighborhood. So, once again I say: “erase that idea from your memory bank.” I mean, why would God want to give us “mansions” in heaven? So we can brag about a big house we never built or paid for?

I have wrecked my brain trying to think of reasons why God would want to give us mansions. But I can’t come up with a single one that makes sense. Jesus never lived in a mansion. He was born under the most humble of circumstances. When one of the disciples told him he wanted to follow him, he said that “the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man does not even have a pillow to rest His head on.” [My translation].

It stands to reason then that if the Messiah didn’t need a mansion, neither do we. Most people around the world don’t live in mansions. Here in Bangui there are many different types of dwellings. A few people live in nice and spacious rooms that need 24-7 security to keep the bandits out. But most people live in humble dwellings. From the Pygmies with their makeshift huts to the mud brick houses and their upgrades built with real bricks and cement.

I can’t say that I have been inside a mansion in Bangui, but all the houses I’ve been to have one thing in common: tons of people live in them. From a U.S. perspective, you would say that these folks don’t have any privacy. A 10x15 dwelling may easily be home for 10-15 people. You do the math. It can be suffocating. It’s the kind of place where you go to lose your individual identity.

Yet the people find harmony in the midst of this apparent chaos. Families become a close knit unit. Work revenue is shared and this does not seem to be an obstacle to meaningful living. I see Christians here who have nothing of the material stuff we’ve grown accustomed to in the West, yet they exude a contagious joy as I’ve only rarely seen the wealthiest parts of

this universe.

This is something we all need to reflect on. But perhaps the reason I think about this stuff so much is because of my own background. Most people haven’t been as fortunate as I am. I was born to a family of 9. Up until the age of 8 I lived on a little island in one of the tributaries of the Amazon. My house was a little hut, built on stilts. I could jump from my window into the river and my grandfather would take me fishing with him from time to time.

So, as I think of heaven, I don’t think of mansions. I think of my little hut on the Amazon. So at times when the demands of the earth seem just a little too unbearable, it is not the vision of streets of gold or the big house with a heavenly SPA that help to keep me going. It’s the thought that maybe I will get my little hut on the Amazon when I go to heaven. Minus the mosquitoes, the bad water and the parasites, of course.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
ivtrindade@woostergrace.org

God Knows...

I have to make a brief correction: the art supplies that Beth had brought did make it. They were not in her trunk. Beth's best friend lives in Colorado and when she heard Beth was coming to Africa she put her on to this organization that creates and donates simple educational art tools to help children in the developing world. Beth contacted them and they were able to ship several bags of the materials to us.

Now, just so you know how great our God is and how His sense of timing never fails, the art supplies arrived a week later with the trunks that went missing when we flew here. When they did arrive it was the eve of a visit our team was going to make to a couple of orphan care groups. Beth spent some time looking thorugh the materials, trying to decide which one she was going to use. In the end, she used one that allowed the children to write their names in an artistic way on a simple sheet of paper.

Turns out none of the 29 children present in the first group have sponsors yet. And now we had their pictures with their names so we could track them with their leaders. It looks like we have tracked a good number of them already and we are coming back to Wooster to encourage us to sponsor these children.

You don't need to do anything now. Please, don't go to ICDI or any other website hoping to find the faces of these children because they will not be there. They are still being entered in the system. We want to help you if you are interested in helping.

So, is God awesome or what? He knew exactly which orphana group needed which art work and He did it when He so pleased, even though it appeared to us that it was a week late!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Meet Juvenal & Edvidge

"Juvenal & Edvidge are two orphans sponsored by our Sunday Schools Grades 1-4 (Miss Linda Kline). Valerie and Zac Harley met them last year and brought them gifts on behalf of their classes.

Yesterday Jeana and Beth were able to visit with them and present them a small with a small gift and a package of PB crackers each. They asked s to thank each family who is bringing in offering to sponsor them. They ask for prayers for their schooling to continue to go well and for their health. They looked very healthy, had just passed a monthly exam at school and Juvenal is learning English. It was a blessing to spend time with them again."

Jeana Harley

Blogger's Note: Like Juvenal and Edvidge, there are many orphans in this country who need sponsorship. I praise God that a group of children from our church together with their families are making a huge difference in the lives of these ones. I pray that many others will also be helped through the generosity of people from Wooster Grace.

Rick Makes a New Friend

Rick's New Friend
"We were having a good work day at the orphan care center, working on the building alongside the African crew that was there to help us. It was afternoon and there was a small group of young boys there watching us and also helping carry water for the families there.

So Tim, Rob, and I took a break and got a basketball out to shoot some hoops with the boys. As we were playing with the boys, I noticed this little guy standing there with his arms folded like a little tough guy. So I rebounded the ball and came over to him and gave it to him, then I picked him up and gave it to him, then I picked him up and took him to the basket so he could shoot. We did this about six or seven times. He got a smile on his face each time. Next, I felt this little hand grab mine. I looked down and it was this little guy who earlier was looking so tough. This small gesture touched my heart beyond what words can explain."

Blogger's Note: Rick is a quiet guy but when he speaks, you listen. I have heard him more than once express his thankfulness to God for "giving me the opportunity to be here." Tonight he said again how much he has learned by just observing how the Africans work. I know that he was touched last night by the testimony of the men who ate with us. I appreciate Rick's heart for God and the people of this county.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

Back to Where We Started...

Friends of "the blog":

I don't know how to explain this but on the eve of our departure we finally have Internet here at the guest house where we are staying. And wireless to boot. Someone came tonight and fixed the thing. Thanks Heidi! This is the same place where Jim Hocking spent those incredibly frustrating two hours the first night we were here -- to no avail...

So since I don't completely understand it, I turn to "Sage Sorg" who is sitting here next to me talking "skyping" her Mom. She said: "Maybe God didn't want us to get distracted from what we were supposed to be doing here." Well, thanks Beth, I resign my post.

The fact that we do have Internet here means that I am able to post something before I go to bed tonight. I am almost done packing my bag. Some of our other team mates are doing the same right now. Tomorrow we go to Air France at 8:30 a.m. our time to check our luggage (if they have electricity). Please, pray that everything will go smoothly. Then we come back to the guest house and wait around pretty much until our flight at 10:55 p.m. Some team members are still planning to go back to the market, do some last minute shopping and say their goodbyes to some friends that they will miss dearly. I hope to do some more "Interneting," but don't count on it... My faith on the Internet here has been tested to the limit, as you can tell.

Last night we had a wonderful meal and fellowship here at the guest house with three of the workers who have been helping us. We laugh hard as Rob demonstrated the "whopping cushion" (again!), but most of all, we loved hearing these men's stories about their life and struggles, how they came to know the Lord and the difference that Jesus has made in their lives. Wow. We were humbled to hear their stories and quite motivated to do more for our Lord in light of what these men have experienced.

Today, Jeana, Beth and myself went to the Seminary to teach a two hour English class. We had so much fun. Beth was able to use some of the material we have used for "English Nights" at my house and Jeana brushed up on her great ESL teaching skills that had not been forgotten. We had so much fun with the tongue twisters and were so impressed at how the students worked so hard at trying to make these sounds that are not the easiest in the world to make. We all had a wonderful time with these 9 men and 1 woman whom I have grown to love so much in such a short period of time. I will definitely miss them!

Oh yes, I can't forget that I also got my hair done today. It was the first male hair this woman had ever done and definitely the first pastor. The lady I had originally talked to tried to talk me out of it. She gently reminded me that I was a pastor. I told her that in America it was OK. So she sent her daughter-in-law today and after a couple of failed approaches, she finally sent her assistant to the marked, who bought some strings and she used it to tie my hair with. It is very tight and the design looks pretty cool. But Beth is a little concerned it might look like a gangster type of design, though she said she likes it.

The guys continued to work hard at the project. They were not able to finish everything they wanted to do, but I have to say that they accomplished much. The door still needs some tweaking but Pastor Tom will finish it with some people from Ohio who are planning to come back in July. We should all be very proud of the work they did. And I can't wait to see that place filled with boys who are going to come to learn to work with their hands, keep their minds occupied and maybe even develop a trade that will help them into the future. Most of all, I can't wait to see the testimonies of lives that will be transformed because they will come to that place.

Well, I don't know when I will be able to post again. Maybe tonight yet, maybe tomorrow from here or Friday from Paris. It will depend. Please, remember to pray. It will be a long 24+ hours of travel and waiting around time until we arrive in Cleveland some time before 11:00 p.m. on Friday night. We can't wait to see you all.

Please stay tuned because there will be new posts here. I have some that are ready to go but I need the time to post. Don't give up on us...

Love in Christ from all of us,

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

More Tomorrow... Maybe

Well, who would've thunk? I started out over two hours ago thinking I was going to do a quick post and go. Then the Internet worked well and even allowed me to do pictures (slowly but surely). This is your lucky day. I am glad you will be able to enjoy these pictures. We have so many more though. We wish we had our own satellite we could simply send these to the Wooster Grace sight and there you would have it. But unfortunately we are not the C.I.A.

This morning I spent at the work site. The Africans were able to pour concrete on one end of the floor while we were gone today. They were pouring the other side as I left this afternoon. This allowed the guys to work on the cabinets for the boys' tools, once we get them here. We are planning a big hand tool drive in our church sometime soon. The tools will go to help the boys for whom we are building this shop. We are so excited about what this place will mean to orphan boys who until recently had no hope whatsoever. We believe this will make a tremendous difference in their lives and we ask you to pray and to get involved!

I got to go now as electricity is about to go missing... I will wait until tomorrow to try to upload some pictures of the work site. You will be encouraged to see them. One side of the door is already hung and they were working on the mechanics of the whole thing this afternoon to make sure that it is entirely operational. When they started talking about cranks and shafts, I decided to leave... I thank God that these guys know what they are doing.

Like I said, I will try to hit the Internet again tomorrow, but please be aware that our schedule will be a little hectic in the next couple of days. And remember that the Internet is always a little surprise box...

Stay with God and keep those prayers (and comments) coming!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Rest Before Work

Yesterday was not only about work. We went to a very pretty waterfall site and enjoyed a couple of hours just looking at nature and those of us who were brave enough either bathed in the pools formed by the waters or got right under the strong currents being dumped from the top of the rocks. It was the best hydro-massage ever and to think that only Rick and I enjoyed it. What's wrong with the world anyway?

We all enjoyed the break from the dusty roads, the austere buildings, and the erratic traffic. It was as if in an hour and a half drive we were in an altogether completely different country, replete with vivid reminders of God's beauty in the midst of human tragedy.

The team enjoys a nice lunch in an African forest
I am glad we had a chance to enjoy these sights. It was a nice respite to what was to come as we anticipated visiting with the Pygmy Village. It was also a mix of the best and the worst in nature. Yes, the vista was wonderful but we had to hike a little carrying our coolers. Yes the air was cool but it was infested with bugs of all sorts.

Butterflies "attack my camera bag"
But when it was all said and done the good outweighed the bad by far because we had butterflies. Yes indeed. Once we got to our idyllic place the butterflies came flying gracefully, and slowly landed on our stuff. They were primarily yellow but once in a while you would see these white ones and these were breathtaking. Once again Beth succinctly put how she felt: "I don't care about the waterfalls, I just love the butterflies."

We thank God for His display of beauty, grace, and harmony hidden in some forest in the middle of Africa. By the time we hiked back to the car no one was complaining about the bugs. What a cogent moment to remind us that in God's world the good will always outweigh the bad. God help us never lose sight of that!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Our Little Excursion

Hello everyone:

I am back at the "stone age" Internet Cafe because the connection at the ICDI office refused to cooperate today. So I will probably not even try to do pictures here. Sorry...

But first we as a team would like to express our condolences to the Simms' Family. We have been praying for all of you and share your sorrow at the passing of Marlin. However, we sorrow not as the ones who do not know God, as Paul put it in 1 Thessalonians 4. For we know that we will see our brother again. We as a team wanted you all to know that we love you and that we will continue to pray for you.

We are all doing well, thanks to God. We are tired and trying to finish up as much as we can today because tomorrow we pack our bags and do a little shop before our departure on Thursday night.

Rick and "Flat Stanley" help themselves to the Pygmy well
We thank you for your prayers for us as we went on our excursion yesterday. The day was long and arduous but we were able to spend quite a bit of time with our friends at the Pygmy village. Laura: Rob did find the two girls you and Barb befriended last year and he took picture of them, but he hasn't been able to find the other little girl you met in Bangui. Sorry...






I have mixed emotions after my visit with the Pygmies. It is true: they have relocated their village a little further ahead, have cleared land and are beginning to talk about building more permanent structures. They have come up with money on their own to pay for the land. This is huge. Now they won't be as harassed by the Central Africans as they could have been, if they didn't own the land. They are also using the latrines we helped built last year and the well serves not only them but the Central African village as a whole. It also provides them with some much needed income, as they charge a little bit for every pale of water that is taken from the well. This is all good and I praise God for what has been accomplished in such a little time.

But I am still overwhelmed at how the odds are still stacked against them. The overt racism they suffer in the hands of some Central Africans is still as thick as icebergs. For example, we had taken a soccer ball with the express purpose of giving it to the Pygmy village. We played with both Central Africans as well as some Pygmies. As we ended our time there a young man grabbed the ball and refused to give it to the Pygmies. We knew this was going to happen so we were prepared. We demanded that they return the ball because it belonged to the Pygmies.

By now several young men and some women had joined the chorus of the taunters. They were demanding to know why we were giving the ball to "these animals who don't even know how to play with it." Pastor Tom got very irritated and in plain Sango told them that the ball belonged to the Pygmies and they were going to have it. I am sure he said some other things but that is not the point here. The point is that they finally gave the ball back. But not without cursing the Pygmies first.

Secondly, I am still disturbed by the general state of health among the Pygmies. They now have a well right in their village but don't bother to bathe every day. They are still covered with dirt from head to toe and many of their children are covered with sores. Jeana and Beth spent basically all their time there tending to the wounds of children. They also helped a lady who had leprosy. They worked until they had exhausted themselves.

Yes, I was glad I had the opportunity to see this village again, but I have to say I still have a lot of concerns for them. As I played soccer with the kids and watched Jeana and Beth care for the needs of the sick, I was reminded again of the magnitude of the task we have in our hands. Had I not read Tim's entry from the day before, I might have been easily discouraged. I know, however, that we did make a difference with the ones we cared for. And I know that being an advocate for the Pygmies in front of their most volatible enemies must have done the Pygmies some good. But most of all, I know for a fact that it pleased our Heavenly Father because Christ died for the Pygmies too.

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade

itrindade@woostergrace.org

I'm Checking Out

Hey everyone:

My ride is here so this is all the time I have today. I thought I would give you a good surprise with the Portuguese entry. I have so many people in Brazil looking at this blog and they all wanted me to write something in Portuguese. I didn't have any other place to put it, so it is here. Our blog has gone international now.

It's a little after 6:00 p.m. here and I am going back to the guest house. The electricity just went out so I am working because of a generator that keeps this place going. ICDI has some important equipment here. I am thankful I can come here and use this place. Please, pray for the work of ICDI. They just found out that their partnership with the Word Food Programme, which provided until now food for all the orphans they sponsor (and also for the Grace Brethren sponsored orphans) has been terminated. The reason for this is that you actually have to run an orphanage to receive this kind of help. ICDI has stayed away from orphanages because this is not the best approach according to the culture here.

Now they have to find another source of funding for this great need. And it is a HUGE need and it starts right now. Please, pray!

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

Para o Pessoal do Brasil - Sorry, this one is in Portuguese!

A nossa equipe, com um grupo de orfaos resgatados pelo ministerio de ICDI

Ola pessoal do Brasil.

Atendendo solicitacoes de todas as partes do mundo da lingua Portuguesa, aqui vai um pequeno resumo do nosso trabalho aqui na Republica Centro-Africana. Estou aqui com uma equipe da minha igreja desde o dia 3 de Abril. A Capital e Bangui, uma cidade que tem uma populacao mais ou menos igual a de Macapa, Amapa.

O clima e praticamente igual tambem, apesar de que tem a temperatura tem sido bastante amena aqui, especialmente nos primeros dias depois que chegamos aqui. Esta comecando o tempo de inverno aqui e isso significa que chuvas torrenciais podem cair, mas ate agora nos so tivemos algumas pancadas esporadicas, pelas quais nos somos muito gratos porque elas trazem aquele ventinho gostoso pos-chuva.

A Igreja dos Irmaos ja esta aqui ness pais ha mais de cem anos. Temos mais de mil igrejas aqui e uns oitocentos mil membros. Mas isso nao quer dizer que esse povo todo seja crente de verdade. Muito pelo contrario, as nossas igrejas aqui estao infestadas de crentes falsos, incluindo alguns pastores que sao famosos nao pela eloquencia da palavra mas pela ofensa do alcool. Tais pastores julgam-se intocaveis porque sao “anciaos” e nao devem nada a ninguem.

Por outro lado, ha os fieis que labutam no meio de muita oposicao, tanto de dentro quanto de fora. Dentre eles se encontram os professores do seminario biblico, o qual se mudou recentemente para a Capital, depois de muitos anos em uma cidade chamada Bata. Esses homens, sobre os quais eu escrevi aqui em Ingles, sofreram tanto na mao de bandidos que atacam para roubar tudo o que podem, ate que eles nao tiveram outra opcao senao se mudar para a Capital, onde tudo e mais caro e os alunos terao dificuldades em adquirir terrenos para plantar suas hortas. Pois e, eles precisam ter hortas, que sao pedacos de terra de um certo tamanho onde eles cultivam hortalicas, amendoin e, sobretudo, mandioca (da brava) para poder sobreviver.

Esse pais foi quase totalmente destruido em uma rebeliao em 2002, liderada pelo rebelde que agora e o presidente. Naquela ocasiao todos os missionarios tiveram que ser evacuados do pais e muitos deles jamais retornaram. Algumas das bases de operacao dos missionarios foram quase completamente destruidas, pelos proprios habitantes das cidades, alguns lideres da anarquia sendo os proprios pastores.

Hoje restam escombros em um pais militarizado, sem infra-estrutura, sem empregos (os empregados do governo estao ha oito meses sem receber), sem perspectiva futura para os jovens, rodeado de pobreza da mais severa que voce possa imaginar, e com uma alta incidencia de HIV/AIDS na Capital (14%, de acordo com numeros oficiais).

Ha tambem uma combinacao lethal que nao perdoa sobretudo as criancas:

1. A principal comida aqui e a mandioca (da amarga porque ela e mais facil de plantar e colher). Essa cultura foi introduzida aqui pelos traficantes de escravos que vieram do Brasil nos meados de 1700. E uma cultura pra la de ideal. Alem de conter uma percentagem de cianureto, que precisa ser removida, ela e completamente desprovida de qualquer vitamina ou minerais, como ferro. O unico efeito que ela faz e encher o estomago, ja que se trata apenas de carbohidratos.

2. O segundo problema e a falta de agua potavel. Nos vilarejos fora da Capital o povo bebe agua de rios ou riachos contaminados. Eles lavam a roupa la e cozinham com agua desses rios. A mandioca tambem e deixade de molho nesses rios por alguns dias.

4. O terceiro membro desse triunvirato maldito e a falta de latrinas ou sanitarios, publicos ou privados. Como os espacos abertos ainda sao utilizados, tudo escoa para os mesmos rios e riachos que sao a fonte de agua da qual a populacao depende.

O resultado nao poderia ser mais desastrosos. Muitas criancas perecem antes de completar um ano de idade. Diarreia, parasitas, tuberculose, malaria matam desenfreadamente, especialmente na periferia e nos interiores. Para aumentar a tragedia, o virus da HIV/AIDS esta dizimando populacoes inteiras.

Eu estive aqui em 2006 com uma equipe da minha igreja, investigando possibilidades de parceria especificamente na area de ajuda aos mais pobres. Nos descobrimos que se investissemos na perfuracao de pocos e construcao de latrinas (especies de sanitarios publicos) nos estariamos salvando vidas, literalmente. Ah sim, e de quebra a gente tambem iria SALVAR vidas, porque pra onde vamos temos a oportunidade de compatilhar sobre a esperanca que temos em Cristo.

A equipe que esta aqui agora e a nossa quarta equipe da nossa igreja a vir aqui nos ultimos dois anos. Ja contribuimos o suficiente para dois pocos e multiplas latrinas. Ja construimos uma sala para atendimento ondontologico na clinica que trata de pacientes com HIV/AIDS. Ja ajudamos a construir uma escola em um vilarejo chamado Pama. E agora estamos construindo uma oficina de trabalhos manuais e aprendizado de mecanica para meninos orfaos. Era uma necessidade muito grande. As meninas estao aprendendo a costurar, os meninos precisavam algo para mante-los ocupados e dar-lhes uma semi-profissao. Vamos deixar essa oficina quase pronta.

A necessidade e muito grande na area de cuidado com os orfaos. Ha uma estimativa de cem mil orfaos somente na Capital. Aqui na Africa o povo prefere que orfaos morem com parentes. Um amigo meu que e pastor aqui, alem dos sete filhos dele e da esposa, adotou mais quatro, filhos do irmao dele que morreu de AIDS ha algum tempo atras. Isso e muito comum aqui. Mas e muito comum tambem ver criancas “cuidando” de outras criancas.

Nos trabalhamos em parceria com ICDI, que e uma ONG de cunho evangelico, e o coordenador do programas para orfaos deles e um amigo de longo tempo. Ha varias outras organizacoes trabalhando aqui, mas eu confio nesse pessoal e sei que eles nao so estao fazendo um otimo trabalho como se esmeram em colocar africanos em posicoes-chave. E uma questao de honra pra eles isso. O diretor dessa ONG e um amigo meu que tambem cresceu aqui e ama o povo daqui profundamente. E eu estou muito contente ja com os resultados da nossa parceria.

Eu aproveitei a carona para vir e dar aula de exegese grega no livro de 1 Thessalonicences. Foram trinta horas de ensino que terminaram hoje. Fiquem doente no meio com um dessarranjo intestinal que me fez passaar mal por vinte e quatro horas, mas felizmente ja estou bem melhor. Esse meu grupo de alunos e muito astuto. A maioria deles fala pelo menos tres linguas. Eles fizeram perguntas muito inteligentes e interagiram bastante com o material que estava sendo ensinado. Foi uma honra impar passar esse tempo com eles.

Brasileiros seriam missionarios naturais em um lugar como esse. Seria relativamente facil aprender a lingua (aqui eles usam Frances e Sango, a linga-franca daqui). Eles adoram futebol aqui e adoram a selecao brasileira. Ontem eu brinquei um pouco com uma bola e o povo me aplaudiu como se eu fosse o Ronaldinho (quando ele ainda jogava...). O amor pelo Brasil e obvio aqui por causa do futebol. Esse povo tambem e muito hospitaleiro. O pais tambem tem muitos dos mesmos entraves burocraticos que ainda assola a nossa patria. Enfim, eu nao posso imaginar um grupo melhor para trabalhar aqui do que os brasileiros, e especialmente os do norte e nordeste (sem preconceieto, OK?). Uma outra coisa boa e que seria relativamente barato morar aqui, com excecao da passagem aerea que ainda e salgadinha comparado ao que eu estou acostumado nos EUA.

Ha uma crise sem precedente na area Sub-sahariana da Africa. Estima-se que daqui a mais 20 anos os orfaos da AIDS somarao cinquenta milhoes. O que vai acontecer com esse monte de jovens se eles nao forem ocupados de alguma maneira saudavel? Podera haver uma explosao do caos em grandes proporcoes nesse pais. E uma crise social sem precedentes, uma bomba-relogio. O percentual de morte pela AIDS, apesar de ter decrescido, ainda e alarmante. A cada dia morrem aproximadamente cinco mil pessoas, o equivalente a um vilarejo inteiro.

A igreja de Jesus Cristo tem que agir. Nao podemos mais ficar de bracos abertos esperando que outros facam algo. Jesus passou uma boa parte do ministerio dele tratando da saude dos doentes e uma outra parte dando de comida aos famintos. Ha 2003 referencias aos pobres na Biblia. Esse e um assunto de gritante importancia para Deus. Nao adianta dar desculpas, nos precisamos agir. E e por isso que nos estamos aqui. A nossa equipe fica aqui ate o dia 17 de Abril. Por favor, contamos com as oracoes de voces. E se tiverem alguma pergunta, mandem.

Abracos,

Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
itrindade@woostergrace.org

One Person At a Time, By Rob Miller

"Our time here in Bangui is half over now and it seems as though we just arrived. I have really enjoyed getting to make some new friends and to see friends I had made last year. It has been a challenge to keep working at times because of the heat. When I start to get to that point I just try to think about the lives that could be impacted years from now as the young boys from the orphan care center learn a trade in woodworking. I am truly blessed to have this opportunity to serve.

Today we did home visits for children who attend the orphan care center. Most of them typically live with relatives or only have one parent. Their houses were small brick homes about 10 ft. by 15 ft. Typically housing about 15 people per home, with no running water or plumbing. It seems about 80 -90% of the 600,000 people in Bangui live in these conditions.

The average annual income is about $250.00 per year. As I visit the people who live here I often can’t help but wonder how I was born in the time and place that I was. We as Americans are truly blessed in so many ways. Being here even only for a couple of weeks I see that life here is very difficult and challenging in ways that most of us will never know or hear about. Such as a trip to the local bank to exchange money can take as long as 2–4 hours or that most people from childhood have no training in personal hygiene or health.

I know there is no easy answer to solve the problems in the C.A.R. but with God’s help we can work together to make it better one smile, one handshake, one prayer and one person at a time. Jesus would have us do just that."

Rob Miller