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