The Brazil team will be giving their report in church on July 24th. Don’t miss this. It will be awesome.

Day 11
Hardest day of trip. Getting in buses, saying good-bye to missionaries is always very difficult for Amy and I. I have a lot of different thoughts running thru my head.

My first trip to Porto Alegre with WOL was in 2002. For the first 5 years, there was very little fruit to report on when we came home. We would go to schools, talk to students, have retreats, go to churches, work with leaders and basically see no decisions at all. This went on for years. It was work. Lots of relationship building. Lots of conversations.

Around 4 years ago, I noticed it changing a bit. More schools wanted us to come by and visit. A lot more schools. Public, private, and religious. More students were showing up to the retreats.

Then the decisions for Christ started trickling in. This trip alone we’ve seen God reach at least 30 (confirmed) students to Christ, an opportunity to share the Gospel with some teachers at the public school, an opportunity to speak to atheists in a private school, and got into 3 new schools this year. We had 45 students come forward to hear more about Jesus. I got to sit and help with 9 area churches’ youth leaders plus the WOL missionaries and DTC students.

The work has been worth it.

There are a lot of conflicting emotions going on inside me…and I’m guessing the others as well. It feels like home when we come. Home. That’s a powerful word. Not completely home but close. Every now and then I’ll catch myself dreaming of ways to move down here. Sell everything, raise support, live out at the camp on pinhaos and pastels. God interrupts the dream every time. “Is this what I’ve called you to do?” I know the answer is no. At least it’s a “not yet.” Maybe instead of retiring to the beach or mountains or where ever it is people retire, we’ll retire here.

I look over at the students we brought. They are different. We’ve got to talk with them about re-entry. It sucks. I wish there was a nicer word for it. I don’t like that word. But I struggle to find an alternative at this point. There is this explosion of conflicting emotions. You’re glad to be home and in your own bed. You miss the Brazil family. You’re excited about the God stories that you were able to be a part of but you notice the glazed over look people get when you talk about Brazil for the next 25 minutes uninterrupted. You like the creature comforts of your life here but if you’re honest you didn’t really miss any of them over the last 10 days. You wonder if the life you’ve chosen here is as valuable as a life given away in mission work.

There really isn’t an easy solution. For some, this trip will ruin them forever. After college or maybe even during college, they will choose to be a missionary. But in the meantime, the best solution is just to push through it. Keep praying and doing what God tells you to do. He will make the path straight for you. We’ll have a photo party, report to the church. I’ll tell them to journal, write the trip down. Keep praying.

It’s a sobering conversation with the students. They are already feeling it. It’s part of the experience…

It’s Always An Adventure…
Reality hits when we land in Rio. When you enter the country of Brazil, they stamp your passport but they also give you this very flimsy, very easy to lose piece of paper with the same stamp that they put in your passport. It’s called the Entry/Exit Paper for Brazil. Very original, I know. They tell you when you enter the country – keep this paper with you at all times, you will need this paper when you leave the country. In my 9 years of going to Brazil, 7 different trips – I have been given this paper and I return it when I leave. That’s it. It’s almost like it is a test to see if I’m responsible enough to stay in the country.

When we check in at the airport in Porto Alegre to leave, the airline official asks for these papers. We have 5 out of the 6. He is very concerned for us. We look through bags, pockets, everything. No luck. The guy tells us – you will more than likely have to pay a fine, a “large fine” when we get to passport control in Rio.

The person whose paper we can’t find is just distraught. I’m a bit irritated as well but the truth of the matter is this – we can’t do anything about it except push onward. If it’s a fine, it’s a fine. We’ll pay it and get home. But I also remember the great advice of my friend Harry Anderson who always told me – don’t make these a crisis before they really are.

We get to Rio and there is hardly anyone in line at the Passport control desk. Which in this one instance, really isn’t good news. That means they aren’t going to be in a hurry to get us out. It’s time to pull the “we’re clueless Americans on a mission trip.” All 6 of us goes up to the Passport lady at the same time. This is normally a HUGE no-no and will get you pointed at and screamed at faster than you can imagine.

For some reason, this doesn’t happen. The lady behind the glass smiles and awaits my explanation. We’re a mission trip from the States, we’re heading home, great trip, beautiful country, blah, blah… She is still smiling and grabs the stack of papers, our passports, and boarding passes. Starts stamping away in the passports. Never looked at any of the papers.

And there you are…no crisis. Thank you, God.

Now that we are back…
I’m very proud of this group of students. It was one of our smaller groups but it was also one of our best groups. They were a team, liked being around each other. They liked being around the missionaries and DTC students. They each had their own wall in the trip and they tackled it. No complaints. No whining. Just determined to do what God had called us to do.

They are still teenagers so we still had those moments of – “did he/she just say that out loud?” And laughter almost always followed. I have laughed very hard over the last 10 days. It has been medicine for my soul. It’s been medicine for all of their souls. What huge life change moments we’ve witness on this trip in each of them. Amy and I saw it clearly. The trip was something significant for each student. Each one made a huge contribution on the trip. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys — in a good kind of pride.

So who is going with us in 2012?

Recovery Day

We let the students sleep in.  Amy and I grabbed breakfast with the DTC students @ 8.  Then I taught a morning session with them at 9 on dating and marriage.  It was the first half of what I went through with the missionaries the other night.  A good portion of the DTC students know English so that made some things easier.

Three big steps in Genesis 2 to a healthy marriage – LEAVE, Commit, then become one.  Each significant and important step.  Leave – be your own person, on your own, know you who are.  Commit – chose to stay and love someone.  Love is wanting the best for the other.  Then become one – get intimate and vulnerable.  Problem is that our culture is showing and telling us to do the exact opposite.  Become one first (physically, emotionally, etc.) then decide to commit then leave. Great Q & A afterwards.

Lunch and zipline in the afternoon.  Then we put up 3 poles for the new high ropes course.

Dinner with DuDu and Martina – homemade pizza.  Just incredible hosts and a time for us to talk about the last 10 days.  Good to hear what God is doing in our own students after seeing a week of what He was doing in others.

Downtown today.  College Baptiste in the morning.  Many students don’t believe in God.  They chose this school because of the great education.  One of the students asked why do we believe in God and Ben gave a great answer.  I was messed up and purposeless, Jesus healed me and gave me a purpose.  He is still fixing me.  Awesome.

Market & shopping in the afternoon.  Got coffee and took students thru the fish and meat markets.  Let’s just say it was a full sensory experience.  The market was where the slave trade started in southern Brasil as well as where Spiritism entered Brasil.

Tonight is the Gaucho churrascaira.  For the first time ever we got an American on stage.  John was volunteered!  The Gaucho that has done the ballo thing for years we find out is a believer!  In fact, he is going to work out with Thomas coming to the camp to perform and give his testimony.  How cool is that?

Late night…again.

Last session of retreat.
We don’t have hard numbers of the decisions that have been made.  WOL pushes these decisions to be made in the groups with their church leaders.  They are trying to train and disciple churches to start dealing with these kinds of decisions themselves.  That is such a great philosophy but it makes record keeping a bit crazy.  I think that is a good trade off.

But I had one lady tell me that she had brought 17 lost kids and they all accepted Christ.  Another guy said all 6 of his lost kids accepted Christ.  We then saw another group of 4 make decisions to follow Jesus.  We had a couple of students decide to go to the DTC to deepen their discipleship.  Every church reported decisions of some sort.

Which put me in an awkward position.  I was asked to sign Bibles and give autographs.  Our students response was like – but this is JUST GRANT!  Ben said that if we started a band here it would have to be ‘Grant & the Americanos.’  What can I say?  I am Kobe, they are the Lakers.  Ha ha.

Life stopped at 4 to watch national team in Americas Cup.  After the first half, I went to bed.  God decision as the game ended in a 0-0 tie with Venezula.  Not happy time for Brasil.

Night ended with me teaching on marraige with missionaries.

5 messages in 48 hours.  Tired but satisfied.

‘Please tell me that it is not 7.45′

Not exactly the way you want to get up after 5 hours of sleep.  We made it to breakfast and then saw 10 students make decisions for Jesus in morninh session.  So not a bad start to the day.

We had a breakout session with church leaders.  Took them thru Philemon as a model for student ministry.  Paul reaches Onesimus then disciples him to go back where ran away from.  Then he disciples Philemon as to how to receive him.  Relational ministry is best.  Wr had a great discussion.  Learned alot. 

Rained all day.  Feels like Seattle.  Agnes fixed us thos awesome tea from the leaves of a tree in the yard.  Who does that?  Just fix tea with leaves from a tree in the yard?  Out was incredible. 

Then what does a camp do in Brasil when it’s raining and all the other activities are cancelled?  Soccer.  In the gym.  All afternoon.  They even got me out there…in goal.  I did not embarrass myself which was my biggest goal.  My team made it to the semi-final where we played a team that I think coils have beaten our national team.  Ridiculous how good they all are.

Pizza night is the 2nd most incredible meal we will eat.  Dessert pizza is white chocolate with cinnamon sprinkled bananas.  It’s an explosion of heaven in your mouth. 

Evening session was good.  Worship team was good.  We saw more kids respond to Christ.  I don’t know the number yet.  There were quite a bit.  We had the church leaders come forward to help.  When it was all said and done about 50 kids went forward.  Not sure what decisions were made. Will find out from leaders tomorrow. 

Had a youth leader from an area church tell me that he brought 6 lost kids and each one made a decision to follow Jesus.  He was in tears as he told me this.  He’s a young married man working just a normal job, volunteers at his church.  Has a huge heart for teens.  Been praying for these kids for a year.

Then of course is the insanity called Super Tripp Trapp.  It’s part Ninja Warrior, part Wipeout.  I’ve added some pictures because I just can’t even begin to describe it.  Insane relay games for 150 kids at the same time.  Have I mentioned it’s insane?  It is.

Another late night – it’s now close to 1AM.  Another early morning and 1 more session.

The day camp cancelled which is just as well.  It rained pretty much all day and with the retreat starting tonight, there was quite a bit to do.  After breakfast we helped the DTC students clean up camp and move chairs and beds for the retreat. 

Johnny had a project that required knowledge of wiring.  I asked what he needed help with.  Turns out he had 12 par cans with broken lights.  He wanted to change the outlet in them to a standard outlet and put plugs on them.  I know how to do that. 

So we went to the hardware store, or ‘the mans store’ in Johnny speak.  Got those done and Johnny was happy. 

Tonight our kids are feeling the stretch.  9 churches, 150 teenagers, 25 volunteer staff, all Portugeuse, all the time.  Plus we are on ‘Brasil Time.’  Meaning that the schedule is just a rough estimate. 

Here was the schedule:
8.30 – Session 1
10.00 – games (outside in dark and rain with lit torches.)
11.30 – Break with pizza and hot drinks
1.00 – rooms
1.30 – lights out.

Guess what time breakfast is?  7.30. 

Of course, everything ran late…an hour.  I got to bed at 1.30.  I think.  I don’t really want to know.

But we learn quickly that you just go with it.  Exhaustion is temporary.  And it’s fun. 

This retreat is designed by WOL for area churches to bring lost kids.  Lost kids can attend for free but must come with a church.  Thomas has his reasons for doing this.  He tells me that growing that new believer into a serving disciple is the goal.  And while it is wonderful that this ministry is reaching the lost – churches must start making disciples specifically with teenagers and young adults.  

I’ll let Thomas explain further:

The church in Brazil is in real danger.  Churches don’t have student ministries as you understand it.  With no student ministries, churches are dieing.  I mean right before our eyes.  And what is baffling to me is that these churches refuse to change, they refuse to reach out to teens, to young people in general and not only are our churches drying up and closing – our country is about to be turned over to a generation with no moral compass and no hope for eternity.  We must keep reaching teens for Christ and making disciples.  Must.’

This drove Thomas to start the Discipleship Training Center.  Make disciples who will return to their towns and do this in their churches.  Want to see Thomas get fired up?  This fires him up. 

Back to our students – I am so proud of these guys.  Everyone of them has just jumped in and embraced the people and the opportunities.  Miss Shy Shelby has just impressed me with her courage to reach out and engage.   For an introvert, pretty much every aspect of this trip is terrifying.  There is no place to hide.  She has just rocked it.
They all have but I just wanted to brag on her a bit.

After the session, I gave students the opportunity to start a relationship with Jesus.  I lost count of the faces that looked up at me.  Will follow up with leaders in the AM to see how it went.  Good response so far.

One of the things that people don’t talk about when traveling is the topic of going to the bathroom. While I understand the sensitivity, everybody has to go and if you don’t understand what you are doing, it’s going to be a mess. Both figuratively and literally.

Brazilian toilets – for the most part – were designed by a 90 pound woman. For those who think the 1.5 gallon per flush toilets are weak, that is about 1.25 gallons more than what is here. Plus, the system is not designed to handle toilet paper. There are trash cans next to the toilets for the TP.

So the best advice I can give you about flushing is the same advice given to Chicago voters – flush early and often. Even then, the chances for blockage is great. And yes, it can always get worse so if blockage happens – get help. Yes, it will be embarrassing but less embarrassing than flooding the premises. I think that is enough about that. You can thank me the next time you are in Brazil.

Went back to Morungava this AM. Morning session. Another exercise in how if it’s on tv, it’s truth. Bin laden questions and how the whole country celebrated. Truth was far from it. We had a few but more people celebrated the Miami Heat losing than that. It was a great opportunity to correct some misconceptions.

It’s amazing how welcoming these people are amd how proud they are of their country. As they should be.

Afternoon session: new school in Morungava. It’s crazy how much access WOL is given because of us. For this school, they are investigating the opportunity for WOL to provide physical education, sports for them.