November, 2006
Friends,
Earlier this year, Little John (“Joãozinho”
in Portuguese), took me to the local rodeo. There we visited the
stands, saw some excellent handcrafted knives and other paraphernalia
of gaucho culture, and admired the horses. Little John was particularly
proud to show me the young stallion one of his friends had given
him, which was progressing rapidly in his first lessons.
From the stables we returned to the area where some of Little
John’s friends were camping and, I confess, it was just
a little awkward for me. As it turned out, some of his friends
were not entirely sober and proudly rambled on and on about their
skills in cooking and attracting other women. In fact, one of
his friends just couldn’t seem to keep his mind on anything
else. Through the conversation with his friends, Little John remained
nonchalant, and non-judgmental, adding only a word or two of modest
advice.
A few weeks ago, Little John suddenly died from a massive stroke.
I keep thinking of our visit to the rodeo, admiring his ease at
relating to folk so different from him. I suppose Little John
learned this rather earthy form of grace through God’s own
calling on his life. Although he had a pretty good job as district
attorney and state public defender, Little John and his wife lived
very simply. Thirty years ago, they made a commitment to reach
out with God’s love to those whom they call society’s
“excluded” (not to be confused with “exclusive”).
Tim with Bugra.
They spent much time on the streets of Florianópolis,
and Bugra, his wife, even adopted the dress of the local “hippies.”
Over the years, their love grew into a widely recognized ministry
called Shiloh, which became a model for many similar ministries
around the country. The ministry consists largely of hospital
visitation to victims of HIV, counseling for people with various
types of chemical dependency, and assistance to the families of
people with chemical dependency. Little John and Bugra were recognized
by their denomination, the Independent Presbyterian Church of
Brazil, and proudly received the title of “missionaries.”
They were faithful members of our local church, and Little John
was an elder.
So, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised by Little
John’s ease at relating to folk so very different from him.
He spent a lifetime doing just that. Now he is resting with the
Lord, while Bugra carries on that ministry with the aid of some
of our former students. I cannot tell you how much we love being
a part of this story, however small it may be. We thank you for
your support that makes this possible. Please continue to pray
for us, for Bugra, and for the continuing global mission of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little
ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none
of these will lose their reward.
-Matthew 10:42
Besides our home page
on the Mission Connections pages of the PC(USA) Web site,
there is even more now at our personal
Web site in English and that
same Web site in Portuguese).
Tim Carriker
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
45
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