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September 2000
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Natal, Brazil!
We have had three short-term mission teams from PC(USA) churches
and organizations come this year for work/study experiences with
us here in northeast Brazil. One group came representing Germantown
Presbyterian Church, Germantown, Tennessee, another group came
from Great Rivers Presbytery and the third was a group of individuals
from various PC(USA) churches doing a study of the opportunities
and needs of children in Brazil in association with the Global
Awareness and Involvement office of Worldwide Ministries Division
of the PC(USA) and the churchwide initiative, "Year With
the Child." We have one more team from Zionsville Presbyterian
Church, Zionsville, Indiana, arriving the end of September. We
love having these groups because they each bring a dynamic of
exchange and partnership with our host church, the Independent
Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPIB). In August, we hosted two
Princeton Theological Seminary students for five days, Jason Micheli
and Evelyn Oliveira. Both of these students were involved in a
summer study program with the Theological Seminary in Fortaleza,
and we invited them come to Natal to learn about the training
program of the Missionary Training Center (CTM-Northeast) where
Paul teaches.
The team from Germantown Presbyterian Church had a varied experience
in that they visited and worked with a church in the capital city
of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, where we live, and, also, visited
and interacted with a new church development project nearly 150
miles from Natal, in the interior of the state. In Natal, the
presbytery had planned a remodeling project with the Third Presbyterian
Church of Natal. In addition, we planned a health fair for young
people in the neighborhood of the church. The church is located
in an old, densely populated and low-income neighborhood of Natal.
Team members worked together with members of the Third Presbyterian
Church of Natal for two days cleaning and painting the two classrooms,
a kitchen, and the sanctuary of the church. It was a wonderful
time of friendship-building, as everyone worked together to put
a fresh look on the church. It was also a time of great encouragement
for the members of the Third Presbyterian Church, as it had been
many years since the church had been remodeled, and it was the
help Germantown gave that made it possible. Third Presbyterian
Church is a congregation with only 30 members and the (IPIB) Presbytery
of the Northeast helps pay the small salary of the pastor, the
Reverend Rubens Diender. It is the hope of the presbytery that
the church will finally become self-supporting under the able
and mature leadership of Rubens, who is also the president of
the presbytery this year.
For the health fair, the Germantown team brought items such as
soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste for personal hygiene
kits, as well as, some arts-and-crafts materials. Three simultaneous
presentations were prepared so that teachers and translators could
share with the children some basics about personal hygiene, dental
care, and nutrition. The fourth presentation was an arts-and-crafts
activity.
On the day of the health fair, we were invited to Pastor Rubens’
home for a delicious Brazilian lunch, which was prepared by Ivanete,
Ruben’s spouse and partner in ministry. You should know that
lunch (almoço) is the main meal in Brazil, consisting of
meat, rice, beans and salad. Sandwiches and pizza are for evening
meals (jantar). Everyone was ready for an afternoon nap in a hammock
in the shade after lunch, but it was time to go to the church
for the health fair.
We walked the two blocks from Rubens house to the church. Nobody
knew what to expect, as it was a new experience for all. As we
approached the church, it appeared no one would be coming—it
was time to begin and not a single child was approaching the church.
It appeared everyone else was in fact taking an afternoon nap.
When we entered the church, we were all amazed to find it filled
to capacity. There were 120 eager children being led in song by
a few of the young men and women of the church. What a wonderful
semi-chaotic afternoon it was, as we had planned only for 60
children at most. The children were divided into four groups,
and with the invaluable help of the members and translators of
the Third Presbyterian Church, the Germantown team shared some
very practical and important health concepts.
We are continually impressed with the quality of relationships
that are established between visiting teams and the host church.
It is a wonderful experience to see and participate in the smiles
and hugs exchanged between brothers and sisters in Christ who
are normally separated by thousands of miles, a different culture
and a different language. But, the love of Christ, which makes
us a family, dissolves boundaries and brings us together as one
Church working and worshiping together.
Working together, Germantown Presbyterian Church and the Third
Presbyterian Church of Natal completed the remodeling of the Third
Church and the pastor’s house. The new paint on the walls,
some new doors and windows, a new pulpit and communion table have
made the church a more inviting place to congregate and worship.
Recently, we sensed very tangibly the ongoing connection between
the two churches when we visited a Sunday service of the Third
Presbyterian Church and they lifted up the Germantown congregation
in prayer.
We have equally exciting reports about the other teams that have
been with us this year. These will have to wait for another newsletter.
Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and financial support.
We are grateful for your partnership with us. We could not be
here in this exciting and rewarding ministry without you.
Graça e paz do Senhor Jesus,
Paul and Linda Fahnestock
The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 252
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