On Tuesday the 21st I went with Mark Kaiser to a drug rehabilitation center in Itu called Centro Terapêutico Christo Vive or CTCV (roughly: Therapeutic Center- Christ Lives). Mark visits on a weekly basis and leads a devotional on Wednesday mornings. We spent the night on Tuesday and Mark gave me the opportunity to lead the devotional in the morning. I talked about manhood and relied on “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge which I have been reading this summer. I was able to interview some of the men at the center and hear their story for a short video explaining the work the center does. It was inspiring to see these men facing their demons with such openness and fighting for each other. It seems rare to see men fighting and forming a brotherhood with each other in today’s world. If I have found one thing to be passionate about this year and during my time here in
From the 24th-26th, the Itu church hosted the group Acappella. They had a performance at the church on the 25th and sang during church on the 26th. The whole weekend was very exciting and exhausting as we dealt with organizing a concert. The performance was amazing and church service was inspiring. I was able to help with planning and organizing while translating when necessary. This past week (30th-6th) my parents and I came down to Brasília to help the church receive Acappella. In essence my parents and I were Acappella groupies for a couple of weeks. My mom wore a bandana and did the sound checks, my dad wore a sleeveless shirt and made sure each member had fresh sharpies and wrote out the set lists, while I wore aviators and took care of security. What we actually did was mostly translate. I was able to translate for an interview Acappella did on a national radio station and then an interview on a national TV station here in
Unfortunately the fun with Acappella ended Monday as they headed back to the
That brings us to now. That didn’t take as long as I thought it would. This next week I hope to finish the video projects I have been working on and enjoy time with my parents and friends before I leave on the 16th. I will have a final report over the whole Summer once all is said and done. Once again I cannot begin to thank each of you for your prayers and support. To God be the glory. Amen.
Max Lucado at the Itu Church
Devo at CTCV
Parents with Max
Acappella at the Itu Church
Sign for Acappella in Brasilia
Sightseeing in the capital
Translating at the radio station
The excitement of running PowerPoint