Archive for March, 2010

  • 29 Mar

    Posted by
    emily


    Category

    Cultural Navigation

    0

    Just when I thought I was beginning to get better culturally-speaking here in Brazil, I am confronted by a situation that is difficult to navigate in the US even. I have gotten down greetings and that you NEED to take a shower when people ask you “Do you want to take a shower?” even if you just took one an hour ago and have never met the person before and you are just visiting their house for the afternoon.

    But today started out with a thud. The brother of the pastor I am staying with in Rio died early this morning. I’m obviously an outsider, outside the family, yet I am staying with them. I don’t even know how to say “I’m sorry for your loss” in Portugues. I didnt even know if I should wear black if I go to the funeral. Apparently you do wear black at funerals here in Brazil, though you also wear black at weddings.

    Anyhow, this would be a slightly difficult situation to navigate in the US, and since I am trying to navigate in a different culture, the situation is even more delicate. I don’t even have my super amazing cultural translator boyfriend here with me to help. We’ll see how it goes…

    I’ve so far been to 2 weddings and a baby shower and a college graduation here. Now, I might go to a funeral, not that its a good thing, but I am learning how to navigate these interesting cultural situations. Although they are different in some ways, in alot of ways they are similar, so it is not too bad.

  • 23 Mar

    Posted by
    emily


    Category

    Disconnection

    0

    A few years ago I expected that I would work in DC, live in DC, and follow all the political happenings in the US closely. I assumed I would be a journalist there.

    Now, just 5 years after those thoughts, I don’t even really know what is happening in the US. I am disconnected with US politics, I didn’t even know the Healthcare Reform bill had passed. I didn’t even know it was up for the vote. I don’t even really understand what it means for Americans.

    On one side, I hear CNN biased reports, and conservative opinions from friends and family, and then the Brazilian opinion that governmental healthcare is normal and good. I don’t even know what to think anymore. I am completely disconnected fromn the politics of the United States.

    I am completely disconnected from current events there as well. I read cnn online maybe once a week. On occasion I watch CNN international here. But what I really like reading is the BBC news about Africa. I might be more up to date on African and Brazilian news here, than US news. It is all part of slowly becoming an ex-pat, apaprently.

    I think I will have more culture shock going back to the US this time than I have before. I have 3 weeks left in Brazil, and am already anticipating coming back in May, June-July, and August-October.

    I think in Portuguese now. I dream in Portuguese. In my dreams, people who only speak English speak Portuguese. I forget how to say things in English on occasion. I forget how to translate words from Portuguese into English, because I don’t think the words translate well enough.

    I don’t know what I will do when I go back to the US. I will miss everyone in Brazil. I will miss the kids, I will miss my boyfriend. I will miss the boiling hot 4 hour church services I can’t understand because the preacher talks too fast. I will miss eating the wonderful fresh bread here everday, usually twice a day. I will miss the coffee, the sertanejo music- as silly as it is- and the way the culture is so relational.

    It has taken me two months and many conversations to understand more of the culture here than I have ever known before. The other day, I was in a hurry to get changed for a baby shower and church. The American Emily would’ve gone home, ran in, and gotten changed. But everyone was eating dessert, and there were guests, and so I sat down, had a piece of cake, and looked at photos with everyone. Getting tere late to the baby shower didn’t even matter. I am turning my mind slowly towards the Brazilian culture more and more. Its slow, but its coming…

    And I am disconnecting from America.

  • 16 Mar

    Posted by
    emily


    Category

    Moral Code

    0

    What has happened to the Moral Code that Christians are supposed to follow? The last I checked, the Bible, in its totality is still the valid, inerrant Word of God we are to live by.
    The Moral Code God wrote through Moses on Mount Sinai may be old, but it is still valid as ever today, and it is still the baseline by which we Christians must strive to live for.
    God is first. Not ministry. Not numbers. Not healings. Not evangelism crusades. God is first. Our life with Him must always be first. It is easy to point fingers and say idols are money, sex, and drugs, but ministry can be an idol as well.
    Which brings us to the second of the ten, which is don’t make idols for yourselves. See above about putting God first.
    Don’t use God’s name in vain. Maybe this is more cultural, but it truly bothers me when people in Brazil use God’s name in vain so much. And they also say it in English too, if they only know a few phrases in English, “Oh my God” is one of them. And they use it in front of me, to show they know English, but it is terribly offensive to me.
    The Sabbath (not arguing whether it is Saturday or Sunday) needs to be a day of rest. The underdeveloped worls has at least got this right. Most stores are closed on Sundays and no one but pastors work here. Amen to that! America should go back to that lifestyle.
    Don’t lie. This includes saying you will do something, and then backing out of it, or refusing to do it. Don’t tell un-truths.
    Don’t kill. Easy. Right? I hope?
    Don’t commit adultery. This one is maybe the most difficult for people to follow, as people break and break and break it all over the world. Brazil is no worse or better off than the US on this one.
    Don’t steal. Stealing involves, taking material items from someone (ie, my laptop was stolen out of my luggage, it was an item that was taken), not paying someone for a service they provided to you and you said you would pay them, as well as taking photos or other artistic material that is not yours and using it for your own benefit without the artist/author knowing. Ministries should not steal. Some BIG ministries need to work on this one. And some little people who have spending problems also need to work on this one. Apparently stealing is very common in churches and ministries here in Brazil. Even at Christian conferences, you have to keep an eye on your stuff otherwise it will disappear.
    Don’t Lie. Don’t say you will do something and then you don’t ever follow through on it. That is lying. Don’t tell what is not the truth. Don’t fabricate stories to make yourself look better (I really dealt with this one in high school alot). Don’t make empty promises. And once again, we fail. FAIL. FAIL. Ministries, Christians, everyone. Everyone Lies. Humans are evil people. Even Christians, when acting in their sin nature, are evil.
    Don’t Covet. This one is hard because most people nowadays don’t even know what coveting is. It means wanting to have something that is not yours. I think there is a difference between going “I want an ipod, so I am going to save for it” and “Joe has an ipod, it is SO nice, I wish I could have one too, just like that” with jealously in the desire.
    I know, we are covered by Mercy and Grace, but God also wants us to live righteous lives that are pleasing to Him. He is sad when we break this code of conduct, because sin hurts Him. It hurts our relationship. We need to turn to Him and repent. Amene. Amene.

  • 02 Mar

    Posted by
    emily


    Category

    Too Much to Write

    0

    I would be lying if I said I haven~t written here for awhile because nothing has been going on. Truth is, too much has been going on to even begin to write it. We~re seeing the Brazilian church really work together to bring the trasnformation of lives in an orphanage here. I love the kids at the orphanage. But today, I~m in Brasilia again, going to the orphanage to pick up my belongings there and come back to Brasilia.

    We~ve been having some issues with the leadership of the orphanage, and we are putting the journey project on pause this week. That doesnt mean I~m not doing anything this week. Hopefully we~ll go to see another orphanage this week, one that we have the opportunity to work with, to actually run ourselves. We~re going to go and check it out and pray into it this week.

    We~re also getting t-shirts done up, Paulo was working on them last night, and I was there giving my opinion on colors. We~re printing them up in Portuguese first, and praying that all of them sell so we can do a second batch in English so I can take them to the US when I go back.

    We~re also meeting with the head director of the orphanage next monday to determine for sure whether we are stopping the work there and moving on. We have a peace about it, we know what God has called us to do, and we know that the kids know they are loved whether we stay or leave. God is working and we are just his vessels here on earth.