Before we go any further, I have to get this off my chest: I confess I'm left speechless at the end of this day. I'm in love—IN LOVE—with our brothers and sisters in Christ that we were introduced to today. It's literally taken me hours to process what I've experienced so far—and we haven't even started the clinic yet.
Today has changed my worldview and perspective on God's precious children forever. And I'm sure it has for the rest of my team members too. And, just so you know, I'm sure this isn't the last of these types of confessions. Lucky you.
This morning, the team boarded the bus and headed to First Baptist Church Freguesia, otherwise known in Portuguese as Primeira Igreja Batista de Jacarepagua and led by Pastor Jonanias. We were welcomed at the front gate by the pastor himself, who led us to a breakfast spread prepared by the church members.
They had us at "hello." We were overwhelmed by their generosity and kindness from minuto uno. And if that wasn't enough, I think every team member had at least three generous helpings of the hot chocolate that was served, which more than sealed the deal for us.
Today was a special day. It was Valentine's Day in Brazil, "Day of the Pastor," and Pastor Jonanias' birthday—and don't forget it's also the day of the week we like to gather together and worship Jesus. That gave us four good reasons to celebrate with our Portuguese brothers and sisters—all wrapped into one two and a half hour service.
That's right, you heard me—two and a half blessed hours. When does that happen in the United States? Not often. And let me address all of you out there who think you can't go that long without burning your pot roast and ruining Sunday lunch altogether. Trust me, you can—especially if you're in a service like the one we attended this morning. Every minute was packed full of pure joy, love, honor, celebration, praise, and thanksgiving.
We celebrated Pastor Jonanias and the other church pastors on the front two rows, right alongside our new Brazilian family of faith. People whose lives he touched in years past showed up to recognize him. His own church members stood to honor his service. And his family gathered on stage to show their love and devotion to a man who's left behind a legacy of faith.
And if that doesn't make you want to buy a plane ticket right now to come and meet this man in person, then this will. He ended the church service by singing a solo rendition of "The Lord's Prayer" without missing a beat, falling off key, or breaking a sweat. It. Was. Flawless/Incredible.
The icing covering all of this that was weaved throughout the entire service was a holy fragrance of praise lifted to the One who started this show and continues to be the main attraction—a holy and generous God.
What you may not know are these things about FBC Freguesia and Pastor J:
- Brentwood Baptist has entered into a three-year partnership with FBC Freguesia.
- Pastor Jonanias prays for his American friends and Brentwood Baptist every day. That's how much he loves and appreciates us.
- FBC Freguesia has started seven new churches—the most recent being the one where we'll be conducting the medical clinic in the City of God this week.
That was Part 1 of an incredible day.
Now, on to Part 2.
After leaving church, we headed over to the City of God where the members of the new church start were waiting. Then, we were mobbed. In a good way—a spectacular way. Members greeted us with banners, American flags, smiles, kisses, hugs, lunch, and song. Our hearts melted into big puddles of goo, right there on the favela streets.
What amazes me most is this: they didn't speak a lick of English and we don't speak a lick of Portuguese. But it didn't matter. If you were a bystander watching all the commotion, you would've thought we'd just come home for a family reunion after 20 years of being away. It was like that, folks.
The congregation sang "Mighty to Save" for us in English, which was no easy task since you can imagine how long it must've took them to learn it in a language unfamiliar to them. Everyone participated, from the smallest to the oldest. They blessed us. It's a moment we'll never forget.
After the mini praise session, they ushered us under a tent to tables where we got to mingle with everyone. Then came lunch prepared by the generous, kind hands of church members. We were treated like royalty and welcomed like family until we left later this afternoon.
Not many words were spoken, but lots of smiles were exchanged. And when attempts were made to mumble through a few Portuguese words, it was usually followed by a laugh or polite smile. The language barrier tried to separate us, but it couldn't stand the weight of something that was undeniably there—the common bond of Christ. That's something that can't be broken.
Please pray for us tomorrow as we start our first day of the clinic. Our five teams are set and ready to go. And half of the members from the new church will be joining us throughout the week to participate. They're ready to see their city and neighborhood come to know Christ just as we are.
Christ is all,
Kaylan Christopher
P.S. What's that saying? A picture is worth 1,000 words? Oh yeah. In that case, I'll let these do the talking.
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