May? Really?
Well, the last post was almost June, and this is still July, so from that perspective, it's like I only skipped a month. But it feels like it was two months, or four, maybe. There were times I didn't know which way to turn, but there always seemed to be several people giving me directions, or asking for directions, at the same time.
What went on? In May we went to Naples for about a week. There was a consular conference there, and we stayed over a couple of extra days to see some sights around Naples. The memorable sights of Naples were the mounds of trash four and five feet high at almost every street corner and the chaotic traffic. You know those pictures of food on packaging that are labelled "Serving Suggestion"? That's the impression we got of the traffic signs, lane markings and stop lights in Naples: they were more of a "Driving Suggestion" than performing any actual regulatory purpose.
We saw Pompeii, went to the Isle of Capri, and drove along the Amalfi coast. We got a lot of pictures, but have had no time to work with any of them.
June was when the pressure really started...church activities and planning; consular responsibilities and planning; translation work as heavy as ever. We geared up for the 4th of July, with the presence of the Consul-General here for 5 days, plus other visitors from the embassy. About the same time, Pastor Paulo Pascoal and his family came to stay 3 weeks in our apartment; they left a week ago, but another pastor and his family have come to stay almost 2 weeks; Roman, a brother from Russia, is also here until August 1; and we had a visit from Alejandro, a brother who lives in the Dominican Republic and whose father was from Santa Cruz, the village we live in. Somewhere along in that period, we had a death in the church.
Antonio Luis Alves was married to Lourdes, the sister who was healed of what would have been a fatal cancer back about 20 years ago. She had 3 to 6 months to live as the tumor approached her spinal column. For many years they have lived over on Porto Santo Island, and Antonio seemingly lost all interest in the Bible and his relationship with God and the church. Lourdes prayed that, even though their marriage relationship had deteriorated, somehow Antonio would come back to the Lord. After a serious heart attack earlier in the year and several weeks spent here on Madeira, Antonio went back to Porto Santo and back to his old self. Then, a second attack; a second emergency airlift to the hospital here. I visited him twice in the hospital and this time his Bible was always at his side. On Sunday, the day before he died, he sent a text message with a prayer for the church, and thanking God for His grace. When he went for CAT scan the next morning, the only thing he took with him to the other hospital where he was to have the test was his Bible. In the last conversation he had with Lourdes by phone that day, he said he had been reading from the Bible but he was very tired and would try to get back in bed.
There were many family members present at the funeral, none of whom had ever attended an evangelical service of any kind. Those who are not traditionally Catholic are firmly agnostic or openly atheist. We thank the Lord that Antonio made his peace with the Lord before being called home.
Next up: another trip
We will be spending the month of August in the US. Mom will be celebrating her 95th birthday, and so will we. "We" meaning an assortment of family members of varying degrees of kinship, some of whom are coming rather long distances to be there for the party. We're not only going to be flying all day on Wednesday, but then have to drive 12 or 13 hours the next day to get to Colorado. Making the flight reservations this time was a real challenge, and we ended up with flights to and from the airport near Joy and Mark. As it turns out, Northwest Arkansas Airport has far better connections to Newark Airport than Tulsa. It's not quite like landing in a cow pasture, but that's about the best way to describe it. It'll do just fine, thank you.
What went on? In May we went to Naples for about a week. There was a consular conference there, and we stayed over a couple of extra days to see some sights around Naples. The memorable sights of Naples were the mounds of trash four and five feet high at almost every street corner and the chaotic traffic. You know those pictures of food on packaging that are labelled "Serving Suggestion"? That's the impression we got of the traffic signs, lane markings and stop lights in Naples: they were more of a "Driving Suggestion" than performing any actual regulatory purpose.
We saw Pompeii, went to the Isle of Capri, and drove along the Amalfi coast. We got a lot of pictures, but have had no time to work with any of them.
June was when the pressure really started...church activities and planning; consular responsibilities and planning; translation work as heavy as ever. We geared up for the 4th of July, with the presence of the Consul-General here for 5 days, plus other visitors from the embassy. About the same time, Pastor Paulo Pascoal and his family came to stay 3 weeks in our apartment; they left a week ago, but another pastor and his family have come to stay almost 2 weeks; Roman, a brother from Russia, is also here until August 1; and we had a visit from Alejandro, a brother who lives in the Dominican Republic and whose father was from Santa Cruz, the village we live in. Somewhere along in that period, we had a death in the church.
Antonio Luis Alves was married to Lourdes, the sister who was healed of what would have been a fatal cancer back about 20 years ago. She had 3 to 6 months to live as the tumor approached her spinal column. For many years they have lived over on Porto Santo Island, and Antonio seemingly lost all interest in the Bible and his relationship with God and the church. Lourdes prayed that, even though their marriage relationship had deteriorated, somehow Antonio would come back to the Lord. After a serious heart attack earlier in the year and several weeks spent here on Madeira, Antonio went back to Porto Santo and back to his old self. Then, a second attack; a second emergency airlift to the hospital here. I visited him twice in the hospital and this time his Bible was always at his side. On Sunday, the day before he died, he sent a text message with a prayer for the church, and thanking God for His grace. When he went for CAT scan the next morning, the only thing he took with him to the other hospital where he was to have the test was his Bible. In the last conversation he had with Lourdes by phone that day, he said he had been reading from the Bible but he was very tired and would try to get back in bed.
There were many family members present at the funeral, none of whom had ever attended an evangelical service of any kind. Those who are not traditionally Catholic are firmly agnostic or openly atheist. We thank the Lord that Antonio made his peace with the Lord before being called home.
Next up: another trip
We will be spending the month of August in the US. Mom will be celebrating her 95th birthday, and so will we. "We" meaning an assortment of family members of varying degrees of kinship, some of whom are coming rather long distances to be there for the party. We're not only going to be flying all day on Wednesday, but then have to drive 12 or 13 hours the next day to get to Colorado. Making the flight reservations this time was a real challenge, and we ended up with flights to and from the airport near Joy and Mark. As it turns out, Northwest Arkansas Airport has far better connections to Newark Airport than Tulsa. It's not quite like landing in a cow pasture, but that's about the best way to describe it. It'll do just fine, thank you.
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