Good Friday in São Paulo - By Aaron

Warm greetings on this Good Friday (Sexta Santa)!

My final semester is well underway and I'm especially enjoying two classes, Public-Private Partnerships and Negotiation, which present material that is very relevant to my career interests. Joyce is in her second trimester of pregnancy. Aside from twisting her ankle yesterday on the treacherous sidewalks of São Paulo, she is doing great and all exams have shown good results to this point. Thank the Lord!

The following are a few fun updates and reflections from the past month. Read at your leisure!

Good Friday

The boys and I had lunch with the family of one of our church's associate pastors today. I always have stimulating conversations with the pastor. As we drove through the neighborhood, he commented that Brazilians had traditionally honored Good Friday (even Holy Week) by closing shops, going to church, spending time with family, eating fish, etc. Even non-religious or nominally Catholic families would honor the holiday for fear that something bad might befall them if they didn't. Today was relatively quiet in São Paulo, kind of like a Sunday when many shops close early and others don't open at all, but it was far from desolate - a sign that the values of the metropolis have changed. The conversation brought to light the prevalence of superstitions and traditions that often drown out many holidays. We celebrate today, and call it good, because nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus of Nazareth chose to offer his sinless life on the cross so that we might experience abundant life and redemption with God here on earth and in heaven. As He died, the skies blackened, the earth quaked, and the veil in the temple at Jerusalem tore from top to bottom exposing the Most Holy Place and signifying that there was no human leader or institution that could come between God and His children. Praise God!

Lemann Road Show 2013

The fellowship I received from the Lemann Foundation based here in Brazil made it possible for me to pursue grad school at two incredible schools such as Columbia and FGV. What I didn't know before was just how committed the foundation is to the personal and professional development of its fellows. Last week, the foundation took me and about 14 other graduating fellows on a whirlwind tour visiting some of the most influential Brazilian leaders in various fields to provide opportunities for us to learn, be inspired, and further develop our network of friends and professional contacts. Some of the highlights were the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the President of the Central Bank, the Brazil Director of the World Bank, the Brazil President of Facebook, the National Minister of Education, the President of Grupo Abril, and a prominent political reform advocate. We spent four packed days in meetings with these leaders peppering them with questions, hearing their insights on leadership, and discussing the challenges facing Brazil today. Sharing this experience with such brilliant colleagues was truly phenomenal. The biggest highlight of the week for me was when the Chief Justice invited us to meet him in his office (for the second time that day) and he spent more than an hour talking with us while his aides repeatedly tried to get him to leave for another engagement. His final words: "Always stay true to the values you received growing up. Don't get swept away by the values of institutions and corporations. Be critical, participate, and speak the truth." 

Inside Brazil Supreme Court

Outside Brazil Supreme Court with Congress in background

How to "Watch" a Soccer Game in São Paulo without a TV

Sunday afternoon is soccer time in Brazil, much like football time in the US. This is how one might experience it without actually watching the game:

4:00pm brief fireworks in the neighborhood = game begins

4:10pm mild cursing heard in the neighborhood = disagreeable foul call against home team

4:25pm barrage of fireworks and wild cheering = goal, home team

4:39pm wild cursing = yellow card against home team

4:45pm brief fireworks = halftime

5:15pm brief fireworks = 2nd half begins

5:23pm wild cursing and dog yelping (presumably from an errant shoe, foot, or beer can) = goal, visiting team 

5:35pm cheering and laughter = yellow card/injury, visiting team

5:37pm multiple fireworks and wild cheering = goal, home team

6:00pm fireworks = game over

Final score = home 2, visitors 1

Yes, but doesn't São Paulo have multiple home teams? How do you know which team was playing? 1) One of the SPFC fans to the west is especially fanatical and likes to cheer/curse as loud as he can directly out the window. 2) If the noise is more dispersed throughout the neighborhood, Corinthians was playing because they have a larger fan base. 3) If it was a quiet afternoon with some occasional cursing, it was Palmeiras who hasn't had much to cheer about in a while.

Stress

Check out this interesting article about stress and its effects on your quality and longevity of life:

http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/522408?print-article

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Phil. 4:6 

With much love from Brazil,

Aaron

Random Happenings in the Pierce home!

Thought it would be fun to upload a few pics from the ipod. It's usually the quickest camera we have handy, so it captures the daily joys!

Jonathan smiling at Nana on the phone while going potty :) 

The boys have really come to enjoy watching "First Baftist" (as Jonathan calls it!) services online

Rediscovered love for puzzles. Occasionally we (they) get them ALL out and do them one at a time. 

I discovered with this picture that Austin's learned to take pictures on the ipod!

Rainy day fun! Thanks Aunt Sissie for the "school work" the boys loved it!

Notice the cordless house phone pointed at the legos? That's Jonathan "showing" Mema the legos Austin had created.

Yoke up early from nap little man?!?! Yoga with momma is what's on the agenda! 

Austin's really into practicing letters through spelling. This is my favorite :)

Best Buds - we couldn't be more grateful :)

City Savvy

It's been nearly two years that we have lived in a mega city. When we left Arlington TX the summer of 2011, we sold both of our cars, down sized to "fit" into a NYC apartment, and prepared mentally for what urban living could entail! Part of me was excited, part of me was nervous. In retrospect, learning to live in a huge city has been a great lesson for all of us.

I've learned what it's like to read a subway map without hyperventilating! I've also learned that getting lost isn't the same thing as getting kidnapped (that's what my insides would tell me when I would first realize I didn't know where I was!) I've learned that I really enjoy walking to run errands (believe it or not, you can get a bigger quantity of errands run on foot than you can while driving). I've learned that even when you don't know the exact way home, you can still get home by asking for people's help. But what's been the funnest part of city living to me has been watching my boys become "city savvy"! I've been amazed at the how the boys have adapted. I never imagined that Austin at just shy of 4 years old and Jonathan at 2 and a half would be quite as adapted to urban living as they are. Here are the things that have most recently impressed me about them:

*Walking- The subway stop is a mile from our home. Daddy is way more brave than I am. When I'm with the boys, out of fear of melt downs, or that I'll have to carry a 30lb child for a mile, I always take the little bus that gets us to the subway. But when we're with daddy we walk :) The other day, I gave them the option of getting on the bus or walking home. They chose to walk! They did so cheerfully without complaining. I was impressed and proud.

*Safety Zones- I remember having many near heart attacks in subway stations when we first moved to NYC. The boys were so curious about the train tracks. They were eager to look at them - ahhh - a momma's nightmare! Today they are very aware of the line they need to stay behind.

*Holding hands. I remember the struggle it was to have them hold my hand while walking. Today they are happy to hold it and understand the safety behind holding our hands on crowded streets.

*Crossing the Street - In our neighborhood we will often allow them to walk ahead (or behind) us without holding hands. It still amazing me every time they get to the corner, look back and reach up for our hands. They've learned that streets have cars. Cars mean danger. Holding momma and dad's hands is best! 

*Escalators - The boys love them! And do really well on them :) I am always a little nervous of a tumble on the moving stairs with sharp edges and risk of knowing people over. To date (knock on wood) we've had no issues getting on (or off) escalators. The boys enjoy the ride and often ask not to have to hold our hands on them.

*Being herded like cows! - Rush hour on the subway in Sao Paulo is beyond packed. It really does feel like you are a cow in a heard being escorted by the rest of the cows in a certain direction....and don't even attempt to go against the flow on this one. Just wait for the crowd to subside if you have to hang a left when the "herds" are going right. The boys and I don't have to do much commuting during rush hour, but yesterday we found ourselves among the crowds. I was alone with both of them. I'll be honest, my heart did race a little. The thought of one of them wanting to go the other way, or deciding this would be the time to pitch a fit. The risk of being trampled was really real (at least in my mind - HA!) They did awesome! They patiently complied with the rules of people traffic. They held tight to my hands and we safely navigated our way home through the masses :) 

I never really envisioned myself living in a mega city. Matter of fact, I've always said to God please send me anywhere in the world EXCEPT Sao Paulo. In addition, when Aaron was looking at grad schools he asked me if there was anywhere I didn't want to go. I simply said, "Please no where cold, and no big cities!" Hahaha! The joke's on you Joyce. Careful what you say! When all this is said and done though, I've loved our time in big cities. I am sure there will be many things I miss. I am also really thankful for the rich experiences only Sao Paulo and New York would have been able to teach my boys! 

Adding to the fold!

Yes, it's true! We are expecting our third little bundle of joy. This photo was taken one night where the three guys in my life decided to put their hands on my belly and pray for this little life within me. It almost made my heart pop out of my chest. We are delighted to be expecting another little one. Another one who if he/she is anything like the other brothers will fill our home with laughter, challenge, utter joy and testing of patience! We consider it a gift that God has entrusted another little one to our care!

Ask and You Shall Recieve

Shortly after arriving in Brazil I wrote a post Pierced not Poked. Aaron chuckled as commented that he thought it was pretty bold of me to put in writing where people would read that I wanted to be held accountable to the lessons I mentioned there. It's true I do. I know myself well enough to know that if I don't ask put it plainly and set up external measures, I will flee from growth I long to have. So there it is.

In light of external measures, I picked up the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker.

I'd heard about this book. I was curious and scared. However, these two years have made a little more clear is our needs vs wants. Thinking through the last two years, we've lived a much better balance of living in the needs not the wants. The healthy understanding of the balance has become more clear and it felt good. I've enjoyed the simplicity and the way clearing the clutter has allowed for a more intentional focus on what truly matters, on what matters to the Lord. I am not done yet with this book. I really have no idea what all the implications of it will be. But as I stated in my previous post I want to live in light of the lessons I've learned. 

So - ask and you shall receive! Very regularly on our walk home from church on Sunday we see a mom with four kids sitting outside the grocery store. Typically, we just walk by with a quick greeting and go on with our afternoon. As is usual, we walked by them last week.  This time, the mom asked if we had anything to share with them. Without many details, she quickly said they'd lost everything and anything we had would help a bunch. I told her we would bring them some things next week. As we walked away she said, 

"Thanks for the attention."

The words hung in the air. She was thankful that someone gave her a minute of their attention. I thought about her all week. I prayed she'd be there Sunday. I prayed for my boys and the opportunity this presented for them. We've walked by countless homeless people on a weekly basis here. Many times they are men. Often they are sleeping on the ground or intoxicated. I question our safety as I ponder what we could do. I feel so helpless. The boys have endless questions as to why they don't have food or a home. They wonder why we do have those things. I know these are teaching moments, but how to go about sharing the lesson has boggled me. Here was a tangible situation. A mom with children. A momma just like me, longing to care for her young. Children just like my own. She two of them- of course- were boys about the same size as mine. Just like God to present an opportunity that compelled action. Not only to teach the boys, but also to live lessons He's been showing me.  

So this weekend, the boys and I went through their closets. They got to pick out toys they wanted to share. To my surprise, they were eager to choose and bag things up for the family. They understood we have more than enough and that means sharing. My heart was glad at their reaction. The innocence was refreshing. May they always give with such ease. I went through their clothes and pulled some things I thought and hoped would fit. I prayed God would show us things to put in those bags that would be useful for the family. There were moments of excitement to share. There were moments of shame in having so much. But over all, there was gratitude for the opportunity. 

Sunday morning I was nervous. Not sure why. I just was. I have a heart for the poor. I have always been moved by needs of the oppressed. But if I may be honest, I'm not comfortable in my own skin around in engaging with them. I think I quickly forget they are just people with a story to tell. Looking for someone to listen. 

Church ended and we began walking home. Of course, there they were, in their same spot right when we turned the corner. The mom's face lit up. I thought, "Whew...glad we didn't forget. She's obviously expecting us". She immediately said that she'd been looking forward to this all week. She said her boys needed clothes to go to school. We exchanged names. Her name was Christina. Her daughter Carolina. Her son Joao Vitor. The other two were not beside her in the moment. I loved knowing their names. I loved that the exchange was natural and easy. I loved that I was not uncomfortable. Why did I fear? What was I nervous about? May I remember the ease in which we chatted for future circumstances. May there be future circumstances. She thanked us over and over. We invited them to church. She said she'd come next week. I hope she does. I find myself wanting to be her friend. After all, she's a momma just like me. 

In 7 Jen Hatmaker quotes Shane Claiborne, 

"I had come to see that the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor...I long for the Calcutta slums to meet the Chicago suburbs, for lepers to meet landowners and for each to see God's image in the other... I truly believe that when the poor meet the rich, riches will have no meaning. And when the rich meet the poor, we will see poverty come to an end"

I share this in no way to boast about our actions. Please don't hear that in this post. After all, what did a few bags of toys and clothes really do to impact the well being of this family? I'm confident it was minimal. I share this because I'm moved. I share it because I long to be more connected and less intimidated by the drastic differences in my life and those like Christina. I share it because maybe my story of facing a fear offered a family some hope. I share it because I know I will be convicted again to action and something tells me I'll need to read this and remember God's presence in it all. I want to meet the poor and witness God's image in them. I know I'll be transformed. 

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