Mannequins and Evil Spirits - by Aaron

Greetings friends and family! - by Aaron

As September draws to a close, our feet are on the ground and we feel like we're running a bit more smoothly. We've made several friends at our new church called Redenção ('redemption' in English) where Joyce has already started a mom's Bible study group. Last weekend, we met some of Austin's classmates and their parents at his school's culture fair and then joined them for a barbecue. I just finished an interesting study of local government partnerships with NGOs in the context of an anti-poverty program. Now, only final exams and papers stand between me and the completion of my first quarter here at FGV, which means only three quarters remain before we launch into whatever God has for us next.

Here's a sample (not, by any means, representative) of some recent experiences here in São Paulo:

Shivering Mannequins! Yes, as I walked by a clothing store on my way to school I noticed that the mannequins, which last week wore tank tops and swimsuits, were now wearing peacoats and sweaters. The temperature last week was steady around 95 degrees and plummeted this week to around 45 degrees. One day we even had strong enough wind gusts that sent the wind chill below freezing. What a start to Spring!?!

Closing the Loop. One of the highlights of my Development and Sustainability class was a field trip to three local companies involved in a fascinating supply chain. The first company was a trash collection and separation co-op formed by favela residents with technical and capital assistance from the City and a few large companies. This co-op sold its separated materials for reuse by other companies such as the second stop on our trip - Suzano. Suzano, a large paper and pulp company, purchases TetraPak materials from the co-op and separates out the paper product from the aluminum and plastic. Then, it sells the aluminum and plastic to a third company, Ciclo, that uses these materials to make durable, affordable roof tiles. Clusters like these can dramatically improve both our environmental and economic efficiency.

Singled Out. Due to my evening classes, I eat dinner away from home at least twice a week. As such, I've been frequenting a cheap little restaurant next to campus called Galo Rei (King Rooster) and building friendships with the waiters. It has also been a good place to pop in for a juice with my classmates. One evening, I was sitting at the counter in the middle of the restaurant reading for class while waiting for my meal when an old woman entered the restaurant and started cursing at me telling me to leave. She said she represented a queen demon and that I was of the Kingdom of God and had no business there. As she walked off shouting and pointing angrily, I turned to others nearby and the waiter behind the counter to ask if anyone knew who she was. Oddly, nobody even noticed the scene! Just another reminder of the spiritual world all around us.

Well, I hope you are safe, sound and sanguine about tomorrow!

God bless,

Aaron Pierce