Last Day
We are in Boa Vista, sitting in a nice hotel after a relaxing swim in the pool and a delicious big meal, and I would rather be back, sleeping on the benches in the church hall with the bugs and crickets that sound like helicopters. At least you have fresh air and stars and community and family and God’s people.
Today was our last day in Maloca de Moscou. We helped with breakfast again, our last time doing that. Then Compass Check and Mr. Syltie’s review of how to care for the garden. Then a break. I went to the thatched roof area where they were playing Scrabble. A hammock was open, so I took advantage and for 20 minutes at least, I relaxed there. It was utterly magnificent. I was part of the goings on -- they’d ask me a few question now and then regarding the Scrabble game -- and gently swinging back and forth, the beautiful, clear blue sky, green grass, community, God’s people, peacefulness. The city just doesn’t provide that. We weren’t meant to live there. God created us in a garden for a reason. And God doesn’t intend us to “feel guilty” because we have wealth, it’s nothing like that. Because we have carpet and not dirt floors. We have a refrigerator full of food. We sleep in soft, comfy beds and not hammocks. No, no, of course not. That’s a false and really arrogant humility. As Mr. de Campos said, the Israelites were sent to be a colonizing people -- not for destruction as it became but to share wisdom and a quality way of doing things -- God’s way... to share GOD’S CULTURE. But the Western world has become so arrogant and perverted in its way of life that we’re heaps out of balance. “In the compromise of the elementary, the profound has been lost” as Joel Brunick said in a sermonette once, and our ever-wise “wisdom” has become utter foolishness. We have to trash it all and start over, building on the foundation of TRUTH.
What a grand day though. Relaxed, I savored that time in the hammock. Then we all gathered together for an interactive Bible study: Why is it important to know the real Jesus? Very worthwhile and everyone contributed.
Afterward lunch! And just such a lovely and relaxing time with brethren. Then after lunch, each family got together to take family photos for our sakes. It was nice, they were all washing up, changing clothes; it was really sweet. Then we packed up! Iracema and others came to the church to help me pack my things. Ana brought us ladies in the kitchen and presented us with fancy feather things for our hair and each a beaded necklace -- so sweet and thoughtful! Really meaningful. Then the children all got together and sang a good-bye song for us accompanied on the guitar. “We’ll always be friends, even though you’re around the world we’ll remember you,” lyrics like that. We were all crying. Everyone came around to give hugs and say some words of good-bye, some asked if we would come for the Feast. Really full of brotherly love, the whole week really was.
Then the bus came and we all loaded up in it, everyone gathered around to wave good-bye to us -- “chau familia” because they are our family, we’re all brethren. It was surprisingly difficult to leave. Truly a worthwhile, like really worth our while, to come down there and worth their while to have us there. We all benefited in a lot of ways. I will definitely keep them in prayer and hopefully return to visit “soon.”
