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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Grapes and Sardines

Fresh sardines, vegetables, and lively company. Small portions, but plenty of em'. Lively company, showing what they do best... feast.

The sardines remind me of a difference in our cultures. When we think of them, we see small fish in tiny roll open cans. Here they are bigger meal fish. They are not packed tightly into a convenient, cost efficient container, they are cooked, on spot, kept fresh salt, not frozen.

Things are slower here, quality, not production, is exalted. History, not progression or future is the main topic, even when the politics is lambasted, politicians are rhetorically given ball noses and balloon animals. But one thing is for sure, the table is where it's at.

As the oils soak into my bread, my thoughts sink into the bonds made over a meal. The food is delicious, most indigenous for the area. Community, communion, is had over the freshest meal I may have ever experienced. So far, this is also one of the most fresh experiences I have had yet.

This family has taken us in, unguarded, like the connoisseur of a fine wine, we are blessed by their generosity.  They have been our guides thus far. A light into the tunnel of this culture. We are indebted to their loving spirit.

Full from the meal, we see a part of who they are. Full of laughter and love for family. Family seems to be strongly defined more by shared experience than by blood. Friends are had for life, history is their future. People is their progress. Human bonds are their economy.

One thing is for sure, legalism is lost on them. It is a 'four letter word'. Indulgence is had. The sweet Wine of grace, that is neither harshly legalistic or loosely without consideration,  is the lifeblood of the meal of life here. The Wine we drink that brings life to the meal was bought at an expensive price, ye, we the guests at the table, partake for free. The grace given from a cup overflown with the sweetest Wine brings newness, joy, refreshment, life.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

another day

We are so excited at the friendships we are making and the opportunities to serve here in Portimao! It is humbling that we get to be here. Talking upward today at the beach thinking about our time here has been good. We went paint balling with some of the guys on the football team.
 I am not sure we could have been blessed with a better lady to stay with. It has so far been such a welcoming home to stay in. I have heard that the locals are hard to get to know, we must have gotten really lucky... As we build relationships, this place brings both more comfort, and more challenge, there is still so much to be done. Our time here has only begun.
I am confused sometimes as to how we are so blessed, but I guess grace just works out that way. I think sometimes its best not to ask why, but who. Who should I turn around and bless because I am blessed.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Cathedrals could not hold the Sound

Air is for everyone, it is Grace. We use it differently, some breath faster, some slower. We assume we all breath the same, but we don't, and that's ok, but we must breath. It is a challenge to allow others to breath as they may, we want them to talk and sing as we do. This oxygen of Grace we have is transcendent beyond our individual ability and preference to exhaust.
No matter how much we think we can breath grace back out it is never as good as when it comes in, sometimes, maybe just sometimes we can emulate the breath coming in, but we must realize we have all got to breath our own breath, our own way, and yet share the same oxygen.
When we allow others to breath to their own rate and sign to their own tune, a beautiful chorus emerges and cathedrals could not hold the sound.

"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the  glory of God and the refreshment of the soul"
-Johann Sebastian Bach

As we settle in, we have been graced with the ability to hang out with so many locals and the beautiful people of Portimao. I have been helping out with the American Football team, sharing the knowledge I have. We get to spend time with our great host family for a month, most thankful!

People here live in a different pace, no doubt! But they are who they are and it is a nice change of pace. Like all cross-cultural experiences, stress will be had, and there will be some getting used to it. No culture is 'perfect' or without faults or stressors.

And yet, I feel a strange "at-home-ness" here. I know, we have only been here a short while, and we are still in the "honeymoon" phase of culture shock, but my heart is at ease knowing we are supposed to be here.
The Spirit moves like the wind through this town now, I can feel it. We are joined by a great cast in this teatro (theater) and we am super excited.

The pictures below are of a festival for the saints. Many people consider themselves non-religious, but the saints represent a cultural icon, like many people who celebrate Christmas, but are not Christians. This festival was a blast!
This is us dancing at a local festival for the saints


Sunday, June 23, 2013

We are as ships of the same Armada

We are ships of the same Armada. Worn, torn, and beaten by years of storms and Navigation and foreign legions. Our boards are cracked and missing, our sails ripped and some masts breaking. Yet I fear that it is not those that may bring us down, but the cannons from our own ships, though we fly the same Cross among our parallel sails.

We are ships of the same Armada. We have been sent by the same Commander, yet we fire upon one another. True enough, each ship needs another, one as imperfect as the other. Seas crash and other sails encroach, yet our Commander remains our One true hope. Turn our eyes and ears to Him, for too long we have held our focus inside only our ships, and the Fleet suffers.

We are ships of the same Armada. All in need of correction and One leadership, we have become insolent and mutinous in our pride and tradition. The cannons of our mouths separate the Fleet from one another, and victory. Yet I have seen the victories of sacrificial sailors, who care more for the drowning sailor than which ships saves them.

We are ships of the greatest Commander. We must open our eyes to see which crown we sail for. Our greatest hope, as the waves crash and cannons fire, is in the greatest love of the greatest Commander. We are one Armada of the Greatest Commander.
"He who is not against you, is for you." 
"I have come to give life, and life to the full"
-The Greatest Commander

Friday, June 21, 2013

P.S. More pics (not jealous of big bro anymore;)






Here in the Sea Air

Seeking good soil
My neighborhood from the beach
We have arrived safely and with all of our luggage! We are staying with a great family in a nice apartment close to one of Europe's most beautiful beaches. We are excited to learn under our supervisors and the team of people that are alongside of us, they are also from the states. The sea air is refreshing and the noise of European cars and scooters (many sound the same) is invigorating, the atmosphere is laid back (even for me). The coast is a rare beauty that seems to be out of the pages of a novel that inspires many to travel.  Yet the world economy seems to make it a thriller, or tragedy. Many aborted building projects line the streets as if the workers were called out to lunch, and never returned... three years ago. Still, the white, orange, and yellow Mediterranean buildings help to outshine the drab architectural grave stones of a once booming economy. I pray that is picks up for these people, this place is beautiful. It is hard to believe though, as nice as this place is, I recommend a visit! There is so much to do here, especially sport-wise. There is so much to see from the annals of time, ruins, caves, castles, forts.

Hope, for many, seems to have been lost along with the economy. Corrupt politicians rule the headlines. I hope that the hope I have in One greater than the economy can be a blessing and hope to those who struggle to get by. Many seem to live only to get rest, instead of resting to truly live. The burden of the One who carries hope is light, so many don't know that hope, only tradition. I feel that the soil here is good though, but still varied. Relationships seem to start to build easily so far (this might change as I here people here are resistant to really let you in). When the assembly works together, across lines of tradition and though, to love and give hope, I see great things happening here. I am excited, and feeling unworthy, to be a part of it. There is much resistance because of baggage though. History is the elephant that does not want to get up and leave the room. People must see first the greatest of history, let it not be out shined by that which has misrepresented it.
 
The language barrier is harder than one might think. Reading signs is misleading, trying to equate English sounding words with Portuguese is not so easy. Realistically you have to almost start from scratch. Portuguese is a beautiful language, comforting almost, despite the language barrier. They don't speak as fast as we experienced in Spain, words are drawn out and relaxed, even when people are passionate, angry, excited, etc. We will soon be starting language classes, but there are plenty of opportunities to learn in everyday life. Also, we will soon be volunteering at locals schools, helping out with summer things. The team of volunteers from the states are a talented bunch, we even have a fire thrower, that's right... like juggling fire.
 I am reminded that we are blessed to be a blessing, and to whom much is given, much is expected, so I must bless as I have been given much.

All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle. -St Francis 

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Makarios

We are getting the last of our packing done and are saying our good byes. We are about to head out on the SBU Intercultural Studies 6 months overseas living abroad requirement. Preparation time brings about much contemplation. It is interesting the things that we can take for granted. So many people that mean so much to us, but yet we don't take note of them until we are faced with a departing. This is how it goes, I think, with what, and who, we are blessed with in life. Sometimes it seems like the blessing comes from recognition, a revealing if you will, of the blessings. What does it matter what we have if we do not recognize it. The weight of separation is only felt by a recognition of the object, or subject you will be missing. It is an important lesson to take account of all the blessings in life. Imagine having a mountain of gold that belonged you, and you forgot that it was there. How much more the people in our lives are (or should be) precious to us. How much more should we take note and remember they are there. As we pack our things into boxes, we are reminded how many things are have, how many things we forget about. It is amazing that we can be blessed with so much, yet forget so often. Things, as they are called however, don't smile, they don't call to comfort, they don't challenge our worldviews, they don't ask for blessings on our journeys. I wonder if the blessings come double-fold in recognizing we are blessed to have them. As we say our goodbyes, we are also reminded of the so many family and friends that have had such a huge part in our lives to make note of each one. Every person we leave here in the states has been a note in the symphony of the life that we step away from to start a new song. But this song is inspired by the one that precedes it.
"Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
-St. Francis