Brazil Visit

As many of you will know, last month I had the privilege of going with Audrey Taylor on one of her mission trips to Brazil. I had the opportunity to meet many of her colleagues and friends and to see the work that she has been involved in for the last 50 years! Audrey has developed and built friendships with many people from the Wycliffe Centre; the Kaiwa Mission and the Kaiwa people - and is much loved and appreciated by them. She and John translated the New Testament into the Kaiwa language, as well as literacy materials and a Kaiwa hymnbook - which was used in every church we visited and is much valued. She is now responsible for promoting and encouraging Bible reading and knowledge amongst the Kaiwa. This involves producing books, leaflets, bookmarks, songs and other materials in Kaiwa. She is currently working on producing a booklet with verses of encouragement for different occasions.

My visit to Brazil made me appreciate a few of the difficulties that Audrey faces on a day-to-day basis. Having spent 3 weeks understanding very little of the language made me realize the challenge of learning not just one but two languages (Portuguese and then Kaiwa) - and then the enormity of writing down a language for the first time and the painstaking detail and labour that goes into the task. I also discovered the daily challenge of the weather - Brazilians talk about just as much as we do here! It's either so hot that red dust blows everywhere and covers you, your home, and your clothes in it; or it's rainy and then you can't go out because the earth roads turn to thick mud and make it impossible to travel anywhere; school and church get cancelled - and buses, carts and horses get stuck in it! I now appreciate tarmaced roads in a new way!

I was privileged to see the amazing way that God works directly in people's lives and to see many examples of sacrificial giving and living by Christians in Brazil. I experienced more of what it means in Colossians 4 when it says,
"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." And "whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Audrey's next visit to the Kaiwa will be in August when the Mission celebrates its 80th birthday and expects over 1,000 visitors for the occasion. Please pray for her as she travels (believe me - it's an arduous journey!); for wisdom in difficult political and spiritual situations; for enough financial provision to cover the expenses of travelling to and living in Brazil; for continued skill in translation and for inspired preaching and teaching the word of God in Kaiwa.

Dry Flour (Farinha Seca) Church send their Christian greetings to everyone at Oakwood.

Jackie