Recife!

Today’s topic was scheduled to be singleness. What a daunting topic to speak of, especially in a culture where people are being single is considered somewhat of a weakness, especially in Brazil. I have a story that I often tell, that helps explain how people here, especially within the church view singleness. Once, a couple of years ago I was visiting a project in one of the suburbs here in Recife. It was a brilliant project. A Pastor from the interior had started a little rehabilitation centre. He basically had bought a house, and took in people who wanted to get drug free and they lived together as family. This project had grown and been going on for a couple of years. His success rates where at last five times higher than those of the state-run centres. At this time, he had some 20 plus young men living at the centre. We all sat down to meet the men, in a big circle, on the sidewalk, and right out into the street, and the Pastor asked all the young men to introduce themselves, an...

Tid Bit about living in Recife: In the UK, even in London and larger cities, I don’t think that we really have a full understanding of what Noise Pollution is, or how it can affect you, both positively and negatively. For example, last night when really, all I wanted to do at 3.30am was sleep, I was kept awake by fireworks and by the fact that this community has finally discovered Despacito and was playing it on a loop (although I must say that this is quite rare for the community here. They don’t usually have parties until 5am, and the whole place is abuzz with the scandal this morning). Despacito is just universally a cruel tune. So, yes, there are times that it seems quite unfair to have to adjust your body clock along with others who have made the decision for you! On the other hand, I must say, thanks to the light and the movement and the music in the mornings, I find that I wake up much easier and much happier, it feels more natural, the cocks crow at sun-up (they really do!) an...

Happy Tuesday all. I have been thinking recently about what makes a good team. I mean, not only recently but generally in life, this is something that someone in my position is constantly thinking of. How to motivate, how to be a part of and how to lead a team. As I was thinking of this, I came to a realisation about my favourite teams to be a part of, which I think gave me some insight into what kind of team works best. Throughout my life in ministry, from before I was even a regular member at church, I have been drawn to a specific ministry – teens. Even when I was a teen, I loved working with teens, at confirmation camps in Finland, to the YF at Hebron, to Legacy and so on. These were not projects that I was paid to be a part of at the time, although later on that would come to pass as well, but it was something that I was willing, and eager to commit to and to be a part of. When I first started working for Hebron, YF and Legacy (our inter-church teens work in Aberdeen)...