The city in the background
The Road home ~ at least there is a bit of tar here, unlike Mato Grosso.
The community has just purchased this hilly site for their new church. Both the Kiltegan Fathers and The German Catholic Church helped in purchasing this land, approx. BR$80,000 {€30,000}. The land is on a steep hill, on a site big enough for two houses. It will take a lot of work before it is even ready to build on. The site will have to be shored up as the earth is removed and then built up with reinforced concrete to protect the houses above it. São Paulo is a city of hills!
Once the community has a church building or community centre to call their own, this will help to attract more people to join the church community, especially some of the large percentage of Catholics who do not attend church. It has already started with the few who gather in their garage to pray every week, not too unlike the the Faithful who gathered in the "Upper Room" on the Day of Pentecost.
Feliz Ano Novo to you all.
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The new year,
like a new born child,
is placed in our hands as the old year passes away.
The days and weeks to come are God's gift;
they carry God's blessing.
As a blessing we welcome them.
Our hope for the year ending is that all that was good in it remain with us
and all that was harmful be left behind.
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Genesis 1;1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.The earth was a vast waste,darkness covered the deep,and the spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water.God said: "Let there be light,"and there was light;and God saw the light was good,and he separated the light from darkness.He called the light day,and the darkness night. So evening came, and morning came;it was the first day.
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Bless us, O Lord,
and bless the time and seasons yet to come.
Teach us to number our days a right,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
And fill this new year with your kindness,
that we may be glad and rejoice
all the days of our life.
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And so 2006 comes to an end. For me it was a very different but interesting year. It was a tough year not without its struggles and frustrations, especially with the new language and culture. But like all challenges, we are a better person when both God and us surmount them.
"The most difficult mountain to climb is the one within ourselves."
God is good and the New Year will bring many new and wonderful experiences and an encounter with a happy and simple people who will teach me more about God and Faith, than I could ever teach them!
Tchau for now and God Bless,
Denis.
