Shedding light on the "Dark Ages"

As I had lunch yesterday with a teacher from Stony Brook School in Long Island, NY, I learned of a fascinating lecture series available for free on the web. Lars Brownworth, a history teacher at Stony Brook, uncovers some of the mysteries of the Byzantine Empire as he looks at 12 of its most influential emperors.

I listened to the introductory lecture this morning, and I think I'm hooked. Lars teaches in a conversational style with non-technical language. His lectures are not long--15 to 20 minutes on the average. You can listen in real time on the web or download in mp3 format. You iPod users can also find these goodies on iTunes.

At a time when the East is gaining attention in world affairs, this series promises to give us greater understanding of the issues behind today's headlines.

Here's the link: http://www.anders.com/lectures/lars_brownworth/12_byzantine_rulers/

Baggage recycling

Lost baggage can be a good thing.

We discovered this last week when we assisted with translation for a team of optometrists from Alabama, who were here in Sao Paulo on a short term missions trip.

Believers from the Lions Club had received hundreds of pairs of glasses from the unclaimed baggage center in northeastern Alabama. Optometrists and other volunteers classified the glasses according to degree of lens correction.

Armed with portable eye-testing equipment and a suitcase full of glasses, the group arrived in Sao Paulo and went to work. A Brazilian Baptist pastor had contacted the local public school to get permission to test the children's eyesight and fit them with reading glasses, if possible. Adults from a GED-type program were also included in the campaign.

In a 3-day period, several hundred people--who could not afford to purchase eyeware--were tested and fitted with glasses. Gospel tracts were distributed and the local church received greater visibility in the neighborhood.

Curt is pictured here with one of the American volunteers and an eager candidate for "new" reading glasses!

Two new books on sale

We both continue to edit and translate books for the Brazilian church. (This is not our only ministry activity, but it is probably the main event right now.)

I was the editor for the Manual de primeiros socorros para ministério com jovens e adolescentes (Emergency Response Handbook for Youth Ministries).  The book is aimed at youth leaders and parents, providing an overview of 12 different crises facing youth today. Each chapter gives practical ideas for helping students at their points of need.

My job included checking the accuracy of the translation and making some minor adaptations for the Brazilian context. Unlike most books, for this one I wrote an additional chapter which addressed a crisis which is more acute for youth in Brazil: employment.

Lalia's strong suit is translation from English to Portuguese.  Another one of her literary "children" just came off the press: Zooclopédia: 52 mensagens e lições bíblicas do mundo animal (Zoopedia: 52 Bible lessons from the animal world).  This book is aimed at teachers of children from 6 to 11 years, and provides step-by-step lesson instructions.  It is gratifying to know that the many hours invested in crafting a good Portuguese translation are now making a difference for teachers all over Brazil!

The Creator's Majesty, Part 2

"...since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20 NIV

While Lalia and I were walking inside our condominium grounds today, we were attracted by the beauty of these orchids.  

Joy delayed is not joy denied

I have to admit that there might be some redeeming value in shopping.  Before you think I've gone off the deep end, read on...

Lalia recently visited a women's clothing store recommended by a friend.  Since the shopping experience is as much about social interaction as it is about keeping up on the latest trends, she had soon struck up a friendship with the owner.

To make a long story short, the store owner told Lalia of another friend who had her life transformed at a Christmas tea several years ago. Her old paradigms were turned upside down.  

She had never heard anyone talk that way about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Normally, Baptists and other Protestants in Brazil relegate Mary to the footnotes of their Bibles.  But that afternoon someone gave Mary her rightful place in history and the Scriptures, praised Mary for the right reasons, and ultimately pointed to her Savior and Lord.

The person who delivered the Bible message at that Christmas tea was Lalia.  More than 3 years later, we were able to rejoice, because of what God's Spirit had done.

  

"...we had to celebrate and be glad, because this [sister] of yours was dead and is alive again; [she] was lost and is found."  Luke 15:32

THE CREATOR'S MAJESTY UP CLOSE

During a WorldVenture leadership training event this week, we sang and talked and prayed about God's majesty. Yesterday, we saw a part of it--up close and personal. The photos here are a meager glimpse of that glory at Iguaçu Falls, on the border between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.

In the bottom photo, Lalia laughs with Sylvia Engel (WorldVenture, Caracas, Venezuela) on the train inside the Argentine national park.

POW! SMASH! KABOOM!

One recent afternoon, Lalia and I wandered down the street to the newsstand. In a few minutes, we returned home with a small stack of comic books and sat down to work.

No, we’re not in our second childhood! We are researching the contemporary language used in Brazilian comic books, in order to translate the Manga Messiah into Portuguese. This 280-page Japanese comic version of the life of Christ is a first for the Brazilian evangelical book market.

In Japan, manga style comics sell at a monthly rate of at least 120 million copies. Their unique visual style has become a significant part of the 21^st century world pop culture. Manga Messiah leverages this effective story-telling medium to communicate the gospel to today’s highly connected youth culture.

Lalia and I thoroughly enjoyed working together on this project. We laughed frequently, looking for the “hip” word or phrase. It was a welcome change of pace from the traditional books we are used to translating and editing!

OK... time to get back to work. Now, what was the word for "WAAOOW!"? How about "THUP THUP"?

Some of our best source material in Portuguese is a series of comic books by Maurício de Sousa, a long-time cartoonist. Tough research...whatever it takes!