On Thursday, Corpus Christi (Brazilian holiday), about fifty people went to Porto Feliz, 35km from Itu. There Bob Carpenter, a past missionary in Brasilia, now Oklahoma Christian professor, spoke on diversity in the body of Christ and the need to over come past and present prejudices to unite the church.

On Thursday I sat down for two hours with Bob to discuss diversity. He told me about two churches, predominantly black and prdominantly white, in a small Oklahoma town that for two years have been in open discussion about the subject. It´s amazing that these two small town churches, on their own will came together to discuss the problem. When it came down to the only thing separating the two was historical prejudices. The two don´t know what the future is. If God wills merger, it´ll happen, if not it won´t, but amazing bridges and relationships have been built between the two.

Antanor´s, the local minister, daughter, Ali, was singing a song while banging her hands on the table and looked down to find her suspended diamond of her wedding ring missing. She stopped every one, turned to her father, and says, “Dad, my diamond is gone.“ He turns, picks up a pebble, and hands it to her. She starts balling. One of the local youth looks at the bottom of his drink as a joke and there´s the diamond. Amazing and a good laugh.

The retreat was at a small suger cane farm set in the hills. Gorgeous. We all had a great time.

We came back to Itu on Saturday and rested up. Today was worship this morning and soccer in the afternoon.

Go Spurs. Star Wars was depressing.

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