Chapter by chapter

Let’s start with what I’ve actually been getting up to this past week - what you guys I guess are actually interested in (I mean, seriously, who wants to hear the theological ramblings of a 20-something year old?).

This week has been ace. Totally amazingly ace. I met a friend for dinner on Sunday, who I’d met at CNUC (Christian Underground Conference) and consequently met some of her friends. The next day they all invited me to the cinema - although unfortunately it was the new TWILIGHT film (which seriously, I’ve managed 5 years without seeing a single TWILIGHT film and then I get hijacked by a group of new ‘friends’… great fun!) - although the positive is that I was compared to Edward when he spoke Portuguese, and becuase I always hear girls talk about him, I thought it can’t be a bad thing…

The day after they also then invited me to a Pizza and Games evening which ended up in tears - in a good way, honest. Whilst I was at this guy’s house, I was chatting with one of the older guys there - Julinho. He asked if I was from London (standard question here) and I responded ‘No, a really small city called Hereford’. To which he actually responded with a question - ‘Do you know David Marshall?’

‘Yeh. He’s actually my old pastor at my church. Wow. How do you know him?’

At this point he then turns to one of the other girls in the room -

‘Micaela, this guy’s from Hereford, didn’t you live there?’

The next second was insane. As soon as me and this girl turn to look at each other, we remember EXACTLY who each other were, thoughts from our childhood, memories that hadn’t been accessed in over a decade, and a story that has just been picked up again after 12 years.

This girl was Micaela. She lived in Hereford for about 2 years with her family. Her parents - Alan and Enilce Oliveira - came to my church (Christian Life Centre - http:\www.clch.org.uk) from 1996-1998 as the first missionary couple to start a relationship between Hereford and Brazil. The family was really close to mine - my Dad helped the couple understand the way the church works in England, and my middle brother dated Micaela’s sister - Alissa - for a day - it was cute, and I have the picture to prove it!

Everyone else in the room was just stunned. They didn’t quite know what to say, or do. But the night ended up with everyone give some kind of ‘ode’ to everyone else. There were tears, friendships strengthened, prophecy, and love. Man, there was a lot of love there.

The day after I met Alan at his church - which just happens to be a 10 minute walk from where I live. He remembered who I was straight away, and went directly into a conversation about Hereford, the church, my family. A few minutes later I met Enilce as she turned up at the church - she also remember who I was straight away, through loads of hugs and ‘wows’. They invited me to lunch with the family at Alan’s mum’s house, and invited me to live with them, and invited me to the church week away at the beach.

It was like I’d found my Brazilian family - well, to be fair I’ve already got one pair of Brazilian parents by the name of Odette and Chico Dutra who by the way have been totally amazingly wonderfully beautifully insane with their acts of blessing and practical displays of love. Fact.

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Why is this such a big deal? Well, I’ll tell you.

This could have happened in the physical. I could have rung or emailed my pastor in Hereford, and he could have given me Alan’s mobile number, and I could have met up with him and chatted.

But no. God took me to the same physical outcome but via the scenic route, which is actually nothing like the same spiritual outcome. God decided to use a chance meeting with a girl, through a situation that I’ve been having a lot of trouble with (if you know me, you know what situation I’m talking about), and along the way making loads of new friends and expanding my purpose of why I’m here in Brazil, to pick up a relationship that is now in it’s second generation. First it was Alan & Enilce with my parents, and now it’s me with Alan & Enilce’s children.

In my post the other day I said some stuff about the Oracular - and this Oracular is such that it only makes sense to those who are involved in it. In the same way, often the journey that God takes us on is part of the ‘observing’ process. Without this journey of failed relationships and chance encounters, I wouldn’t be in the place I am just one week later - a more confident and secure Jason with a wider vision and more definitive focus.

(c.f. Jonah - would him going to Nineveh be as profound and meaningful if he hadn’t had his calamity with the whale?)

There’s something profound here. Seriously.

Only for the King