Today is an official holiday in Portugal, as it is in much of Europe: Called "Fat Tuesday" or "Mardi Gras" in much of the world, it's the day before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. In Brazil (and though we're in Portugal, we work among Brazilians, so we're sort of in Brazil), it's the season of Carnaval, a four-day celebration ending on this day.
Carnaval comes from the Latin "carne": "flesh," and much of the celebrations that take place around this time are conducted as a sort of effort to take as much pleasure in the flesh as possible before the season of Lent, with its giving up of favored items (chocolate, candy, etc.) in traditionally Catholic countries. Think of Mardi Gras celebrations in the Gulf Coast area of the U.S., and you have much the picture of what Carnaval is all about. In folk religion terms, it's basically getting out all of the sinning one can before Lent kicks in.
As Christians, we hope to take seriously Christ's call not to sin, rather than storing it up for a season. So we'll be celebrating today in a different way: by going to church. Please pray that tonight's service in the Santa Marta FMC will be well-attended and festive for the right reasons: Christ's love and forgiveness and reign in the hearts of ourselves and others who are called to live holy lives, not just for a season, but for all seasons.
Thank you for praying for us and the work here in Portugal, and may God bless you as well.
In Christ,
Michael and Carrie (Caty) Hamley
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