New Year’s Eve at the Brazilian Chapel Church

Back Row L-R: Billy Rudd, Jeff Murphy, oldest daughter of Jose Belarmino, Melinda Ferguson.
​Front Row L-R: Belarmino twins, Michele Ferguson, neighbor Ieda.

New Year’s Eve at the Brazilian Chapel Church

Rudolfo Friesen was the pastor of the Chapel Church when we first went to Londrina, Brazil. His wife Raquel and children, Raquelzinha (little Raquel) and Juninho (little Junior), became good friends of mine. They lived on the seminary compound. Pastor Rudolfo was also the seminary Dean of Men. We became good friends because we were about the same age and had small children about the same age. Raquelzinha was Melodie’s age. When we first moved on campus, Manuel, the seminary handyman, drove Melodie and Raquelzinha in the “Kombi” (Volkswagen bus) to Jardim Infancia (kindergarten). It was really good for Melodie to be with Portuguese-speaking kids, because she picked it up immediately. 

For whatever reason, unknown to me, Rudolfo left the chapel pastorate and Dean’s job to preach elsewhere. I was asked to head up his farewell party. Because I am American, I planned a party with games, as I would have in the States. However, it was not the kind of party one puts on in Brazil for a farewell. We had games and refreshments on the seminary lawn with students, churchgoers, and town folk attending. It was not the solemn occasion that everyone expected. Essentially, I messed up, but the good news is that everyone had a wonderful time and probably still remembers the party today. : )  You know, you live and learn, sometimes the hard way.

Jose Belarmino became the new pastor of the Chapel Church. He was a kind, tall, thin, black man who attended classes at night in the Seminary’s Bible Institute. He worked in town and never served as the Dean of Men. He had several children, two of which were twin girls. They were somewhat younger than my daughters, so when my girls outgrew their clothes, I gave them to Jose for his daughters. Because Brazil, where we lived, is cold in the winter, my girls wore American Sears pajamas with feet in them. When they got too big for them, we cut the feet off. In the end, the only things that were wearable were the tops. I gave them to Jose for his girls. I was surprised when they showed up in church the next Sunday wearing those floral-patterned pajama tops.

Milford was usually off on evangelistic preaching or singing treks, so the girls and I attended the seminary Chapel Church on the mission compound. I taught the women’s class and later a children's class at the Chapel Church most of the time we were in Brazil. In our last term there, we decided to have a Watch Night Prayer Service on New Year’s Eve. We were going to pray the whole night at the Chapel Church. Pastor Jose led the service, and I was to provide snacks for the break in the middle of the night. I don’t know why I didn’t have this group in my house (on the seminary campus) for refreshments or even in the seminary cafeteria. We prayed until four o’clock in the morning but couldn’t stay awake to pray any longer. I am a morning person, so I was fairly miserable when we decided to give it up.

When we left Brazil for the last time, Pastor Jose came to our house to say goodbye. He quoted Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” And he cried. 

Today, when I think of New Year’s Eve, I always remember the time I spent praying with Pastor Jose and the Brazilians in the Chapel Church. 

Everyone should be so blessed! Happy New Year!

©Marilyn Francis Ferguson 2023
Graphics by Michele Ferguson Schuck