The Joni & Friends, Wheels For the World and Total Access Team to Sao Paulo, Brazil

These are our team members that make up the Wheels for the World and Total Access Team that went to Sao Paulo, Brazil, 3 other missionaries and the Frays, missionaries who own and operate Camp Bethel.

Most of our team (Don Dale missing), plus missionaries (Lidia Costa missing), Dinalva Nabuco (on scooter), Gaynor Smith, Diane Fray and Nathan Fray (last 3 on right).

We had a debriefing one night to evaluate how things were going. We expressed some disappointment that the bathroom construction was not at a point where we could install the fixtures, but determined that perhaps The Lord's main purpose for our trip was more to support and encourage the Fray family in their grief (Nathan and Diane's daughter Lidia passed away in September - Marvin and Diane Sr. are grandparents). 

Mike Maloney, Ross Ream, Pastor Don Needham, Ken Riley, Monte Hanks and Jenny Hanks, all from Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs, CO.

Bottom: Cordell Brown, Linda Riley and Cathy Kearnie; Top: Rachel Blake and Elmer Hess. 

Top: Elmer Hess and John Wern and Cathy Kearnie.

Dick Tiff from California and Jim Hetzel from El Paso, Texas.

Rachel Blake from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

John Wern from Joni & Friends in Agoura Hills, CA

Elmer Hess from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Cathy Kearnie from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Linda Riley from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO. Among other things, Linda made lap robes and neck pillows for all the wheelchair recipients.

Cordell Brown from Ohio

Ken Riley from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO. Ken rescued our flight plans and got us all elite passage through customs.

Ross Ream from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Mike Maloney from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Jim Hetzel, contractor/home builder from El Paso, TX

Barb Hetzel from El Paso, TX

Dick Tiff from California

Maureen Stimpson (me) from NH

Don Dale from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Pastor Don Needham from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Gaynor Ruth Smith, not part of our team, but a missionary who came to interpret and help out.

Dinalva Nabuco, not part of our team, but a missionary who came to help out for the week.

Lidia Costa & me.

Monty Hanks, electrician from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Jenny Hanks, an Occupational Therapist

Pastor Don Needham, Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Rachel Blake, Colorado Springs, CO

Don Dale and Monty Hanks

Elmer Hess, from Woodmen Valley Chapel, Colorado Springs, CO

Pastor Nathan Fray, Owner of Camp Bethel

Jenny Hanks and Dick Tiff

Gaynor Smith and Dinalva Nabuco, missionaries in Brazil

Pastor Nathan Fray and his father, Pastor Marvin Fray

Diane, Nathan and Marvin Fray

The Bus Ride to our Destination, Camp Bethel

I took a lot of pictures of scenery en route to Camp Bethel, being intrigued with architectural differences and transportation modes. It was about a 2-hour ride, including a brief stop at Pastor Nathan Frays home and a ferry ride across the lake. Some of the pictures at the end are actually of our return trip to the airport, when we also made a pit stop at Nate's house before going shopping for a couple hours and then driving for hours to the airport, all still within the city limits.

Ramp providing pedestrian route over the highway.

Graphiti everywhere.

A bus similar to ours.

Rachel Blake, explaining things on the bus.

Trash all over the ground. We were told Brazilians through things down wherever they finish with them.

We missed rush hour this trip. On the way back to the airport a week or so later, we did not.

Terraced construction, shanties adjacent to the highway.

Fairly new apartment buildings.

Single family homes are behind protective walls.

A nice private residence.

Under construction.

New construction just above rubble of old buildings, where people still live.

Still in the city, these beautiful flowering trees

Sao Paulo is the 3rd largest city in the world population-wise, exceeded only by Tokyo & Jakarta. It's also the 7th largest city area-wise.

A police car in pursuit of someone.

This canal stunk pretty bad and had a lot of debris on the banks. We were told it is constantly being dredged.

Workers in Sao Paulo average 2-4 hours commute each way, via bus &/or train.

A train stop, not busy mid-afternoon.

A tree covered in little yellow flowers.

A single-family home in foreground, sky-scrapers in background.

Water collection systems of various sizes on almost every building.

Most private residences not only had protective walls, but had razor or barbed wire on top to keep out vandals. It is illegal to have a personal firearm in Brazil, but all the thieves have them. Many neighborhoods hire security guards, but they also cannot have firearms.

Our team outside Pastor Nate's house, waiting to get back on the bus after a bathroom break.

A coconut milk drink vendor beside the ferry. At night the neighborhood turns into a bar strip.

Rachel Blake & Cathy Kearnie on the bus.

On the ferry crossing the lake.  It holds 2 buses and up to 6 cars, operates 24/7 by the State of Sao Paulo, free of charge. The ferry is pulled across the lake by a cable.

This bridge is the alternative route to the island (really a peninsula), but the roads are dirt, muddy, narrow and in very poor condition.

Some homes on the island.

A little chapel on the island.

A better part of the road into the camp.

The camp gate.

The bus had to back up to make this section again. Where the water is on the road is a small plank bridge, barely the width of the bus tires.

The road is not wide enough for 2 small cars to pass, never mind passing our huge bus.

Note the broken glass imbedded into the wall around this palmetto plantation that abuts the camp.

The ferry approaching.

If you look closely you can see the 2 cables that pull the ferry across the lake.

Note the small yellow item on the bank of the lake - it is a pineapple offered to the spirits.

Exiting the ferry.

Monte Hanks and Ken Riley on the bus.

Dick Tiff, Ken Riley, Linda Riley, Jim Hetzel on the bus.

In city traffic, with one of the city buses.

Note this city bus has an "accordion" in the middle that flexes for the bus to go around corners.

A bus stop.

Our bus outside Nathan Fray's house, Walter, the bus owner/driver, is cleaning his tires after traveling the muddy roads.

Our bus outside Nathan Fray's house.