| Brazil, Iguazu Falls, Paraguay and MWC (Tour #1) |
 July 2-20, 2009 Leaders: Menno Epp & John Ruth TourMagination has planned this 19-day tour to include a number of days in the country of Brazil to learn about the Mennonites in various communities there before viewing the magnificent Iguazu Falls and traveling on to Paraguay where we will visit Mennonite colonies in East Paraguay and the Chaco. The tour begins in Rio de Janeiro where we will take a cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, and see the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain. The highlight will be attending the in Asuncion, Paraguay, where we will interact and worship with our brothers and sisters from around the world. Menno Epp and John Ruth are experienced tour leaders with TourMagination and they will lead you on this journey of discovery, fellowship and worship. Thursday & Friday, July 2 & 3 The group will gather in Miami on Thursday for a late evening departure for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio is a beautiful city: Islands are within view, a forest is in the heart of town; it has a bay with excellent shipping conditions, beaches, lagoons and sand spots within easy access. After arriving on Friday morning, we will take a cable car to Sugar Loaf Mountain, one of the main attractions which offers a breath-taking view of the city. Lodging for two nights in Rio. Saturday, July 4  Christ the Redeemer statue Sunday & Monday, July 5 & 6 Today’s journey takes us through scenic countryside on our way to Campinas, a large metropolitan area of over one million people. The main economic activities here are agricultural and industry. We will learn about the Portuguese-speaking conference of Mennonites which began when the Mennonite Board of Missions sent missionaries here in 1954. We will hear about their literature work and Centro Menonita de Teologia, their leadership training program, and other outreach work of the church in Campinas and surrounding area. There will be opportunity for fellowship, conversations and seeing the sights and shops of Campinas. Tuesday & Wednesday, July 7 & 8 We will travel to Curitiba to learn about the German-speaking Mennonites and their history in this area. We will cross over the Tropic of Capricorn and drive through the Banana Belt. En route, we will pass by the city of Sao Paulo. The Mennonites and Mennonite Brethren in this area who came to Brazil were refugees from Russia and have retained the German language. We will visit the AMAS Day Care (the equivalent of MCC in Brazil) and other programs and churches. We will stay in Curitiba for two nights.  One portion of the spectacular Iguazu Falls We will make a stop at the Witmarsum Colony for morning tea on our way to Iguazu Falls, the best-known of all Brazilian parks, on the border of Argentina and Paraguay. You will enjoy a walking tour to view this spectacular natural wonder. On Friday, we will travel to the Sommerfeld Colony in East Paraguay to visit their hospital, flour mill and meet local Mennonites to learn about their church and program. They will host us in their homes overnight. Saturday & Sunday, July 11 & 12 On our way to Asuncion, a stop will be made at the Leprosy Hospital at Kilometer 81 to learn about their work. You will have some free time this afternoon to rest, shop or do some sightseeing on your own. We will need to get up early on Sunday morning to travel to the Chaco to visit the Mennonite colonies there. We will have an afternoon city tour in Filadelfia to see their museum,hospital, retirement community, schools, etc. as we have time. Monday & Tuesday, July 13 & 14  Musicians at Yalve Sanga Wednesday - Friday, July 15 - 17 Each day there will be Bible studies, worship sessions, seminars and workshops for you to attend. There will also be tours and other activities that you can participate in during the week. Make sure to take time to meet many people from around the world and learn how God is using them in their home countries. Saturday, July 18 The worship time this evening will include a communion service with our brothers and sisters from around the globe. It will be a time to praise God together for all the ways we have learned how he is working through the church around the world. This week will have been a spiritually-rich week for all of us and we will have much to share when we return home. Sunday & Monday, July 19 & 20 Today we will leave Asuncion and fly via Sao Paulo, Brazil to Miami. It will be early Monday morning when we arrive and get our connections to our home cities. For further information regarding the complete tour fare, please This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . We would be happy to be of assistance. |
