Cierre 2010 - Friday meetings!

We really had a lots of fun last friday!
Thanks for everyone who has made the friday meetings...

I will miss these guys - they are my family!
Have fun with the videos and also you can find more videos at the "my videos"....

Merry Christmas!

Hemos pasado muy bien la semana pasada - ha sido super divertido!
Gracias a todos que han participado y "hecho" nuestras reuniones los viernes...

Estoy seguro que extrañare mucho a todos - sois como si fuera mi propia familia!

Disfruta de los videos!
Además, puedes encontrar otros videos del cierre 2010 en la sección "my videos"...

Feliz Navidad!

Lyon, Francia

Acabo de llegar de Francia...
Esta semana he trabajado en Paris y he pasado por Lyon...

En Lyon conocí a los tios de Johnna (John y Joy) y también pude visitar, ver y hablar con Jonh y Letha (jefes de Johnna cuando vivía en Belgica).

Hemos pasado muy bien y nos divertimos mucho!

Sinceramente no sabía acerca de la importancia de Lyon en Francia y para Europa.

Te comento 10 interesantes temas de Lyon. Tu sabes que Lyon...

1. Es la tercera ciudad más poblada del país después de Paris y Marsella y la segunda área urbana del país con 1.757.180 habitantes.

2. Es la antigua capital de la Galia durante el imperio romano y por eso podemos encontrar tanta información y historia romana en la ciudad.

Nota: Galia es la región de Europa occidental actualmente ocupada por Francia, Bélgica, el oeste de Suiza y zonas de Holanda y Alemania al oeste del Rin. La palabra galo se refiere habitualmente a los habitantes celtas de esa región en tiempos antiguos y fue empleada principalmente por los romanos que muy raras veces llamaban celtas a este conjunto de diversas tribus.

3. Es sede de la Interpol - La Organización Internacional de Policía Criminal - INTERPOL es la mayor organización de policía internacional, con 188 países miembros, por lo cual es la segunda organización internacional más grande del mundo, tan sólo por detrás de las Naciones Unidas. Creada en 1923, apoya y ayuda a todas las organizaciones, autoridades y servicios cuya misión es prevenir o combatir la delincuencia internacional.

4. Es la segunda ciudad universitaria de Francia, acogiendo en su área metropolitana más de 120.000 estudiantes.

5. Se ve la traboule - utilizada por los franceses a fin de escapar de los alemanes y confundirlos en la segunda guerra mundial.

La traboule es una palabra típicamente lionesa significa literalmente "pasar por", de aquí procede el verbo francés “trabouler” y el nombre "traboule". Podemos de este modo acordarnos para definir la « traboule » como una vía reservada a los peatones, con frecuencia estrecha, que empieza por un pasillo de entrada y cruza uno o varios edificios (y/o uno o varios patios) para conectar una calle con otra.

6. Importantes iglesias:

6.1 La iglesia Saint-Jean de Lyon. Construida entre 1180 y 1480, mezcla el estilo Románico con el Gótico. Almacena un reloj astronómico del siglo XIV.

6.2 La Basílica Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Construida con fondos privados entre 1872 y 1896 en una colina que domina la ciudad como marca del triunfo de los valores cristianos sobre los socialistas de la comuna de Lyon de 1870. Como la Basílica del Sacré Cœur de París, su diseño inusual, de Pierre Bossan, toma elementos de la arquitectura románica y bizantina. Entre sus atractivos se encuentran sus mosaicos, y las hermosas vidrieras. Desde la basílica se obtienen unas impresionantes vistas de toda la ciudad de Lyon y sus alrededores.

7. Es la ciudad de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, escritor y aviador francés, autor de El principito (Le Petit Prince), nacido en una familia noble de Lyon.

8. Es la capital de la Resistencia Francesa en la segunda guerra mundial.

9. Es la tercera ciudad europea con servicio publico de bicicleta(1ªAmsterdam,1964; 2ªCopenhagen,1995; 3ªLyon,2005).

10. La plaza de los Terreaux es una plaza central de la parte medieval de Lyon. En el centro encuentras una preciosa fuente, construida por Bartholdi. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi fue un escultor conocido especialmente por ser el autor de la célebre Estatua de la Libertad.

Fábio
Barcelona

Keith Green story

Johnna just sent me Keith Green story.

It is really cool!

Find attached the first part of his story from wikipedia...
And also the first video from youtube.

If you want to know about him a little bit more, go there.
It is inspiring and worth it!

Fábio
Barcelona

Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, musician, and Contemporary Christian Music artist originally from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, New York.[1] Beyond his music, which shook the Christian world and recording industry, Green is best known for his strong devotion to Christian evangelism and challenging others to the same. Often considered controversial for his frequently confrontational lyrics and spoken messages, some notable songs written by Green and/or his wife, Melody Green, include "Your Love Broke Through," "You Put This Love In My Heart," and "Asleep In The Light." Green is also known for numerous popular modern hymns, including "O Lord, You're Beautiful" and "There Is A Redeemer."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Green

Friday meetings - more...

We really have a lots of fun before, during and after our meetings...
It is a mix of so many cultures and languauges...

We literally have a great fellowship and have been building a lots of friendships...
This below video was recorded by Viviane at 1am? Maybe?!Around 1am for sure!!

The neighbours love us!! I am jokking...
We have no problem at all!

It is really cool how we have fun and laugh a lot after the meetings...
We improvise our meeting a lot and at the end we see a GREAT result.

Have fun again and you are welcome to join us!

Fábio
Barcelona

I am not the only one....

We really had fun by singing Imagine of John Lennon a few weeks ago...

Have fun by watching it!

Fábio
Barcelona

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Gibran Jalil Gibran y Vestiduras & Jesús y Natanael

Ayer en la reunión mencioné sobre la vida del poeta árabe Gibran Jalil Gibran....

Gibran Jalil Gibran fue un poeta, pintor, novelista y ensayista libanés nacido en Bisharri, Líbano, el 6 de enero de 1883 y fallecido el 10 de abril de 1931 en Nueva York.

Nace en la ciudad de Bisharri, al norte de Beirut, el escritor, artista y poeta libanés Gibran Jalil Gibran viene del seno de una familia cristiana maronita modesta, en la que destacaba una madre cariñosa cuyo afecto y recuerdo guardó hasta el fin de sus días.

Los datos más acusados de su personalidad de niño fueron su tranquilidad, sensibilidad y su afición al dibujo.

En la reunión de ayer he leído el texto del poeta árabe: Vestiduras.

Entonces, empezamos a hablar sobre como a veces vivimos de impresiones y juzgamos las apariencias y no nos damos la oportunidad de conocer a las personas antes de decir algo.

Además, hemos leído el texto de Jesús con Natanel y cerramos el tema. Escribo los dos textos para que sepáis lo que hemos discutido y como son nuestros "Friday meetings".

Vestiduras

Cierto día Belleza y Fealdad se encontraron a orillas del mar. Y se dijeron:
-Bañémonos en el mar.

Entonces se desvistieron y nadaron en las aguas. Instantes más tarde Fealdad regresó a la costa y se vistió con las ropas de Belleza, y luego partió.

Belleza también salió del mar, pero no halló sus vestiduras, y era demasiado tímida para quedarse desnuda, así que se vistió con las ropas de Fealdad. Y Belleza también siguió su camino.

Y hasta hoy día hombres y mujeres confunden una con la otra.

Sin embargo, algunos hay que contemplan el rostro de Belleza y saben que no lleva sus vestiduras. Y algunos otros que conocen el rostro de Fealdad, y sus ropas no lo ocultan a sus ojos.

Juan 1:43-51

El siguiente día quiso Jesús ir á Galilea, y halla á Felipe, al cual dijo: Sígueme. Y era Felipe de Bethsaida, la ciudad de Andrés y de Pedro. Felipe halló á Natanael, y dícele: Hemos hallado á aquel de quien escribió Moisés en la ley, y los profetas: á Jesús, el hijo de José, de Nazaret.

Y díjole Natanael: ¿De Nazaret puede haber algo de bueno? Dícele Felipe: Ven y ve.

Jesús vió venir á sí á Natanael, y dijo de él: He aquí un verdadero Israelita, en el cual no hay engaño. Dícele Natanael: ¿De dónde me conoces? Respondió Jesús, y díjole: Antes que Felipe te llamara, cuando estabas debajo de la higuera te vi.

Respondió Natanael, y díjole: Rabbí, tú eres el Hijo de Dios; tú eres el Rey de Israel. Respondió Jesús y díjole: ¿Porque te dije, te vi debajo de la higuera, crees? cosas mayores que éstas verás.

Y dícele: De cierto, de cierto os digo: De aquí adelante veréis el cielo abierto, y los ángeles de Dios que suben y descienden sobre el Hijo del hombre.

Fábio
Barcelona

Poland and Hungary - pictures and texts

I just put some pictures of Hungary and Poland...
If you go down, down and down in my blog...

You will find and read some texts about Warsaw, Wroclaw and Krakow - Poland...

And also you will see pictures of Budapest, synagogues and Oscar Shindler's factory.

It was a very special trip and I was able to go through the History deeply...

Enjoy some of the pictures!

Fábio
Barcelona

Ibiza & Sara's family.

Ibiza is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea.

It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain.

Javier, Kerstin and I went to Ibiza and met Sara and her family last weekend...

We had fun and enjoyed the Island...

It is a beautiful place to relax....

Enjoy some pictures!

Fábio
Barcelona

Friday meetings.....

In our Friday Meetings one of the most impotant things that we say and share...

It is the issue that we need to have a relationship with God and this does not mean necessarily to have a religion...

If you think about religion ("religión" or "religião" in Spanish and Portuguese) that means ("re-ligar") or re-connect...

We understand this is a good definition because we are far away from God and we need to reconnect with Him...

On the other hand, when we think about religion immeditaly we think about "church" as an institution that was made by Constantine that established the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of Christians throughout the empire.

This "chuch" has to do with building and politics, rules and has brought wars after wars, crusades, inquisition and a lot of innocent blood during the whole History...

For us church means people when they get together!
For us God is bigger than any institution and does not have to do with any denomination!

For us God is really and 100% LOVE!
For us His mercy is over any human being who seeks Him truly with an open heart!

For us to get together it is a moment where our differences are gone!

We "forget" our nationalities, backgrounds, etc. and for a moment we are able to share our weaknesses with each other, our principles and ideas with freedom, we speak about God´s grace that means freedom with responsability and not licentiousness - "liberdad con responsabilidad que no significa libertinaje" (Spanish).

We speak about God, life, family...
We sing, we have a lots of fun and especially we have a great and sincere fellowship.

This is our FRIDAY meeting!

Fábio
Barcelona

Javier y su tarta magica, despedida de Sara & asado argentino!!

Chicos,

Es para disfrutar de los Videos!
Las tartas de Javier estaban ESTUPENDAS!!!

La despedida de Sara no podría haber sido mejor!!
A lots of fun!!

Good job guys!

Fábio
Barcelona

Asado Argentino!!!

¡¡¡Qué asado Argentino!!!
Mariano y Javier fueron los comandantes del asado Argentino!!

Estaba muy muy rico!!
Casí 40 chicos vinieron y pasamos muy my bien!

Gracias Mariano!
Gracias Javier!

After our Friday Meetings around 2am -:)

Only for The Survivors!!
Usually I am on my bed around 1am while the "survivors" stay there...

Sometimes they stay until 6am or 9am and when I leave the house to go to the gym...
I say hi to them again or...

Better...
I say good morning! :-)

Note: To watch more videos, go to "my videos".

VIDEOS!! Pic Nic!!! pIC nIc!!! pIc NiC!!

Estanis!! No comments:-)

Pic Nic in Barcelona!!! Pictures!!!

GREAT DAY GUYS!!! Thanks for coming!!!

Pic Nic in Barcelona!!!

Hemos pasado muy muy bien la semana pasada!!!
GREAT JOB chicos!!!

Wow! Que chulo!!
Get ready for the Barbecue/ Parrillada/Barbacoa/Churrasscoo!!!!
This coming sunday!!! Oh la la!

Fábio
Barcelona

Franfkurt, Fábio & Fábio-

I had a GREAT time with one of my best friends - Fábio!
I am not talking about myself even though I am one of my best friends of myself :-)

I am just jokking! But...

It was really GREAT to meet my dear friend Fábio in Frankfurt last weekend.
It was CRAZY!

He was working in Frankfurt and would be flying back to Brazil on Sat 10pm. I had just one chance to see him!

As soon as I finished our Friday meeting (normally around 2 or 3am) I was supposed to go to the ariport and take the flight at 6am and because I did not find a direct flight I had to pass by Zurich and then fly to Frankfurt.

And so I did...

However, I was not expecting the "influence" of the French strick and so...

Because there was a strick in France, the flight was delayed from Barcelona and I missed my flight in Zurick to Frankfurt...

Oh my godness!! I was able to negotiate with Lufthansa and took the next flight at 10.30am other wise I would have taken the flight at 1pm and it would be too late to see him...

Besides that, I was trying to contact Fábio in the hotel and Johnna from USA at2am (there) helped me to find the phone number of the hotel by Internet because I did not have it..

When I called the hotel the receptionist told me there was not any Fábio there and the only Brazilian guys were XXXX and ZZZZ :-) I do not remember those names but it was not Fábio...

I could not believe!
I was still talking to Lufthansa and I decided to call the hotel again...

- Hey, it is not possible!
- Fábio has to BE THERE. He is waiting for me! Are you sure there is NOT ANY Fábio?

I asked the recetionist.

- Well, there is one who is Italian. She said
- What is his surname? I asked her

-Silva? she answered me.
-What? I could not believe that!!

-It is impossible because Silva is not Italian. Please, put me through....

Finally I was able to talk to Fábio and adjusted everything...


In summary, everything worked very well! We had fun! We talked about everything! We had good German beers and sausages! .-)

By the way, if we had not had German beers and sausages I could not say we had been to Germany!

He flew back to Brazil and I stayed in Frankfurt...
I had no idea which place I was going to stay when I booked my reservation while I was still in Barcelona...

The BIG surprise was...
As soon as I got to the Hostel in Frankfurt I realized it was THE SAME hostel that I stayed 4 years ago. What a coincidence!!

I love this kind of adventure!
Life is GREAT!

We plan part of the life and the another way we are supposed to improvise...
Think about that!

Fábio
Barcelona

Madrid, Salamanca, Avila, Segovia & Toledo!

Me and Johnna had fun by visiting Madrid, Salamanca, Avila, Segovia & Toledo!

We met our friend Leah in Madrid and really enjoyed the Spanish cities...

Madrid is the Spanish capital.
It is a huge city and has great parks like "el Retiro", very famous and important museums like "El Prado y La Reina Sofia" and good food!

We went to the "oldest" restaurant of the world according to the Guiness' book - Casa Botin!

Salamanca is incredible! My favorite one!
I love that kind of style!

The university is one of the oldest university of the world.
Its "plaza mayor" is considered the most beautiful "plaza mayor" of Spain.
The city is really beautiful!

Avila has the Roman walls and we walked over them!

Segovia has one of the most amazing Roman aqueduct left!
"Cochinillo" is the most important and well known dish of Segovia.

Toledo is a mix of Christian, Muslim and Jewish influences!
It is a medieval city and you will enjoy visiting the churches, cathedrals andu just walk around you will understand what I am talking about...

This part of Spain is really precious because it is very rich!

You can learn so many things and understand the differences between the Spanish cities, provinces, habits & cultures.

GREAT time!

Fábio
Barcelona

Warsaw, Frédéric François Chopin & Wroclaw

Warsaw is the capital of Poland and a nice city to go.

There is huge plaza and you can choose good restaurants and taste good Polish food.

The Holy Cross Church has the heart of the composer Frédéric François Chopin. Because his wish was exactly to have his heart there once he died.

On the ohter hand, Wroclaw is a small city but it is beautiful as well.

There are a lot of churches, bridges, very nice façades and it is a good place for a coffee and walk around in order to disconnect from our daily routine.

Warsaw and Wroclaw were my last cities and stops of my summer/holidays of 2010!

I loved to visit and know Poland!

Fábio
Barcelona

Salt mine, Kazimierz & Shindler's list

To be in the salt mine of Wieliczka was an interesting experience...

They started producing salt in the 13th century and stopped in 2007...

I have walked there for 2 hours and there was much much more to be explored. However, it is not allowed for tourists...

You can read more about the salt mine here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wieliczka_Salt_Mine

Kazimierz is the Jewish district of Krakow. The Nazis tried to preserve that place because they wanted to tell the new German generations how they had destroyed the Jews culture and how it looked like. But they could not do it and currently we have Kaimierz which is full of heritage...

The Jewish ghetto (during the 2nd World War) was established in Podgorze district that is very close to Kazimierz...

The Schindler's factory is in Podgorze as well and you can visit a nice museum where will show you how the life was during that hard period...

Steven Spielberg used those areas to make Schindler's list...

It is in Kazimiers that you can find the most important synagogues of Krakow...

The old Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue that was built in 1407 or 1492 but it is not in active use anymore because currenlty it is a museum...

The Remuh Synagogue is the only synagogue in the city to remain in active use. It dates from the 16th century and includes an original ark and a fine cemetery with many old tombstones.

And also Kazimierz is the district where the famous Helena Rubistein was born.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Rubinstein

Now I leave you here with these links...

And you can keep investigating and reading more about Salt mine, Kazimierz & Shindler's list if you like...

Fabio
Krakow

Auschvitz-Birkenau, Poland

Auschvitz was the largest concentration and extermination camp used by the Nazis in the II World War.

Actually the most important museums of London, Frankfurt, Berlin, Amsterdam and the concentration camp of Sachesenhausen have helped me to understand the History since I started to visit them 4 years ago...

However, I knew that an important piece would be very important to finish this puzzle. It was exactly Auschvitz...

I have planned to go to Auschvitz a few years ago and then this day has come!

When you are in Auschvitz you do not think about past or present, you do not think about money or job, you do not think about your future and debts...

My experience was that a deep peace and profound serenity came to me and made me stay in silence for hours and hours while I was there...

I spent almost 4 hours visiting Auschvitz and Birkenau...

It was a time of reflection and pause...

It was a time to think about life and death...

When you are there you do not focus on anything...

You only focus on the pictures that you see, the barracks that were rebuilt because the original ones were burned by The Nazis as soon as they realized they were losing the war. However, some of those original barracks are still there and they show you exactly how they were...

The same happened with the gas chambers...

The gas chamber was rebuilt in Auschvitz but you still can see the ruins of the Birkenau's gas chamber that has been left...

I really got impressive by observing and understanding the strategy of The Nazis...

They covered the windows of some of the barracks(block 11)and then they could kill the prisoners in the wall and no one wasableto see what was going on. No one could see and no one could hear because they used a kind of "silent bullets".

By the way, between 1941 and 1942 the world did not know and notice what was going on in Auschvitz because The Nazis' strategy was "perfect"....

From 1943 the world started hearing the rumors...

But during these horrible years they were able to deceive the world...

They separeted and selected children and mothers and immediately they were led to the gas chambers because if the mothers went to work (even though they had physical condition for that)and the children were put apart from them the children would cry and so in order to avoid the noise and calm down the "atmosphere" they killed both (mother and children)...

The crematory and gas chamber were at the end of the concentration camp and then as soon as the newcomers got there they would not be able to see what was going on...

Those ones who worked in the crematory did not have any contact with the other prisoners and so The Nazis were able to keep everything in secret and "order"...

The horrible physical condition of the prisoners and because The Nazis mixed the groups and nationalities made the situation be much worse and then the prisoners did not have enough strenght to fight or organize any rebellion due to these huge diferences about languages, culture and physical condition....

For me one of the most interesting thing has to do with the heating...

They had heatings in the barracks but they were just in order to show to the Red Cross and make them think they were "following" the rules for having prisoners of the war. However, the heatings were never used and the Red Cross was "deceived" when they came to investigate the concentration camp..

Once the Nazis knew the war would be over they started burning and destroying everything. They did not want to leave any evidence of the crime and genocide...

As a result of that nobody knows the exact number of people who died in Auschivtz. They mention 1,5 million people.

Most of the Nazis escaped...

One of them...

It is Josef Mengele who was responsible for selecting those ones who would be working and those ones who would be going to the gas chamber...

And also he was the famous doctor who made a lot of human experimentation by using twins and the prisoners...

He escaped after the war and lived in Argentina...

However, after some years he drowned and died in one of the beaches of Brazil, Bertioga.

The memorial of Auschvitz-Birkenau is something that shows us how the History may be repeated...

The memorial of Auschvitz-Birkenau tries to teach us what human beings are able to do against other human beings...

Being there has made me think about what we value and what we do not value in life...

It has made me reflect and do a break & pause about my own life and attitudes...

I left a small stone on the memorial because it is exactly how the Jewish culture does in order to show respect for those ones who have passed away...

It has made me think about all and thank God for the privilege to put my feet on the History and learn so many lessons and especially grow as person...

I hope I encourage you by writing this text and may be able to make you think about your own life...

Fabio
Krakow

Thermal Bath, Synagogue and Angelo Rotta.

A few months ago I went to a very nice Haman in Fez. Hamam is a very traditional Turkish Bath and very common in Morroco.

Last year Johnna drove me to the city of Spa, Belgium.

It was great to know and understand the beginning of the Spa and enjoy "a very good Spa" in Spa!

Budapest is considered officially a "City of Spas" and also it is very well known due to its medicinal water.

There are a lot of Spas in Budapest and they are very modern. However, this afternoon I went to one of the oldest thermal bath of Budapest because it was recommended to me - Rudas.

When you look at the front of the building it is not very nice but it is really COOL inside! The Turkish bath was built during the 16th century and it was a GREAT experience...

In fact, there is a lot of things to see in Budapest...

The city is beautiful in the evening. The Parlament building that is considered the 3rd largest of the world it is amazing and the chain bridge is very beautiful as well.

However, my experience with the Synagogue it was what I liked the most...

The Synagogue of Budapest is the 2nd largest synagogue of the world...

When you are there you can realize some Christian influence because the Jewish People did not want to be so outside of the cultural context of the city and then they decided to build the synagogue using some bizantine signs and also putting an organ above the altar that is very typical in the Catholic churches.

There is a very interesting cemetery in the same building of the synagogue. Most of those people are anonymous and lived in the Hungarian ghetto during the 2nd World War. Unfortunately, a huge number of Hungarian Jewish were taken to Auschwitz and were extermined there.

For me the most beautiful thing of the Synagogue and what I liked the most in the city has to do with the memorial area of the Synagogue...

There is a silver tree that its branches were cut and they represent the suffering of the Jewish People in Hungary during the Nazis period and you can read names of the families and some people's names in some of the leaves of the tree.

There is other memorial that shows to us a snake in the fire being burned which means the evil was killed and the Nazis period was over.

But the most amazing memorial has to do with the names of those ones who were not Jewish and saved hundreds or thousands of Jewish in Hungary.

They were from Spain, Italy, Hungary, Portugal, etc. and lived in Budapest...

One of the names that impacted me the most was Angelo Rotta from Italy who worked for the Vatican and had diplomatic activities during the 2nd World War in Budapest and then he had an unbelievable courage to give many fake baptismal certificates to many Bulgarian Jewish and was able to save them...

Basically I keep learning two things with this...

1. His action reminds me when Rahab assisted those Hebrew spies by hiding them and telling the soldiers that she did not know where they went.

Life is more important than any other "value" because life is the supreme value!

2. Sometimes the most important things have not to do with the biggest things but with its meaning. For example, the Jordan river is not the largest river of the world, it is not the cleanest river of the world but it carries by itself a huge importance due to its meaning!

So, if you go to Budapest...

Maybe you will love to see the hills, the bridge, the parks, the monuments, the Parlament building and other turist attraction but I would like to tell you just one thing...

If you go to the Synagogue and understand what I am talking about you may see things and start living life through a different point of view and perspective.

Because life is simple and we do not need too much to understand the rich and happiness in the simple things of life...

Think about it!

Fabio
Budapest

Prague, Budapest, Krakow & Jewish People...

I have realized the huge connection between the Jewish People and the cities Prague, Budapest and Krakow...

Prague has one of the most important Jewish Cemeteries of the world...

They do not know how many tombstones are there - probably 12.000.

They say that the first ones were put there in the 15th century...

Budapest has the largest functioning synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. The first one is in Jerusalem...

Krakow has the most important concentration camp that was used by the Nazis...

As we know it is Auschwitz!

People say that more than 2.5 million Jews died there.

In addition, Krakow is very well known because it has been the scenery of the one of the most important movies of Steven Spielberg that is named Schindler's list!

Almost 2 years ago I was in Prague and could live this "Jewish environment"...

Especially by walking on the Jewish streets and neighborhood, looking at the synagogues and understanding their "signs"...

This morning I had the privilege to see the synagogue of Budapest...

And next week I will be visiting Krakow in order to see and understand the History a little bit more.

I am very excited because I love to study the cultures, their differences, museums, art and the History...

By the way, it was more than 3 years ago that I planned to go to Krakow and visit Auschwitz.

It was exactly when I went to visit other concentration camp that is called Sachesenhausen in Berlin.

For some reasons I have not been able to go to Krakow and visit Budapest but now it is their turn and I am really "diving in this ocean"...

I believe the History is for being studied...

But also for being understood in order not to be repeated...

Think about it!

Fabio
Budapest

The world is becoming smaller...

It has been a long time that I do not write anything here...
I am in Budapest right now...

Soon I want to write about my trips with Johnna...
We have been to Toledo, Salamanca, Avila, Madrid, Segovia besides Catalonya...

We had a lots of fun....

And also I want to write something about my last trip to Morroco...

I know I have already put something about Morroco in my blog but I would like to speak (a little bit more) about the very famous Roman city that is called Voulubilis!

The world is becoming small and smaller and much smaller every day...

The day before yesterday I was with Johnna in Madrid...
We took the flight and went to the Girona's airport....

Yesterday morning we had to go back to the airport but it was the Barcelona's airport...
She left Barcelona and flew back to the United States...

I went back home and she called me at 20pm to tell me she was in Atlanta and in a couple of hours she would be flying to Tampa, Florida...

I told her I was leaving my place to go back to the airport of Barcelona to fly to Budapest...

She said we would be flying at the same time...

I just got here and as soon as I arrived in the city I bought my ticket to go to Poland on Monday and I will take the train for 10 hours in order to cross Hungary and get to Krakow....

The world is becoming smaller due to the globalization...
We are becoming citizenship of the world..

Nowadays the borders and passports "are gone!!!"...

The languages are becoming common between different people and nations....

It is a privilege to participate of this generation....

Take your seat and your flight because the world is inviting you to get ready to understand that the sky is your limit!!!!

I will come back soon in order to share more and more things with you....

See you then!

Fabio
Budapest

Videos - Biiirrtthhhddaaayyy PPPPaaarrttyyy 2010

Birthday Party 2010

My friend Armando and I have celebrated our birthday party together at Daniel´s flat.

We had a lot of fun last Friday...

If you want to see more pictures you can go to my flickr and clink in "Galeria de Fabio Muniz".

Enjoy!

Fábio
Barcelona

Friday Meetings Videos!

La vida no es un ensayo

La vida no es un ensayo pero se parece un juego de ajedrez. La vida es real y no hay tiempo para experimentos, pues responsabilidad con libertad es sinonimo de consciencia, gracia, misericordia y respecto.

Sabiduria y experiencia son dos virtudes que no se compran, no se venden, no se transmiten porque no es un legado que uno puede dejar o pasar al otro como se pasa una herencia de padre al hijo.

¡Ojalá fuera así! Todo seria más facil, pero no lo es...

Sabiduria y experiencia se adquieren cuando caminamos en la vida, cuando ensuciamos los pies, cuando herimos y somos heridos directa o indirectamente, cuando nos falta aliento y pensamos que no vamos a lograr...

El tiempo nos enseña pero no somos eternos...

Por lo tanto, si antes eramos guiados por nuestros impulsos cuando eramos niños, ahora somos guiados por costumbres y habitos...

Tenemos que replazar las malas costumbres por las buenas costumbres pues como adultos no somos más guiados por estos impulsos de niños aunque algunos no consigan crecer y así, se hacen mayores pero siguen siendo eternos adolescentes en su manera de ser, hablar, actuar y ver la vida.

Las malas costumbres abren puertas para el fracaso personal, profesional y en la vida de una forma general.

Por lo tanto, debo adquirir las buenas costumbres y convertirme en su "esclavo".

Cuando yo era niño, hablaba, pensaba y razonaba como un niño; pero al hacerme hombre dejé atrás lo que era propio de un niño. Ahora vemos de manera borrosa, como en un espejo; pero un día lo veremos todo como es en realidad. Mi conocimiento es ahora imperfecto, pero un día lo conoceré todo del mismo modo que Dios me conoce a mí. Hay tres cosas que permanecen: la fe, la esperanza y el amor; pero la más importante es el amor.

Fábio
Aeropuerto de Barcelona antes del vuelo a Casablanca
21.05.2010

Unnau - Germany

Who knows Unnau?!

I have asked my German friends and NO ONE has heard about Unnau :-)

The best definition is:
Unnau is between Cologne and Frankfurt.(period)

If you want to get there, you should ask my friends Fernanda and Thomas and then they will help you to get there - other wise you will be in trouble in order to figure out where this beautiful small village is in Germany.

The mountains, castles and green woods are part of its scenario...

It is one of my favorite places to go and take a rest. My friend Fernanda knows it.

By the way, Fernanda is Brazilian with Japanese background and married Thomas who is from Autria and lives in Germany. Can you imagine their kids?!

Yes, you can.
They are beautiful.

I love to play with Sebastian and have fun with him.
The new member of their family is Andrew and I met him last weekend.

Sara, her mom Doris and Zoe joined us in Unnau.
We really had a great time together.

So, if you go to Germany, do not forget about Unnau even though you should look for it in the map very very carefully in order to find it!

Fábio
Barcelona

Fez - unforgettable city

Fes or Fez is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat.

If you do not pay attention you may be run over by a donkey at the medina of Fez.

The oldest and largest dry cleaning of North Africa is on Fez and it is amazing to see how they work there.

The University of Al Karaouine in Fez was founded in 859 and it is one of the oldest university of the world. It is inside of the Kairaouine Mosque.

Fes is an unforgettable city and you should spend your time there by eating tangine, drinking menthe tea and enjoying having different and delicious desserts.

Fábio
Barcelona

Casablanca and Meknes - Morroco

I just came back from Morroco and it was one of the most amazing trips that I have ever done...

The culture is great,the weather nice, peope are friendly and it is fantastic to understand their mentality.

Casablanca is the largest city of Morroco. It is considered the economic and business center of the country as well.

The Hassan II Mosque is the largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca and the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina.

Meknes is a city in northern Morroco, located 130 kilometres from the capital Rabat and 60 kilometres from Fez. I loved to visit there.

Volubilis was an important Roman town and it was one of the most interesting places that I have visited in Morroco.

If you like adventures and love to figure out how we are different by understanding cultures, languages, food and habits - you should go to Morroco.

Fábio
Barcelona

Friday - Meetings at Daniel´s place....

I am so happy for participating of our Friday meetings...
It has been a time for thinking about life, having fun and meeting people...

We have been talking about what we are supposed to do or not to do if we say that we know God...

We have been sharing about our fears, experiences and hope with each other...

We have been growing and discussing about maturity and how we are supposed to live life...

We have been talking about how people live a double life and how this may have serious consequences in life...

We have been discussing about how one can minimize and deny some problems and deceive him or herself...

It is a pause, a break and a moment for reflecting and thinking about our actions without judgement and prejudice...

Welcome to our meetings!
Come as you are!
Come, enjoy and participate of our Barcelona' season...

We wait for you there..
Fábio
Barcelona

One day after Easter in Barcelona

The cross is empty and He is not there anymore...
His grave or tomb is empty because it is MONDAY!

Praise God! It is MONDAY!

One of the most amazing things that I saw in Israel 13 years ago it was in the garden tomb because it was written: "He is not here, for He is risen".

I have talked to some friends and we realized that Easter (in Barcelona) is a little bit "weird" even in our churches.

Bryan my American friend told me that no one preached about Easter, ressurection, etc. in his church.

In my local church there were only a few people in the service to celebrate Easter...

I said to some friends "Happy Easter" and I "felt" that something was "wrong"..

Barcelona has a huge History behind its "history"...

If you look at the past you will understand how its "church", religion, the Spanish dictatorship and other issues have made Barcelona what it is...

..but Easter keeps being Easter and so I thank God for His ressurection and because He is alive!

I just got a nice email from Johnna and I loved it.

Our friend Wainer, who is missionary and lives in Brazil, wrote her a very nice email and message about Easter and I would like to share it with you...

May God bless us and make us think about Easter and his ressurrection and power every day.

"We know life is at times complicated and ups and downs come to all. We know that we do not always understand the challenges and tragedies that happens on earth. It is at times painfully clear that life is not always under our "control" as we would hope. The choices for our lives are at times made by circumstances way above our control and by others. And yet...

When we encounter and are encounter by faith... when our eyes, heart and minds are open to Jesus and the eternal perspective we have in HIM... Heaven is waiting for us! Then, this faith/conviction and hope is undoubtedly the greatest gift one can have while traveling the earth...

HE is alive and there is hope... HE is alive and eternity in the Father's home where we will be reunited with those who went before us... and see our loved ones... is coming! Praise the Lord!

We begin this Monday, the day after Easter Sunday 2010, with new hope in our hearts and renewed gratitude "Because He Lives we can face tomorrow, Because HE lives, all fear is gone, because we know He holds the future, And life is worth the living just because He lives.

Have a most blessed Monday, Tuesday... and may HIS blessings of love, faith and hope be ever growing as you walk this side of eternity. And may the power from above in Jesus be with you today giving you also double strength, and refreshed determination to go on."

Back to Barcelona....

I am back...

Brazil was really a great time...

First of all, because my family is doing good and we really had fun...

Second of all, Johnna was able to know my culture, parents, sister and enjoy our summer, beaches and good food. My parents blessed us and our future in a blessing service.

And third, me and Johnna had the privilege to speak to different groups and meetings in a certain Baptist church. We met her friends (missionaries) in Rio de Janeiro, visited the group of Bolivians who have lived for many years in São Paulo and also she met many of my friends.

It was a great experience for us!

Fábio
Barcelona