The “gaucho” cowboy culture is part of Brazilian folklore and includes eating barbecued ribs and drinking chimarrão tea from a gourd. Last Saturday we bought a huge 23 kilo (52 pounds) ribcage. It was almost a whole front quarter of beef. The butcher just cut off a bit of the neck and the front leg behind the shoulder blade as I watched and gave directions. As I bought the meat Ivanildo dug a pit and gathered some logs for a bonfire. Sunday morning Ivanildo and I got up at 3:30 a.m. to set the ribs over the glowing bed of coals. We roasted the ribs for eight hours, right until lunch. In the meanwhile, Monica had planned a church-cleaning event, with the usher/set-up ministry. Everyone brought food or drinks, and about 40 of us ate until we couldn’t eat anymore. Afterwards, while I went home to sleep, they all went to the river to swim and continue the party. It was a fun day for the church, the stuff legends are made out of. This becomes part of our story.

Chimarrão Tea

We have a robust setup / greeter team.

Emily (Luana and Yara’s little sister).

Jaquelene and Shianne carve the last morsels off the ribs.

The crew is cleaning the area where all the neighbours can come and get good drinking water.

Antonio and Zecca have a crew of helpers in the church front yard.

Kevin helps sweep the floor.

The main helpers.

23 kilos, 53 pounds, of ribs, roasted for 8 hours over coals.

Nilma

Jaquelene

Emily helps scrub the chairs.

Many hands make light work.

The musicians polish their instruments.

It’s fun, when everyone is into it.

Eliete is Emily’s mom, and a changed person.

Ivanildo used to do this when he worked in the army.

We got up long before daylight to get these ribs started. They had been roasting for over tow hours when this photo was taken. Sloooowwwwly.