Sunset July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Here's little Leonardo again, from Villa Mendoza, the first village we visited on the Xingu mission. Last night one of the full time missionary families, the Kubackis, came to speak to our youth group. Their oldest son Luke commented that coming home to the US after being in Brazil for 2 years has allowed him to see one major difference between our culture and theirs. They are very happy with very little and we are very unhappy with very much. I thought this picture was a great illustration of that. This little guy is beaming and having a blast scooping water out of a canoe with an old can. We watched him and his little friend laugh and play all morning with that can and some fishing line, bare naked on the beach and in the water. Something to think about...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
This little girl and her mom spent some time with us on the boat in Espirit de Santo. Cassie spent some time trying to get her to draw. She was very shy but opened up a little bit after some time and after some other kids joined in.
Loading the water filters onto the rowboat is a heavy balancing act. Ben is scooping water out of the filter and boat, Zeke is steadying the boat and Eliazondo will pull the filter into the boat as Richie and others push it from inside the Maranatha III. You can see the toll it takes on the boat's paint job. They loaded 3 filters, the hand truck, enough gravel, sand and rocks for each filter and 5 people into the rowboat for this particular delivery!! To learn about eh water filters go to thirstrelief.org.
Isn't this water lily pad beautiful? I think it looks like a heart. This was taken at the Belem Zoo. We spent an afternoon there during our 3 day lay over waiting for a flight to Altamira. Our time was not wasted, we met 3 young boys who followed us around all day. We got to share with them and they got to laugh at our bad Portuguese.
We couldn't dock at Mapardacia (not sure about the spelling, sorry). So, we anchored off the shore and took the rowboat to the village. This is the first bunch on their way being led by Clyde and Kevin.
This is one of the first pictures I took from the Maranatha III just after we left from Victoria.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Espirit de Santo - beautiful young girl who visited us on the boat.
This family visited us at the house. Big brother wanted all of his siblings to have a family picture taken. Porto de Moz
Anna - Villa Mendoza
Clay - a leader in the church at Porto de Moz
This young boy was at the small group I attended in Altamira. Not sure who he is but I love this shot. He was very shy so I had to sneak this one in...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
More Early favorites
This is Leonardo. He lives in Villa Mendonza, the first village we visited. He was so cute, such a ham and made all of us smile. You may see more of him later.
This is also in Villa Mendoza. We were teaching the kids a little English. This little guy was really shy and didn't appear to be interested in learning English. I have another one of him sleeping at his desk...
A common sight. A boat tied to the dock in Espirit de Santo.
An afternoon storm coming in over Espirit de Santo.
Water lily.
Some early favorites
This little girl was dressed up for her picture, including the necklace she made during kids' church the night before.
Took this one from the boat. We couldn't dock here, we anchored and rowed to shore.
The Maranatha III was our home for while on the river. The bathrooms are to the left, kitchen to the right, you can see the redes (hammocks) hanging for afternoon naps. It was cold and rainy during this trip so the tarps were down creating the blue glow...
This is a shot from the balcony of the guest house in Altamira over looking the city with the amazingly huge Xingu river in the distance.
The Xingu was as smooth as glass this evening in spite of the storm clouds looming.
God was and is and will always be in control.
It’s good to be home after my mission trip to Brazil. God was in control throughout the entire trip. He made it quite obvious that He was making the decisions, not us or the airlines or anyone else.
We began at the airport in Columbus with favor when they opened an additional ticket counter to serve us. We got everything checked, got on the plane and began our trip with ease, for a little while. Our flight to JFK in New York was lengthened as we circled the airport several times. Prayers were said and we found out from the pilot that the reason we were circling is that the landing gear didn’t want to come down. When it finally did they wanted to do some testing before touching down. We were welcomed at JFK by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. It was at this point that we knew God was going to show us He was in charge of it all.
We missed our connection in Sao Paulo that would take us onto Rio and Belem in time to catch our flight to Altamira where we would meet up with Pastor Steve, Zeke and the long term missionaries. The TAM airlines employee informed us that there was not another flight to Altamira until the 11th (it was the 6th). Our hearts sunk but we knew God had a plan and we began praying together with urgency. The TAM employees got us on a flight to Belem. We met Pastor Steve and Richie there for a few days of evangelism and tourism. It wasn’t what we had planned but clearly what God wanted for us.
At the end of our first day in Belem we were expressing frustration about being “tourists”. We were missing Zeke who was in Altamira and feeling as though the enemy had won a little bit of our time and joy. Once again God showed us that He was in control and we were exactly where He wanted us to be. We were sitting on the steps of the hotel, having a devotion time, expressing out frustration and praying when Sandra walked out in front of us as if she stepped onto a stage. Holding two bags of crushed pop cans in her hands and telling us (in Portuguese) about her situation. God had heard us saying we didn’t come to be tourists and immediately said, “Fine, show me what you came here for.” We prayed with her, held her, hugged her and cried with her. She spilled her pain out and accepted the Lord right there on the steps of the hotel. We had been feeling as though our mission trip had not started because we had been delayed and prevented from reaching out “destination”. God showed us that our mission is wherever He tells us it is at that moment.
He stressed that to me the entire trip. Our mission was and is not in Brazil alone. Our mission field is wherever our feet walk each day of our lives. It may be in Brazil if that is where He sends us, it may be in Africa or China or India. Most likely it’s on the sidewalk in front of our house, it’s in the cubicle next to us at work, in the restaurant where we eat dinner and in the church we attend each Sunday. God showed me very clearly that while Brazil is full of lost people who need to know about Jesus, the streets around my house are filled with people who also need to know Him. They may not have the physical needs or be as remote as the people in Brazil but they are just as broken, just as desperate, just as eternally lost.
Overall the trip was wonderful. Our time on the river meeting the warm, sweet, shy people who live in the villages along the Xingu River was amazing. We worshipped with them, taught the kids some English, had some Sunday school lessons with them and just had fun with them as Jesus would. In Porto de Moz our Kids’ Camp was a success with more than 80 kids attending, doing crafts, getting treats, playing games and learning about how much God loves them.
It was a blessing to meet the long term missionaries of the Xingu Mission. (Xingu.org) This is not an easy assignment from God. They live with bugs that burrow into their feet and lay eggs; spiders, snakes and fire ants. The live with constant heat and humidity (my hair was never dry!!). There are infections, bacteria and viruses that we never see here at home. There is mud and sand everywhere and the noise in the towns was enough to make me crazy; dogs that bark continuously, roosters who have no idea what time of day it really is and cars that blast advertisements at deafening decibels.
The long term missionaries love the people God has sent them to love, it’s obvious, but they’re doing it with hearts that miss their families, grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. I was touched by the sacrifices they make daily and the love and joy with which they do it all. As I’ve asked God over and over, why He sent me to Brazil, I have heard clearly that one reason was to see the missionaries and how God is using them in Brazil, to give me a heart to support them financially and through prayer.
The bottom line is God showed us clearly that He is in control of every step during the trip. I have 2989 photos to sort and edit so I’ll share some each day as I make it through them.
We began at the airport in Columbus with favor when they opened an additional ticket counter to serve us. We got everything checked, got on the plane and began our trip with ease, for a little while. Our flight to JFK in New York was lengthened as we circled the airport several times. Prayers were said and we found out from the pilot that the reason we were circling is that the landing gear didn’t want to come down. When it finally did they wanted to do some testing before touching down. We were welcomed at JFK by fire trucks and emergency vehicles. It was at this point that we knew God was going to show us He was in charge of it all.
We missed our connection in Sao Paulo that would take us onto Rio and Belem in time to catch our flight to Altamira where we would meet up with Pastor Steve, Zeke and the long term missionaries. The TAM airlines employee informed us that there was not another flight to Altamira until the 11th (it was the 6th). Our hearts sunk but we knew God had a plan and we began praying together with urgency. The TAM employees got us on a flight to Belem. We met Pastor Steve and Richie there for a few days of evangelism and tourism. It wasn’t what we had planned but clearly what God wanted for us.
At the end of our first day in Belem we were expressing frustration about being “tourists”. We were missing Zeke who was in Altamira and feeling as though the enemy had won a little bit of our time and joy. Once again God showed us that He was in control and we were exactly where He wanted us to be. We were sitting on the steps of the hotel, having a devotion time, expressing out frustration and praying when Sandra walked out in front of us as if she stepped onto a stage. Holding two bags of crushed pop cans in her hands and telling us (in Portuguese) about her situation. God had heard us saying we didn’t come to be tourists and immediately said, “Fine, show me what you came here for.” We prayed with her, held her, hugged her and cried with her. She spilled her pain out and accepted the Lord right there on the steps of the hotel. We had been feeling as though our mission trip had not started because we had been delayed and prevented from reaching out “destination”. God showed us that our mission is wherever He tells us it is at that moment.
He stressed that to me the entire trip. Our mission was and is not in Brazil alone. Our mission field is wherever our feet walk each day of our lives. It may be in Brazil if that is where He sends us, it may be in Africa or China or India. Most likely it’s on the sidewalk in front of our house, it’s in the cubicle next to us at work, in the restaurant where we eat dinner and in the church we attend each Sunday. God showed me very clearly that while Brazil is full of lost people who need to know about Jesus, the streets around my house are filled with people who also need to know Him. They may not have the physical needs or be as remote as the people in Brazil but they are just as broken, just as desperate, just as eternally lost.
Overall the trip was wonderful. Our time on the river meeting the warm, sweet, shy people who live in the villages along the Xingu River was amazing. We worshipped with them, taught the kids some English, had some Sunday school lessons with them and just had fun with them as Jesus would. In Porto de Moz our Kids’ Camp was a success with more than 80 kids attending, doing crafts, getting treats, playing games and learning about how much God loves them.
It was a blessing to meet the long term missionaries of the Xingu Mission. (Xingu.org) This is not an easy assignment from God. They live with bugs that burrow into their feet and lay eggs; spiders, snakes and fire ants. The live with constant heat and humidity (my hair was never dry!!). There are infections, bacteria and viruses that we never see here at home. There is mud and sand everywhere and the noise in the towns was enough to make me crazy; dogs that bark continuously, roosters who have no idea what time of day it really is and cars that blast advertisements at deafening decibels.
The long term missionaries love the people God has sent them to love, it’s obvious, but they’re doing it with hearts that miss their families, grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. I was touched by the sacrifices they make daily and the love and joy with which they do it all. As I’ve asked God over and over, why He sent me to Brazil, I have heard clearly that one reason was to see the missionaries and how God is using them in Brazil, to give me a heart to support them financially and through prayer.
The bottom line is God showed us clearly that He is in control of every step during the trip. I have 2989 photos to sort and edit so I’ll share some each day as I make it through them.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Testimony
Last week I shared my testimony with the youth group. God wanted me to focus on being a new creation in Christ. I shared a few things but the one thing He keeps stressing, the one thing that brings me to tears and absolutely shows His Power, His Love, His faithfulness and His Glory is this:
Three years ago I was paralyzed with fear that made it almost impossible to leave my house and in less than 3 days I am answering His call and going to Brazil.
"Be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." 1 Corinthians 15:58
Three years ago I was paralyzed with fear that made it almost impossible to leave my house and in less than 3 days I am answering His call and going to Brazil.
"Be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." 1 Corinthians 15:58
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Slow down - You might see something
Summer is here. (well, this is Ohio, it's here for now) I just returned from a walk at Sharon Woods. It's a beautifully perfect day and everyone is out enjoying the sun and the blue sky. I saw daddys chasing little girls, families practicing t-ball, flying kites and relaxing with each other; singles walking with their ipods, or in my case a camera; young couples walking dogs; one family circled around the picnic table holding hands, praying.
The one sight that particularly touched my heart and spoke to me was a little girl walking with, I'm assuming, her grandpa. Hand in hand by the lake they strolled at a pace her legs and his years could handle. It reminded me of the walks I used to take with my grandpa. We'd start off slowly with no goal or destination, no time limit or heart rate to meet, just walking, getting some fresh air and exercise. Inevitably I would speed up and get ahead of him. "Slow down! You might see something!", he'd yell, not in anger but as someone who wanted to teach me something and spend time with me. Today I am sure he is strolling with Jesus and the saints, and I'm sure he is seeing something.
As I pulled out of the park and back into the reality of people rushing to get to the Memorial weekend sales, the next BBQ on their list, the little league double-header or whatever they're all rushing toward; I realized God is telling us the same thing. "Slow down! You might see something!"
So today my prayer is this: Father, slow us down. Don't let us move so quickly on this walk that we miss what You want us to see. Keep us walking at Your pace, by Your side so we can spend our time with You. Father, lead on the paths You want us to take. Don't let us ever move ahead of You and miss the ones You want us to invite to walk with us. Don't let us miss the ones who have stumbled on the path and need a hand to get back up and keep walking. Don't let us miss the benches where You want us to just sit at Your feet and be still. Father, we know that Jesus came to give us abundant life, not busy lives. Remind us to turn off the TV, push away from the computer, leave work on time, let the dust go for another day, stop texting and slow down! So we might see something. In Jesus' Name.
The one sight that particularly touched my heart and spoke to me was a little girl walking with, I'm assuming, her grandpa. Hand in hand by the lake they strolled at a pace her legs and his years could handle. It reminded me of the walks I used to take with my grandpa. We'd start off slowly with no goal or destination, no time limit or heart rate to meet, just walking, getting some fresh air and exercise. Inevitably I would speed up and get ahead of him. "Slow down! You might see something!", he'd yell, not in anger but as someone who wanted to teach me something and spend time with me. Today I am sure he is strolling with Jesus and the saints, and I'm sure he is seeing something.
As I pulled out of the park and back into the reality of people rushing to get to the Memorial weekend sales, the next BBQ on their list, the little league double-header or whatever they're all rushing toward; I realized God is telling us the same thing. "Slow down! You might see something!"
So today my prayer is this: Father, slow us down. Don't let us move so quickly on this walk that we miss what You want us to see. Keep us walking at Your pace, by Your side so we can spend our time with You. Father, lead on the paths You want us to take. Don't let us ever move ahead of You and miss the ones You want us to invite to walk with us. Don't let us miss the ones who have stumbled on the path and need a hand to get back up and keep walking. Don't let us miss the benches where You want us to just sit at Your feet and be still. Father, we know that Jesus came to give us abundant life, not busy lives. Remind us to turn off the TV, push away from the computer, leave work on time, let the dust go for another day, stop texting and slow down! So we might see something. In Jesus' Name.
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