And We’re Back

Well, last week was spent preparing for the incoming team from Ohio. With most of the staff gone to a counseling conference for the week, we were left to help Liandro hold down the fort. This consisted of picking up the sheets and blankets from the cleaners, getting the vans washed, making beds, and making sure the rooms had towels and toilet paper.

The boys were able to find the time to wrestle. This is a nightly occurrence. It drives me crazy for them to mess up my bedsheets right before bed but I love that they love to wrestle their daddy even more, so I remake the bed over and over.

By the end of the week, with rooms ready and the staff back, we shifted our attention to the Festa da Roça (Country Party) that was held last Saturday in our community. Vinde Meninos had a booth selling lanche de pernil (a kind of bbq pork sandwich).

Trevor left around 7:30am to help Roberto, who started at 6:30, cook all the meat.

The boys and I showed up around 10:30 to help with setting up the booth.

The festa, held in the church parking lot inside the community, was filled with food vendors and some games and inflatables for the kids.

There was live music and a large bonfire. It was a good time fellowshipping with neighbors and also raising some money for the ministry.

Trevor continued the cooking and I assembled the sandwiches.

Tucker helped pull the pork, and Mason was our errand guy.

If you ever come to Brazil, make sure and meet this woman. Ellis is one of the sweetest and funniest people I know; a truly wonderful human. The way she lives her life, exemplifies what it means to have joy even when what is happening to you is anything but happiness (third time fighting cancer and a different kind each time and she cares for her ailing mother).

This company makes the best churros in the area, so I’m told. They were set up in the booth beside us. How convenient for Trevor and Mason. They both seemed to like them.

Mason paid to have his brother put in jail. Tuck had his ice cream with him so he didn’t seem to mind any.

Trevor, Mason, and I went home about 6:30pm. Tuck stayed until 8pm. The festa lasted until 10pm, way past my bedtime.

Sunday morning the team was arriving. Roberto picked them up at the airport, while Trev and I made brunch. We made bacon, eggs, French toast, home fries, pão de queijo, a ham and cheese deli tray, fruit, and sweet bread. We were buzzing around too much to get any pictures. Mason helped cook the French toast, and Tuck wiped down all the tables, and of course, we all worked together to get the dishes and kitchen cleaned up afterwards.

After such a busy morning, we just chilled that afternoon because we knew Monday was coming. Trevor and I took a walk around the lake and watched the capybaras.

Monday brought with it the start of the second semester. All the kiddos were back and we even had five new kids. The day went pretty well. We have all been ready to get back to our regular schedule. We’ve missed these small humans. Tuck looked at me last week and said he was ready to be useful again. I loved it. He feels like he has purpose serving these kids. Isn’t that what we all need; purpose. Something bigger than ourselves.

The Ohio team was ready to help clean in the kitchen, serve the kids lunch, and they even tackled some handyman projects.

They are also leading devotionals this week.

I thought these girls were talking during devotional but when I walked over to them I realized Julianna was helping Lia find Hebrews, the book being discussed, in her Bible. I love to see them in The Word, wanting to know more.

Several of the girls helped make bracelets with the kids. The team came over to Roberto’s house one evening for dinner.

It’s interesting to see the difference between the various teams that come. The last team was full on VBS style; all about hanging with the kids. This team is more hands off with the kids but helpful in other ways. It reminds me of how we are all part of the body, we are just different parts. I love how God designed us that way. One’s not better than the other, they’re just different. They serve different functions. It’s a good reminder when we start to compare ourselves and our lives to others. We’re not meant to all be the same. It’s actually very freeing when you allow God to use you as He created you.

The boys like arm wrestling Mason. It’s some serious business for those little guys.

I love seeing my boys become men. The kids here look up to my boys. They’re not just other kids to them.

Tuesday, EMME, a traveling music and evangelism team performed for the kids. It was impressive (and refreshing) to see the kids sitting quietly and attentively listening to the skit and songs. The group did an amazing job.

Mom’s little girl that she sponsors is such a cutie pie.

If you’re interested in making a difference in one of these kids’ lives, Moyo Missions has plenty of children here in Brazil and even more in Uganda available to be sponsored.

Mason and I have been asked to teach English class on Thursdays this semester. We were both pretty nervous for the first class, but it went fairly well. These kids are competitive so we made it a game and that helped.

Tucker, in the orange shirt, started taking tennis lessons. He’s loving it so far. He already got promoted from first group to second group within the first week. I’d love to say he was all humble about it, but that would be a lie.

One afternoon, during game time as the kids arrive, a tv was set up showing the USA vs Brazil women’s volleyball game. Talk about pride for your country. The boys especially were into it. They chanted and cheered every time Brazil scored. Brazil lost that match and they were pretty upset afterwards.

They weren’t too upset to play a friendly game of touch American football with Tucker and Trevor. Usually, they only want to play soccer. Maybe it was the spirit of the Olympic Games. You can’t tell from this picture but they made Tucker a soccer jersey like theirs for their local team. Tucker is a hard name for Brazilians, as the T usually makes a ch sound, so he gets called Chucker…a lot; but on his jersey they spelled his name Jhocker. Ha! We all love it.

We have a trip coming up this month and we still don’t have the boys’ temporary residency cards. I’m praying they arrive before we leave. To just check into a hotel I have to provide their passports and their white papers so I’m hoping the cards will come soon as we will be checking into hotels and crossing international boarders. To which country you ask? Well, you will just have to wait.