confessions of a "gringa"

Last night I attended a service for the Youth (ages 18-35; single, married, couples, everything) and it was amazing! I went last week as well and I abosolutely love it! I went with the BIS secretary and her sister. They did an amazing job interpreting! They are also teaching me so much about the language and I feel completely comfortable asking them questions about "frequently heard words". These can be funny times. Last night I asked what "fica" meant...and that means "fling" haha. I'm pretty sure I was getting it confused with "fila" which is a verb for something (can't remember, brain overload). I say all of this to say that they are hosting a conference (which is from what I can tell an outreach ministry to specific sections of the city) and I'm praying about how I can help. I know that they need people to support, pray, and work during the conference which is the last week in September!
The pastor there, his son is at Southern Seminary! The Brasilians were telling me last night that there are two great schools in the U.S -Southern and Southwestern. They said that there were a lot of smart people at Southern-and I whole heartedly agreed with them. My friend said, "They say Southern is the best in the world." Wow. All the way in Brasilia they think this and it is in our backyard. How blessed are we to have such a mighty fortress of believers who won't compromise the word (and teaches their students the same).
And one last bit of news from last night----IT RAINED!!!!! We were all so happy! They announced it at the end of church and we all rushed out to see the sprinkles on the sidewalk. We haven't had any rain in over 100 days. Everything is dead and dry-you can see the dust on your skin at the end of the day. Maybe I'll no longer have to perform my ceremonial feet washing in the sink before I crawl in bed everynight. I wear shoes and it is almost as if I never even put shoes on my feet. It feels like fall in Kentucky-cool, breezy, a bit of rain. I LOVED it! The Brasilians are walking around freezing and I am loving the familiarity of it all! Thank you, Lord, for the early (very very early) start to rainy season-I was getting tired of the nose bleeds!

In School this week (3rd week):
We are learning about Days 4-6 in Creation. They get stuck on one day and forget about the other days. It's difficult sometimes, but we go to the "Creation Station" (there's a paper for every day showing pictures of what God created) and talk about each poster.
I had a most interesting conversation with one of my kids. I was asking him to speak a bit of Portuguese to his (Portuguese only) classmate.
"I no want to."
"You don't want to? Why?" I asked.
"Well, I just don't."
We bantered a minute about languages and finally I said,"How many languages do you speak?"
"I have three." "Portuguese, Spanish, and the one I'm speaking now."

I could only laugh. If you could see his sweet face......ahh Kindergarten. It is such a challenge for some students because many of them know more than two languages. One of my four year olds knows 3 languages (see above :) ) and the other one is fluent in 3 (Spanish, Portuguese, and English) and can speak in 2 more (Greek and French). Talk about insane?! At four years old?! I usually give directions about three different ways for these students in hopes that they will understand or follow someone else. I can't imagine trying to dig through my brain to find the English words when there are 4 other languages floating around in there....

My students are so wonderful-and-they are now accustomed to walking in the line! They can do it! "Bubbles and Bunny Tails" It's pretty hilarious to watch, but the 1st grade teacher is getting ready to recruit me to come and show her kids how to walk in a line!

Culture:
Yesterday I got my first haircut and I went by myself. Why? You ask? I just wanted to see if I could do it. So-bravely, I found a salon that was seemingly friendly, yet cozy. They are a dime a dozen here (worse than in the states) so I just walked up and down the Quadras until I found a hair supply store and the salon was underneath. I slowly walked downstairs and showed them the word for "trim" to which they asked one of the girls (Amanda as well....) to translate. So-in just a few minutes, I was getting my hair washed and cut. Graca (Grasa) did an AMAZING job! I was so nervous but she took her time and asked questions when needed. I made a couple new friends and an appointment for next month with her. Oh-and I love the complimentary coffee and water that is served as you get your hair done!!

Also-I started to notice about the culture is that both men and women wear gold engagement rings on the right hands (until they are married). Most of the younger couples (like my generation) they also wear silver rings when they start dating seriously. I asked my friend why the men wear them and she said, "We want EVERYONE to know that they are taken." Which I thought was hysterically funny. She will be getting married within the next year-depending on when the government calls her fiance into a job (He scored very high on a test to get into the Supreme Court-but now he could wait up to 2 years to get a job). These jobs are few and far between and many Brasilians try and fail the tests every year. They study for days, hours, months at a time once they apply to take the test. You basically have it made if you get one of these jobs-many want-few get. They give you a VERY nice salary plus food, gas, and GREAT work hours. Anyway-there's a little Brasilian culture for you.....

Open House-International Style...

Well, I will say that people in Brazil know how to have an Open House-they just don't know how to shut it down.

I saw the most colorful, beautiful array of people tonight from all different backgrounds. Breathtaking-like a sunset or a beautiful mountain range. Everywhere you looked-a different nation represented.

It was completely amazing! I talked with four of my six parents-and I'm only unsure about the salvation of two sets of parents. One set I see all the time and the other set is rather difficult to communicate with. So-much prayer is requested for those situations.

Zambia(student representatives) was absent tonight-which meant that I was one student and set of parents short. Their President died-so they could not attend. Levy Mwanawasa was much respected and loved by his people. I even received a note in one of the students' agenda about the great sorrow they (the people of Zambia) are experiencing.

The catering was amazing-complete with caviar, guacamole (with CHIPS-yum!!), quite exquisite shrimp(yum!), and so many other things...and that was the adult dishes (that were being served to us...) and then there was the kids table. I don't even know if I have words to describe the Willie Wonka type smorgasbord of jinormous lollipops, candies, marshmallows, chocoloate shots, sprinkles, suckers, sweets. By the end of the night-I'm sure there were some sick children walking around! It was quite the experience....from the international community. And that experience lasted until 10:30 last night.....turning the lights out just doesn't work here. :)

Everything you need to know, you learned in Kindergarten...

Wow-I so agree with this statement. There are innumberable experiences (today alone) which make me believe every word of this! Kindergarten is before most of the world taints your view of life, love, and color. You begin to realize differences and immediately you can see how each person will treat these differences. :) Sometimes it is actually how someone teaches your "perspective" on these topics.....

Beginning with bus duty-these are not just any buses-they are Embassy buses from Zambia, America, and a couple of others. It is quite different than the United States-for sure!

Today, not 5, or 6, but 10 smiling faces greeted me at the door :) The Pre-K and Kindergarten are meeting together for a few days while the Pre-K room is being finished. I love, love, love the Pre-K teacher-she is amazing! She is the most diligent and sacrificial person that I know. She set her classroom up and they tore it down-now she is with me for a couple of days. In true Christlike fashion-she truly takes whatever He gives her and makes the best. I'm learning a lot from her....and I'm so thankful for her.

So-officially I will have 6 students for half a day and 7 for the last half. One of my students only speaks Portuguese-so-guess who is practicing? Or actually, guess who is teaching me? I know a few things well enough to get me through the day-like no touching, sit, and some other commands.

They are all so beautiful, colorful, a bit audacious, and completely accomodating to our crazy mixed classroom! I love their little faces!

This is our "silly" picture!

Well, one of my favorite mission kids-Brody (a cool name for a cool kid!) and I went to the Pizza place-at his request. I ordered all in Portuguese (even his juice), got ice (you have to ask for it), asked for the check, and everything! Plus-I'm kind of starting to build some relationships with the people there. They help me with words and guide my pronunciation when it is not just right. My Thursday night spot! I also tend to take the kids into a specific drug store (for little whatnots) on Thursdays-and the owner speaks English, Spanish, and Portuguese-so I can speak whatever language I choose! Yet another relationship!

Weird thing of the week-I tend to think of words in Spanish-a lot. So-a lot of times, I just go ahead and try it-sometimes this works. I just think it's funny that I can immediately think of almost everything I need to say-in Spanish (and I didn't think I knew very much-THANK YOU CUBA!)...... I think the fact that I use English at school, at home, and around most of the people I know-is very hindering to learning Portuguese.

Alllllmost Finished :)

This is what I did today :) Actually, I've been looking at it for several days now and just wondering... :) Oh but ye of little faith! I stood in complete awe as they came and hung my bulletin boards, helped unpack my boxes, and clean my furniture. Today was so sweet.




Tomorrow-I have to decorate ALL of those bulletin boards (3 to be exact) and then my Morning Meeting Area as well (you know-calendar stuff, counting, colors-the stuff I live for!).



And-right across the hall are the cutest "mini-potties" that you will ever see. A sight to behold folks! We are truly blessed as a school to be able to offer these amenities to the students. We went from a patio-to a church-to a mansion-now this.

Blessed. I know that's what our administrators feel. I know that's what I feel.

And-this is Elise (one of my fav missionary kids)-we went for our one-on-one time to this FANTABULOUS pizza place. We ordered a "Bacon Pizza" because that was the only words I understood on the menu. And-I also understood the ice cream bar in the back of the restaurant :) It was like a salad bar- except with tons of ice cream, toppings, drippings, and neat edible straws! More than that-she shared that she thinks motorcycles are scary because they don't have training wheels (and they should) and her brother is six and doesn't have a clue.

Today at Portuguese Church-they called in the troops! I had not one, not two, but three different translators before they figured out which one could stay. I was so embarrassed but relieved that I would be able to understand the pastor (who was teaching). He taught out of Ecc. on the subject of the Death and Dominion. God put us here with a ticket of death in our hands. We cannot avoid it, figure it out, or really understand it. Sunday School was very interesting as people brought up the topics of suicide, almost death experiences, etc. It's a bit neat to watch Brasillian preachers get fired up!
Tonight, we took communion and towards the end-I watched Repentence take place in a young man's life. We've been watching him for several weeks. He appeared back at church the same night that I first came. He walked away from the church several years ago-several weeks ago, his father died. The repercussions of this event are glorious in some ways. It was somewhat beautiful to watch him cry out to Jesus tonight in the silence of communion.
I saw Batman or "Batcheman" as they call it in Brazil. Wow-I was amazed-not at the darkness, the cunning Morgan Freeman, or even the late Heath Ledger's go at the Joker. I was most impressed with the script.

Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They'll hate you for it. But that's the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.

....and the script got better and better.
This week
I got roommates-Megan(2nd grade teacher) and Melinda(3/4th grade teacher). It's been a great adjustment. They are teaching me a lot about life here and how to survive! It was good to have them as my first bout of culture shock surfaced this week. Sometimes you know something in your head, but it doesn't fully settle. This is how I felt about Brazil being my home. The head knowledge finally made it's way to a concrete understanding. It's funny how those things hit you! I really love it here-it's different, surreal, can be a bit complicated because of simplicity, grocery shopping is NOT the same, I still can't cook..... God continues to use these things to draw me closer to Himself. What is a discouragement one day can be used as a blessing the next. In hindsight I love those experiences.
I started my job! We began inservice by painting, "moshing" (or massa?), cleaning, carrying boxes, and avoiding the flying rubble from the Brasillian workers running around. The projects are reaching a finish line and we can see the light! The majority of our classrooms are close to completion and focusing on the students has come to the forefront.
I realized exactly what "early" means-as we began to get up at about 5:45am every morning! Well-small confession to those who don't know me-I don't sleep well and therefore-the morning is not my favorite time of the day! My sleeping patterns are being shifted and it's becoming habit to get up so early in the morning! We (the other single-Melinda, Megan, and Casey) catch the bus about 6:20 every morning. I came to realize that we have a group of homeless people that sleep in the park next to us. I noticed them before, but the reality hit me as we walked by them the other morning. You can't miss their loud colored blankets. Almost everyone was covered from head to toe-just like they were camping. The destruction of that thought is that they are not. They will roll up their blankets and continue a harsh cycle of begging. They wake up the same as I, breathe in their nostrils, and seemingly for them, there is no vision of hope. I am exploring options to help them-e-mailing people for Portuguese tracks, gathering ideas from my roommates, and just praying for them. They are my neighbors and I should tend to their needs.

Next Week-
Fixing up the classroom (whoohooo), having meetings, and Thursday-one of our mission fields will be up and running (the school :)

Prayer Requests
BIS-students, parents, teacher, construction, administration
For new and growing relationships!
For continual wisdom
Mare-She should be in South Africa soon!
Culture Shock!
Language Barrier
Michael and Aundrea Taylor's Visa (3rd grade teacher)
Situations at home

Praises
Progress on the new school
Growing relationships
The Martin's

Two weeks in Africa...

Johannesburg to Capetown
the plane had barely touched down
she was taking photos for the friends back home
this was always where she felt her heart belonged
and she was finally here
the sky was bright and clear


I think of my best friend, Mary, when I hear this song. Her heart beats for the nation of Africa. The song goes on to say two weeks-and this week she left for 5 1/2 months. The ardor for these people radiates from every part of her. I'm truly blessed to have a best friend going out. I couldn't count the conversations we've had about missions. The quality in those alone-accounts for the encouragement and the fanning of those flames in our lives. I miss her, but I know God's got this (actually always had it).


I realized not too long ago that I've never read the Bible all the way through-in a consistent manner. So-under the advice of Donald Whitney-I've started reading one chapter per day in several places-Genesis, Job, Proverbs, Matthew, and then Nehemiah( I just started this one today). It's been great to review the promises of God, watch perserverance, answer questions of wisdom, and go through the life of Jesus. Already, this journey is amazing. Shame on me for not doing this before now.

Church is going well-I understand more Portuguese there than I do anywhere else. It is very different, but my ears are becoming accustomed to words and phrases. I think the pastors are going to work out something so that I will have access to the sermons before the services. So-hopefully we can work something out.

Today, my apartment became full again! I am so thankful for the two girls that God has placed in my life. I'm praying that our relationships grow and that we can be pictures of encouragement, grace, and help during this time.

Prayer Requests
new Brasilian friends
Language Barriers
BIS-students, staff, and construction
Scott and Stacey Bose (administrators)
Aundrea and Michael Taylor's Visa
Mare in South Africa
CrossPoint Baptist and Bro. Randy
Relationships

Praises
All of our staff made it!
Mary made it to Tanzania
Construction progress on the new school
Good church here!