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