Final Shipment Report

It is here! Yeah.

Receiving something very Special

Yesterday we were very happy because we received something we have been waiting for, for a long time. It is something so useful and something we took for granted in the States. We expected to have it already but did not know how to get what we needed. Yesterday our doorman rang our doorbell. I opened the door to just what we have been waiting for in his hand. We had no idea he would be bringing one to us, but I was so excited that I wanted to kiss him. There in his hands was ...a....Phone Book.
You might laugh but we did not have a phone book, nor did we receive one when we moved into our apartment or when we got our phone hooked up. We also had no idea how to get one. We have needed a phonebook so many times when we where looking for a hardware store, or a moving company to get our stuff from the docks,or a gym, or a mexican restaurant.
So praise God for answering prayers (even small ones)
Jennifer

Doors

As most of you know we have been working with our despachante (shipping agent) here in Salvador to get our things liberated from customs. You might also be aware that while working with our despachante, Ana, conversations about God and how He works in the world have also come up. We appreciate all of your prayers for our bags as well as those of you who have been praying for our bags not to be liberated so we can have more time for conversations with Ana.

What a prayer and what a gift. It is true that we would like to have the things we shipped from the states, but it is also true that we are excited about this opportunity to talk about why we are here and who is this God we serve. It is very interesting that some people here in Salvador have little desire to know more about us than our immediate needs, which they are more than willing to help us with. But in terms of pursuing the conversations as to why we would be here in the first place most do not ask. Ana did though. She couldn't understand why we would leave our families and leave the US, a place many see to have every available opportunity for a great life, and come to Salvador. What an open door for light to come in.

Ana has a searching heart. God can do mighty things with a heart that is searching. Please join with me and pray that we will have more opportunities to talk with Ana. Pray that we are able to stay connected with her and that we will have the words to join her in her struggle and allow God to answer her questions. Yes we would like our stuff, but this is a conversation that needs to continue so pray for that as well.

Sunday Morning Reflections

It is sunday morning. The sun rises early in Salvador and therefore so do we. It is a different experience for me to not be rushed and frantic as we try to make it to church on time. It is amazing how much time you have before worship when you get up before seven. This morning there was time for play and time for study. The girls on our team are participating in a bible study together. We are starting our third week, and I can't even tell you how impactful it has been for us to study the word together on a consistent basis. We are using the Beth Moore bible study, "Beliveing God." It is all about being a person who not only believes in God, but a person who believes God. Believing that God is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do. I truly believe that God has given us this study for such a time as this. We are finally here in Brazil to do what we have been planning to do for so long and the question comes, are we people, am I a person who has the faith to allow God to do all that he has planned for the church is Salvador, Brazil? Do I have the courage to truly believe God and believe that the same God who parted the Red Sea and made the Sun stand still and brought people back from the dead is the God that is moving and working here in Salvador. And incredibly he is the God moving and working in me! God is truly moving among us to make us a people of Great Faith.

First Brazilian Baby Sitter

As everyone knows it is nice to get out of the house from time to time especially when you can leave your child with someone else. We had that opportunity this week and took it. Oh it was great. We actually had time to leasurely stroll around the shopping center, actually look in stores, and not feel rushed at any point. It was divine. Of course, this also meant we had to find someone to watch Kelton.

Many of you have proabably heard about our first Brazilian dinner guest and the wonderful time we had with our new friends. One of the members of this family is an 18 year old girl who is starting college and needs a little extra cash (bonus for us). She also speaks a little English (Another bonus). And she is free several afternoons a week (3 bonuses makes it a deal). Raissa (pronounced Hi-ee-sah) has already been very helpful to us and the Parker family on our team so she was a natural fit, plus it is an excellent way to stay connected with this family.

So now that we have a babysitter now comes the time to tell her what we need from her as she watches Kelton because, wouldn't you know it, things are done a little different here with babys as well. What seemed the greatest difference was how we put Kelton down for a nap. Kelton generally takes a nap in the afternoon and sometimes he wants to go down and other times not so much. Normally, though, either way when it is time we generally take him to his room, sing a song, put him in his bed, and then leave the room. All of this probably was not too out of the ordinary, however, when we told Raissa that he sometimes cries and usually just let him cry it out we could tell she was a little concerned. Aparently, in Brazil parents do not let their children cry without doing something about it. However, with a little reassuring that he would be fine and normally doesn't cry long, she agreed and all was well. We had a great date and Kelton and Raissa seemed to have a good time.

Searching for something small

We had a great time when a Brazilian family we are getting to know came over for dinner a little over a week ago. Many of you read about the experience so I won't repeat it. I did want to share what happened afterward, though.

Before I can do that, you need to know something about stores here in Brazil. In the past 50-100 years, the US has moved more and more away from the neighborhood stores that carry most of the basics we use in our daily lives. In their places have come the superstores, and now the mega-superstores, promising everything from an embrodary needle to a car jack. We may like the smaller store where we are known and know the owners, we have become acustom to the megastores.

Well Brazil has not joined the megastore bandwagon. Here most neighborhoods have one or two small markets where you can find things for your basic needs. This concept is not only limited to food it also expands to every other type of store and in the case of my store focuses on hardware stores.

Now understand that I grew up in a small town with a local hardware store. My family has an account there and most of the workers know my dad's name. So I like the small store, yet there are times one has to admit one store with lots of variety is sometimes nice.

Two weeks ago I noticed that the bolts one our swing were starting to pull out. AFter a little examination I noticed it was becase the bolts were simply screwed into the wood and did not have nuts to hold them in place. No problem, I fixed things much worse then this. However, I had not done so in Brazil. Needless to say, several hardware stores later I still have no nut for the bolt and the swing is still in pieces on our balcony. What is more, while visiting the last store two of the workers told me that finding a nut for bolt was very difficult and they could only think on one store half-way across town that could help me. This was all less than encouraging, until our dinner guest.

While they were over Aldebranson and I were talking and he asked me about the swing. After explaining my saga he asked for the bolt and told me he would take care of it. Wouldn't you know it two days later our portaria calls up telling me that Aldebranson has left something for me to pick up and what do I find a bolt, a nut, and even and tool perfectly fitting the bolt size. What a great help. I cannot tell you how often scenerios like this have played over and again in my life and in the lives of other teammembers since we have arrived. It is amazing how helpful finding the right people can be. The same is true about our Lord, we can search the world and still come up dry, but find the Lord and He will provide what you need.

Our shipment

We were able to talk with the company helping us liberate our things from customs today. There are few problems with some of the documentation we received from the states, but hopefully I got that straighten out tonight. We should now more tomorrow. Please keep praying.

Prizes for Bad Parents?

This past Sunday during our team worship confirmed something that every Christian parent fears. On Sunday we confirmed that Kelton is afraid of "Jesus Loves Me." Of all the songs to be afraid of or dislike, "Jesus Loves Me" and we are even missionaries? But before we pack our bags and head back to the states let me fill you in on how this tragedy happened.

We have had suspicions that Kelton might not like the song for a couple of months now. Our team loves to sing and since we have a few other kids on the team we sometimes get to sing children's songs. Almost every time one of our teammates has started to sing "Jesus Loves Me" Kelton starts to cry, but we were not sure if it was our teammate’s delivery of this timeless classic or if Kelton really was afraid of the song. This past Sunday put all of those suspicions to rest though as we took time for a children's worship during our weekly team worship service and sang "Jesus Loves Me" as one of the songs. Before we started this song Kelton was perfectly happy and enjoying the singing, but as soon as we started the song, he sat down in Jennifer's lap and started to cry as loud as he could. He cried the entire song. What have we done?!

How did he get this way, what did we do? For most of Kelton's life when bedtime comes around we normally take him to his room, hold him in our arms, sing a song, and then put him in bed and close the door. 9 out of 10 times that song is Jesus Loves Me. Why not? If there is one message we want to pass to Kelton it is that Jesus loves him (I am sure there are plenty of other lessons for another time, but he is only a year and three months). Well, somewhere in the world of psychology some conditioning expert is happy. That is right we have conditioned our child, not intentionally, but he is conditioned nonetheless. Now every time he hears "Jesus Loves Me" he thinks it is time for bed and Sunday night it was just a little too much. All of his friends were there and everyone was still up and playing why should he have to go to bed?

I am happy to say we have now moved on and are no longer singing just Jesus Loves Me. So someday he may be able to hear the song and not cry and we may not have to take our seats with other Christian parents gone wrong. (ha)

Our shipment from the US

Well it has arrived!! Praise the LORD it is in Salvador!!!

Next step: get it out of customs onto a truck and into our apartment.

How long will this take: No idea! Lord willing sooner than later. We would appreciate your prayers for this process. We are now once again at the mercy of a system that we are not sure that works in a way beyond our comprehension.

Language

We have finally started our Portuguese class.
The real question is are we in Kelton's class, is he in ours, or are we all in the same class. While it really is our class meeting at our house there are times I have felt like my language skills are about that of 1 year-old. It is really not that bad and it is all part of the learning process. I must say though it is interesting to be fluent in a language and have the ability of communicate in that language yet being completely lost because that is not the language people are using. All of the conversations about the importance of language really start to sink in to me. I can tell people what I want or what I am looking for in English with little to no problem, but if they do not know English all of my communicating does little good.

Obviously it is important and my job right now to learn Portuguese. But I also have to learn more than just words I have to learn the correct words. I am reminded of Paul’s desire to resemble those he teaches. The Word we proclaim is to be lived. The Word of God is dynamic and that cannot be communicated only through translated words that have the same meaning. So where do we begin? There seem to be several ways to apply Christ’s call for us to be like little children and maybe this is one of them. So even if this isn’t Kelton’s class hopefully we can all be as attentive as our children to see how people communicate beyond their words. I am convinced that as we bear witness to Christ in this way, as learners and servants, God’s Gospel will continue to claim souls and lives.

Weekend post

What a great weekend. On Saturday we went with our team to the Pelourinho area of town. (If you have ever seen our pictures of Salvador this is the old part of the city where all of the colored buildings are.) This was our first time to return to the historical part since we were here on our survey trip. It was a little different this time.

When you walk into this part of the city you are quickly sized up and either seen as a tourist (aka target) or as a local. With our hair and skin color we will probably always be naturally placed in the tourist category meaning that every person selling something in the area will eventually make their way over to us in hopes of unloading a few more necklaces, candies, or some other prices memory of Salvador. On our survey trip with our weak language skills and our clothes and backpacks we fit the bill. Add to that our desire to find some of these priceless Bahian trinkets and you have just what the doctor order. We saw little difference this past weekend with the exception of our attitude. No longer do I feel like someone just here for the weekend or a quick get away, I am starting to feel like this is my city.

There is sort of an awkwardness that comes anytime you first move to a new city. Nothing feels like home and things are just a little out of place. Try doing it in a different culture when you don’t speak the same language as everyone around you. It was nice this weekend to notice that some of those feelings are starting to subside. With each passing day Salvador feels more like our home, a different and new home, but home. It is nice to be moving from the visitor status into the local status (at least inside.).