Jes' Brazilian Trip

Last and final post

2010-07-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

My mom asked me to write one final note/update on the work that I did in Brazil and how the return flight went a week or so ago, so here goes.

The return flight or should I say flights were relatively okay. My day for return to Canada began at 3:30 in the morning on June 28th and my first flight left the airport at 5:15 in the morning. I left from Recife and flew to Salvador where there was a very quick stopover and then it was off to Rio de Janeiro. These two flights were very smooth and I had a 6 hour stopover in Rio de Janeiro. I was planning on using this time to go and see the statue of Christ but the cost just to go there was quite expensive so I occupied my time by watching the Netherlands beat Chile. I was the only person in the airport cheering for the Netherlands as the Brazilians wanted Chile to win. My flight to Sao Paulo was supposed to leave at 4:15 but this was quite problematic for the Brazilians as the Brazilian soccer team was due to play a game at 3:30 in the afternoon. At 4 in the afternoon we were informed that our flight was delayed for 1 hour due to the soccer game. I always knew that Brazilians take the game seriously but I never knew this seriously. Once it was obvious that Brazil was going to win the game, the plane was given approval to take off. What a relief as I had little time in Sao Paulo before connecting to the next flight to Toronto. Everything went smoothly though in Sao Paulo and I boarded the completely full plane heading for Toronto. While I was on the plane I met a family that was traveling to Winnipeg for the first time and we quickly started up conversations in Portuguese. It was nice to have travelling companions for the trip as the flight did not seem as long. Though at the end of the flight, I did get quite sick and the customs lady once I landed was quite worried about me and what I may have picked up in Brazil. Once through customs I had a two hour stopover in Toronto and Twyla, Veronica and Nancy came to visit me in the airport. What a wonderful treat and I am so thankful that I was able to see them once again. Then it was off to Winnipeg for the final flight in this long trip. After 29 hours of traveling and stopovers, I made it to WINNIPEG!!! Liz picked me up from the airport and together we picked up my car after which I went start to bed as I was very very very very very very very very very very tired!

After being home for a week, I have much to reflect upon and much to be thankful for. Thanks to all who supported me financially for this trip as I would not have been able to go on this trip if it were not for you. Thanks for those who remembered me in your prayers while I was in Brazil as the Lord certainly heard those prayers and blessed my trip in ways that I could never even imagined. Thanks for the notes of encouragement through the blog, facebook and email as these were all very crucial for me in the work that I did. And just overall THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Oh and a special thanks go to Charlie Mitchell for his interest in my work in Brazil and for reading each and every one of my blog posts.......thanks so much Charlie. I will see you at Christmas. (it almost sounds as though I have just won an award at the Oscars or something and now I am saying my thank yous)

But above all, it is the Lord who I should be thanking for all of this. The Lord opened the door and allowed me this amazing opportunity, to be able to serve Him in Brazil and to serve His people in Brazil. Throughout the trip the Lord blessed me by granting me strength, patience, perseverance, love and a heart of servitude. He allowed my eyes to be opened to the work that is happening in Brazil and how the Word is being spread in many different areas in Brazil!!!!! What an amazing thing to witness.

There still is much work in Brazil both in Cabo Frio and in Recife as well as the other parts of Brazil. The needs here are very great both financially and spiritually. Please continue to pray for the work that is being done by Rev Wieske, Rev VanSpronsen and Rev deGraaf in the different areas of Brazil as well as the different ministers that have been ordained to preach the Word of God faithfully. May God's work and Word continue to be done and spread in the beautiful country of Brazil.

Recife

2010-06-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

Things are very different here in Recife. The biggest difference that I have noticed is the fact that I can actually talk English and people will understand what I am saying....what a blessing this is. Though I do at times miss being forced to learn a new language and to practice what I have learnt.

Instead of walking everywhere, I now talk the bus and the metro. For the first day Sergo went with me to explain it all and then the second day I had a ride down to the metro station and figured out the metro system by myself. I safely arrived where I needed to be and was met by Sergo there. The next day I walked to the bus station myself, took the bus and the metro completely on my own. It was very exciting and very easy.

Winter too has arrived here in Recife. Everyday there has been constant rain since I have arrived here and it is not a light rain but rather it is very intense. It makes walking and driving very difficult.

For the past week I have been working down in the city of Recife in a place called the Reading Room or Clire. Here I am to meet with people who are advanced in English and who have the desire to practice their pronunciation of English words. The first day I had two people. The second day one person and the rest of the days were the same, only one person. This is a brand new project here in Recife so news of this project has to spread throughout the city. They are hoping that once people know about the project that more people will be interested and that people will be willing to come. One of the reasons that there may have only been a few people this first week is because of the extensive amount of rain that has come to Recife. Maybe next week will be better.

Due to the rain, I did not take the metro nor the bus back to Pastor Kenneth's house but instead Sergo drove me back. The first time we were met with lots of traffic and decided to stop at the super market for me to buy some food. I am not sure if this was a wise thing to do but after shopping was finished, the car would not start. Together Sergo and I sat in the parking lot for more than an hour waiting for the car to have more power...don't ask me how this happens. Finally the car started again and we were off on our way with traffic being much lighter.

The next day because of the rain, driving was difficult. Many of the streets were flooded and only one lane out of the three lanes was usable. The usually 45 minute drive ended up being 5 hours long and both Sergo and I were very tired. Because of this we decided to cancel class today and enjoy a break, a much needed break.

Also for the past two days I have been living completely on my own. I am responsible for everything here and this is a new thing for me as in Cabo Frio I was never alone. Pastor Kenneth and his family went away to a hotel for three days with the church visitors. Boy is it different staying here by myself but I have enjoyed it none the less.

2010-06-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

Wow it has been a very long time since I have written on this blog and I do not even know where to begin. Many last days in Cabo Frio are days that I will never forget. I spent the last few days teaching the students as much as I possibly could in a short week. The students were working on understanding the different tenses that there are in English and how to write different sentences using these sentences. The older students were doing wonderful on this and I hope that this will continue for them after I leave. The younger students too made much progress and their work in English is far from finished. Oh how my heart loves them all so very much.

The Jazz Blues Festival that I wrote to you all about before was a good adventure though we ended up going only once because of the weather. Winter has arrived here in Cabo Frio which means that the weather is changing from sunshine to rain. The temperature is also changing and I am starting to use the sweaters that I packed. It is a wonderful feeling to snuggle up on the couch with a warm blanket and a book to read.

The past Sunday was the celebration of the Lords Supper. I have come to love the way that they celebrate the Lords Supper. Not that it is different from the way that we celebrate it but that they have a meal together after the service as a way of encouraging and strengthening the brothers and sisters of the Lord. The children and I spent time playing games together and we played our favourite game which is called three hits. It is the goal not to be hit by the ball after the third hit. Everyone has their targets and it is such a fun game to play.

School this past week was also some of the days very early in the morning because of different events happening in the afternoon...events like the opening ceremonies of the World Cup, me going to Rio das Ostras in the afternoon and different things like that. It is surprising to see how the people change their schedules to accomodate the World Cup but anyways I enjoy it as well.

It was also the birthday of Israel this week....he is the son of the pastor. He turned the big 13 this year which means that he is no longer a child but he is now an adolescent. His mother and his friends planned a surprise birthday party for him and it was my responsbility to make sure that he did not arrive at the house before a certain time. I had to come up with a plan on how to distract him for that time so we went to the market for me to buy him his birthday present. He has been saving his money all year long to pay a computer and that time is rapidly coming! He is so excited to buy the computer. Anyways the surprise was a success and I was so excited for him. There was cake, pop, candy, presents, hot dogs and so much more. It was as great evening.

On Thursday it was off to Rio das Ostras to buy presents for the people that I stayed with as I wanted to thank them for the hospitility that they provided to me over the past two months. I was gone to Rio das Ostras for around 5 hours and I was very tired after coming back to Lucianas house. The trip though was a success and the family enjoyed their presents. Then it was off to teach class once again to the adults. I went to class with two of the women and when we arrived at the church no one was there. We waited for some time for people to come to the class but no one else came. One of the women phoned the other ladies and reported back to me that class was cancelled for the evening. Upon arrival back of the house of Luciana I was greeted by Ecilido who talked to me for a while before allowing me into the house. Once I entered the house I was surprised. Everyone who I had taught and their parents were there in the house for a surprise send off. I have never been more surprised in my entire life. I was not expecting this in the least way and they did an excellent job keeping it a secret from me. During the night I was presented with different presents from the students that I taught as well as the church in Cabo Frio. I received a picture of the entire church, the adults that I taught, a Brazilian cup, a Flamengo towel, a Flamengo cup, a Brazilian bag, a hand towel with the message we love you Jessica in Portuguese, pictures, signs, letters, hugs, and so much more. What a surprise and my heart was overwhelmed with love. It only made the goodbye so much more difficult. After the opening of presents and pictures we enjoyed pop and pizza! Together we ate more than 10 pizzas. It was delicious.

That night I went to bed very late as I still had to finish the report cards that I was making for the students. The report cards were much better than I thought they would be and I enjoyed writing them for the students. It also was a very nice way to reflect on the learning and the teaching that had taken place over the past two months.

The next day we had class in the morning as in the afternoon was the start of the World Cup and we were planning on going to Barra da são João in the afternoon as a celebration of the time that I had in Cabo Frio. Unfortunately I was very tired so we only had a small class in the morning where the students opened their report cards and read them. We finished off the learning with BINGO. After class I went back to the house of Luciana to write letters for all the women that I had taught thanking them for their willingness to learn a new language and for the different characteristics that I noticed in them. Each letter ended with a passage from the Bible as an encouragement to them to continue in their service of the Lord as they seek to raise their children in the fear of the Lord. In the afternoon I went to the pastors house to enjoy a small supper and to spend some last moments with Mary, my adopted sister! While I was there Priscila asked me if I wanted to go for a manicure and a pedicure...how could I resist a request like this. Of course I said yes and because of this class in the evening was somewhat delayed but at least my nails looked beautiful for class. Class in the evening was very short as it was just the women reading their letters and saying goodbye to some of the women that I would not be seeing again. After class I went back to the pastors house to enjoy pastels and lemon pie. It was delicious. While here, two of my students and their mother came to say goodbye. It was very difficult to say goodbye to them and it was not the first time that day that I cried. In the rain Mary, Joabe and I made the trip to Lucianas house to say goodbye to each other and I could start packing for my trip on Saturday.

Saturday came much faster than what I was expecting but God gave me the strength that I needed to say goodbye to these wonderful people, and He laid on my heart the needs of the people here. I have made relationships here in Cabo Frio that I will never forget and that I will cherish for the rest of my life. The Lord willing, I will return here to Cabo Frio one day again to continue the work that has been started here.

Marcel and I were ready to take the bus to Rio de Janeiro at 8 in the morning. The trip to Rio de Janeiro was very long as the buis ride takes 3 and half hours to get there. Upon arrival at the bus terminal we took a taxi to the airport. Marcel helped me to check in my luggage. We had lunch together and waited for the bus to take Marcel back to the bus terminal. Marcel could not stay with me as there was a supper in the church for Valentines day which he had to attend. We said a quick goodbye and I spent the remaining time in the airprot resting and reading a book. The flight to Recife is 2 and a half hours and it was a good trip. I was met at the airport by two people that work at the training center with the Wiekse family. We made the drive back to where Rev Wieske and his family live. By the time that we arrived I was very tired and really needed to rest. Tamara too needed to rest so it was good that way.

When I arrived in Recife, I came with a cold. I had a sinus infection and it was very difficult to breathe without having my mouth open. While on the plane my ears plugged and did not unplug until Sunday afternoon. I have never had this experience before and I must say that I did not enjoy it as I felt as though my life was on a cloud. Recife is very different from Cabo Frio and I am not sure which I like more...each have their positive aspects. The one amazing blessing here in Recife is that I am surrounded by people who speak English. What a treat though some times I miss speaking English.

Sunday was good as I went to the VanSprousens house for lunch and coffee. In the afteroon I slept for three hours. This was definitely needed with the pressure my head was feeling from the cold. When I awoke I was feeling much better and it was nice to be able to hear people again without having everything echo in my head. This I loved.

Today is Monday and it began very early. I was awoken at 7 in the morning by a woman, I do not remember her time, to tell me that Sergog would be at my house at 9 in the morning to teach my how to take the bus and the metro downtime where I would be teaching during the day. I will be teaching downtown Recife in a place called the Reading Room. The teaching happens by sign up only and so far I have been at the center since 11 this morning with no one to teach. I have enjoyed the break though and enjoyed getting caught up on emails and the like. Tonight I will attend a class taught by either Pastor Kenneth or Pastor Julius.

Thats all for now
Boa tarde
Jessica

Blessings

2010-06-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

As the time for me in Cabo Frio is rapidly coming to an end, the blessings from the Lord are pouring in time and time again. This week I have found myself to be more tired than usual. I do not have the energy that I normally have and this is very frustrating for me as I have to teach three classes every day while I am here. In order to do this effectively, I need to have the energy to be able to do so. I am not sure why my energy is decreasing but despite the lack of energy, the enthusiasm and the drive to be able to teach is still there. I love teaching my students as much as I love learning from them. The reason that I say that the blessings from the Lord are pouring in time and time again, is that despite the decrease in energy that I feel, I still am able to teach and to teach with the same vigour that I have had since I have arrived here in Cabo Frio. The Lord grants me strength that I know only comes from Him as if it were left up to me, I would spend the entire day if not days watching TV and just relaxing. The Lord never fails to amaze. Each time He pours out His blessings, answers a prayer (whether it was the answer I was wanting or not), I find myself being continually strengthened in my faith in Him.

This week has been very busy with teaching and visits different families. The teaching has been going very well. The older students today wrote a test and I was once surprised at their marks. They all did very well and I love teaching them. The younger students also wrote a test today and their marks were far from what they should have been. The younger students have a problem with studying and writing the words on paper. They seem to know the words when it comes to saying them but to write them is a completely different story. This is frustrating for me but at the same time it challenges me to think of new ways to teach them the words. The classes for the next week should be a little bit more exciting as I am going to change the way that I am teaching them. The adults classes are only happening once this week. Last night the classes were cancelled because two of the adults were not home from Cabo Frio. Tonight the classes were cancelled because of the church service. Tomorrow classes are cancelled because of a holiday. Friday there will be no classes as it is the Jazz Blues Festival and everyone is going to this. Hopefully I will be able to get in more lessons with the adults before I leave.

Some of you may be wondering what will be happening once my time comes to an end here in Cabo Frio. The plans right now, the Lord willing, are that I will be going to Recife on June 12th sometime in the afternoon by plane and will be staying there until the end of June, June 28th to be exact. While I am there I will be visiting with Rev Wieske and Rev Vansprousen. I also will be teaching 6 one hour classes every day....three in the morning and three in the afternoon. These classes are designed as a pilot project for what will hopefully take place when I am gone. The Brazilian people living in Recife would like to have the opportunity to be able to practice their English pronounciation...to see if they are on the right track with how they are pronouncing their English words. In order to practice their English, we will be reading books from the Bible. This serves two purposes really.....one as a practice for English and the second as a method of evangelism. I am very excited for this new adventure though my heart is sad to leave the beautiul people that I have met in Cabo Frio.

With tomorrow being the holiday I have some time to relax, get caught up on reading, and also work on a little something that I am preparing for the students as well as their parents. As with any teacher, there is the task of writing report cards. I too have started this process for my students as it is a good way for me to reflect on the teaching that I have done; what was successful, what needs to be worked on, what are the weaknesses/strengths of the approach that I took etc. Not only will I be working on report cards but I also will be taking some time to relax and just enjoy the day. I am going to Rio das Ostras tomorrow, the Lord willing, with Priscila to buy presents for the upcoming child that she is expecting....baby Hadassa. I am not sure what else lies in store for tomorrow but I am certainly looking forward to the holiday.

Ate logo (see you soon)
Boa Noite!

2010-05-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks

The internet has been kind of cray this week so I have not been on the internet as much as I normally am when the internet is working well. Many things have happened this week so this should be a long update....but I guess it is time that I have had a long update as I have not written much over the past couple of weeks.

After having many days off from teaching in the evening, teaching the adults has started once again. The students are learning much faster then what I thought they would learn the material that I had for them to learn. They have learned the majority of the vocabulary that I intended to teach them so now I am teaching them simple sentences and verb tenses. It is amazing to see them connect the information that they have learned over the past couple of weeks into sentences. The smiles on their faces when they write a correct sentence is absolutely wonderful and such a rich blessing from the Lord. This has always been my most favourite part of teaching, seeing the students´faces light up when they have learned something, when they have been able to connect the information in their heads. LOVE IT!

On Thursday the students, Marcel, Luciana and I had decided that we were going to have a break from teaching and learning to enjoy the day in Barra de São Joã. But the weather did not allow for this to happen. It was raining very hard here. It rained all day long and when it was not raining, it was very windy. The wind was chilly and it was very chilly outside. It was not fun. But the day was not completely ruined as at night, it was the monthly ladies tea. I love this night. The ladies were studying the 5 chapter in Esposa Excellence. They use a study guide prepared by Pastor Elienai which I think is really cool....that the pastor is involved in this process and it is not only the women talking together. After the discussion on the chapter, the women do a gift exchange. Only a few people received presents and I was one of them! YEAH! This women´s tea was a little different from the last one because it was dedicated to one woman in which she asks the other women for something that she has been desires for a while....this time it was Mary and she wanted to have white towels. She received many white towels and was very happy. The next tea is in June and it is for Luciana! Super cool. After the gift exchange and the presents for Mary, we were able to eat! Sweet bread, crackers with ham and cream, some kind of cake that i do not like, and pineapple cake along with a huge cake that was chocolate and with pudding inside. It was a very good evening!

Then came Friday. It threatened to rain all day today but it didn´t, to the students and my delight. We were off to Barra de São Joã and it was a great day. Because the sun was hiding behind the clouds for the majority of the day, it was a perfect day for sports. We played futebol, dodgeball and another game that I do not know the name of but I really like the game. We had a picnic there as well and walked along the river. After this adventure I had to teach in the evening to the adults even though I was completely exhausted. We ended class early because it was Friday and I was tired. I spent the night at Elienaise( I have no idea how to spell her name, sorry if I spelt it wrong). I spelt amazingly well here! Loved it

Today it was off to Cabo Frio once again as it was the women´s day out on the town! Amazing day as well as it was cloudy so it was not too hot to be walking around the entire day. We had lunch together that I bought for them as a thank you for being amazing students. We toured the town of Cabo Frio and I fell in love with the place all over again. It was a great day and now I am very tired!

God has been so amazing throughout this entire trip and I am thankful each and every day for the many blessings that He has given me. As my time slowly comes to an end here in Cabo Frio, I pray that He will grant me the strength to teach the necessary items left to teach and to have the strength to say goodbye to the wonderful people that I have come to love and cherish. Without God and these amazing people I would never had made it through this trip! Oh how my heart loves Brazil!

The weekend

2010-05-24T06:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

This weekend was supposed to be a very busy weekend but instead it turned out to be a very relaxing weekend. On Saturday I went for a walk with Mary to Barra de São João to see the sights out there. It is an island that is across from where I am staying. It is very beautiful here with massive rocks in the water that cause large waves when the water crashing into them. We climbed the rocks and sat enjoyed the wonderful breeze that was present throughout the day. After our small adventure to this island, it was off to do some shopping at a larger supermarket. The walk home was a little difficult as we had to carry all of the groceries that we had bought. I had lunch at Marcel´s house today and then it was off to Luciana´s for a nap as I was completely exhausted. Instead of going to the cinema we watched 24 here at Luciana´s house and enjoyed some pizza. It was delicious!

Over Saturday night and Sunday morning I was sick as I was quite dizzy and could not see anything straight. The room was constantly spinning and it was not pleasant. I slept much of the time during this dizzy spell. By the afternoon I was feeling much better and I went to Marcel´s house for lunch. Lunch again prepared by Priscilla which was absolutely delicious. We had rice and lettuce with chicken on the side. The chicken was topped with ham and mozzarella cheese. So yummy.

In the evening I went to church where the pastor preached on Pentecost and on Acts 9 where Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. He stressed, I think if I understood it properly, that those who heard the word being preached were excited about it and wanted to spread the Word to those that they knew but also to the whole world. This too is our task as we have the good news of salvation and Christ has commanded us to preach his word until he returns.

Tchau for now

update

2010-05-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

So this week has been full of many new adventures. I decided this week that I would prepare meals for the families that I have been staying with to give them a taste of what food would be like in Canada...though this is all debatable as I prepared what I would eat in Canada....macaroni the first day with lettuce and tomatoes on the aside. Today I prepared macaroni with chicken, french fries, lettuce and tomatoes. It was a mixture of what I would eat in Canada and what they eat here in Brazil. It has been fun being able to make meals for my host families and they all said that they enjoyed it.

Things in school have been going well. The teens are doing surprisingly well and each day they never cease to amaze me. They learn so quickly and the information that they learn, they learn well. Their pronunciation is great and they are learning verbs, grammar and sentences in the next coming weeks. They are excited for the new step that they are taking (i think anyways) and I am excited for them. The younger students too are doing well though they are quite far behind the teens. The younger students pronunciation on the whole is not where it should be so things have become quite repetitive in the classroom so that the students have the practice that they need in order to say the words that they have learned correctly and with confidence. I have a feeling that this may be the way that it will be for a while but you never know what the future holds. The adults´lessons are on hold for the next few days as one of the adults will be away on a trip to Rio de Janeiro. It will be nice to have a break for a few days though this may not last long as tonight I am translating with Claudia.

This weekend there are many plans for Saturday as I am going on a picnic with Mary and her family. In the evening I am going with Luciana´s family to Rio das Costas to watch "Clash with the Titans" though I don´t know if the movie will be in English with Portuguese subtitles or solely in Portuguese. Either way it should be very interesting. Only one more day of teaching until the weekend. I am quite excited about the weekend...............it means that I have time to rest! Though I have a feeling that this weekend will be filled with prepping for school for the next week. The structure of the classes is changing which means a lot more work for me but it will be worth it in the long run.

Tchau (bye) for now

Boa noite (good evening)

Update

2010-05-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend was one amazing weekend. It began with me staying at the Pastor´s house because the Pastor and Pastor Kenneth were off to Parana and Colombia for a visit with the churches there. I was staying at the Pastor´s house for the weekend. I had planned for Saturday to be a day of relaxing and catching up on sleep but Claudia had different plans in mind. It was off to Buzios once again, the place of extreme beauty and wonders all around. I was very excited to be able to see Buzios in the day time as the last time I was there it was in the evening/night. I walked with Claudia, Leo and their daughter Rachel all through Buzios and viewed the beautiful beaches, the landscapes, the flowers, the houses, everything. I just took it all in and was amazed to see this beauty!

Then it was Sunday and the day to go to God´s house. I was exhausted today as Saturday was very tiring with the heat, the walking and just taking everything in. It was very difficult to stay awake in church. After church we went to Mary´s mother´s house for lunch. Mary´s family, Marcel´s family and their mom/dad. There were many people here and we had a lunch of vegetable salad, rice, chicken, beans french fries and potato chips. It was delicious. After lunch I tried to sleep for a little while but was unsuccessful because of the noise. Oh well it would only mean that I would be able to sleep better when I arrived back at Mary´s house.

Monday and Tuesday were filled with preparing for teaching and the actual teaching. Teaching has been going very well and the students seem to be taking the work more serious now. It is a pleasure to be able to teach them. For the rest of the week I will only be teaching the children as one of the adults is away for Thursday and Friday and church is tonight. It will be nice to be able to have a break from teaching in the evening though I am sure the nights will fill up with other things as they always do.

Challenges

2010-05-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

This week has been somewhat of a more difficult week in that new challenges are presenting themselves more and more. The biggest challenge that I have been faced with this week is when I have something important to say in English I am not sure how to say it in Portuguese therefore causing there to be much frustration on my part. I will demonstrate through an example.

As with each teacher, the beginning of school, at the beginning of a new year, the first couple of weeks are the honeymoon stage where the students are quiet and they are just starting to get to know you. The same goes for the teacher in that they are not quite as comfortable that they are at the end of the year. Well the honeymoon stage for me is over and now it is time for rules to be enforced and structure to come to the classroom. This is a challenge for any teacher but even more a challenge for me as I cannot explain to them exactly what I would like them to do as my Portuguese is far from fluent. Normally I would be able to explain to them what I expect and what the consequences are if the expectations are not met. After thinking about it and emailing a great friend, it was decided that I would make signs that would clearly show what I expected and how these rules to be enforced. The students caught on to this quite quickly and things are starting to fall into place. They are beginning to understand that when I am talking or when someone else is talking they are not to be talking. This is a difficult concept for them as they tend to believe that if they want to talk they just have to talk louder in order to be heard. This doesn´t work for me and they are learning this. This does not mean that I am super strict as in any classroom there is time for talking and time for quiet. The adolescents are doing wonderful in their school work and they take their work quite seriously. They study outside of the classroom and it is evident that they encourage each other to do well in their work. I love seeing them work and to see them eager to learn as much English as possible. The adults too are doing wonderful. They have caught onto the concepts very well and it is a pleasure to be able to teach them each night. The younger students on the other hand seemed to be lacking in many ways. For me it seemed as though some of them were only at school because they were forced to be there. Their attitude was affecting the other students. The signs have helped quite a bit with this though one student in particular was frustrating me. I talked to Marcel about all of this and he informed the parents as all the teachers were struggling with the same student. His parents had a firm talk with him and have decided to take a more serious approach to his studying. Hopefully this helps.

From what you have read up to now, you may be thinking that things are going terrible down here in Brazil. This could not be further from the truth. As with every situation that someone finds themselves in there are challenges and it would be naive of anyone to think that they can go through a new stage in their lives free from challenges. I came to Brazil quite aware that there would be new challenges and new struggles, as well as a new perspective to challenges/sufferings. With each struggle and challenge, God is at work in his people. I was reminded this week of the text that ICS (Immanuel Christian School) has for their theme text for the year....of how the Lord is the potter and we are the clay. The process of making a piece of pottery is not an easy one. It takes time, dedication, patience, the hands of the Maker carefully moulding and forming each and every part of the pottery. The process is painful for the clay as it is challenged to take on new shapes and forms. It is stretched, squeezed and pinched along the way. God is my creator and I am one of His children. This is a huge comfort, knowing that God has created me but that He is not finished with me yet. He is still forming me and molding me according to His will. This process is life long; a process that both excites me and terrifies me at the same time. But then again I am reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made in that He defeated the devil and when he ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit we receive strength and the courage to face each new day. And despite the mistakes I may make in this life, God loves me.

An long update on life here in Brazil

2010-05-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Wow so much has happened since I wrote to you last that I am not even sure where to begin. I am just going to write randomly so things may seem a little all over the place but so is life for this blog!

One night I walked to class alone in the evening which is quite an adventure for me considering that I rarely if ever walk anywhere in Brazil alone. After class I was supposed to return back to Luciana´s house right away but instead Claudia and I decided to go out for supper. While we were out Claudia received a phone call wondering if she knew where I was because no one knew. Everyone was worried about me and they were wondering where I was. Oops this proved to be a bad thing and I now know that if I am to go out anywhere I have to inform people of my every move!

The entire week was spent teaching the students and creating different tests for them to write. The older students seem to be doing very well and are learning everything that I have to teach them very quickly and very eagerly. Each of the students in the 0lder group has done remarkably well on their tests and in their every day work. The younger students though are a different story. They seem to be struggling more than I thought they would and I am not sure how to bring the concepts across to them anymore. Two of the youngest students, Abner and Karen, are no longer part of the English classes during the afternoon because with their age the lessons are progressing more quickly then they are able to comprehend. They will still receive English through their older brothers and sisters as well as their parents. The adults have been doing relatively well in their lessons though not as well as the older children. It definitely goes to show that it is easier to learn a new language when you are younger than when you are older. I commend the adults for their attempts and for the progress that they are making. Despite the fact that it takes them longer to learn the information, they are learning! It is a blessing to be able to witness this each and every day. The adults are so eager in learning this new language and they put a great effort into the information that they are learning! AMAZING!

The older children have challenged the adults to a competition on Tuesday to see who knows their information better. They are going to play the game "Around the world" as well as a version of Simon Says to identify different body parts. It should be an interesting evening!!

This week I switched locations of where I am staying for the time being. For Wednesday until today I think, I am staying at the pastor´s house. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here with this family and it could not feel more like home. They have adopted me into their family with open arms and I am learning so much from them. I think though that tonight this all comes to an end and I am going back to Luciana´s house which also is a great place to stay!

The weekend was a very busy weekend with me going on different adventures with Marcel and his family. On Saturday we went to Cabo Frio, a different district then the one that I am living in to see the beach and to see the sights. This was the area that the Portuguese arrived to when they came to Brazil. We climbed this very high hill and were able to look over the city of Cabo Frio. It was beautiful to be able to see the sights and to see how things are remarkably different from Canada. I took many pictures of this. We also explored the downtown area looking at stores, the river and many different things that I cannot even put into words. Then it was off to the beach. The beach was beautiful and very different from the beach where I am living. We spent much of the afternoon at the beach and I loved every minute of it. I went swimming in the ocean and forgot that the water here has salt in it. I found out the hard way after I licked my lips! After trying to find a dress for me to wear, we left Cabo Frio and set off for Buzios which is absolutely beautiful! I fell in love immediately and wanted to spend more time there. By the time that we had dinner (at McDonalds) it was dark outside so I was not able to see all the beauty that Buzios has to offer. Marcel promised that I would be able to go back there before I leave! I am so excited for that!

Yesterday I went to Claudia´s house for Mother´s day. I meet the members of her family and enjoyed a delicious lunch with her family. Here I also watched the Flamengos play Sao Paulo. The members of Claudia´s family were making fun of me for how much I was into the game. It was a great game and ended in a tie....1-1! The church also, after the second service, celebrated Mother´s day where mothers were given a present for being a mom and everyone enjoyed sweet papaya, cake, chocolate, little appetiezers of all different sorts, and so much more. It was nice to be able to see how the church comes together to celebrate mothers, a very important part in everyone´s life!

So what am I thankful? This is a question that I am repeatedly asked by a dear friend and I am glad that someone reminds me of this every time that we talk! This past week, some of my devotions were on Psalm 121.....a psalm that reminds us that we are never alone, that God never sleeps and that He will always protect us through the good and through the bad. The first part of the psalm was the part that stuck with me the most..."I lift my eyes up to the hills". As we were making our way to Cabo Frio and to Buzios, we were surrounded by hills and mountains that clearly displayed the Lord´s wonderful creation. It was a constant reminder to me that God created this earth and that He did not leave this creation, but continuely cares and upholds it. When the days come when I feel alone, or I am homesick for Winnipeg and for my family, I only need to look to the mountains and the hills that I see each day, and I know that I am not alone. God is my constant. He will never leave or forsake me. What an amazing God we serve!

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

2010-05-03T14:42:00.000-07:00

Saturday

This was somewhat of a difficult day for me as I was feeling very tired and very grumpy which really are not options when you have to be around people all day long. For a little while though I had some time to myself and I spent this time solely reading God´s word and praying to Him laying all of my concerns, attitudes, and emotions before His throne praying for strength to get through the day as I really only wanted to spend the day in bed sleeping and really my book. After this short time by myself I was off to the pastor´s house which proved to be a very good time for me. I spent time playing with the children UNO and soccer and then we had lunch. After lunch Mary did my nails and I wondered to myself why I do not go for pedicures more often as I throughly enjoyed having my nails done. My feet have never looked better. Then I went to the church with Luciana to prepare for the Lord´s Day though I really did not help with this as I didn´t know what to do. Though I did spend some time pulling out weeds but Luciana made me stop because I was getting my hands dirty. Then we all got ready to go out for the evening wearing our Sunday best. We headed off by bus to Rio das Costas as we were celebrating Luciana´s birthday. We walked the streets, the beach and the vendors that lined the street. Then we had a small supper which was a pastry filled with chicken and cheese. It actually was quite good.

Sunday
This is will be a rememberable day in my trip to Brazil as it was the first time that I celebrated Lord´s supper with the Reformed Church in Cabo Frio. They had a regular Sunday worship and then we celebrated Lord´s Supper with, and yes I have to mention this, individual cups and in their seats not at a communal table. While the elder is passing out the bread and the wine the rest of the individuals are singing songs that reflect upon the sacrifice that Christ did on the cross for us. After this service the members of the Church stayed behind and we all had lunch together which consisted of Arabian food, beef, beef, chicken, beans, macaroni salad, salad, rice, beans with sausage and other things but I can´t remember it all. We spent around 3 hours with each other talking, doing the dishes, playing games and just sharing in the communion of saints. What a beautiful way to end the celebrate of Lord´s supper with this communal supper. Everyone left after this to have a short rest, a small supper and then it was off to church again. I am started to understand more and more words of the sermon though the pastor speaks much to quickly for me to understand it all. It was a very passionate sermon for the pastor to deliver as he ended the sermon in tears. The congregation though supported him and it was beautiful to witness. One thing that I really like about their services is that while they have collection, everyone who donates goes up to the front of the church to place their money in a box while the rest of the members sing. It is not a time for chit chat but rather a time to reflection on the blessings that the Lord has given to us in this life. What an attitude to have when donating....though I know we should have the same attitude but I find it difficult to focus on what I am doing rather than to talk to the person sitting next to me.
What a blessed Sunday!

Monday
Today....hmmmmm.....oh yes I had to make tests for the older children to do in their class this afternoon. This normally is a very difficult task but it was even more difficult today as I had to write out each individual test. They do not have a photocopier here and I miss it very much. Though writing it out many times is good for me as well. I had to teach by myself this afternoon as the students only had English. I also bought them a treat as is my custom that after every test that my students write, I reward them with something nice and sweet. We had sweet bread and grape pop. They seemed to enjoy this very much. Tomorrow the younger students have a test on vegetables, fruit, and animals. It will be interesting to see how they are doing. This evening I have to teach the adults though many of them are going to be missing due to prior arrangements. That´s it for now!
Sorry about not loading any pictures. It is not for a lack of effort on my part as I have tried numerous times though it does not seem to be working. I have loaded them on facebook for all those who are able to access that link!

Friday

2010-05-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Today was Luciana´s birthday and also my brother Mike´s birthday so happy birthday to the two of you! Hope that you both had a wonderful day and that you enjoyed spending the day celebrating with friends and family! In the morning I went to the supermarket with Luciana and Karina to buy some groceries. The supermarket has a very distinct smell to it as it smells like a butcher shop. At the back of the store, people can buy meat from the butcher area where the men actually cut all the meat right in front of you....not a very pleasant sight to behold but nevertheless, it is important for people to have their protein in their diet. Upon coming back to Luciana´s house, it was lunch time. I helped to make lunch today by defrying French fries in oil on the stove...it was delicious! Then it was often to school for the afternoon. I was doing some testing of the students to see what they had learned in the last two weeks and where I needed to review with them. The older students had a firm grasp on letters and their sounds, animals and numbers. The younger students had less than a firm grasp on the concepts that I had been teaching them and therefore we spent much of the time reviewing what we had already learned. They are able to identify the letters when I say the letter or the sound but they are not able to generate the sounds/names of the letters themselves. We have much work ahead of us next week for them to learn these very important concepts. In the evening I was to teach the adults though we were a little late due to the fact that I was showing on line through google maps my house, church and my parents house! Super fun!

Now mom wanted me to describe what the town of Cabo Frio is like. This is very difficult to describe though I will try my best to do so! Cabo Frio is a small city I think. Each house is surrounded by a fence with a door that is locked at all times. In order to gain access into the house, you must stand at the door and say the name of the person who lives there. They will then come and open the door for you. The streets are very similar to cobblestone and they are very bumpy and uneven. Every few hundred feet there is a speed bump to prevent people from going too fast...cars have to come to a complete stop in order to go over these in a way that will not damage their car. In the distance of Cabo Frio, there are mountains. One of the mountains used to be a volocano.....it looks especially beautiful when it is a little foggy in the morning. I will try to post some pictures so that you can see what it looks like as I am not doing it any justice.

Wednesday/Thursday

2010-04-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

Things have been a little busy on this end of the world so that is why I did not write to you all yesterday. Yesterday was a very long day and I was especially tired that day though somehow or the other I managed to get through the entire day. It began with reading with the Bible with Claudia in English as together we read Psalm 1 and 3 and then Lamentations 3 as well. She could tell that I was very tired so we did not read as much as she would have liked though we can always read another day together. I had lunch today with Luciana and her family. Then it was off to school. Today was the first day that I experienced Brazilian rain and it is quite different from Canada rain in that it can rain and the humid temperatures remain while it is raining. It makes for everyone to sweat a lot and there to be an access of water everywhere. This was the case for school today as when we arrived at school, there were puddles everywhere because the roof for the second storey is being made and therefore the ceiling leaked causing water to be everywhere. Due to this we had to have class together in the same room with Claudia teaching Portuguese and me teaching English. This was my first time ever doing this and it was sure interesting trying to maintain the students attention while the other teacher is teaching. Somehow or the other we managed. Alvaro also had an accident today in that he slipped while running on the wet floor and banged his head on the ceranmic tile causing for an immediate headache and a delay in the teaching. He was alright thought and Claudia quickly reminded me how difficult it is to remain safe in Brazil. After teaching the children I had a long break as I was supposed to go to church in the evening but because I was so tired I was allowed to stay home and just have a rest with Luciana and the children. Upon arrival of their father, we watched the coveted soccer game where the Flamengo´s played the Corinthians....of course the Flamengo´s won....the team I was instructed to cheer for! THen it was off to bed at 12:30 in the morning.

Thursday
I have been looking forward to this day all week long as it was the day for women´s tea. I thought it would happen in the morning or afternoon but it actually took place in the evening. I don´t really have much to say about my day as I spent the majority of my time in bed sleeping or reading as I just needed a mental break from listening to Portuguese all day long. I taught the children in the afternoon using the same set up as the day before and it worked much better today than it did yesterday....to my surprise and joy! I came back to Luciana´s for a small bite to eat and then it was off to women´s tea where we had Bible study together as women. They are studying the book Espousa Excelenta.....based on the idea of being a wife after the one described in Proverbs 31. They meet once a month to discuss this book, exchange gifts and eat lots of food together. I won a prize that is a plate decorated with apples! It is a beautiful plate! Then it was time to eat in which I had coconut merganie pie, sweet bread, chicken balls, sausage pie and a different kind of sweet bread. It was a very enjoyable night and I look forward to the next women´s tea on May 27th!!! The countdown is ON!!!
BOM SONO (sleep well)

Tuesday

2010-04-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Tuesday

This sure was an adventure filled day as I started the day off by doing my laundry. This does´t sound like it would be a lot of work but trust me it was. I, for the first time in my life, did luandry completely by hand. I had to scrub each article of clothing myself and then wash it with soap, then rinse the soap off with water, then hand it all out to dry in this Brazilian heat. It took around an hour to scrub all the clothes and then to hang it all out took around 15 minutes. I know fully appreciate a washing machine as well as a dryer even if I have to pay money for it. After this I read for a little bit and wrote in my journal about all the adventures that I have been having though I am a few days behind in my journal...I am only at Sunday...oops lots of catching up to do in the next few days. After reading for a bit, it was off to the pastor´s house where I played soccer with Israel. He is teaching me some tricks to do with the soccer ball and teaching with team to cheer for in Brazil.....right now that would be the Flamingos and they play tomorrow night. Lunch was has at the pastor´s house where we had an American lunch with hamburgers and orange...i thought that I drank a lot of pop but here in Brazil, they drink it like it is water. Then it was off to school for the afternoon. The students had English and Portuguese today. The students had a difficult time focussing today as the heat was affecting us all...I too had a hard time focussing on teaching and not on how much I was sweating. The older students have now learned animals, the letters and their sounds, numbers, vegetables, months and days. The younger students have learned the letters and their sounds, numbers, months, days and half of the animals. I had a short break into between teaching the children and the adults where I was able to shower and relax by watching tv. Then it was off to school once again teaching the adults who learned vegetables/fruit tonight and reviewed everything else that they had learned. It is a beautiful thing to watch someone learn and grow in a language that they had only been introduced to not even a week ago.....I can see God´s work here in Brazil being done! Truly a blessing to be able to witness and be a part of all of this. Now it is time for supper which is vegetable soup though we are having it at 9:30 tonight!
Bom Sono!

Saturday/Sunday/Monday

2010-04-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday
I slept at Marcel´s house this night and in the morning I was able to sleep in for quite some time as Friday night was quite late. Upon waking up Marcel and I worked on understanding English together by Marcel listening to songs from my ipod (see Nancy it was a good thing that I took my ipod with me to Brazil). This proved to be very difficult for Marcel as the English was very quick making it difficult for him to understand as well as hear all the words. We did this for a little bit before catching the bus to go to his parents house for a BBQ. This would be my first time to have a BBQ in Brazil and I loved it. His parents live like 10 minutes away by bus though it would take a long time to walk there. His parents welcomed me into their house with open arms and I immediately felt at home. I watched a movie in Portuguese here with English subtitles though I forget what the movie was called....maybe escape from hell. For the BBQ we had chicken wings, sausage and beef accompanied by rice, and something else that I did not dare to try. I was supposed to go to a wedding that night as well but because I was so tired I didn´t go. Instead I stayed at Marcel´s parents house to play Monopoly there with them though they call it something completely different. When coming back to Marcel´s house for the night, I read "The boy in the striped pajamas" and I absolutely loved it though the ending is quite sad.
That is the end of Saturday!

Sunday
Sunday was a long day as church begins at 9. They have a regular church service first with singing, praying, offering, blessings, sermon. It was very similar to our service back in Canada though after this service they have a second service immediately following the first service. The children have a separate instruction which I think is similar to our catechism classes. The adults, well even though I was there, I have no idea what went on and I have no idea how to explain what took place. There are words to describe it though I don´t know how. I think that it had something to do with the right way to evangelize though I am not sure. After church I was able to have a nap for 3 hours as the church service does not begin again until 7 that evening. We also watched the soccer game in the afternoon. Going back to church was interesting as it was very similar to the first service that we had in the morning though the sermon was much longer. After the service once again there was an addition to the service where the minister made announcements and gave instructions for the members of the church. We also congratulated two members of the church on their birthdays and said a special prayer for them. After church I went to Marcel´s house for pizza and socializing. I also slept there that night.

Monday
Today was the day that MOM called and what a wonderful treat that was. It was so nice to be able to hear a voice that was familiar and someone that could speak English. I realized todayf that for the first time in a very long time I felt homesick. I don´t really remember feeling this in Winnipeg except for when I came back from holidays...the adjustment period was always difficult. Oh and I watched a little bit of Harry Potter this morning....Harry Potter 5 for those who know Harry Potter....of course the movie had subtitles in English. I only watched a little bit though because I was really tired and I wanted to have a nap in the morning. Then it was off to the minister´s house for lunch where we had soy/pork and rice oh and there was potatoes. I also had to teach today. First I taught the older children, then the younger children and then the adults. The teaching seems to be going very well and they are all learning very quickly. It has been interesting teaching three different times as the words that each group struggles with are the same as the other groups. Amazing how that works.

So what I am thankful today?
The telephone and hearing my mom´s house and talking to dad as well
The love that Luciana is showing me as a mom who cares for their children when they are sad
Having hamburgers for supper at 6 in the evening instead of 10

Oh the list could go on for quite some time......God has been so good to me in this trip. Sunday was an interesting day as it was my first time in church and the members welcomed me with open arms. All of them talked to me and wished me all the best in Portuguese. They have been very inclusive and I have felt their love very much....talk about the communion of saints at work here!

Teaching has begun

2010-04-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

Sorry for the delay in writing to you all. Things out here have been very busy and I have not had time to write to you all. So this post will be much longer than the previous ones. Bear with me on this one.
Thursday
I was able to sleep in today which was very nice as I was quite tired. Though this sleeping in was not what a typical sleeping in would have been for me if I was in Canada. I slept in until 9 and then was up for breakfast. I had some time in the morning to do some journalling and to speak with my host family before I had to go to the pastor´s house for lunch. I had to be at the pastor´s house at 11. Things are different here in Brazil in that I could not walk to the pastor´s house alone but had to be accompanied by my host family as it is not safe for me to walk by myself. People would know right away that I am not a Brazilian. Upon arrival at the pastor´s house I was able to watch some TV though it was all in Portuguese so I understood very little. Then the kids there put in a DVD that was in English that allowed me to see how they learned the alphabet. These children knew the entire alphabet which was beautiful to see. Lunch for the day was rice, beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken nuggets...these chicken nuggets were homemade and some of the best nuggets that I have ever tasted. There was no time after lunch to rest as I was starting teaching in the afternoon that day. We were late and had to rush to make it to school on time. School starts at 1:30.
School
School begins with Bible reading which is two passages, prayer, then catechism reading, and prayer once again. The students are active participants in this devotion which is really cool to see. Then after devotions they break off into two groups, the older children and the younger children. I started teaching the older students which has 4 students in it...Emily, Karina, Israel, and Gustovo. Today I taught them the alphabet and all the sounds that go with the alphabet. They also learned the numbers one through ten. We spent much time practicing the th sound as this is very difficult for them to say. I taught the older children for 2 hours and then had a 10 minute break in which Marcel bought chips and drinks for all of us to enjoy. Then I had to teach the younger students.... I would tell you their names though I am not sure how to spell them. They are names that we do not have in Canada. I teach 5 boys in this class. They learned the same things as the older children though it took them much longer to grasp the skills as was only to be expected. When school finished I was able to go to Luciana´s house to rest, shower, and have a small bite to eat before leaving to go to school once again. I had to teach the adults in the evening for 1.5 hours. In the evening class there are 6 to 8 students and they are very eager to learn....they quickly absorbed everything that I was teaching. In this class the adults learned the letters of the alphabet, the sounds of the letters, and all the numbers from one to one hundred. It was an excellent class though it was a little bit scary as it was the first time that I was teaching adults.....a new experience for me. Upon arrival back at Luciana´s house I worked on the computer typing emails to people as well as updating my blog. We then had supper together which was ovo mexido (scrambled eggs) which rice of course. Supper happens very late in Brazil....around 10 every night. Then I read the bible with Luciana´s son in Portuguese which was amazing to do...it was my favourite part of the day as it helps me to understand Portuguese. Then it was off to bed....around 12;30.

Friday
In the morning I went to Marcel´s house to help him and Pastor Elienai translate words from English to Portuguese and vice versa. They are working on making pamphlets that they can share with their neighbours and those that they met which explain the Reformed faith to those who have never heard of the true gospel in an attempt to further the kingdom of God here on earth. We worked on this for two hours and then had lunch.

I had lunch with Marcel and his family. We had rice, beans, broccoli and chicken. It was delicious and I am actually starting to enjoy rice and beans.....weird I know! Once lunch was finished we quickly got ready and began our depature to school. The system was the same today. We reviewed the letters, the sounds, the numbers and then they learned the days of the week as well. They are very good students! Then I showered, had a quick bite to eat and went back to school to teach the adults +one child. In this class they reviewed the letters, sounds and numbers and learned the days of the week, months of the year, and colours.

Today also was Priscila´s (Marcel´s wife) birthday so we had to celebrate her birthday as well. Everyone went to Marcel´s house for hotdogs and cake. There I was able to meet many people....Marcel and Priscila´s family. Oh and I also slept at Marcel´s house that night. It was nice!
I think that is it for now...I am tired of typing. More to come.

Wednesday April 21

2010-04-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

I did not write to you all yesterday because the day was very busy and I was quite tired. Things are much different here in Brazil then they are in Canada. So yesterday I was able to sleep in and get some much needed rest. Then the family that I am staying with, Luciana, Karina, Alviror went for a walk on the beach and to see the ocean for the very first time. It was nice to be able to see the ocean though it was different then what I expected as it was more of a local beach then a resort type beach. The water was quite dirty and I dont know if it is safe for me to be in it though it would be nice to be able to go in the water as I am always hot here. After the walk on the beach and the kids playing the water we continued our walk down the beach and we came to a fishing village. The fishermen were just coming in from the morning fish and the smell down here was disgusting. I am a person who cannot stand the smell of fish and this was the worst smell of fish that I have ever had in my life as it was hot and they were gutting the fish leaving the guts out in the sun for all to smell. Not pleasant at all though it was nice to be able to see how these people leave and how they have to work for their money.

In the afternoon I was able to meet Claudia who can speak very good English. She took me to the supermarket and I was able to buy food that I enjoy such as ham, buns, and juice all things that my host family did not have in their house. Claudia and I spent quite a bit of time together and it was nice to be able to speak English once again. Then we came back to here I am staying for a small bite to eat....I mean small, like one cracker small and prepared to go to church.

Church was a whole new experience for me as I was not able to understand any of what was said though Claudia translated parts here and there. The service reminded me of bible study/home visit as the minister would read a part of the Bible, then prayer, then read a part of the Bible, then prayer etc. The minister was also very personal as he asked each person in church what they had done throughout the week to spread the reformed gospel.

Once church was finished I went back to my host family and we had supper. Yes we had supper at 11 in the evening. They do not eat when it is hot out, so they have breakfast at 8 then lunch at 2 and then supper at 10. My body is taking some time to get used to all of that but it seems to be going well.

That is it that happened on Wednesday though this blog does not do justice to all of what I have experience in only one day. The Lord once again was with me and I was reminded from a dear friend of the magnitude of God´s power in how He created the entire universe and how He cares for each one of His children, and I am one of His children. This provides me with great comfort to know that He grants me strength to get through each and every day. What an awesome God we serve!

Safe arrival in Cabo Frio

2010-04-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone

As promised I told you that I would let you know how things are going with me out here on this end way out here in Brazil and things are going well. The trip officially began on Monday April 19th with Rev denHollander and his wife Liz, dropping me off at the airport. I must say that I was a huge bundle of nerves as I had no idea what to expect or what to even think/feel. I was mostly excited because I was able to see my family in the airport along with Helen one on my very dear friends. The first flight to Toronto was an excellent flight as I was able to watch a movie...an entire movie ''It´s complicated". Once I arrived in the airport in Toronto I was shortly greeted by my family...my mom and my dad. Then after them came Helen, Nancy, and Anita. We spent almost 8 hours in the airport together. We spent time together eating, drinking, talking, laughing, telling jokes. and just spending time together. We also read the Bible together and had a devotion together. We read Deuteronomy 31:1-8 which speaks of God going ahead of us and preparing the way for us.

Then I boarded the plane filled with many tears and much sadness as I will not see my family again until Christmas. This flight was going to be along one though it did not feel 10 hours longs. I slept on the plane for the first time. I think that I slept for 5 hours. They actually served good food on the plane....it was rice and chicken. That was for supper at 12:00 in the night. 6 in the morning they served us waffles, melons, coffee, and toast. Then when breakfast was done I was able to watch the sun come up over the ocean. Then I landed in Sao Paulo and this was the first time that I had to talk to people in English though they did not understand English. This was quite difficult but after many different attempts, I was able to find the place where I was to check in my luggage. Also here in Sao Paulo I had to go through customs and they searched my one piece of luggage that had the school supplies in it. After going through it, I had to reorganize the whole suitcase and could continue on my journey.

One last flight from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro which was a flight that Nancy would have enjoyed as we had only just gotten up in the air and then we were landing again. My ears have never popped so much in one day.

Waiting for me at the airport was Marcel and Pastor Elienai in their car. The journey from Rio de Janeiro was a long drive as it is quite hot here. It is 30 degrees here. It is so hot and I don´t think that I have ever sweat this much in my life....in case you needed to know that. I was able to see the statue from Christ that overlooks Rio de Janeiro. Once I arrived I was taken to meet Marcel´s family and Pastor Elienai´s family. Then I was taken to Luciana´s house where I was able to shower, meet the family and have some time learning a new language.

God has surely blessed me on this journey and I have felt the goodness of God today in all that I did. He protected me from harm and provided for safe flights as I was in the air quite a bit. As campfire would say GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Only 20 more sleeps

2010-03-30T21:04:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone

The date for the trip is rapidly approaching with only 20 more sleeps until I board the place and embark on this most wonderful adventure. Just today I started packing for this trip and I never knew how much I had to bring on this trip and it is difficult to know what to pack and what not to take as the climate is so different from the climate here in Canada. Along with the packing has come the last minute prepping for the teaching that will take place in Brazil. I have been working with another woman on this whole project and we are putting the finishing touches on the work for the students with laminating, colouring, and packaging the workbooks/worksheets.

To my amazement and wonderful news, I have received the final donation needed for the trip in order to make the trip a success financially. I am not sure I should be amazed at this news because God has been behind this trip blessing it in ways that I could not even imagine.

Oh and even so more exciting news. I have been practicing my Portuguese with my landlord who lived in Brazil for a year. This has been quite beneficial for me as he is teaching me phrases that I need in order to communicate when I first arrive in Brazil and with the family that I will be staying with, a family does not speak any English. So I can say things like hi how are you and oh a very important one: where is the bathroom?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone:

I thought that I would do another post just to inform you all how plans are coming along for the trip. Things right now are at a standstill as university work has increased in intensity along with me becoming quite sick. This week I had to cancel plans for work on Brazil prep because I developed an inner ear infection and a sinus infection all of which have had some serious effects on my ability to do anything.

But before all of this I have been busy working on getting things ready for Brazil. Marcel sent me a list of topics/subjects that he wanted me to cover while I was in Brazil so I have been making templates for these subjects. This is work that I am not doing alone but rather I have been blessed with the support of Liz denHollander who has been coloring and tracing words and pictures for these templates. This stage of the work is almost completed but then we have to work on the student booklets and basic sentence structure.

In regards to my fundraising.....this too is falling into place as different cheques are coming in the mail. This weekend in Fergus there will be a fundraiser pancake breakfast for my trip which sounds wonderful and I wish that I could be there to eat the delicious food. I am not quite sure of the grand total for the amount raised but it is slowly getting there. God has been so good in this regard. Actually God has been so good in all of this by opening many doors and blessing all the avenues of this trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God is SO GOOD!

VISA

2010-01-27T11:28:00.001-08:00

As with every morning since I have sent away for my visa, I check the mail regularly. It is has become the highlight of my day. This morning I went to the mailbox not really expecting something as I was told that it takes quite a bit of time for the visa to be processed. I opened the mailbox and to my wonderful surprise there was a package from the Brazilian consulate. Before I even opened it I kind of did a little dance of joy! I was so excited but at the same time a little hesitant as I did not want to receive the news that something was missing from the application.

Inside was my passport and one extra picture. I looked through my passport to see if anything was different and there was something different. I guess I had no idea what to expect in getting my visa. Inside of my passport was my VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was wonderful and amazing. I don't even think I have the words to describe the feelings that came with this.

God truly was watching over this process. I am so thankful for this as it the stress of waiting for a visa is gone! God is good all the time!!!!!

Cheques

2010-01-18T20:14:00.000-08:00

For all of you who are willing to support me financially I wanted to let you know who the cheques can be made out to as there have been questions about this. The cheques should be made out to Cloverdale Church with my name on the memo line.

Application for Visa

2010-01-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Saturday January 16, 2010, I sent away my application for a Brazilian visa. From what I have heard this is a very difficult and it takes quite a while for them to process the application. Please pray that this process goes well and that the Brazilian Consulate approves my application.

Also I have had further contact with Marcel, the school board chairman and the plans are quickly falling into place. He has arranged for me to be picked up at the Rio de Janeiro airport when I arrive on April 20, 2010. From there I will be travelling to Cabo Frio to begin my work there. The trip to Brazil is a long trip as I leave Winnipeg on April 19th at 10 in the morning and I will arrive, the Lord willing, in Rio de Janeiro on April 20th at 10 in the morning. The duration of the trip is approximately 25 hours if all goes well. Once I arrive in Cabo Frio it has been arranged that I will be staying with different Brazilian families.

I will be teaching English to 6 children and 2 adults. This is something that completely terrifies me as the only person who knows English is Marcel. He will not be there while I am teaching the children so there will be a language barrier to overcome. Right now I have applied to take a Portuguese course online through Livemocha which seems to be helping me but I still have a long ways to go. Marcel is also speaking with me on Skype and teaching me even more Portuguese. This is such a blessing.

Plans for Brazil

2010-01-17T18:40:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of months I have been planning on going on a mission trip to Brazil to work on the mission field with Rev. Wieske and Pastor Elienai. I have been so blessed to have heard back from the mission aid board in Cloverdale to be accepted to go on such a mission trip. I plan on leaving, the Lord willing, at the end of April and to stay for approximately two months.

I have had contact with two different members of the Reformed Churches of Brazil, one being Rev. Wieske and the other Marcel Mattos Tavares. Rev. Wieske is the missionary on the mission field in Recife and Marcel is the chairman of the school board in Cabo Frio. It has become apparent through talking with each of these men that the greatest need right now lies in Cabo Frio. The Brazilian families, who are members of the Brazilian Reformed Church there, send their children to the public school because they have not been able to set up a reformed school. They are currently beginning the process of setting up this school with the hopes of having 20 children attending the school. The main priority of the school board in Cabo Frio is to have a school where their children will not be bombarded with secular messages which are contrary to God’s Word. Another priority for the Brazilian families is to have their children educated in the English language. These families have already withdrawn their children from the public system and have united together to provide a Reformed education to their children. Pastor Elienai teaches a number of subjects and Marcel teaches math to the children but the education that these children are receiving is very limited.

The plans for me while I am there is that I will be spending the majority of the time in Cabo Frio with Pastor Elienai teaching English to six children. I also will be spending time with Rev. Wieske, in Recife, helping out in what way that I can.

Now you may be wondering why I am writing you this letter and informing you of the plans that I have for the next couple of months. The cost of the trip is quite high as I have to raise $3000 for my plane ticket, accommodations, and donations for the schools in Brazil. With this information in mind, I was wondering if you would be willing to sponsor me on this trip. If this is something that you are interested in doing cheques can be made out to the mission aid in Cloverdale British Columbia with my name on the memo line.

Not only am I asking for your monetary support but also for your prayers. There are many hurdles that have to be overcome before I will be able to leave on this trip with the biggest being approved for a Brazilian visa. The schools in Brazil require prayers as they begin this huge endeavour of setting up a Reformed school in Cabo Frio.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me:

1-204-960-3356 or jessiebro86@hotmail.com

Thank you so much for your time

Jes Broersma