Friday, July 20, 2012
Brazil---Week 3
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Week 2 in Brazil
Since we last posted most days have been about the same. Wake up early (Jillian & roosters). Play soccer, Uno, marbles, hop scotch, Go Fish, color, make friendship bracelets. Eat lunch. Rest. Repeat the playing. Eat supper. Continue playing/talking with kids & adults in town. Skype w/ friends or family. Go to bed. Every day.
On Monday we got translators!! Our friend Elisabete and her daughters Isabel & Evelyn from Recife came for 2 weeks. They are wonderful. The girls get along really well with Hayes & Becca and it's nice for them to be able to speak English with some kids. Elisabete's husband, Armando, has translated for us other years and he's coming next week.
Today, we got to get out of town for a while. We went to a small village about 30 min. from here called Sao Joao (there's supposed to be an accent somewhere on there but I don't know how to do it). We spoke to kids from preschool to 4th grade in the morning and older kids in the afternoon.
And without really knowing it, she touched on the subject of our puppet show. Loving others who are different than you.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The 4th in Brazil
We spent the 4th of July like most people in the US do. Hot dogs for lunch, ballgame in the afternoon, and fireworks at night. But there was a bit of a Brazilian twist.
Our hot dogs were cut up, put in some kind of ketchup based sauce and served in sub rolls. The ballgame was a pro soccer game in a nearby city. And the fireworks were actually because one of Brazil's pro soccer team (Corinthians) beat Argentina. They take their soccer seriously in Brazil, if you didn't know. Did I say the fireworks went on until 12:30 and had our big kids in tears because they were literally right beside our house?
Today was our first day really on our own. Pastor Carlos and his wife Dinalda left today. He is coming back Saturday. We did have a friend who speaks English come for a few hours and Daniel, Harper, and Becca went to a few houses to visit. A few of the ladies in the village whom we know have come to check on us. They are looking out for us for sure and we appreciate it.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Travel & First Days
After a long 20 hours of travel, we arrived in Recife on Saturday afternoon. Travel with a 1 year old isn't fun, but we survived. Hayes slept the best out of all of us on the overnight flight. Our family spent the night at Pastor Carlos's house and Harper stayed with friends. Sunday morning we picked up Harper and began our long day of travel to the Outback where we will be staying for the rest of the month.
We had a caravan of 3 cars to fit all of our luggage and people. Monica Pupo's (friend from Charlotte) dad and his wife drove, as well as Pastor Carlos and another church friend. It was a long drive just to bring us here and we were so grateful. Right now we're surviving without a translator. Google and our Portuguese/English dictionary are our best friends. :) Actually Harper's and Daniel's Portuguese is pretty good and mine's getting better.
The older kids in town are out of school for these first two weeks, so they are here almost all day. We're kind of the new hangout. Everyone is up early due to Jillian and the roosters. These first few days have been about settling in, getting the water hooked up (didn't have it the first night), and reuniting with old friends.
Bad news, I forgot my cord for my camera and the memory stick doesn't fit in Daniel's new computer. So unless we figure something else out, pictures will be from my camera. :(
Becca and I went to a larger city (Afagados da Ingazeria) this morning with Pastor Carlos and his wife Dinalda to buy more groceries for the month. Becca was grossed out at the meat market, seeing meat hanging on hooks out in the open. She's experiencing a lot for an 11 year old and she's doing so great. She started making friends within the first hour we were here and now she's off playing at another house. Hayes took a little while to warm up to all the kids staring at him and not being able to communicate, but he's doing well now. The first night was tough for him.
That's all for now. Keep praying for us and the people of Pelo Sinal.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Here We Go!!
Well this is just a quick post to say we are off!! Headed to the airport in an hour or so. Also this is the first time I've blogged from my phone so I hope it works! Ha!
We would appreciate your prayers as we travel. There has been some crazy spiritual warfare going on, the latest being Jillian getting an infected bug bite & being put on antibiotics. Just yesterday!
We finally get to Recife tomorrow afternoon. Long drive to Pelo Sinal Sunday. Then we will be finished traveling for a while. Depending on internet, the plan is to blog & post pics.
See you in a month!!
Packing in progress last night.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Brazil Bound
I’m just going to jump right in here and pretend it hasn’t been literally YEARS since I’ve blogged with any kind of consistency. Ok, then.
My whole family, as in my husband and all 3 kids, and me, is going to Brazil for the month of July. I know what you’re thinking. Yes, we may very well have lost our minds. It’s something we’ve thought about and talked about casually for years but, I for one never thought it would happen. I mean, how could Daniel take a whole month off of work? Well, apparently he’s worked it out because we’re going.
We’re taking a friend of ours with us, a teenager who has gone on mission trips with us in the past. He’s the best kid and he’s great with our kids. It’s going to be very helpful to have another set of hands to help! I’m going to be the mom of a teenager for a month! Yikes!
We’ll be staying in a small town that we fell in love with on our first visit there years ago. It is always our favorite place and we wish we could stay longer every time. The people are kind and excited to see us and we’ve watched the kids grow up. A family is letting us stay in a little house that isn’t being used right now. I have no idea how the sleeping arrangements will work, but we’ll figure it out.
I’m not really worried about anything other than the flight. Ten hours on a plane with a 1 year old? Yeah. I think after that we’ll be able to handle anything. We’ve had one set back after another in getting Jillian’s paperwork for this trip. But we’re finally in the last stage (visas) and we should be fine.
I’m planning to blog while we’re in Brazil. We should have internet access but I’m not sure how reliable it will be. Goodness knows, I should have plenty to share!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Happy Birthday Jillian!!
This girl
is 1 year old today!!
One year ago today, we didn’t even know she existed. Now we can’t imagine life without her. She’s crawling around like a crazy girl and is into everything. Not quite ready to walk, but she’s pulling up on furniture and cruising around. She’s a little shy around strangers or groups of people and is pretty serious and solemn. But when she smiles, she lights up the room and you’d do anything to get her to do it again.
It’s safe to say the whole family is in love with Jillian. I think we have some friends who are too.
*While our adoption is final, we have not gotten her birth certificate yet. We need that ASAP to get her passport for our trip to Brazil this summer. (The whole family is going for the month of July.) After that we have to get visas as well. We’d appreciate prayers for paperwork to come through as quickly as possible. God has given me tremendous peace about this and I know He is in control.
Planning to blog during our trip as well! Prayers for motivation for that too! ha!