Brazil---Week 3

This week in pictures

VBS with preschoolers through 4th grade in the mornings

One class making animal puppets

Hayes helping another class

Carol (local missionary's daughter), Evelyn (translators's 8 yr old), and Jusarra (next door neighbor/friend in Pelo Sinal) making puppets with Jusarra's preschool class

Isabel (our translators's 13 year old) getting ready for a skit

Vovô Carlos (missionary we are working with) and Jillian (It's taken 2 1/2 weeks, but she loves him and will go to him anytime---even over me or Daniel.)

I'm washing some of Jillian's clothes.  A local friend of ours is actually washing our clothes in her washing machine when we need it. But sometimes I wash them like this. Hayes thinks this is the funniest thing ever.

From top left: Julianna (local pastor's daughter), Hayes, Becca, Jillian, and Evelyn playing dominoes. Jillian actually stayed like this for about 5 min., just watching.

Aftermath of Hayes's run-in with a tree.

Spirits have been high and we have all had a great week.  Harper has led a teen Bible study in our house every morning this week and a women's study is starting on Monday.  The plan is for Pastor Carlos to continue these after we leave.  This is a totally new concept for the people of Pelo Sinal, so we'll pray for encouragement and for the desire for God's Word for them.

One more week here!  Praying it's a great one!

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.

Becca gave her testimony to the younger kids and Harper spoke to the older ones.  I was so proud of Becca.  Daniel just asked her 2 days ago if she would do it.  I really thought she would say no, but she thought about it a while & agreed.

And without really knowing it, she touched on the subject of our puppet show. Loving others who are different than you.

We also went on a little adventure.  They wanted to show us a natural spring that was "near" the school.  This is how we got there.

And yes, that would be 2 oxen pulling us.  I actually walked most of the way there and all the way back.  Daniel carried Jillian on the way back. 



He sat like this for about 15-20 min. after we got back so she could stay asleep. It's tiring being carried around.

Harper is explaining the colors of beads while we made salvation bracelets with the younger kids.

Daniel talking to the older kids.

Getting out of the house and doing something different was good for all of us.  We're looking forward to VBS next week.

And now, just because I can:

Jillian and her new friend Pedro



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?

Soccer Field

The game we went to was a Division 5 game, which is apparently kind of like a minor league team. (Tried to wear red, white, & blue)

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.

Our house

And now I can't get any more pictures to upload, so I'll have to do it another day.  

Travel & First Days

Leaving Charlotte

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. 

Waiting to check bags after customs in Rio

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. 

Dinalda, Livaldo (Monica's dad), Nadeje, Me, Daniel

The weather is beautiful, probably 70s and 80s.  Lots cooler than Charlotte these days. We've even needed jackets in the evenings.  Of course the Brazilians think this is cold and I guess compared to other times of the year, it is to them.   

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.  

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.

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!

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!

Baby update

Jillian is 4 months old!  Who can believe that?  I thought I’d do a little update, partly for people who have been giving me a hard time about not blogging and partly for our memories, which are slowly fading with age. ha!

 

At her 4 mo. doctor’s appointment on the Sept 2, Jillian was 12 lbs. 13 oz. She is 4 times the size she was at birth!  She’s doing really well as far as development goes.  A little behind, but considering she was 7 weeks early, she’s moving right along.  The doctor took her off the high calorie formula, which is great as it was messing with her tummy. 

 

Here are a few semi-recent pictures of the little sweetie. 

end of May (4 wks. old)

July (10 wks. old)

Today (4 mos. old)

I would do just about anything to see this smile.

The girls

I picked up crocheting again (Just call me Memaw)

Date night w/ Daniel & Jillian at Sweet Frog (fro yo)

This is how she will look tomorrow at her first State game

Tummy time

Faith took family pics for us. One of my favorites.

 

We are pretty much settled in and in a routine with 3 kids now.  Personally, I am enjoying this stage tremendously more with Jillian than with the other two.  I think it’s mostly because I haven’t had to deal with the hormones and recovery of childbirth & 9 mos. of pregnancy.  This is the way to do it!   We are blessed beyond measure to have Jillian in our family.  She has an ahh-mazing testimony already and I’m excited to see what else He will do in her life.

Sorry for the baby overload…

Our baby girl came home on Monday!  It is so nice not to have to drive 30 min. both ways to see her.  And to all be able to see her at one time, any time of day.  She’s eating well and still gaining about an ounce a day. 

 

Here she is having her car seat test before she could leave.  (If you aren’t familiar with that, she just had to sit in her seat for about 30 min., still on the monitor, to make sure she could tolerate that position. And she did great!)

                                                                               

 

Becca & Hayes made her a sign

                                                                                 

 

This is the only picture I have of all of us.  Huh, guess I could have cropped it or something. Oh well.

                                                                               

 

The girls in their frog pajamas.

                                                                                          

 

 

In other kid news, Becca had her end of year art show last night.

 

Hers is the light brown dog in the middle.

 

Her art work

 

Hayes in the batting cage

Baseball is over except for Becca’s tournament that continues next week.  It will be nice to not have commitments during the week and on weekends for a while.  AND today was our last day of school!  Yay for summer!!!