A New and Better Way

Tomorrow I fly home. Its hard to believe how fast it has gone. The official good-byes all happened today. Went out to lunch with friends, was prayed for at Morumbi´s two morning services and then the big farewell at Villa Andrade at the end of the evening service. Lots of tears, speeches and gifts. Not sure how everything will fit in my suitcase but somehow it will. There are so many stories to tell. My heart is full. I know the reality of leaving won´t really sink in until I´m on the plane. Thank-you for all your prayers. These last few days have not been easy but they have been good. So many God moments. He is so faithful.

Came in to work this morning and found out that someone broke in to the church kitchen and some other rooms that are behind the main building. Thankfully nothing was taken except some food items. This happened last night when no one was around so no one is hurt. Morumbi church was also robbed a few weeks back and they took off with quite a bit of money from that Sundays offering. They are tightening security up at Morumbi but there is not much we can do at the Vila I don't think. The upstairs where all the computers are already has alarms and video servalliance. This final week has been and is very bittersweet. Every once in awhile I realize that I am doing something for the last time. Palmyra and I went out for lunch together for the last time, Ana Clecia and I had our last piano lesson/discipleship time, this will be my last Sunday here etc. Part of me hates dragging out good-byes and wishes I could be on the plane home already. Another part of me is avoiding the whole aspect of

Yesterday I was responsible for staff devotional. I chose to have us reflect on what season of life we are in. We read Ecclesiastes three like we did at our last staff meeting and then I asked everyone to share what season they thought they were in and what they felt God was teaching them during this season. Then we broke in groups of two and three to pray. I wasn`t sure how it would go but everyone shared willingly and it was a great time of fellowship and team building. Answers included, `I am in a season of thankfulness` or `I am in a season of learning or restlessness.` I think we all learned a bit more about each other and knew better how to pray for one another as a result. As one of the counselors from Projeto Ciranda shared about her work with victims of sexual abuse and how this really made her question God and His will this thought kept running through my mind: Who is looking after these leaders? My heart breaks for the staff here. Often their jobs are very thankless and they

It has been a week of adventures yet again. This Tuesday another group of Americans came by the church and I filled in as a translator. They came to the small group I am a part of and shared their stories. It was a powerful time. As soon as they left a family crisis ensued in the home we were in and it left me pretty shaken up. Thankfully everything is fine now. Your continued prayers are appreciated. This past Saturday the VBS re-cap went really well. There were not many kids but it was a good time. Almost all my volunteers came and a basketball team from the States was passing through and they came and played with the kids. Three of the guys were actually Canadian and I knew one of them! Such a small world it is. Please pray for me this coming Saturday as I'll be sharing with the youth group of Morumbi church about my time at Vila Andrade (Morumbi is the mother church of Vila Andrade and we could really use some volunteers from there and just volunteers and helpers in general). P

There is a little saying around here that says landing a job isn´t about your IQ but your QI (quem indicou) which translated means ´who you know.´ While who you know is also important in Canada Brasilians have networking down to an art form. They are definitely more relationally oriented than task orientated. Often they work very late hours because through out the work day it is common and accepted to chat with co-workers (which doesn´t make you all that productive). Often lunch hours extend from one hour to one and a half and no one says anything (now this could just be the context I´m in). The great thing though is that when you need a favour you have a whole bunch of people you can rely on because everyone is used to scratching each other´s back AND you have strong relationships from all the time spent together. This is true not just for jobs but for discounts at stores, restaurants, the mechanic etc. Here is an example that I overheard: `Just tell the guy that Paulo sent you and th

Well, after a whole month with no rain (which is super rare in this climate during winter) it seems like we are now making up for lost time. The streets around the church flood easily as garbage blocks sewage drains and on Tuesday some of the homes flooded quite badly. I saw lots of people coming and going with wheelbarrows piled with dirt and rocks as they tried to clean up the mess. Getting home tonight will be intersting as I didn´t bring my raincoat like I did yesterday (but thankfully I do have an umbrella). While the rain does cause problems it is neat to see community members helping each other out so readily. I hope my neighbours back home would do the same and I´m sure some would but we don´t even all know each other unlike here where it seems like everyone knows everyone´s business. The mom of one of the kids in the project is spreading gossip and being very malicious because a boy in the project bothered her daughter (who is also in the Compassion project). The children´s t

I feel like I should write someting super insightful but today is my day off so I'm afraid this will be rather basic. I even had a great idea for an intercultural journal entry (which is what this doubles as by the way) but it has totally disapeared into thin air so I will write on hospitality instead. One difference I have noticed between Brazilian and Canadian culture is how we entertain guests. Brazilians do a lot more entertaining in their homes and they feed you super well but they do not constantly entertain you. Life carries on in the home and you simply get to be a part of it. Yes, they may have cleaned and cooked for you but that is not the main point and it is much more acceptable to just drop by. It is normal to have the TV on during the visit and your hosts are perfectly content to leave you in one room while they go to the kitchen to continue cooking. You are welcome to join them in the kitchen or stay in the living room watchign TV, your choice. If you feel like goin

Working hard catalouging books Beach bums in Santos

This morning at staff devotional I was left completely in the dark. The people at the far end of the table were saying I needed to visit this certain older lady who lives in quite the dump (for the cultural experience to quote them). Then they asked me if I had ever eaten shrimp. I said I certainly had and they all laughed. I have no idea how these two things are related. Clearly shrimp was a slang term for something else. Just because you speak a language does not mean that you can understand everything said to you or make yourself understood. This afternoon when I was trying to tell one of the kids that the computer mouse was ancient I said it was old and she did not get it. When my friend described the mouse as being ancient she got it. Then he said, 'It's because Julianna's Portuguese isn't very perfect that we can't understand her all the time.' He wasn't trying to be offensive and it is certainly true so I took it just fine. The reality of the situatio