A New and Better Way

Rahel, Karen and I at the Passion Conference in May Erika and I then Pastor Marcelo and I Morumbi Baptist Thiago, me, Rahel, Andre and Erika Suzana and her husband Tiago and me Vila Andrade Vila Andrade church and community center

There have been several schedule changes lately. The situation at the Compassion project is over I think. I am no longer helping out there in any type of full-time capacity, just reading with some of the kids Tues. and Thurs. afternoons. The director is speaking to me again so that´s a total answer to prayer. Two of the kids don´t know how to read and I don´t know how to teach them. The 7 year old at least knows all the letters in the alphabet but one of the 9 year olds doesn´t. Any ideas? Not sure I should continue with this but I know that the extra attention is really good for these kids. If nothing else this internship has taught me that children´s ministry is not for me. In other news....I start teaching an English class next week and I also gave my first keyboard lesson on Thursday. I may start counseling two other moms as well. Last week the mom I was counseling didn´t show due to some family issues and the new convert I´m supposed to meet with on Tuesdays didn´t come either. Ev...

View from my bedroom window Sleeping room Living and dining room Kitchen and laundry room Hopefully that gives you a bit of an idea of my surroundings home wise. It´s very cozy. :)

I do not need a change of heart. I do not need to change my circumstances I need to change the attitude of my mind. As Mark Buchanan so powerfully puts it in his book `The Rest of God´ in God´s economy nothing really changes until our minds do, or to quote another section, ´God is more interested in changing your thinking than in changing your circumstances.´ That´s what I read this morning. And here´s another thing I learned. The Hebrew word for sanctify means ´to betroth´ or to commit oneself. We are to commit ourselves to keeping the Sabbath (that´s Mark´s point) but as I continued reading it was almost like the next sentence was written for me - ´you pledge to commit yourself, all of yourself, to this time, and then you honor that commitment whether it´s convenient or not (p. 33).´ As you may have noticed already this time in São Paulo has often felt less than convenient. In many ways it would be easier to be in a cultural where I do not know the language or customs at all ( Pr. Pa...

It seems like the days that I am meant to do home visitations to the families who have kids in the Compassion project are especially challenging. Yesterday was no exception. These visitations are every Friday morning and afternoon. I know I am always asking for more prayer but if you could especially remember me during those times I would appreciate it. It seems like everything conspires to discourage me and make me think that I am incapable of doing this task. I arrived at the church yesterday morning in a fairly good state of mind considering how tired I was. However, that quickly changed. The pastor and some others on staff were teasing me. Whenever there is something I don´t adapt to well or dislike somewhat they say ´that´s because you´re Canadian.´ Many times this is quite hilarious but yesterday I didn´t find it overly entertaining. (You can pray that I´ll grow a harder shell or is that thicker skin? lol I can´t remember. :) The whole cultural identity thing is what it is. I am ...

The mom I ´counseled´ this morning has 4 children and only two have the same father. Currently she is unemployed and her last boss did not pay her what they had agreed on initially. Rita (not her actual name) has less than a grade 8 education and frequently asks God to end her misery. Her father is dying of cancer, her 9 year old son is always getting into trouble at school and 3 men have left her over the course of her life. She has every reason to lose hope. Please pray that she will find a job soon and that God would lift her out of her depression. Next session I will ask her if she has ever attempted to take her own life and will try and present the Gospel message to her. Today I also had a good chat with Pastor Marcelo. We juggled around my work load so that I don´t feel as overwhelemed. However, I was supposed to be at the church tonight but did not manage to make it. I hope he isn´t too disapointed tomorrow. I have been having trouble falling asleep for the last couple of nights...

Lyndell and I in Porto Chicken hearts The infamous sofa bed The Cathedral da Se in downtown São Paulo There are more pictures on facebook if you are interested and have access to that. I can´t figure out how to put the text under the photos and blogger takes a long time to download images....