Looking Back and Ahead

First, to start, here are a few interesting snapshots from the week:


Here is a beautiful picture of the moon that Jeyson took from our porch.


Lately, we've been in the habit of getting our fruit and vegetables for the week from the local farmer's market that is open Sunday afternoons. The market is only a few blocks from our house, so we walk over together and get lost walking among the tables and booths set up in an area about the size of a basketball court. We'll have to take a picture some time. Can you believe that you can buy all of the above groceries for a total of about $6? At the market you can also buy live chickens, but so far we've somehow manage to resist the urge to buy one :)


This man, and many others like him, walk around the city collecting recyclable metal, plastic, paper, and glass around the neighborhood. As you can see, he has a little cart that looks sort of like a shopping basket to transport the recycling material. What made this man unique though, was that as he walks around collecting recycling, he also sells cotton candy! Talk about multitasking!

Well it's a new year, and time for fresh perspectives and refocusing goals. This week we have spent time filling out an annual survey for our sending church, and as part of that survey we had to review goals that were achieved in 2008 and set goals for 2009. Looking over the past year, it's amazing to see all God has done and we can't wait to see what He has in store for 2009. Below is what was accomplished in 2008 and our hopes for 2009.

Ministry Goals:
Accomplished last year:

- Left for Brazil on March 3, 2008 and established ourselves
- Participated in a 10 day evangelistic trip and 2 shorter trips throughout the year
- Became involved with outreach relationships with our neighbors
- Participated in a small group through our church that trained us in leading an evangelistic small group in our neighborhood
- Jeyson – Prepared and passed three areas required for his written commercial license test (This is a necessary rating in order to serve as a missionary pilot in the Amazon)
- Jeyson - Increased abilities as a mechanic while working on the mission’s planes
- Jeyson – Assisted in the technical training of new missionaries
- Jeyson – Facilitator of couples small group ministry in our home
- Stephanie – Improved proficiency in Portuguese
- Stephanie – Taught English to students who are not believers and was able to share the Gospel with interested students.
- Stephanie – Taught English to believing students and began discipleship relationships with several.
- Stephanie – Assisted in Asas de Socorro administration

For the coming year:

- Participate in several evangelistic trips with our mission
- We recently received news that we will need to move out of our apartment in March, so one goal is to reestablish ourselves in a new home and begin evangelistic relationships with our new neighbors.
- Begin an evangelistic small group in our new neighborhood
- Jeyson – Prepare and pass final two areas for his written commercial license test
- Jeyson – Begin hands on Commercial Pilot/Instrument Flight Rating training under a missionary instructor
- Jeyson - Increase abilities as a mechanic while working on the mission’s planes
- Stephanie – Work towards fluency in Portuguese
- Stephanie – Teach English courses and day long English workshops as a way to build evangelistic and discipleship relationships.