The Brauns in Brazil: Back in the Routine and Some Summer Fun

For the past few updates I've been filling you in on our trip to Mato Grosso and the Xavante tribe. Since then, we've been busy getting back into our routine here in Anapolis.

We started up the next study with the couple's small group. We've been studying about building our marriages - working towards oneness rather than isolation. Every week it's a little different depending on who is able to make it. We've had really large weeks (like the one above from a few months ago) where our tiny living room is packed, and other weeks it's a small, more intimate group. No matter what, we always have a good discussion and invest in our marriages.

And, do you remember Cafe Club? (above) Now that school is back in session for the teens, we've been meeting together as a leadership team to plan the next meetings of Cafe Club this semester. As a team we decided that we really need to take Cafe Club to a deeper level. We decided that the actual Cafe Club events will still get teens (and adults) from the community to come out, make contacts, and present the Gospel. However, it will also serve as a bridge to a deeper level - an English small group evangelism/discipleship Bible study at.....our home!

When this was suggested by the leadership we both felt so excited. As you know, we've done a year of training at our church to lead an evangelism/discipleship small group, but although we've been making contacts it just hadn't come together. We were pretty discouraged but waiting for God's leading. We both feel like this is His answer.

Of course, we will still make contacts, but continue as friendship evangelism and begin this small group now with a specific goal of reaching these Cafe Club teens. So, that will be our new role at Cafe Club. We won't have any logistic responsibilities with the actual Cafe Club event, but we will be responsible for getting people from Cafe Club to come out to the study group at our home and leading that. Please be praying about this, that God will continue to lead us and that this group would truly bring people to the Lord.

Well with that update said, on to some fun pictures of things we've been up to....

Up until this week it has been SO dry here in Anapolis. Here there are only 2 seasons, wet and dry, and for the past 5 months or so it hasn't rained. As you drove down the highway you saw fires since it was so dry! Then this week it finally happened....rain! So, refreshing! The ground just soaked it up like a sponge!

Although we didn't go on any vacations this summer, we planned some fun Saturday trips.

We went fishing at a place that you can fish...

all day....

You then pay by the kilogram for what you catch and they fry it up for you on the spot.

Another Saturday we made a trip to Brasilia for a friend's wedding and we decided to make a fun date out of it by going to the zoo. We enjoyed seeing the animals, but our favorite parts were these telephone booths (or "big ears" in Portuguese) ....