It's the Small Things

Two blogs ago I wrote about how sometimes it just sinks in that I am living in Brazil. After I posted it, I heard back from several people about how they appreciated that I was "keeping it real" about the ups and downs of my new life as an expatriate. That's such a strange thought...me??? An expatriate? Of course Jeyson has experienced this his whole life, since he's from several different places. Every time he's in Brazil he's an expatriate of Ecuador and vice versa. But for me, it's new and I'm still adjusting. So here goes a little more "keeping it real".

Here many people have asked me what I miss about life in the States. It's hard to really communicate, so let me just sum it up....it's all the little things! It's tortillas and take out Chinese food, it's Ziplock bags and a dishwasher, it's being able to unlock your door from the inside without using a key, and it's the little knife edge on the side of plastic wrap that allows you to cut a piece with having to take the whole thing out of the box and use scissors. It's hot, clean water from your faucet, napkins that are absorbent, and answering machines on everyone's phone. It's the little things. It's the things that make life a little easier and a little quicker. Quicker is definitely a big part of it looking back over my list. Things are much faster in the States because it's the little things that add up to save lots of time.

So what am I learning from all of this?

1. The purpose of life is not to see how quick we can be or how much we can do. It is to glorify God in everything we do...including the little things.

2. I have realized how much I think I have a "right" to these things and other comforts I am used to (even the ones that are much bigger, like a stable amount of money each month). However, nowhere has God promised us these things. These are not rights, and when they do come they are gifts. But we should not assume we deserve them.

3. On a very practical level, I have learned to improvise. I have learned that if I'm really missing a certain food I can try to fill that niche with something similar.....and that brings us to my fun project Sunday afternoon - making my own bagels!

I can't tell you how much I've been missing bagels lately and recently I saw some cream cheese at our local grocery store so I thought I just had to give it a try. It was a bit of a process, but fun! And they turned out great!

I learned that you actually have to boil bagels before you bake them.

So far so good in the oven! I forgot to take a picture of the after (before they were all eaten) but they really looked like the real thing and tasted like it too!

So next time you're eating of a bagel if you think of us, please pray for us as we serve in Brazil and for me as I continue to adapt to my new country!




Meanwhile this week, back at the mission hangar ....











One of the mission's airplanes taking off....











Jeyson was working on fixing a metal hook to tie down the airplanes. This involved welding - which you probably have noticed is one of Jeyson's favorite ways to fix things.

Here's an close up of the project.

It seems like it was successful!

As you might remember, before we came to Brazil we were really sensing God leading us to be part of a small group outreach ministry here but were not sure how to start. Just a few weeks after arriving we were approached by a leader in our church who said he is trying to start that exact ministry in our church and asked us to join a pilot small group, which we were very excited about. Each week we meet together and learn about how to lead a small group and how this will be an outreach to unbelievers. Then, in the beginning of the year we will end our pilot group's meetings and each start our own groups. Every week we look forward to going to the group and really feel like we have become a little family. The thought of dividing up next year is sad...but of course part of the plan. Anyway, we go every week but ALWAYS forget to take pictures. Finally this week we brought our camera so you can meet everyone!

On the left is Cle, who I have become fairly close to and Joao, and of course Jeyson.


On the left is Domingos and on the right is Jailson - the group's leader.


We carpool over to the group with this wonderful couple - Eduardo and Ana

Lastly, before signing off and spending some time with Jeyson, I thought I'd show you these pictures from our little "hike" through a park here in Anapolis with our friends Andres and Camila.

It's a beautiful park here in the city with a big trail looping around to walk around the lake
Enjoying the long walk, but then.....

Suddenly in the middle of the trail the bridge crossing over the lake was just....well not there! It looks like it fell down recently...glad we weren't on it!! Jeyson looks puzzled in this picture....what should we do? Just walk back? In the end we wound up trying to find away around the fallen out bridge and then walking back, but it was worth the fun anyway.

A buffet of thoughts

Today I have many scattered thoughts, so I think this post will be about a bunch of little things instead of one big topic...sort of like a buffet :) So here goes...





This week I felt very encouraged by a milestone in learning Portuguese. Over the weekend we headed to Goiania, where Jeyson's family lives, because Lika (his sister) was having her bridal shower. Here are some pictures of the event:



Anyway, the milestone was that I led my first activity in Portuguese. I had been asked to help with the shower games, but I had been thinking I would just be planning them and that someone else would actually lead them. The game I planned was one where the leader would do a lot of asking questions, etc, so I planned everything necessary for the person to fill the role. Then at the last minute when I was going to hand the paper with the instructions to someone to lead it, Jeyson encouraged me to step up to the challenge and lead it myself. After a little debating I went for it and everyone seemed to have a good time. Although this may seem like a small achievement, to me it was huge to stand up in front of a group, give directions, ask questions, serve as a judge, etc in Portuguese without any help. However, the biggest part of the achievement for me was not standing up and doing it (though that was big!), the biggest part was the fact that people enjoyed the game! What does that mean? It means that my Portuguese has improved enough to not get in the way of what I am trying to say! I am starting to not feel so much like a child when I speak anymore.



While that was great news, the truth is that it is not always so smooth. Some days I feel so frustrated because I want to say the most simple thing, but it seems IMPOSSIBLE to find the right words. Sometimes I have to repeat myself many times and I just feel like giving up. Sometimes I feel like crying when everyone is laughing at a joke but I can't understand it. But despite the ups and downs from day to day, I feel encouraged by the evidence that I am making process over time! Please pray for my progress in learning if you remember!



Another thought I wanted to share was a letter that I read this week from a Brazilian family writing to one of the missionaries with Asas. This family had heard about the work that our mission does and had been wanting to support an Asas missionary for a long time. However, this family just did not have any extra money to help in a monetary way. The letter said that the husband and wife would walk over 4 miles to work every day and would pass a lot of garbage along the way. So, this family decided to start collecting aluminum cans and other recycling material as they walked and bringing it to a recycling center to earn money to send to the missionaries! I was just blown away by the story and humbled to remember the many people sacrificing to support us so we can continue serving here. It is especially humbling knowing us from the inside, knowing we're not superhero Christians - just normal people with a calling to be here but still struggling with normal things just like everyone else. It really is humbling to know people are coming alongside us sacrificially just the same. We are so grateful!



Well another thought today is about my time teaching English at the Bible school/Seminary. When I committed to teach, I only made a commitment until June so I could have the chance to reevaluate if this was the right ministry opportunity for me. Now the course has come to an end so I thought I would share some of the pluses and minuses of the experience as I evaluate what kind of setting to commit to next (I will still continue at the children's program and tutoring for sure because they have turned out to be great ministry opportunities!)



First, the Minuses -



The course started out with 28 students, but they were not really committed. Many already were overloaded with other commitments and missed many classes. In the end only a handful were dedicated to the end.



Teaching at a Bible school was great because there was already the structure of a classroom, etc. but the school had many activities that conflicted with our schedule. Sometimes there would be a conference or a holiday scheduled at the school so all classes were canceled. It is hard to work with an irregular schedule.



An actual classroom setting gave too formal of a feel. The environment did not help bring about conversations which would have been good for English and great for relationship building.



Pluses -



I was able to help future pastors, missionaries, etc learn basic English skills which really are often required since a huge amount of resources are only in English. This was a ministry to them.



Teaching there forced me to be in a setting where I will practice Portuguese conversation, very valuable for me!



I was able to meet a few times with some younger students to read the Bible with them.



It was a good experience for me to have tested out to at least know what that kind of setting would be like.



Having so recently arrived from Brazil, it would have been impossible to have created my own program so quickly. The school gave a great structure that a needed.



So what's the bottom line? I am very glad for my experience there. It was a great way to start out and I can see a lot of positives that came out of it for me and some ministry opportunities. However, I don't think I am going to continue there now that this commitment has been completed. My thought is to next try out teaching a higher level of students in a conversation course in my home. I think the problem of the number diminishing would be solved because only those who are really committed would start coming out to my house in the first place. Also, a conversation class would facilitate more conversation (relationship building), and the atmosphere would be more relational than academic. So, we'll see. My plan would be to begin in August so I have some time to get myself off the ground. July is a huge holiday month in Brazil where all schools are off. At Asas things change in July. Rather than Jeyson going to the hangar each day, we will have a week off (during Lika's wedding week) and then go on a VERY intense evangelistic trip for 10 days to another State. Then we will have a few more days off and then get back to the usual routine, when I hope to begin this course. I really want to be effectively reaching out to others. I have never tried anything like this before, so I'll keep you updated about how it's going!

Another quick thing I wanted to show you was this funny picture. The other night two couples came over for dinner. When we looked over onto to the street from our patio, we saw this funny scene... all of our old bugs parked in a row on the street. See, our old car does fit in around here! Ours is the one on the right.

Here is a picture of Jeyson with one of our friends spending time together and working on a project...carving airplanes. Are you surprised?

Lastly, I just want to share this little thought from my devotions this morning. It is from the book My Utmost for His Highest. It says, "The secret of a disciple's life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness".

Sometimes it just sinks in...

It sinks in when you least expect it. This week I was going to the dentist and it sunk in once again. It sunk in that this is NOT a temporary trip, I am actually LIVING in Brazil. It is my new home. You see, when you're temporarily visiting another place you don't do things like go to the dentist. You have a dentist back home and (unless it is an emergency) you generally just wait until you get back to get your teeth cleaned. That's why it sunk in when I went to the dentist. I realized - I am going to the dentist here because Brazil IS now my home, this is long term. It sinks in with the small things, the everyday things, when you least expect it. I don't feel sad when I think about that since I'm glad to be here, but it really is a strange thought that takes a while to really accept and understand.

When else does it sink in?

It sinks in when you come back from the market and begin making a salad, only to find a snail on your lettuce. Yes, I really do live HERE, and not in a place the lettuce comes washed and cut in a bag. Again, we're excited to be living here, but it's just a strange thought to process.

It also sinks in when you get trapped in a bus station. Yesterday Jeyson and I were driving across town and took a little "short cut" through a big bus terminal thinking it would save time. However, the exact opposite happened. When we went to pass through to exit the station it was blocked by a HUGE crowed of protesters standing in the way of the exist with banners. No cars could leave! The police were across the street watching and doing nothing to help. The protesters were protesting that on that corner there are many car accidents and there has been nothing done by the government to give more direction to the intersection. While we agreed with the cause, we certainly didn't want to spend the evening in the bus station. After about 20 minutes stuck in the protest ,we were able to get up onto the grass to turn around and go another way. It's so different here sometimes. Once again we are excited to be here, we know we're just where God wants us now, but sometimes it just sinks in...I am really LIVING in Brazil...such a strange thought to process!


Well with that said, let's move onto the major topic today - Jeyson's flight. I have already given you a glimpse into what I do daily, so I thought I would take part of this blog to show you a little about Jeyson's world...in particular focusing on his flying.



As you probably know, the next step in Jeyson's flight progress is getting his commercial pilot's license. He already has his private pilot's license, but in order to fly with our mission doing work in the Amazon area he will need both. So here at the mission base in Anapolis he works under other missionary pilots to get all of the instruction and experience he will need for that. The next step though before even taking the written test for the licences is he needs to get 50 hours of experience doing cross-country flying. He already has a few hours and this week he went on a 4 hour flight to add to the total.



So what's involved with taking a flight?






The first step is planning. Several days before the flight Jeyson starts planning the route that he is going to take. This is VERY detailed and can take hours. Here is Jeyson busy planning on Sunday, his birthday! Fortunately it didn't take TOO long, we still had plenty of time for cake with friends. To prevent getting lost in the air, he has to plan along the route points of reference that he is going to look for every few minutes to make sure he is going the right way. This can be pretty tricky especially if he has never been there before! Thank goodness for technology like Google Earth that you can use as a tool to get a preview of the land.
Here is a devise called a flight computer that Jeyson uses to calculate specifics of the flight.
With all the planning done it is time to get the plane ready. This means an extensive check to make sure everything is safe and ready with the plane. Here Jeyson is checking the fuel for contamination.
Inside the plane he had to even pack an extra set of clothes, just in case something were to go wrong mechanically and they would stuck at another airport for the night. Asas is very strict about making sure the planes are in excellent condition to fly. As a result Asas has had only 1 accident in it's 50 year history! (The one accident was not fatal)

Here are a few more shots of checking and preparing the plane.



With the check complete Jeyson comes into the flight room and logs information about the flight.
An hour or so later it is time to take off. Well I did not go with Jeyson on the flight, so unfortunately the pictures stop here. However, when he got home around 7 pm Jeyson said the flight had gone well overall. He flew along with another missionary, Marcos, who instructed him as he flew. They flew over the border to another State in Brazil, Minas Gerais, landing two different cities and returning to Asas. Flying can be stressful since there are so many things to be thinking of and doing meticulously and Jeyson always feels he has areas to work on, but overall he felt it was a pretty good flight.

Back on the ground, another passion of Jeyson's is mechanics. You might remember that last week we were having problems with our car. Well the problems seemed to get worse this week so Jeyson had to spend the whole day Saturday taking the entire engine off the car, fixing it, and putting it back on - all by himself. It's really hard to find a good mechanic here that is affordable, so he prefers to do as much as he can himself. It was a ton of work but the car is doing great now and ready for another 40 years of life! :)
On the left is Nilson, a new missionary with Asas who is working first on learning mechanics. He is watching as Jeyson works on the engine.

Well that's about it for now, but as always send us an email or leave a comment...we'd love to hear from you!

Are there really STILL tribes out there?

"Are there really STILL tribes out there that have never been contacted by the outside world? After all this is the 21st century!" You might have asked yourself this question when you think about our work here with Asas that targets people in remote areas of Brazil. But the answer to this question really is - Yes! There really are still uncontacted people - not just uncontacted with the Gospel, but uncontacted by the outside world!



This week on Yahoo news I saw an acticle about a tribe in Brazil who was just photographed for the fist time by air. Never before has any contact been made with these people. What an encouragement to be reminded that the ministry of Asas still is critical, even in the 21st century.



Here are some pictures that came with the article. The photos were taken by Survival International, which estimates that there are over 100 uncontacted tribes worldwide. Over half of them are said to live in Brazil or Peru.
This tribe is located in Brazil, close to the border of Peru.
In the article this photo is described as, "...two Indian men covered in bright red pigment poised to fire arrows at the aircraft while another Indian looks on"


This story and the pictures reminded me of the story of Nate Saint and the contact that the five missionaries made with the Auca tribe in Ecuador. Growing up in Ecuador, visited the Shell base where the missionaries took off from and this story was one of the ways Jeyson first became interested in missionary aviation.





Back in Anapolis, here are some pictures of the past days.

This past weekend we spent time with some of the other missionaries fro Asas. We went to a Brazilian style bbq - a "churrasco".

The day started with a game of soccer....here is our friend Andres playing.
Here is me and some of the women from Asas being spectators...always good practice for Portuguese even if the game itself wasn't so captivating.
Then came the barbeque part. Brazilian cookouts are very different from American cookouts and so much fun! In a Brazilian churrasco many different kinds of meats are slow cooked on this spits. Everyone sits around the chats as the meats are cooked and one by one as they are ready they are cut into small pieces and put on a platter. The platter is passed around and everyone can take a piece and eat it even without a plate. You just keep eating and trying as many kinds as you want until you are stuffed!
Here is how the meat is grilled.
Many houses, like this one, are even made with a barbeque area - a built in place to cook the meat and an area to sit around and chat and eat meat as it is ready.

Here is me and some of the women from Asas. The lady on the far right is actually a distant relative of Jeyson's who grew up in New Jersey of all places!

Unlike all the fun at the churrasco, this week we had quite a bit of frustration with our car. Here in Brazil it is very normal to have an old car from the 1980's or so, but ours is even older than most - from 1967! Generally it is in good condition but this week it was having some trouble so Jeyson had to spend time working on it. It is doing better now but our plan is to keep our eyes out for another vehicle.

Next, I thought I would take a moment to zoom in on part of my week - working with the children's program in our city, PETI. This is the secular program where I have been teaching English to some of the older kids and have been able to incorporate reading a children's Bible right in the classroom. I really feel like my relationship with these kids is deepening and I have been able to share the Gospel with my class. Each lesson I read the next chapter of my children's Bible in English and they pick out words they know in English and I explain what they can't understand in Portuguese to make sure they really get it. Their enthusiasm has been so encouraging. Each lesson they ASK me if I am going to read the ext part of the story. Some have heard many of the stories before but still do not understand it on a personal level. Others have never heard any of the Bible before. It is such a open door that I know is from the Lord.

Three of the girls in this picture are my students. From left to right their names are Amanda, Ingrid, and Nubia

On the left above is one of my students, Carol.

On the left is my student, Iran

On the right is my student Amanda again.

In class I taught the names of the colors in English. Then I brought beads the colors of the wordless book which explains the Gospel story through colors. I used the new color vocabulary in English and taught them the meaning of each color in the Salvation story. Then as a project the students got to make the bracelets after class. I will bring these bracelets on our big outreach trip in July to give out to people as we explain the Gospel. The students were really excited to make the bracelets so other kids could also hear the story of Salvation that they just heard.

On the left is Marcio, the one student who is particularly interested in the Bible.

Here we are making the bracelets. It was hard to catch everyone in one shot.

Here are some other kids from the program who are not in my class, but who I spend time with afterwards.

Above is Eliana who works at PETI cooking a healthy meal for the kids to eat for free each day.
The director of the program, Eliana, is in the white shirt. It is through knowing her that I first got connected with PETI.


The program is very structured and well attended, but there is a major lack of resources. The building is just this covered patio area and a few small classrooms. They only have very basic supplies like pencils/paper, paint and a few paintbrushes that they have to take turns using. There isn't even a copier, instead when copies are necessary a hand crank machine is used. However, despite the lack of resources the students and leaders are very dedicated and enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Here is everyone lining up to go home. It is exhausting keeping up with the kids, but definitely worth while for such an open door to share the Gospel with eager ears.