House Hunting Season is Over!

I am so happy I am to tell you that we found a house to live in!!! This week we spent almost every free moment contacting friends who might know about houses, going to realtors, and keeping our eyes our for "for rent" signs as we drove places. During this whole process we had our eyes on what we thought was our best option. It is only a few blocks from where we live, in our price range, and freshly painted. Our only drawback was security since the fence around the house looked like it would be easy to climb over for someone who wanted to break in. We knew we would have to install extra security systems and would feel a bit uncomfortable going away overnight, but we still thought this was the best option available. So, we called the owner to see about making a deal, only for him to tell us was thinking of making the house into a vet clinic instead of renting it out! A few days later he confirmed this decision with us. We were really disappointed, but knew God would have something even better in mind for us....and He did!

On our way home from Asas one afternoon we saw a for rent sign on a house and on a whim decided to inquire about the cost of the rent. We were excited to find that it was even lower than the other house! The house is also sort of like a condo like we live in now. The house available is the bottom floor of a house with 2 entrances - making it very safe since there is another family to literally look over it. Also the best news is that the house is VERY close to Asas - just a little over a mile away! While this house is not as good as the quality that you find the States, we knew God had answered our (and your) prayers by showing us this place to live since it meets all of our needs - safety, price, closeness. It even has a lemon tree and pumpkins growing in the backyard and plenty of space for bbqs and Jeyson's woodworking and welding projects. It even is just a few blocks away from a small man-made lake. We're still working out exactly which day we will move in, but possibly even as early as this weekend. Now, TIME TO GET PACKING! I'll post pictures of our new house as soon as possible. Thanks for praying for us!

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.

Good News, Bad News

You know those days that are so filled with good and bad news that when you arrive at the end of the day, you're not sure what to make of it? We've had several of those days lately.

To begin with, just the other day we noticed our new (to us) car was making a little bit of a weird noise. We took it to the mechanic and had a wake up call to the cost of maintenance! So, obviously that was some bad news. Good news however, was we went to the dealer that we bought the car from, and they are willing to cover the cost of the labor, we just have to pay for the parts.


Our car being in the shop however, meant that we didn't have a way to get to Brasilia on Jan 5th for Jeyson's commercial pilot's test and Stephanie's appointment at the American embassy - more bad news. However, after mentioning this problem to our good friends, Andres and Camilia, we received some great news! They said they would take us to Brasilia to do the things we needed and enjoy some time touring the city. See pictures below...

In Brasilia, we also had some more good and bad news. The good news was that Jeyson passed three out of the five subjects of the commercial pilot test. Each subject is equivalent to a final exam for a whole semester long course. Considering he studied on his own, that was a big accomplishment. The bad news, of course, was that he will have to retake the other 2 areas. The good news though, is that since he passed at least 3 subjects he does not need to retake all of them. So, pray for Jeyson as he prepares to retake the tests.


While in Brasilia, I was able to get the paperwork I needed from the embassy - good news! Then the next day we went with that document to the federal police here in Anapolis. We are very, very close to being done with the process, which is very good news. We just now have to return back early next week for me to get fingerprinted.

Then, as I was about to sit down to write this blog, we found out some tough news that we would really appreciate your prayer about...we have to move. Several missionary families have lived in this upstairs condo during their time at this mission base, so we never imagined we would have to move during our time here. However, the owner has other plans for the condo, so in March we will need to move out. We're so disappointed because we have really grown to love where we live. It is pretty safe since we live on top of another family, it is very conveniently located close to work and places we often go, it is very affordable, it is close to where our good friends live, and perhaps most importantly, we have already made good contacts to begin our outreach Bible study. We know God is in control and already has a new place for us to live, but we would really appreciate your prayer as we go through this process.

One of the things we'll miss most about our home is the beautiful, large porch which is perfect for Brazilian barbecues, like the one we had last night. After a week of mixed news, it is so refreshing to relax with family and friends...we wish you could have been there!

Trip to the South

We're so glad to have our camera cable back so we can finally post the pictures of our trip to south Brazil and of Christmas. We've had some requests to post lots of these pictures, so below are quite a few!

December Christmas dinner at Asas

Jeyson with some of his Asas friends at the dinner -Jeyson, Paulo, Andres, and Heber

A few days after the dinner, we headed on our trip. The first stop was Jeyson's parents' house since it was right on the way. We spent the night at their house and helped out a little around the farm. Early the next morning, we headed out on the first leg of our trip - to Curitiba which is 17 hours away.

We broke the trip up into two days, and stayed at a hostel in Jundiai, SP along the way. We had never stayed in a hostel before, and it turned out to be a nice place.

Here was a view from our window....not exactly 5 stars, but a nice cultural experience.

Back on the road again, we passed by São Paulo. The city itself is modern and very built up, but as we drove by the outskirts of the city it was shocking to see slums that seemed to continue on forever.

Many people come to Sao Paulo from all over Brazil with hopes of finding a good job and starting over. Unfortunately, most have difficulty and wind up living in the the slums.

The above sight was so moving - a lot full of brand new cars, neighboring a slum filled with people who are just trying to survive.

A few hours later, we finally arrived! South Brazil has a very strong European influence as so many immigrants have come from Germany, Italy, and other European countries in the last 100 years. The city is so different than where we live, it really felt like another country!

We loved the wood houses that looked like country cottages! It was so nice to also see homes without tall security walls like here in Anapolis....

and nice, paved sidewalks! Just walking down the street it was interesting to see how many people were from German backgrounds. Many still spoke German and many many people had blond hair. Jeyson fit in here in Brazil for once!

When Jeyson was about 5 years old, his family spent a year living in Curitiba. Although he was so young at the time, I was amazed at how much Jeyson could remember when he returned now as an adult. Jeyson found his old house (above) and the houses and churches of several relatives who live in the city. He even found his German preschool! In addition to the trip being a great way for me to see the south and meet many of Jeyson's relatives, it was also a fun "walk down memory lane" for Jeyson.

One of the interesting cultural experiences I had on this trip was seeing a Brazilian cemetery. I had never seen one before, and I found it to be such an interesting contrast to American style cemeteries.

No grass or similar looking tombstones. Each grave was a beautiful, above ground unique memorial to the loved one.

Here you can see a bench for visitors to visit the site.

In Curitiba, we stayed with Jeyson's uncle and aunt and spent a lot of time visiting with many of Jeyson's relatives who live in Curitiba.

Jeyson's father has 9 siblings and Jeyson's mother has 8 siblings, so there are endless relatives and many live in Curitiba. Above is a picture of Jeyson's dad's family growing up.

Since Curitiba is so close to the Atlantic Ocean, one of my hopes was to go to the beach in South America. We went with several of Jeyson's cousins and had a great time. Compared to the New Jersey shore, the water was so warm, though they all said it was cold since they are used to even warmer ocean water :)

A little fish market by the beach where you can buy that day's catch

Of course every Brazilian family get-together must involve grilling meat

and on Jeyson's mom's side, it also often includes playing this family invented board game. The object is the use a big disk to hit smaller disks into the corners of a board. The board is covered in cornmeal to make the pieces slide better. It is actually a lot of fun, and Jeyson is busy making one in his free time here at home. We'll have to see if we can convince any of our friends to give it a try.

Jeyson's uncle is very involved at his church and works with a ministry to bring the Bible to life for children in a way that encourages their creative thinking. He designs and makes 3D pieces to tell a story from the Bible. The idea is to encourage parents spending quality time with their children as they learn from God's word, rather than just put on a cartoon Christian DVD.

Here is the parable of the Sower and Soil

He also works with their church to use as many natural resources as possible so the environment will be cleaner and church costs will be lower. Above is a solar panel that heats up the church's water. The heater is made out of plastic hosing that flows through empty soda bottles.

There was also this reminder creatively shown above - Enjoy watching God's nature!

The church also has a large garden and grows food for the church's and community's needs. I had never seen a broccoli plant before....this is one kind of broccoli available here.

We also spent an afternoon walking around downtown Curitiba. Here was an outdoor Christmas market in the city.

And the main city avenue, made just for walkers.

And a shopping mall made from the city's old railroad station.

After 3 days in Curitiba, it was time to go to our next stop - Marechal Candido Rondon, a city a few hours away from Argentina and Paraguay. After an 8 hour trip, we arrived in Rondon and had a great time there getting to know even more relatives and even more of the South.

Jeyson's uncle, Milton, is the head of assembly at a factory that makes soft serve ice cream machines.

We had a fun time getting a tour and being "forced" to try both the shakes and soft ice cream the machines make. Above are Jeyson's aunt and uncle.

Who knew that the ice cream machine factory also has a collection of classic cars? We also had a tour there.

The next day, we headed to Puerto Iguazu, Argentina to spend two days with our friends Andres and Camila. Andres is from Argentina so it was so fun to have someone with us know knows the food and culture.

If you remember from previous posts, Brazilians and Argentinians love drinking a special tea called Mate. In Argentia it is such a part of the culture that there are "vending machines" of hot water for the tea. You just put in coins and put your thermos by the spout to fill it up with a liter of hot water.

In Argentia we went to a place called "The Three Frontiers". Here you can see where Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay meet. (See above and below)

Above are Guarani Indians who are native to the area

Our first day in Argentina, we visited a park that promotes the environment and Argentinean culture.

This giant "Arapuca" or reconstruction of an indian animal trap was made with massivel logs that where aprehended from illegal loggers.

Inside a shop at the park

The traditional poncho

And Argentinian hats

The nativity scene

Shooting arrows

Me and Camila relaxing in chairs made from tree trunks and roots

Then, the next day was the event we had been looking forward to most on this trip - visiting Foz do Iguacu. Foz is a huge national waterfall park, and we spent almost the whole day hiking around since there are so many waterfalls to see. It is impossible to capture how truly beautiful it was, but here are some pictures to give you an idea.

Here we are at the top of one of the most famous waterfalls in the park "The Devil's Throat" which is higher than Niagra falls. Even after a few minutes of looking, we were completely soaked by the tons and tons of water spraying back up from the fall.

It is incredible to see how close you can get to such an enormous waterfall

Walking to another area of the park, we were able to see one of the most magnificent things we have ever seen. There truly are no words to describe what it was like to look at this scene there are dozens of separated falls.

Walking farther, this is a scene looking down over yet another fall.

Wow, what an amazing wall of water!

Walking around the park, we came across people from all different countries, and all different kinds of creatures too! As you can see, they are very used to being around people!

The next day we went to Paraguay. Paraguay has some special rules that make importing things from overseas extremely cheap. As a result, many many Brazilians cross over to Paraguay to buy cheap items for personal use or to sell back in Brazil. Because there is such a huge demand, the entire city that you enter when coming into Paraguay is a HUGE outdoor market. What is for sale? EVERYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE! Electric razors, DVDs, drills, socks, Wii, perfumes, Pringles, tents, and SO much more. Everywhere you look, there are stores, booths , people walking around selling things, cars selling things...it was crazy! There was hardly room to walk or time to think between people coming up trying to sell you something Especially before Christmas the city was chaotic! We didn't go wanting to buy anything, but was a worthwhile experience, though completely overwhelming. Since the city was so crazy, we didn't feel like it was a good idea to take out our camera to take pictures, so sadly you'll just have to imagine the scene :)

On our way back to Anapolis we spent another night in Rondon and enjoyed one last treat on the trip....the Brazilian/German speciality of fruitcake, pepperoni slices, and tea.

After that, we drove the rest of the way home and enjoyed a wonderful Christmas eve at home together and spent Christmas with Jeyson's parents. Here is a picture of our Christmas eve breakfast. It was such a wonderful trip, but it is SO wonderful to be back home!