It was a beautiful wedding, December 9th, 2012
Flavio played a song as Mercia came in. It was short and simple, and very powerful: a story of what God can do.
It was the first wedding that these children got to see. For the first time, they understand what it means for two people to leave their single lives and make a committment to become one.
And it was a lot of fun, and of course, lots of good food.
Where you see all those 2012 in review things. Including for Living Stones!
Hope you enjoy these quick videos–just a song long–to see what God has been doing in our 3 Living Stones:
1. Cajueiro Claro
If the box doesn’t work, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIt-A9fVOr4&feature=g-crec-u
2. Mussurepe
If the box doesn’t work, here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1UXdjG-G4Y&feature=plcp
3. Carpina trash dump
If the box doesn’t work, here is the link:
Sorta a really great idea, inspired from random scrolling on Pinterest: upside down ice cream cones decorated like Christmas trees. And then eaten. yum! Sugar high! This was our end of the year Girl’s Bible study:
Thanks everyone who gave for our $5 for 5 campaign around Thanksgiving. Yes, I realize it is December 10. WHAT? Yes, December 10. That was my reaction in class this morning. Really, the teacher isn’t supposed to be surprised at the date. Opps. I am catching up.
Pretty cool turkey handprint, huh? Pinterest has been my buddy lately, helping out where my creativity is lacking in giving 15+ different kinds of classes every week.
Girl’s Bible study has really been a blessing to me this year. We got creative with our cooking and did jack-o-lanterns. The girls liked the roasted pumpkin seeds, but still couldn’t be turned into pumpkin pie lovers (most Brazilians are not). More for me. Unfortunately, the pumpkins were larger than i thought and left me with 8 kilos (17 pounds) of pumpkin. I have invented everything imaginable to use it all up. Today, I finish the last piece of pumpkin bread…
The ACTUAL DAY. Us Internationals (can’t call us Americans, as England and Hungry have invaded) got together and ate yummy things, and thanked God for an amazing year and being able to serve together. I thank the Lord for the awesome people He has put by my side!
This is just pretty:). From Old Recife. Come visit me so I can show you it in person.
Some of the reasons why I say thank you:). Here are the faces, for when you join me in prayer on Saturday morning, November 24, and anytime…
I am reading a book “One Thousand Gifts.” There are beautiful ideas in it, but the central idea is gratitude, and writing down things you are grateful for. And the book is inspiring. But the two thoughts that are life-changing are these:
Thankfulness creates abundance
Thankfulness builds trust
And these are the two things I need the most in my relationships (first with God, and then others) and my ministry. And today is the holiday to celebrate that. I pray you are blessed with true gratitude today and every day.
Some of the reasons why I say thank you:). Here are the faces, for when you join me in prayer on Saturday morning, November 24, and anytime…
I am reading a book “One Thousand Gifts.” There are beautiful ideas in it, but the central idea is gratitude, and writing down things you are grateful for. And the book is inspiring. But the two thoughts that are life-changing are these:
Thankfulness creates abundance
Thankfulness builds trust
And these are the two things I need the most in my relationships (first with God, and then others) and my ministry. And today is the holiday to celebrate that. I pray you are blessed with true gratitude today and every day.
Become involved with something real this Thanksgiving.
1. Get inspired: watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv44_UYjDgc
2. Join the Event: (officially on Facebook, but anywhere) Saturday morning, November 24th, for prayer and fasting (fasting optional) for Northeast Brazil and Living Stones
3. Share: donate at http://www.wribrazil.com/5for5
5. Spread the word: Tell others about Living Stones, or post the video on your Facebook wall
It is just nice to know I am not alone. That connection you have when you know someone is on the same page as you are. Sometimes these encounters are few and far between. Especially when you live far away. These have been some of my happy thoughts, when I am having low days:
Especially those in ministry (and this can be any kind of ministry—“official” or not), your list of people to help and pray for grows so quickly—it is important to find and keep close those people who you can count on to encourage you. Who will be a strong voice you can trust in your weak moments. Where you don’t have to serve—but can be served. You need that too. Don’t forget.
Everyone is hit with the reality of poverty differently. We can go along for so long without really realizing the implications of the statitstics we hear of 27,000 children dying every day from preventable causes. Of 1.6 billion people living off the buying power of a dollar a day—or less. But once you open your eyes, you can never truly close them again. You can refuse to do something—but there will always be a voice inside you somewhere that whispers “something isn’t right about this.”
How do you find a new normal?
Once you have experienced a different life
And your perceived reality
Can never return?
The answer isn’t to give the Living Stones children a life that looks like ours in the United States. It isn’t to take them out of their communities. It isn’t even to take the out of their crumbling dirt houses…it is to love them, right where they are. To see God, in the middle of hunger. To laugh instead of cry, and to cry because there is a time for that too.
And slowly, through personal relationship—because that is the only way real change happens—to break and be broken for God. That is it. Cross out my endless lists of dos and don’ts. Quit trying to figure out if I have all the numbers straight in my ledger…what am I doing? Loving. What is my goal? Love, and teach how to love.
I read a book about street children. Sitting on the couch across from a man who was once a street child. The book said most all of the groups, religious or not, failed in their attempt to remove the children from the street. The children would come and go, but in the end, returned to the street. The book suggested that maybe their definition of success was off: maybe their goal shouldn’t be to remove the children from the street. The author wasn’t sure what was the answer, because about 90% of them died on the street…but he stirred up just enough dirt to be a good book.
I know the answer: God. I am still working on what that looks like. What my definition of success is supposed to be.
Because in the end, what I do doesn’t matter. Let me say it slow: what I do doesn’t matter. They are the only ones who can choose change for themselves. Who can choose to love. To make a difference in their own lives.
I can give them a new home, good ideas, a perfect education, food for a lifetime…but only they can choose to accept it. To make a different life.
The leaders from Massa Humana were a little discouraged last week. They are building a home for this woman, and she was having petty problems with someone else. Reminds me of that story where the king forgave a million dollars, and the forgiven couldn’t forgive $20. And it is hard. It makes you want to stop giving.
I was stolen from. One of my boys, whom I love, planned to rob me, found the right opportunity, and then took my money and phone. Afterwards, he gave me a big hug and looked in my eyes and said it wasn’t him—he would never do something like that to me. It cut me up. I am still raw inside.
I don’t want to buy another phone. I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to see him again, but I am afraid he will never come again because he feels he is past forgiving. And I want to forgive him. I do forgive him, but it is a choice, and it is a hard one.
Where I live you say hello to everyone you pass. Everyone. This took me awhile to learn because half the time when I am walking I am day dreaming and don’t even notice when people pass by. Then they think that I am rude. But it has paid off and now I wave or “Oi” or “Opah” or “Bom dia!” They wave back and think I am muito simpatico. I also recognize all the motoqueros (motorcycle taxi drivers) and have gotten plenty of free rides for my trouble. Being friendly is a good way of life.
I’ve gotten to know many of the kombe drivers as well. I like sitting up front, but still pump the ‘brake’ when we get centimeters from the next car (the engine is in the back). The kombe drivers like brega or traditional music most of the time. Music is much more than rhyme and words here. They love American music, but it is all lumped into the “love song” category since they don’t understand the words, and the rhythms are similar. Music is all about rhythm.
Brazilian rhythm meets white girl. I tell them my hips don’t work right. They laugh and try to teach me once again, to samba or forro. And soon they look at me and say “Ha-kel, your hips don’t work right.” But they have hope for me yet.
The kombe driver is talking. I look and see I am the only other one in the kombe. I guess he is talking to me. Clueless to what he has been saying, I smile and nod. He continues. “Brazil may be one of the few places on earth where it is possible to socialize by saying nothing more than “ah,” “e?” or simply nodding one’s head every so often.” –Tobias Hecht
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