New York, New York, New Jersey, and more New York..
This last month for me has been filled with "ministry" to friends and family, which really is living life with them...through the joyful, the celebrations, disappointments, and pain...
I am still gathering paperwork to apply for the new Visa, and spending lovely time in the presence of the Lord.
Next destination: Springfield, MO from June 1-July 22nd.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Visiting America
I am back in the United States after 6 months of traveling and ministering in different states in Brazil, Columbia, and even an area in Peru...
I send my love to friends and family in different churches and areas of Brazil as we await my return to you all!
Join me for a moment as I share some culture adjustments..
Sometimes when I am in public, I forget that I can have a two-way conversation with people, and we actually understand eachother.. During a walk through a nearby neighborhood, I found myself greeting people with "Oi"..they looked at me funny.. I thought they were funny for "wasting water" by spraying it on their really green front yard..
This is the 5th night that I have hopped under a comforter without having to spray myself down with bug spray-- wait a minute, I haven't needed a comforter in 6 months..
I have begun to think dish washers are overrated, and so are hott showers... Okay, maybe I really enjoyed the hott showers the first few nights..I think it's because I actually feel cold in the States...
In fact, since the evening I left the city of Sao Paulo, I didn't remove my jacket for the following 30 hours..
I drove a car yesterday for the first time in 6 months with the prewarning, "I have not operated a vehicle in a while, but tudo bem, we'll be just fine..." While my family member insisted on suggesting how to drive, I laughed and said, "Try being in Brazil traffic..people actually use blinkers here and they stay in their lanes!"
Oh, Brazil...you have left your impression.
I can't find cold Acai anywhere I search..
The mangoes just don't taste the same here..
And I still haven't decided if I should throw my toilet paper in the garbage can or the toilet...
All of this to say, what a pleasure to serve the Kingdom from the States and abroad. The adjustments we experience going from culture to culture are simply that...adjustments. It isn't about what we have and don't have..Here's the truth: We are blessed when we have learned to be poor in Spirit, and pure in heart; when we hunger and thirst for righteousness; are meek and merciful-- peacemakers, people who have learned to mourn, and persons who are persecuted and willing to embrace it..
I have spent time ministering in church buildings, traveled lengths to bring the Gospel to different groups of the Indigenous Ticuna tribe; spent nights and afternoon hours holding children in the dirt, and listening to life stories from women in prostitution..
I went with the mindset of teaching them, and I returned with the reality that the Holy Spirit was using them to teach me what it is to be blessed...
If you have stayed updated, I have been invited to work with Shores of Grace ministry long term as a full time missionary, and I have started to walk down this road...
We are located in the Northeastern part of Brazil in the state of Pernambuco. Our base is located on the outskirts of the city, Recife. Click here to see a map!
Why I am in the States this time?
I need to apply for a new Visa to return and stay longer in Brazil!
What will I do in the States?
I have asked the Holy Spirit to set my agenda while I am here. Other than waiting for a new Visa, plans so far look like this:
Visit friends and family in cities in NY, and in Springfield, MO.
"Itinerate"--raise prayer partners and funds to return to Brazil and remain.
Start my first album project in Springfield, MO.
Raise awareness about the organization I work with, and promote support for our work in Recife, Brasil.
Gather donations of items and work materials for the financially poor communities we work with.
If you would like to help with any of these things, or you simply want to chat, feel free to contact me through facebook or email! Click on the Contact tab.
I send my love to friends and family in different churches and areas of Brazil as we await my return to you all!
Join me for a moment as I share some culture adjustments..
Sometimes when I am in public, I forget that I can have a two-way conversation with people, and we actually understand eachother.. During a walk through a nearby neighborhood, I found myself greeting people with "Oi"..they looked at me funny.. I thought they were funny for "wasting water" by spraying it on their really green front yard..
This is the 5th night that I have hopped under a comforter without having to spray myself down with bug spray-- wait a minute, I haven't needed a comforter in 6 months..
I have begun to think dish washers are overrated, and so are hott showers... Okay, maybe I really enjoyed the hott showers the first few nights..I think it's because I actually feel cold in the States...
In fact, since the evening I left the city of Sao Paulo, I didn't remove my jacket for the following 30 hours..
I drove a car yesterday for the first time in 6 months with the prewarning, "I have not operated a vehicle in a while, but tudo bem, we'll be just fine..." While my family member insisted on suggesting how to drive, I laughed and said, "Try being in Brazil traffic..people actually use blinkers here and they stay in their lanes!"
Oh, Brazil...you have left your impression.
I can't find cold Acai anywhere I search..
The mangoes just don't taste the same here..
And I still haven't decided if I should throw my toilet paper in the garbage can or the toilet...
All of this to say, what a pleasure to serve the Kingdom from the States and abroad. The adjustments we experience going from culture to culture are simply that...adjustments. It isn't about what we have and don't have..Here's the truth: We are blessed when we have learned to be poor in Spirit, and pure in heart; when we hunger and thirst for righteousness; are meek and merciful-- peacemakers, people who have learned to mourn, and persons who are persecuted and willing to embrace it..
I have spent time ministering in church buildings, traveled lengths to bring the Gospel to different groups of the Indigenous Ticuna tribe; spent nights and afternoon hours holding children in the dirt, and listening to life stories from women in prostitution..
I went with the mindset of teaching them, and I returned with the reality that the Holy Spirit was using them to teach me what it is to be blessed...
If you have stayed updated, I have been invited to work with Shores of Grace ministry long term as a full time missionary, and I have started to walk down this road...
We are located in the Northeastern part of Brazil in the state of Pernambuco. Our base is located on the outskirts of the city, Recife. Click here to see a map!
Why I am in the States this time?
I need to apply for a new Visa to return and stay longer in Brazil!
What will I do in the States?
I have asked the Holy Spirit to set my agenda while I am here. Other than waiting for a new Visa, plans so far look like this:
Visit friends and family in cities in NY, and in Springfield, MO.
"Itinerate"--raise prayer partners and funds to return to Brazil and remain.
Start my first album project in Springfield, MO.
Raise awareness about the organization I work with, and promote support for our work in Recife, Brasil.
Gather donations of items and work materials for the financially poor communities we work with.
If you would like to help with any of these things, or you simply want to chat, feel free to contact me through facebook or email! Click on the Contact tab.
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