Joshua is 6 months old!

I can hardly believe it, but my baby is 6 months old already! He's such a happy little fellow! He's trying to sit, has two teeth trying to come in, is grabbing everything and is "talking" up a storm! He has recently discovered his tongue and makes the funniest faces. He also discovered that he can reach his feet AND put them in his mouth! Oh what joy!

Nayara

This is Nayara. She got saved last month. A couple of weeks ago, I started a Bible study with her. She is really excited about doing the studies! She's 24 years old and takes care of her elderly uncle and aunt. Because of this responsibility and that she suffers from depression, it is difficult for her to come to church. Please pray that Nayara will grow spiritually, gain victoy over her depression, and start attending church.

Joshua is 3 months old

It's hard to believe, but Joshua is 3 months old already!!! He loves to smile and is "talking" a lot. I'm constantly reminded what a precious gift God has given us! I'm so thankful for my cute little boy.

Youth Activity in Arcos

Friday night we had a youth activity at Weber and Nita's house. There wasn't a big turnout, but all three of the boys pictured were visitors. Praise the Lord, all three got saved that night! What a blessing! Thiago is 8 years old, Lucas is 11 years old, and Gustavo is 12 years old. Please pray that they will be able to come to church, for their spiritual growth, and that we would be able to reach their families. God is so good!

Thiago & Heather's Wedding

Last Saturday, June 12th, was Valentine's Day here in Brazil. It was also the day that Thiago and Heather got married. The wedding was beautiful (of course). It was extra special because it was the first time that all seven of the Nichols' kids were together in almost four years.

Joshua Samuel Has Arrived!

Joshua Samuel was born on Friday, May 28th at 5:30 am. He weighed in at 6 lbs 8 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. We came home from the hospital Saturday evening. We are having a blast with this little guy. We are so thankful to have a healthy baby...our precious miracle from God!

Happenings

Lately the men have had more opportunity to go out soul-winning. One day each week they visit in Arcos, another day in Corrego Fundo, and another day in Formiga. The last three weeks have been exciting. Every time the guys have gone visiting in Arcos, they have had at least one person get saved! Please pray that these individuals will get involved in church and grow spiritually. We are attempting to schedule Bible studies with each of them.

On a personal note, things have been rather busy as well. Weber and Nita's baby, Joy, is almost two months old. Thiago and Heather are finalizing plans and getting their home ready as they approach their wedding on June 12th. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Joshua Samuel. Only four weeks left until the due date! Charlie and Isabel announced that they are expecting another little one sometime around Christmas. Needless to say there is a lot going on!

Getting Closer to Meeting Joshua

I'm 33 weeks along in my pregnancy now. Overall, everything seems to be going pretty well. I did have a bit of concern this past Sunday. I started to spot...not much, just a little. To be on the safe side, I called my doctor. He jad me come in and examined me. I was dilated to 1 cm. I was also having contractions (probably just Braxton-Hicks) and didn't know it! He gave me medicine to stop the contractions, ordered some tests and an ultrasound, and put me on bedrest until my regularly scheduled appointment on Thursday.

My husband did a great job of taking care of me and insuring that I did nothing! I gave him a new name for his efforts - The Warden. :)

We went back to the doctor on Thursday. I had not dilated further and it appeared that the contractions had stopped. Everything looked normal with the baby. I am now released to do "light activity". Praise the Lord!

My due date is June 3rd. The doctor says I need to make it at least until May 13th. Murphy's law: Joshua will not arrive until after the due date!

What's in a name?

One of the big decisions that every prospective parent has to make is what to name this bundle of joy. I, for one, had started a list of names that I would like when I was 20 years old. My desire has always been that the first name was from the Bible. I had hoped it would make the decision process easier when the time to choose a name came along. My husband, on the other hand, had not really thought about this in advance. After all, we had been married for 11 years before I got pregnant with this little guy! Initially, he stalled, saying why talk about it until we know whether it's a girl or boy. At the end of January we found out it's a boy. Now the real dilema. Choosing a name for your firstborn son is a big deal. After all, it's the name he'll have for the rest of his life! My husband was reminding me of this every time I asked if he had decided on something or if he was even leaning toward something. We considered family names and Bible names and goofy names. After much deliberation, he finally settled on a name.

We are looking forward to meeting Joshua Samuel in 11 weeks. Tim liked the name Joshua and that from the Bible, he was a strong leader that served the Lord. For many years, I had thought if I ever got pregnant and it was a boy that it would only be appropriate to name him Samuel.

Sometimes It's Hard to Be Away From Home

I love living in Brazil. I know that this is where God wants us. I really haven't had any problems with culture shock. I still have a lot to learn about the language and culture. I haven't lived near my family for 15 years. I have grown accustomed to missing out on birthdays, holidays, the births of nieces/nephews, and family get-togethers. (Not saying that I like it!)

Today, Tim and I took some friends to the airport in Belo Horizonte, about 4 hours away. While we there, we ran a couple of errands, Tim treated me to TGIFridays for lunch, then we did some shopping. We found a few things that we needed at a good price. Then I got to have Burger King for supper. I had had my American food fix and would be good to go for quite a while! I was feeling rather spoiled!

We finally made it home about 11:15 pm, discovering that my parents were trying to get in touch with us. A couple minutes later the phone rang. My mom informed me that my sister's husband had died unexpectedly. Shock! My sister is 36 and has three kids (ages 7, 4, and almost 2). This is definitely one of those times that it is hard to be away from home and family. I want to be there for her and the kids, yet it is not possible for me to go there. All I can do is tell her that I'm praying for her and the kids. I know that the next few months will be very difficult for them. Just as she has to trust God to help her through this time, I have to remember that God has me here in Brazil and trust that He can and will take care of my sister and her children.

Drumroll please.......it's a BOY!

On Wednesday I had an ultrasound. We were able to find out that we are having a boy! We are so excited! It's still kind of hard to believe that we are finally going to have a baby, but it's becoming more and more real. The baby has been kicking and punching up a storm the last two weeks. It felt kind of weird at first, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It's a constant reminder of the gift that God has given us. Sorry, I don't have an updated ultrasound picture to post. Maybe next time!