Reaching Brazil

Oops! I forgot to blog!

2011-05-30T13:29:00.000-03:00

I just realized that I haven't posted anything on my blog for four months! Oops! Things are a little busier than usual for me since Joshua has become mobile. He's into everything! Saturday was his birthday. Joshua thoroughly enjoyed his cake and ice cream. I can't believe how fast his first year went!

In Arcos things have been kind of slow. We had a young girl coming for awhile. Even though there have been some people that have made a profession of faith, they haven't come to church. There always seems to be something (could it be Satan?) preventing them from doing Bible studies also. On June 18th there is scheduled a Gay Pride Rally and Parade, with people gathering from 89 different cities. We are canvassing the city with tracts "What does God Say about Homosexuality?". Please pray with us that the weather will be horrible and the event will be cancelled.

What's been going on

2011-01-21T21:54:00.002-02:00

We've been spending more time in Arcos lately. We've had some good visists and even a couple of visitors. Praise the Lord! We're getting ready to start an English class on Sunday evenings before the service. The Devil continues to fight. So many people are uncertain of eternity but not willing to trust the Bible over their religion. One lady that I visited this week said, "I was born a Catholic and I'll die a Catholic!". It was so sad! Every time we tried to show her that the Bible said one thing, she would respond that her brother (a priest) said something else. We keep trusting that God will bless and give us fruit for our labor. So, we'll just keep plugging along!

Joshua is 6 months old!

2010-12-01T10:28:00.006-02:00

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

2010-09-30T07:34:00.003-03:00

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

2010-08-30T16:08:00.004-03:00

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

2010-07-19T18:46:00.004-03:00

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

2010-06-18T18:25:00.005-03:00

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!

2010-06-01T08:50:00.002-03:00

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

2010-05-06T22:30:00.002-03:00

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

2010-04-16T19:34:00.003-03:00

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?

2010-03-19T17:42:00.003-03:00

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

2010-03-12T02:37:00.005-03:00

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!

2010-01-30T12:57:00.003-02:00

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!

Our First Glimpse of the Baby

2009-11-21T06:25:00.002-02:00

BIG NEWS!!!

2009-11-14T20:04:00.004-02:00

The most exciting thing in our lives right now is that last month we found out that I am pregnant! After 11 years of marriage, a miscarriage three years ago, and many closed doors to our attempts to adopt, I really didn't think that we would ever have any children. Imagine my surprise when I took the pregnancy test and it was positive! As excited as I was, it was a reserved excitement. After all, last time things didn't work out. I knew that that was a real possibility again. I've been overly precautious to do nothing strenuous, get plenty of rest, and follow the doctor's orders. Yesterday, I went to the doctor. The examination went well and we heard a heartbeat!!! Praise the Lord!!! (Last time, the first doctor appointment was when we found out that the baby was no longer alice.) I was so relieved! I will have an ultrasound on Thursday. I can't wait! My due date is my birthday, June 3rd. I will be 38!

Catching Up

2009-11-14T19:58:00.002-02:00

One of the reasons that it has been so long since I last posted is that things have been extra busy. We were unexpectedly able to go back to the States for a month. What a blessing it was to see friends and family! It was also very refreshing! I really enjoyed the church services...no straining to keep up with Portuguese! While we were in Madison, we were able to attend the Revival meetings with Bro. Freeman. Great!

Now we are back in Brazil and things have changed a little. Bro. Bob Nichols Sr. and his family have returned from furlough. They took care of the work in Corrego Fundo while we were in the States. They will continue to work out there for now. We have begun working with Weber and Nita over in Arcos. We are excited about this opportunity.

Decorating the Church in Corrego Fundo

2009-08-27T09:07:00.003-03:00

The building we rented is small. It is one big room with a bathroom in the corner. Those of you that know me, know that decorating is not really my thing. I didn't do a lot. I put some pictures on the wall, made a tablecloth for the table and made curtains to divide the room. The curtains and the pictures also help absorb some of the echo that results from having high ceilings! Here are a few pictures of the improvements.

Summer Favorites

2009-08-07T07:29:00.002-03:00

Here's my summer favorites:

1. Swimming - don't get to do it much, but enjoy it when I can
2. Grilling out - nothing tastes better than grilled meat...any kind
3. Blue skies - I just love them!
4. VBS - my favorite event back home
5. Michigan sweet corn - when I get the chance to have some, it's the best in the world!

Who to tag? I don't know! If you read this and haven't already been tagged by someone, consider yourself tagged! (Can I do that?)

Exciting Days

2009-07-23T19:51:00.002-03:00

The last couple of days have been very exciting for us. Last month we rented a building and started holding services in Corrego Fundo, a small town just south of Formiga. We had a couple of visitors for the first few services, but nobody coming regularly. Tim has been going out with Bruno to make visits 2-3 times a week. Yesterday, they were able to lead a 78 year old woman to the Lord. This morning they led her 72 year old brother to the Lord. This afternoon they led another man to the Lord. Praise the Lord! Also, this afternoon Lili and I were able to witness to a lady and her teenage daughter. They are very interested, but a little confused. Please pray that God will continue to bless as we try to reach the people of Corrego Fundo.

Our New Puppy, Inka

2009-07-20T13:54:00.007-03:00

On Friday we went to pick up our new puppy. Her name is Inka. She is too cute. In typical puppy fashion, she is into everything! She thinks she owns the place already! She is a lot of fun to play with and has quite a personality! She seems pretty smart. She loves her tennis ball. She doesn't like it when we walk away from her, but she doesn't whine very long. She thinks she should be able to go wherever we go. Hopefully, she'll become a great guard dog.

Starting a Church in Corrego Fundo

2009-07-09T17:34:00.008-03:00

For almost two years there has been a Friday night Bible Study in Corrego Fundo. The time has come to start a church there. Last month, Tim rented a building. We are holding services on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. There is only one lady with her two sons that come regularly, but we are hoping that having a building to meet in will encourage others to come. On June 26th, we held an inauguration service (while the group from Capitol City was here) and had a few visitors. The first Sunday night, the owner of a nearby bar came. Last night we had another visitor. Praise the Lord! Bruno is the preacher. He has a lot of great ideas. Tim and I are helping him. We are excited about this work. Please pray that God will bless, that souls will be saved, and people will come to the church. Corrego Fundo is not a large town, but there are plenty of churches preaching a false gospel there.

Before

After (during the inauguration service)

Capitol City Youth Group Pays Us a Visit

2009-07-06T18:34:00.008-03:00

On Wednesday, June 24th, a group of 15 arrived for a 10-day visit. Bro. Ben Thompson, his wife, and the six girls stayed with Charlie and Isabel, while the seven guys stayed with us. We had a great time! It was such a blessing to have them here! Of course, we kept them very busy! :)P

Wednesday, they arrived with plenty of time to get ready for the church service in Formiga. Thursday, we took them to see the work in Boticao (Pastor Anderson), passed out tracts in Arcos, and attended the service in Arcos that night. Friday, they visited the police station (courtesy of Bro. Carlinhos), passed out tracts in Corrego Fundo, and attended the service there that night. Saturday, we took them into town for some shopping, had lunch at Dona Naterca's, and had the youth activity that went from 3:30 to around 9:00. (Tired yet?) Sunday, of course, there was church in the morning, lunch for the girls at Dona Simone's and for the guys at my house, and church at night. Monday morning they left for Catatuiba. They returned in time for the service on Wednesday night. Thursday was a fun day, relaxing, playing, and after supper, out for ice cream. Friday, it was time to pack them up and take them to the airport. We hated to say goodbye.

Though it was a busy time, it was also a lot of fun. New friendships were made. Hopefully, it was a trip that burdened their hearts for the lost and the need that exists around the world! There are so many cities in Brazil that have churches that teach a lie, but no one to tell them the truth.

Our door is always open, so come on down!

Valentine's Banquet

2009-06-19T17:12:00.004-03:00

In Brazil, Valentine's Day is celebrated in June. (My husband really likes this because his birthday is Feb. 14th. He feel like he gets a real birthday like everyone else - no pink or red stuff, nothing in the shape of a heart, etc.) Last Saturday, we had our banquet. This year's Valentine's Banquet seemed to go really well. We started off with salad and bread, followed by chicken stroganoff, rice, carrots, and broccoli. For dessert, we had chocolate cake with chocolate and strawberry syrup on top and some whipped cream. It was all very yummy! The young ladies did the decorating and the cooking. The young men served the food. Pastor Weber preached a great message. Charlie and Isabel did a little skit for us. It was hilarious! Everyone had a good time.

My Visit to Boticao

2009-06-19T16:32:00.004-03:00

On Tuesday, June 9th, I went to Boticao with Dona Vera to visit her son, Anderson, and his family. We had such a good time! Anderson is the pastor of the church in Boticao. He currently has about 30 people that come to the services. You may think this is just a few, but there are less than 100 people that live in the town of Boticao! They are currently building a building to hold services in. Praise the Lord, they have plenty of space to grow. Anderson and Marianne had their first baby in April. Little Alexandre is such a cutie! He smiles easily and often. He is the only grandchild on both sides! He would definitely be spoiled if he lived near either set of grandparents!

While we were there, we went to the nearby town of Aguanil to visit Lucimar. Her husband was killed in a car accident in December. At the time, they had six children and Lucimar was eight months pregnant! The husband left behind a lot of debt. Needless to say, these last six months have been a time of trial, but also of blessing. God has provided marvelously for Lucimar and her children (ages 5 months to 12 years)! The mayor of Aguanil gave Lucimar a house to live in. Churches in the area have sent money, clothes, furniture, and food. It truly has been amazing to see God provide for this family!

Dona Vera with Alexandre

Alexandre

The church in Boticao

Baptismal Service May 17, 2009

2009-05-21T10:47:00.007-03:00

Last Sunday, we had a baptismal service. (Since we don't have a baptistry at the church, we only baptize 2-3 times a year.) There were seven people that needed to be baptized. It was a pleasant sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70s. However, the water was very cold! Praise the Lord, everything went well. It was such a blessing to watch them follow the Lord in believer's baptism!

Cristiane

Nathalia

Maira

Joao Paulo

Mike

Felipe

Naomi

BUNCO!!!

2009-05-02T12:03:00.002-03:00

There's a group of ladies from my home church, Madison Baptist, that get together once a month to play Bunco. I never had the opportunity to play. Last night, it was at Myra Limbaugh's house. I got to play via Skype. Woohoo! It was a lot of fun and very interesting too! We had to do a little adjusting to make it work, but I was able to play. It was so much fun to interact with some folks from home! Thank you ladies for including me!

"One Vision Only"

2009-04-23T21:17:00.005-03:00

I just finished reading the biography of Isobel Kuhn, "One Vision Only" by Carolyn Canfield. Isobel was a missionary (approximately 1930-1960) in China for many years and Thailand for a few years after that. Her motto for every aspect of life was "God First". That is exactly how she lived her life. With her husband, John, they accomplished great things for God, sacrificing time with each other and with their children. It was amazing to read about how God used her and met her needs. Unlike many missionary biographies, it does not romanticize the mission field. It tells of the hardships that are sometimes endured by serving God. Likewise, it shows that there is no better way to live than serving God. Neither does it make Isobel appear to be perfect...she wasn't, neither are we. It's encouraging to read about people that serve God in spite of their failings. How God can bless when we humble ourselves before Him, confess our sins, and trust Him to do the work!

Couples Retreat

2009-04-23T09:36:00.007-03:00

On Tuesday, we had a couples activity. Originally, it was supposed to be an overnight retreat, but that didn't work out. God knows what is best! Having a day activity instead, worked out so much better, with a lot more participation. We had a lot of fun. We played games, watched "Fireproof", ate some good food, and had a couple of great messages on marriage. One of the games we played was especially fun. Charlie would ask Bible questions. The guy that got it right had to pop a balloon and do whatever the paper inside said - tell what attracted you to your wife, what has made your marriage a success, look into each other's eyes for 30 seconds, give a long kiss, whisper sweet things in her ear, etc. A good time was had by all. Not only was it a blessing, but it was a great opportunity for each couple to do a reset on something in their marriage.

Visiting the Public Schools

2009-04-15T16:06:00.005-03:00

Steve has been visiting us from Louisiana for the last week and a half. When he contacted us about visiting, he asked if we could arrange some visits to the local schools so that he could present the Gospel. I talked with my friend Enio (an English teacher) and he made all of the arrangements. On Monday, we visited three schools in town. The Gospel was presented to about 150 students. On Tuesday, we visited another three schools. Two of them were rural schools and the other was in town. Another 150 students heard the Gospel. On Wednesday, we visited two more schools. One in the country and one in town. About 120 students heard the Gospel. Though I cannot say with certainty how many were saved, I can say that they heard a clear presentation of the Gospel and that many showed intetrest. God is so good!

While at the school in Fazenda Velha, we met an assitant to the Secretary of Education in Formiga. She was very interested and impressed with what we were doing. She has asked us to come by the office to discuss visiting other schools in our area. God is opening a door for us. We cannot begin to imagine what will be accomplished as a result! Please pray that God will give us wisdom to know what we are capable of doing and to know His will in this matter!

Seven Blessings

2009-03-30T19:10:00.002-03:00

1. An awesome home church and incredible pastor - being away from Madison Baptist Church and Pastor Allison's preaching makes me even more thankful for it! Thankfully, I can get the CD's.

2. A Godly husband - Tim has a lot of insight and wisdom. I love his preaching. He's doing such a great job preaching in Portuguese!

3. Mrs. Allison - the best pastor's wife and friend a person could ever want! I miss her so much! Thankfully, I can (and do) talk to her on a regular basis!

4. Charlie and Isabel Nichols - they help us out with a lot of stuff here.

5. Joao Paulo - he got saved in February. I've never seen someone so excited about being saved! He is an absolute joy to have around!

6. Support - despite the troubles in the US economy, our suppport has stayed stable. God continues to provide all that we need.

7. Church services, especially when I can understand them! I generally catch the topic or theme of the message. It's difficult to keep up throughout the entire message, though.

Campaign

2009-03-30T16:14:00.002-03:00

During the month of March we had a campaign at church. The people were divided into two teams. You earned points by attending (100), bringing your Bible (50), and bringing visitors (400). The campaign ended with a five-day revival (this past Wed.-Sun.). Though my team did not win, we had a great month! There were many visitors that came, two of which got saved! One of my visitors, Valter, also brought visitors. How crazy is that! I don't think I have ever heard of or seen a visitor bring visitors! It was so awesome. When I talked to Valter today, he said that he was bringing more visitors this Wednesday night! All I can say is wow! Please pray that Valter and the other visitors will be saved!

White Sauce

2009-03-17T19:11:00.002-03:00

The recipe for white sauce is:

2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in a pan on low heat. Add flour. Mix together well. (I use a fork or whisk) Stir in milk, a little at a time while stirring to get rid of lumps. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat when it starts to thicken.

Now isn't that simple? The white sauce is the base for gravy, creamy sauces, and cream soups. It adds a little flair to vegetables or meat. You can add any seasoning you want. I like to add chicken boullion, onions, and sometimes mushrooms. Experiment and enjoy!

My First Brazilian Funeral

2009-03-10T18:40:00.003-03:00

Yesterday, Dona Ana went to be with the Lord. She was 89 years old. She had been bedridden for a long time. It was a very sad day for our church, because she will be greatly missed. She was a great prayer warrior and a blessing to many. It was a happy day because she no longer suffers and is in the presence of the Lord that she loved so dearly. Though I don't know much about her testimony, I can share a few things. Dona Ana spent the majority of her life as a devout Catholic. She was saved at the age of 77. Without anyone telling her to, she promptly took all of her Catholic icons/idols outside, broke them, and burned them! (Sounds like a story right out of the Old Testament!) She was faithful to church as long as her body allowed. Every month she would learn and recite 10 verses from Proverbs. She prayed for those she knew daily. My only regret is that I didn't get to know her better (language barrier).

Funerals in Brazil are very different from those in America. They do not embalm the bodies. This means that they have to bury them quickly, usually within 24 hours. For example, Dona Ana died around 11:30am. The body was delivered to the church between 2 and 3pm. The service was at 4:30pm and she was taken to the cemetery at 5:30pm. Whew! Talk about being quick! I think it's the only thing in Brazil that happens fast! The casket was a simple wooden box. The cemetery was a little different also. There were holes dug and lined with cinder block. Each hole can hold up to three caskets (stacked). Cement slabs are placed on top of the hole and covered with 3-6 inches of dirt. There is no meal after the funeral. Food is not prepared by others and delivered to the family. A Catholic funeral has a lot more wailing and praying for the soul of the person that died, I've been told.

First English Class

2009-03-07T13:31:00.004-03:00

Today, we taught our first English class at the church. We had 12 students, one of which was not from our church. As others hear about the class, we expect our class to grow tremendously! The class went well. The students seemed to enjoy it. We covered the alphabet/phonics, practiced an introductions dialogue, and taught them a verse and song. Some students have very good pronounciation while others have a heavy accent. We are excited to see how the class goes and what God does with it!

New Adventure

2009-03-05T07:18:00.002-03:00

For the last couple of weeks, Tim has been throwing around the possibility of starting English classes as an outreach opportunity. He didn't say much, just a comment here and there. Last night, just before the service, he decided to start on Saturday! Aaaaahhhhh!!!! Wow! We have a lot to do today and tomorrow to prepare. A number of people from church showed interest plus word of mouth. I have no idea how many will show up Saturday morning. I'm sure that we will have to divide the class into different levels. We will be requiring the students to attend a minimum of one church service per week in order to attend the class. The minimum age is 13. The difficult part will be getting started. Most Brazilians under 30 have had an introduction to English - some good, some bad. One lady from church teaches English in the public school. She can read it some, but can't speak it hardly at all! Anyway, pray for us as we prepare to teach. We want to use this time to present the Gospel as well as to teach English. I'll let you know on Saturday how everything went!

Camp vs Carnaval

2009-02-25T13:52:00.004-03:00

Every year Brazil celebrates Carnaval (same as Mardi Gras). It is the most wicked time of the year and is celebrated throughout the entire country. The largest celebrations are held in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It's basically a 5-day party where anything goes. The most unimaginable things happen during Carnaval. The Catholic priests even encourage people to be "safe" and pass out condoms.

That being said, the Nichols run a camp during Carnaval each year. It is such a blessing for the people to be able to get away from the city and the events of Carnaval. Other churches also come. This year, we had the biggest turnout ever - about 125! The preaching was good, the food was good, the weather was good, and everyone had a great time!

About Formiga

2009-02-18T12:35:00.003-03:00

I know the map is a little hard to read, sorry! Formiga is located in the state of Minas Gerais. It is southwest of the state capital, Belo Horizonte. Formiga has approximately 80,000 residents. It is a quiet and calm city. It has all of the basic necessities and many modern conveniences. It does not have any American stores or restaurants. The downtown area is located at the base of several hills that surround it. The city is aptly named...formiga means ant. There are all kinds of ants here! You cannot get rid of them! Sugar cane is one of the primary crops in the area. The people are friendly. Most people are Catholic. Those that aren't tend to be charismatic. They are willing to hear the Gospel, but hesitant to receive it.

Trip to Belo Horizonte...What a Treat!

2009-02-18T11:27:00.005-03:00

Yesterday we went to Belo Horizonte with Charlie and his family. We needed to get some paperwork for our visas done and Charlie needed to buy some chairs for the services out in Corrego Fundo. It was a fun day and a profitable one as well. We were able to go to TGI Friday's for lunch. Wow! Everything was so good! We also went to a store called Carrefour. It was a lot like Wal-Mart. I found M&Ms, Twix, and my favorite, Snickers! It was like Christmas or winning the jackpot! It was a nice day, full of treats!

Oh! The things we can live without, but sure are nice to have!

2009-02-13T15:47:00.004-02:00

I think we, as Americans, take so much for granted! I understand that when you are used to having certain things, you may not even realize how fortunate and blessed you are!

At the beginning of our deputation, someone offered us their camper to live out of. That way we wouldn't have to pay rent. As we moved from our mobile home into the camper, I discovered that there were alot of things I could live without. It was an adjustment, but we were gone a lot too. So, not too bad! After all, it was just temporary.

Now that we are in Brazil, there are a lot of little things that I don't have here. Nothing major really, just some things that, as an American, I was accustomed to having. You know, things like hot water, a bathtub, a dryer, a large selection of cheese, seasonings, and anything else I cared to buy. Now before you get too concerned about the hot water, the showers have an electric water heater on them. As for washing dishes, I just heat up some water on the stove and go. The lack of a dryer is not an issue unless it rains nonstop for more than a week. Hanging clothes on the line works just fine. I'm just glad I don't have to wash them by hand! :) A tub would be nice, but a plastic stool in the shower gives you almost the same affect!

For my husband's birthday, we went away to a place out in the country. They have pretty nice rooms. We of course got one with a jacuzzi. Oh the joys! It was so nice to sit and relax in a tub! Now, if I had one at home, that would not have been such a treat! I'm beginning to think that I'm not going to know how to act when I go back to America!

25 Things About Me

2009-01-29T14:56:00.003-02:00

Ok, I'm going to give this a try. Enjoy!

1. I am the oldest of 6 - 4 girls, 2 boys.
2. I got saved when I was 19 years old in Augsburg, Germany.
3. I have been married for 10 years.
4. I was in the Army for 4 years.
5. I taught at MBA for 5 years plus a lot of substituting.
6. I have a Master's Degree in Education Administration.
7. I love to cook...and eat. :)
8. I like to travel.
9. I grew up in Rockford, Michigan.
10. I like to watch NCIS.
11. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a temper.
12. My favorite time in my marriage was our trip out west.
13. I have the cutest and smartest nieces and nephews!
14. My first pastor was Rick Kelley, now a missionary in Guam.
15. I like to keep things simple.
16. My favorite food is lasagna.
17. My favorite restaurant is Cracker Barrel.
18. I enjoyed our time working with the youth of MBC.
19. I love going to camp.
20. My favorite age group to teach is junior high.
21. I like to play board games.
22. I enjoy listening to music.
23. I like to look for short-cuts, within reason of course!
24. I know how to sew simple things, and would like to someday finish a quilt!
25. Last, but not least, I am privileged to serve God in Brazil.

Walking by Faith

2009-01-14T12:55:00.002-02:00

Since I finished reading the biography of C.T. Studd, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of walking by faith. Truly, it has always seemed an insurmountable task that results in frustration
and disappointment. Only those heroes of the faith have successfully attained it. Then it dawned on me. Maybe it isn't such a huge mountain to climb after all. Could it be that it is really simple? Maybe walking by faith is merely taking God at His word and trusting Him every day. You know, living life according to the Bible with God's help. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone else. All of a sudden, walking by faith looks a lot easier to me.

Biography of C.T. Studd

2009-01-07T22:08:00.004-02:00

I just finished reading "C.T. Studd: Cricketeer and Pioneer" by Norman Grubb. I first heard of C.T. Studd when I was teachng history at Madison Baptist Academy (MBA). I was interested but way too busy to find out more at the time. The book was really good. C.T. Studd was a man of faith that accomplished great things for God. For those of you that have not read about C.T. Studd, I will not summarize the book or give away the story. Here are some things that were an encouragement or a good reminder for me:

If you want to be a successful Christian, then you have to be completely surrendered and sold out to God. You have to be willing to give anything, go anywhere, and do anything.

You have to live by faith.

You have to walk with God.

While this seems obvious, how many of us can honestly say that we do or will do those things listed above? We all like to think so. Does our walk match our talk or thoughts? I know that I definitely have some areas to work on. Read about C.T. Studd. He was a great missionary and an example to be followed!

2008 in Review

2009-01-01T15:18:00.004-02:00

2008 was an interesting year for us. It was our first year in Brazil. We have been learning Portuguese, and continue to do so. God gave us a great house to rent. My sister, Elizabeth, gave birth to Quinn in January. My dad's mom passed away at the age of 95 at the end of January. Then God provided the money to buy a car. Woohoo! In April, my nephew, Jack (Melissa's) arrived. Our container finally arrived at our house at the end of April. It was so much fun to officially set up house! It was like Christmas, as we rediscovered what we had. We had a couple of visitors from Alabama in May. Tim started preaching short messages in Portuguese in August. We also had the privilege of visiting a couple of public schools and presenting the Gospel during August. We had more visitors at the end of September, when Nita had her baby. We started the adoption process in September. Now we are just waiting for God to give us the child(ren) that He wants us to have. I organized the food for the International Banquet during Mission Conference in November. We visited Leandro's family in Araras in December. We ended the year with Christmas parties and a watch night service. It has been a good year and we have much to be thankful for. Can't wait to see what 2009 brings! Happy New Year! Feliz Novo Ano!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T13:20:00.007-02:00

We had a nice Christmas Eve service. The youth put on a short program. Everyone looked sharp.

On Christmas Day, we went over to Charlie and Isabel's. We had an awesome meal and played a lot of Clue! We also watched a movie with the girls - The Christmas Card. We ended the night with a game of Monopoly...Charlie won!

On Friday night, we had the youth Christmas party at our house. They seemed to have a lot of fun eating and playing board games. It was a lot of fun to teach them how to play the gift exchange, where you have the opportunity to take somone else's present. Some of them were too nice, but they got the hang of it!

On Saturday night, we had the adult Christmas party at our house. We taught them how to play Pictionary. That was a riot! We had a lot of fun. They also learned how to play the gift exchange game. They weren't as worried about being nice. It was hilarious to see which presents were taken by other people!

All in all, it was a great Christmas! Fun was had by all!

Trip to Araras

2008-12-22T12:23:00.006-02:00

Last week we had the opportunity to travel to Araras. We visited Leandro, Bruna, and their new baby, Kevin. Leandro is currently taking care of a work for an American missionary that is on furlough. Tim was able to preach and Charlie translated. The services went well. It was a blessing to see the work there and to see how well Leandro was doing with it.

Please pray for Leandro and his family. Their son, Kevin has had a rough time of it. When Bruna had her first ultrasound, the doctor noticed an abnormality. It was discovered that he had an opening in his stomach and some intestines were outside of the body. They monitered the pregnancy and scheduled a C-section. When Kevin was born on Nov. 6th, it was determined that he would not need surgery. The opening was small and the doctor was able to put the intestines back in and stitch up the opening. Because his iron was low, they gave him a blood transfusion. This resulted in Kevin getting a staff infection. The staff infection caused him to go into cardiac arrest. The medical staff worked for 40 minutes to resuscitate him. As a result there appears to be some brain damage and he has started having seizures. Only time will tell how extensive the brain damage is. He is on medication for the seizures. God is the Great Physician and can take care of all of these problems or choose to use them for good. Please pray that God would heal Kevin and give wisdom to the doctors and parents.

Christmas Tea

2008-12-13T22:28:00.011-02:00

Every year there is a Christmas Tea at the church here in Formiga. We had a really good turnout this year! I'm not sure what the exact count was, but I'm pretty sure there was around 80 people there tonight. There were a lot of visitors, many of which were lost. Isabel gave the devotion. She spoke about the birth of Christ and His gift of salvation. I don't think anyone got saved, but at least they heard the Gospel. The food was great and the fellowship was fun. Here are a couple of pictures.

Doctor Visit for My Finger

2008-12-10T17:47:00.002-02:00

Let me start off with praise the Lord everything went faster with this doctor visit and I got a good report! The doctor removed the splint and said to start physical therapy. My little finger is still discolored, fat, and stiff (it's really quite ugly)! Any attempt to bend it is quite painful! The doctor said that this is normal. So, tomorrow I start physical therapy on it and hopefully it will get back to normal quickly! At least I no longer have to bag my hand for showers! Woohoo!

Missions Conference

2008-12-01T12:47:00.002-02:00

We had Missions Conference here from Wednesday to Sunday. Tim preached every night except Friday. Weber preached Friday night. It was exciting to see the people faithfully attend each service. On Sunday night, they took up and counted the Faith Promise. It was slightly higher than last year's. Praise the Lord!!! We also had some visitors on Sunday night. One of them indicated that they knew that they were lost. She did not get saved last night. Hopefully, she will be saved soon. On Saturday night we had an International Banquet. I somehow ended up in charge of the planning and cooking for this event. Thankfully, a few of the ladies came to help me cook. Our menu consisted of: pasta, cabbage rolls, swedish meatballs, kugilis, potato salad, carrots, salad, banana bread, pao de queijo, chocolate pudding, chocolate cake, white cake, and chocolate chip cookies. Everything turned out well. The people seemed to enjoy it too! (always a good thing!) It was a lot of fun!

Our First Thanksgiving in Brazil

2008-11-28T13:14:00.003-02:00

Our first Thanksgiving in Brazil was quite enjoyable! We had an almost traditional meal. Isabel was able to find a turkey! Woohoo!!! The biggest one they had was 8.5 pounds, so we didn't have a lot of leftovers. I think it was the best turkey that I have ever eaten! Isabel and Nita arrived at my house between 6:30 and 7:00am and we started cooking. The green bean casserole was slightly varied. I had to make cream of mushroom soup (bring back memories Jill?) from scratch. Since you can't get french fried onions here, I added diced onions to the mix and put shoestring potatoes on top. It turned out pretty good! Isabel made mashed potatoes and gravy. I made a broccoli casserole and we had some rolls. Nita made an apple pie. The pumpkin pie was a little different. They don't have evaporated milk here, so I substituted creme de leite. It tasted the same but the texture was different. Instead of being kind of thick and heavy, it was light and fluffy! No complaints here! It was fun to spend Thanksgiving with the Nichols crew.

Class #5-6

2008-11-26T16:58:00.003-02:00

Things are going well. We talked about ministries and relationships. One of the main aspects of both of these is to remember that everyone is different, has different opinions, and different abilities. As long as everything lines up with the Bible, it's not a problem. We need to accept people as they are and help them become what God wants them to be. Just as a sidenote - this does not mean that it is your job to go around correcting people. That comes with position or having been asked for the help. You can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped. Use the Bible as your basis for everything in life. It will never steer yoiu wrong.

For me, a lot of these things have become common sense. I must remember that I have been spoiled by Pastor Allison's preaching and Mrs. Allison's advice. Not that I know everything...who does? The girls seemed pretty interested and had plenty of questions. Some of their questions were easy to answer, some were more challenging. Either way, the class has been a lot of fun and a good reminder for me about some things. I think that that is the best part of teaching. It forces you to remember things that you may have forgotten or help you with things that you need to work on.

A Busy Week!

2008-11-24T13:47:00.002-02:00

This week will be extremely busy. We have Missions Conference, Wednesday through Sunday. Tim and Weber are preaching it. Of course, Thanksgiving is on Thursday. On Saturday, we are having an International Banquet. I am in charge of the cooking and will be assisted by some of the ladies from church. I am looking forward to all of it. It will be a busy week and a fun one! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

What a day!

2008-11-19T17:46:00.005-02:00

On Saturday, we were scheduled to have the youth activity at our house from 4-6pm. The day started with my normal schedule of getting up at 6:30 and heading off to the feira (open air market). After the feira, I go to the grocery store, then to the butcher. When I arrived at the grocery store, I discovered that it was closed because it was a holiday. Bummer! So, I continued on to the butcher's, hoping he would be open. Thankfully, he was. I now had enough food to get us through the weekend! Whew!!! When I got home, I started cleaning the house to get ready for the activity. As 4:00 approached, I was getting a little worried that I would not finish in time. At 3:00, I still had to clean the carport and take a shower. I started in on the carport. In case you don't know, all of the floors are tile. I was in a hurry and probably not being as careful as I should have been. As I bent over to pick up the hose and move it, I slipped and fell, landing on my rear. Initially I thought no problem. However, as I regained my bearing, I realized my right pinkie finger was bent to the side. Not good. Tim came to check it out as a surge of pain hit. I carefully moved the finger back to its rightful position and promptly iced it. Tim took over finishing the carport as I prepared to go to the hospital. After waiting an hour and a half, the doctor looked at my finger and said that I needed x-rays but would have to wait until Monday. (Remember, it's a holiday.) So they put a splint on the finger and sent me on my way.

Monday morning, I go to the place for x-rays, only to be told to come back at 1pm. When I return, there is a long line. Three and a half hours later, I finally get my finger x-rayed. Now, it's back to the hospital. After an hour wait, the doctor says the finger is broken, anf to come back to see the orthopedic doctor. We go to make the appointment and are told to come back Wednesday morning at 7am.

Wednesday morning, I show up promptly at the hospital. What do I see? Oh! It's another long line! I waited for three and a half hours before being seen. The doctor agreed it was broken but it did not need a cast. He put a new splint on it and said to come back in three weeks. Oh the joys!!!

Class #4 - Your Children

2008-11-13T22:33:00.002-02:00

So, we've talked about having a right attitude, walking with God, and husbands. Tonight we talked about raising children. Some of you may think, but...you have none! This is true. My husband says that it means we have no bias! It does make it difficult to teach on because I must rely totally on the experiences of others and personal observation. Thankfully, the Bible says a lot about raising kids, especially disciplining them! It was an interesting class. Raising children is a tremendous responsibility and opportunity. Train your kids t0 serve God in whatever capacity He desires. Prepare them for life. Be consistent. Communicate with your child(ren). Know what is going on with them. Expect the unexpected! Enjoy your children. You only have them for a short time before they go off on their own. Love your children.

As Americans, we take many things for granted. We have every tool and resource imaginable to help us raise our kids. It's not like that everywhere. Here in Brazil, homeschooling is not an option for most people. You would have to have a teaching degree and an administration degree. The private schools are either Catholic or charismatic. Who knows what kind of junk you would learn there. The public schools have a strong Catholic influence and introduce sex education right from the start in kindergarten! Crazy! If our kids get in trouble, there are programs and girls/boys homes we can send them to for help. We have books by Godly people to give us tips. Most importantly, we have the Bible!

Class #3 - Your Husband

2008-11-12T09:15:00.002-02:00

Wow! Can you ever learn too much about your responsibilities as a wife to your husband? My students consist of three single girls. Talk about getting them excited! They talked more last night than the previous two classes combined! They had lots of questions, some of which made me laugh, and some of which made me roll my eyes? (For example: If there is something that I want, can I ask for it? or What if my dad wants me to marry a guy that I don't like, do I have to?) It also caused me to think, is there eally no such thing as a dumb question? :) Needless to say, it was an interesting class. I can't help but think, did I think that way about marriage when I was single? Anyway...we talked about a lot of things. We covered topics such as: praying for him, loving him, supporting him, encouraging him, helping him, and the all-time favorite, submitting to him. In a nutshell, being a wife is a grave responsibility but can be a lot of fun too! The Bible has a lot to say about marriage. There are three main passages of Scripture that talk about the duties or responsibilities of the wife. They are: Proverbs 31:10-31, Ephesians 5:22-33, and Titus 2:3-5. Learning as much as you can before you are married is a big help. However, there are some things that can't be learned until you are married. There are some things that you have to learn and re-learn. Marriage is work. The more you put into it the better it will be. Prepare and be prepared for whatever may come your way. The key? Walk with God and have a right attitude. Kind of funny how everything works together!

Recipe for Bagels

2008-11-09T20:47:00.003-02:00

Combine:
1 cup scalded milk
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

When this mixtures is 105-115 degrees Farenheit (hot to the touch, but not burning), add and dissolve for 3 minutes (take off of the stove so you don't kill the yeast)
1 pkg active dry yeast

Blend in
1 to 2 eggs
3 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

Knead this soft dough about 10 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make it firm enough to handle. Let rise, covered, in a greased bowl until doubled in bulk. Punch down and roll out to a rectangular shape. Divide into 18 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope about 7 inches long and tapered and overlapping at the ends, to form it into a doughnut-shaped ring. Let rise, covered, on a floured board about 15 minutes. Drop rings, one at a time, into a solution of
2 quarts almost boiling water
1 Tbsp sugar

As the bagels surface, turn them over and cook about 3 minutes longer. Skim out and place on an ungreased baking sheet. coat with beaten egg white

Bake in a preheated 400 degrees Farenheit oven 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

Making Bagels

2008-11-09T14:57:00.003-02:00

One of the foods that I have been missing since coming to Brazil is bagels. Now some of you may think that's crazy...oh well! So about a month or so ago, I saw Philadelphia cream cheese at the grocery store and thought, "Wow! I would really love to have some bagels!". So, I asked Isabel if I could buy them anywhere. She said no. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Then I thought that maybe I could try making them. None of my cookbooks had a recipe. That meant I was going to have to look on the Internet. However, before I got around to doing that, I was telling Mrs. Allison about my desire to eat bagels. She looked in one of her cookbooks, found a recipe, and e-mailed it to me. Today, I finally attempted to make the bagels. I say attempted, because I messed them up. They are still edible, just not true bagels. The problem was that I don't have much experience working with yeast. I let the liquid mixture get too hot and killed the yeast. Note for the future - don't add yeast to a boiling or almost boiling mixture! The good news is I have learned my lesson. Hopefully, the next time they'll turn out perfect!

Second Night of Class

2008-11-06T22:47:00.002-02:00

Tonight was my second night of class. It went even better than the first. I think I'm getting back into the groove of teaching! :) Tonight we talked about having a walk with God. You can't have a successful walk with God if you aren't reading/studying your Bible, praying, staying right with Him, and being filled with the Holy Spirit. That last one is the tricky one to me. It's not something YOU do. It's something that God does in you. Without the first three things, though, number four is not possible. I'll be the first to admit that I have a lot of work to do on my walk with God. I don't think you ever perfect it, just get closer and closer to Him. There are many Godly Christians of the past (you may know of some present) that obviously walked with God. It is the only way to explain the great things that they accomplished for Him. So...how's your walk with God?

First Night of Class

2008-11-05T02:56:00.002-02:00

The first night of class went well. I went into it thinking that I did not have nearly enough material. I was completely surprised to find out that I had too much!!! I have to revamp my strategy as I prepare for the next class. :)

Election Day

2008-11-04T13:49:00.002-02:00

Well, here we are - Election Day. One of the most important days in our nation. Who will win? Will God show us mercy or will we, as a nation, get what we deserve? I voted absentee three weeks ago. I hope everyone has taken advantage of the privilege that we have to vote (especially if you are voting for McCain, not Obama!). I am anxious to watch the returns come in tonight. I am proud to be an American!

Teaching in the Bible Institute

2008-11-03T16:40:00.003-02:00

Tomorrow I will teach my frst class in the Bible Institute...a ladies class, of course. When I first agreed to do this, I had the noble idea of doing it on my own, in Portuguese. Needless to say, that's not happening! There just wasn't enough time to translate the material. Though I am disappointed, plan B has been put in place. Isabel will translate for me. I look forward to the class. It will be interesting for sure!

Starting out

2008-11-03T14:49:00.000-02:00

Alright...here goes! I'm going to try to to keep up with this. I make no promises! :) Hopefully, I will do a decent job of keeping everyone up to date on the happenings here in Formiga.