Parking 101

We took some visitors to the airport this week. The airport is always busy, and very hard to find a parking place. This particular night it was especially busy, and cars were parked everywhere...literally!  I've seen people park alot of crazy ways, but this might just be the craziest!

Doesn't look too bad from this angle, but keep looking!

The back wheel was WAY off the ground! I'm glad that I didn't have to sit on that side of the car!

Rule #1 of parking a car: Keep all four wheels on the ground!

Vacation Bible School

Welcome to Vacation Bible School!

Last week we were able to help in a Vacation Bible School at the church where Jeremy's parents are working. It was alot of work, but it was also alot of fun.We had a good turn out with a high of over fifty kids one day.

Raylda is a Brazilian missionary who has been working full time with children for over 30 years! She was a great blessing as she taught the lessons each day.

Jeremy taught about the missionary story about John Patton.

He also helped teach the memory verse one day.

The kids were taught a verse each day, and also they were given nine extra verses to learn for extras prizes if they wanted to. Josiah and Jonathan learned several verses...in Portuguese.

This is Gabrieli. She learned the verse each day, AND memorized ALL nine extra verses during the four days of Bible School!

Jeremy's dad is looking for the best-behaved boy or girl.

I helped preparing the snack and drink at the end of the day.

I think the kids really enjoyed participating.

Most importantly, five children accepted Christ as their Savior!

Josiah and Jonathan had alot of fun. Jonathan still wears his name tag from time to time, and all three boys are still singing the songs they learned and reciting new verses. It was also neat to hear Josiah open up and speak more Portuguese than he usually does. He was answering questions after the story, just like all the others.

Jonathan and Josiah also both won prizes for doing the best job of completing their booklets.

Judson was too young to participate, but he was there and listening to all that was going on...at least most of the time!

Judson wasn't the only one having trouble staying awake!

I really enjoyed being a part of the Bible School. It breaks your heart to see some of these kids, and wonder what kind of home-life they come from. There is a great need!

Please pray as follow-up work is done and contact made with these families.

Down Memory Lane

Ten years ago this month, Jeremy and I took a trip to Brazil. We went to a park with a little lake in the city of Araras, and there Jeremy proposed. And I accepted!! We hadn't been back to this park since, but last week we had the opportunity to go again. It was alot of fun to go back, and it brought back alot of memories. Of course, this time we had three little boys and some friends with us. The boys had a great time in the paddle boats.

I wish I had then and now pictures, but that was before we had entered the "digital era," and unfortunately I don't have a scanner.

Ten years later!

Ready to sail

Independence Day

When we lived in the United States, we never made too much of the 4th of July. Sure it was a holiday, and we liked to watch fireworks, or maybe even go to the parade, but it just wasn't a big deal for us. Now, we really love to celebrate Independence Day. It's the one day that we really get to be "all American" for the day. It's tradition here in São Paulo for all the missionaries to get together that day for an American cookout. This year since it fell on a Sunday, we had a 5th of July celebration.

One of the missionaries has a piece of land that he is working on developing into a camp. It made a perfect place for all of us (about 50) to get together. We grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, with chips, potato salad, and baked beans. We even had apple pie and red, white, and blue cookies! We had a great time of games and fellowship, and ended with evening with s'mores and fireworks.

I forgot about taking too many pictures, but I got a few!

The kids had a blast in the sand pile

Judson spent most of the day sitting here in the sand. He was full of sand when we got home

The "big" boys played volleyball all afternoon

Nothing beats a nap in the hammock!
~Elijah Kokenzie~

Though we live in a foreign country, we are still proud to be Americans, and we are thankful to all of those who have served their country and fought for our freedom. Nothing makes you appreciate America more than living somewhere else!

God Bless America!