Preparing for Rain

These days we're preparing for rain, with an eye on the clouds in the sky.
Robert is working to help the water drain from the low back yard to the higher front yard and out to the street.

Even the ants seem to know that rainy season is coming. They are building dirt up in pretty mounds around their doorways!

A New Stage of Life!

We have entered a new and interesting stage of life - our eldest daughter announced her engagement last weekend. We are grateful for a little opportunity to get to know Ralph, when he made the great effort to visit us in Brazil in May 2008.
Now ... So many things to think about and plan for in the coming months!
The happy couple lives in Northern Alberta - a long way from either of our living parents, her grandparents. There will be a lot of traveling needed during our next home ministry - 2009.

It rained!

Yesterday it rained in Barra!
Robert had gotten home in time for a late lunch - from his trip back to Belem to renew his driver's license. He was here to be able to see that the trench that he has dug (hoping to guide water from the low-level back yard out to the front where there is drainage to the street) REALLY WORKED!

Barra do Corda and our new Ministry

We made a visit to the village of Sardinha for one day of the retreat being held there.
It was great to see how many young people are interested in following the Lord. Too many of the older Christians have backslidden or grown more interested in money from government jobs .

On Tuesday we had a planning meeting - here at our house, for the first time. We finally got enough barrels and boxes unpacked and organized that we could arrange chairs and invite people in! That is "order and progress" as our flag states! Thursday we met and planned the schedule, the classes for the first semester of 2009, Feb - May, how many hours of class time we have to prepare for, what classes we each would teach and what we still need to find a teacher for, etc. Robert may be responsible to oversee the gardening, caring for raising animals, etc. besides the daily maintenance of the property where we all live. I may teach a class on Devotional Life and I will plan to organize the Portuguese classes. Hopefully Dorilene, Bendito's wife, will help to teach Portuguese the first semester and carry on in the next one. So, we are getting into our new responsibilities, and we are grateful for your prayers.

Friday our team met for prayer and then walked up to the Training Center and around the property - to decide where to build a playground for children, a workshop, a chicken house, etc. Benedito, the director and our team leader, has done a lot of work there since we were here in November - a big field has been cleared and is ready for planting when rains come - corn, manioc, beans, etc. They have dug big holes and are now putting better soil into the holes and planting fruit trees - but they have to be watered every day. At the Center they have extended the big tabernacle to include some bathrooms and an office. The kitchen and the two classrooms have been done and painted. The dry brush still needs to be cleared back from the fence that marks the property line at the back, so in case a fire comes through again, there is less chance of it going on through as it did last year. It will also allow us to have someone walk around the property occasionally for security.

RJ is going to have to renew his driver's license in October; it was issued in Para state. He has to take some first aid and defensive driving training classes, since these requirements have been added since he first got his license, or study the materials and take a test, before getting an eye exam. It is also just at the time of elections (October 5th, Sunday), which can be very tumultuous here - often candidates spend money on parties and buying votes, and services to the public just go by the way! Please pray that he will be able to get it done quickly. He will eventually have to transfer his license to this state, but he was advised not to try to do that just now - it could take a very long time, and he needs to get it renewed to be able to legally drive.

The "wildlife" in the house is diminishing. We have poisoned a lot of cockroaches, the small frogs are still getting in sometimes (I do not like sharing my shower nor my kitchen with them!), and yesterday we found where a lot of mosquitoes were breeding, so that has been cared for - maybe they will be fewer now too. The other night a felt a "woosh" past my ears several times - a bat! That scares me, too. We certainly need to sleep with a net, because they are out and about at night. I guess I am calmer about these things than when we first came - one month ago this weekend.

The temperature here has been high! Several days ago I needed bread, so I made bread in the afternoon. (I can not easily go to a bakery nearby.) The thermometer read 99 degrees F in the house before I started baking!

We celebrated 4 weeks here with an ice cream cone in town!

On the Move .. and Getting Settled

We made it! We are now living in Barra do Corda!

Praise the Lord for a safe trip - 978 km. There were some dangers en route!

But we arrived safely, praise the Lord!

Our friends Ruth and Irene welcomed us and gave us meals for most of 6 days!

The house across the road, prepared for us, had been painted up - inside and out.

It was very full of our baggage already when we arrived. The movers arrived before we did.

We have worked all week to begin to get things in order.

I think we have made good progress considering that it took us over a month to pack up!

The humidity is much less than in Belem, so we do not sweat nearly as much. Some days we hardly use a fan! It was 90 degrees F in the kitchen today, and the thermometer went over the top (120) when I took it outside in direct sunlight! No wonder our water is warm!

The water comes directly from the river to a 500 L tank over the roof.

The pressure is poor and won't put water through our filter (gravity). For now we are buying water to drink :).

We have a reguilar visitor that comes nightly to help decrease our mosquito and ant population.

Today we had a chick in the yard all day, too. We hear the neighbours' chickens, roosters, cows, etc. - just like living on a farm! We are actually located 2 km outside of the rural city of Barra do Corda in Maranhao - the Corda River is just across the road along the property which Robert will soon be responsible to care for.

One major change had to be made. Robert began to look over the electrical installation at the house. The neutral wire was hooked up where a hot wire should have been.When one thought that the power was turned off, it was not. 220 volts! What a mistake!

There are many adjustments to be made. As soon as we get a better internet connection, I will add more photos and info.
Thanks for your prayers.

Thirty-five years ago ...

how life was different! I was single, adventuresome and had just arrived to teach at AVA.

This week we celebrated God's faithfulness over these 35 years - giving me some financial supporters who have been with me since that first year, and continuing to allow me to serve Him, in spite of all the mistakes I've made. Robert treated me and our hired lady/friend for 18 years to a buffet dinner.

A poem that I had referred to often is called Don't Quit

Don’t quit when the tide is the lowest,

For it’s just about to turn;

Don’t quit over doubts and questions,

For there’s something you may learn.

Don’t quit when the night is darkest,

For it’s just a while ‘til dawn;

Don’t quit when you’ve run the farthest,

For the race is almost won.

Don’t quit when the hill is steepest,

For your goal is almost nigh;

Don’t quit, for you’re not a failure

Until you fail to try.

Author Unknown

I have been doing a personal study in 2 Timothy.
Chapter 2:11 - 15 says:

"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." Pray that I might be A Workman Approved by God.

We are nearing the end of our packing up to move - a major move for us - to the state of Maranhao, to help the mission MEIB with the establishment of a Bible Training Centre for Indians. New challenges! The Great Shepherd has us on the move.

The termites beat Robert to his school notes from almost 30 years ago!

We are still making good use of the macaxeira that he planted and he is planting more for the next residents to enjoy.

Rooms and pantry are starting to look pretty empty!

We are enjoying our beautiful yard - before we move to a much drier place. We have had several families over for a picnic supper in the yard, too.

We took time last month to visit different churches in the city where we have had relationships with the people. The AICEB church in the Marco district is growing. Here is their new construction.
Thanks for your prayers and interest in our ministries.

Moving On

. I have enjoyed reading Phillip Keller’s A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. Part of verse three says "He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." His commentary, as an experienced shepherd, was, "The greatest single safeguard which a shepherd has in handling his flock is keeping them on the move. … Coupled with this entire concept of management, there is of course the owner’s intimate knowledge of his pastures. He knows every advantage and every drawback; he knows where his flock will thrive and he is aware of where the feed is poor." The life of the diligent disciple following the Good Shepherd involves a cost (Mark 8ː34 – 38) and fresh attitudes must be acquired. I would like to share those with you –

1. Instead of loving myself most, I am willing to love Christ best and others more than myself.

2. Instead of being one of the crowd, I am willing to be singled out and set apart.

3. Instead of insisting on my own rights, I am willing to forego them in favour of others.

4.Instead of being "boss". I am willing to be at the bottom of the heap.

5. Instead of finding fault and always asking "Why", I am willing to accept every circumstance of life in a attitude of gratitude.

6. Instead of exercising my will, I learn to cooperate with His wishes and comply with His will.

7. Instead of choosing my own way, I am willing to choose to follow in Christ’s way, simply to do what He asks me to do - for my best interest as His disciple and for His reputation’s sake.

God wants us all to move on with Him, not only for our own welfare, but for the benefit of others and for His reputation’s sake.

Pray that our lives will display such dedicated discipleship!