almost time to say good-bye

I only have two more days here in Brazil, I can not believe my time here is almost over! I really miss my friends and family but I am falling in love with Brazil! This past weekend I spent at Wilson's home, it was a lot of fun to be there! I really love being around their family, they really love Jesus and each other! Their two children, Rachel and Vivian are a lot of fun to be around. They both speak English really well and have a heart for the Lord! Vivian is 19 and Rachel is 15. I hope that they will get to come to Montgomery and visit sometime! We went to the mall for a little while on Saturday but everyone was really tired from the week so we took it easy. Mrs. Salvato made a wonderful dinner of Chinese noodles and veggies and chocolate cake! I went to their church this moring (I had been there one other time with STJ) and then Wilson took me and Mariana back to Copacabana. Mariana is one of the people I met this week and she is planning on coming to the states and staying at my home for a while in October or November. This is one of the things I have loved about being here, being able to make some friendships and help people out when they visit the states. The people here have been so kind to me and I hope I can do the same! This afternoon Mariana and I went to see Flemango and Nauito (I dont think I spelled that right) play soccer!!!! It was so exciting, It was on my want to do list for while I was here. Flemango is the most popular team around here and the games are just like you would imagine a futbol game would be in South America, wild, exciting, and a little scary! We took the subway to the game, I had not been on the subway yet, but it was really nice and I felt safe having Mariana with me. She rides the subway all the time. We had to take a couple of different subways but we finally made it to the game. Then we had to wait in this really long line to get our tickets. Mariana decided it was safer for us to get a seat in the section where you can sit down as opposed to the one where you stand up because there are a lot of fights and I am a gringo :) We paid 20 reas for our seats and made our way to the stadium. It looks really big from the outside (to give you a visual it looks bigger than Auburns stadium, but only hold 60,000, it does not go up really high but it is really long around). We found some safe looking seats and watched as the other team scored the first goal. The team Flemango was playing is not a very popular team so it was not as crazy as usual but the coward was very upset with the 0-1 score! The "crazy section" stands up the whole time and you can hear drums beating and giant flags are waving in the air! The score to the game was 0-1 until about 10 minutes to go and Flemango scored a goal making it 1-1. This was probably my favorite part of the game, the place went crazy, I can not describe how exciting it was! Everyone stands up, claps their hands, and says this cheer that translates in English to "Lets go play Flemango!" over and over! The game ended 1-1 which to me is the biggest bummer that soccer/futbol games end that way! Some interesting things about the game included the fact that they did not have an announcer, there were atleast 4 yellow cards and 1 red card given out and I think the players fight often, the fans yell a lot and while I did not know what they were saying I could guess their were some not so nice words invovled, Flemango colors are red and black and everyone dresses to match! It was a great day! When I got back Isa was home from vaction, I am excited I will get to see her one more time before I go home!

here is the rest of the week

On Friday morning we were planning to go to the beach and play soccer and volleyball with some Brazilian friends but it was raining! We still went to the beach and some played soccer but most of us did not stay long.  We hung out at the hotel the rest of the day most people were really tired and the STJ group left around 6:00 for the airport.  I was really sad to see them go! 

One of things that I pray for the STJ group and myself if that this experience teaches us more about God´s heart and through that we are changed forever! On the first Sunday that I was here the preacher talked about David and Goliath and how his past experience (David being a shephard had killed some big wild animals) gave him the knowledge that he would be able to defeat Goliath.  Our past experiences with God help us understand His heart and character and help us understand the future.  God is an unchanging God (this is one of my favorite things about Him!) James says that our Father does not change like shifting shadows.  Also, I have thought a lot about my walk with God and what God is trying to teach me and what my calling is.  I thought about Hebrews 11.  It starts out with one of the verses that most people know "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of the things we do not see."  Right after that verse is a long list of things God has done.  Stories of how people have stepped out in faith and God has really used them.  It is our history as Christians and I think God reminds us of that because we so easily forgot all that He has done.  I know I do, I let doubt creep in but when I stop and really think I know how much God has blessed me.  But that is all in our history as Christians, think about the Isrealites, God parted the sea for them and they must have forgotten that when they started worshiping idols.  And then when the Israelites wanted a king, not because God told them to but because they wanted to be like other nations, they must have forgotten about God providing the promise land and all God had done for them because they turned to their own selfish ways and wanted to be like the nations around them.  The list could go on and on throughout the Bible of times we forgot God´s love.  This made me think of what my Hebrews 11 list would look like.  I took some time to journal about some of the big things God has done in my life and then I wrote out a list of cool thing God has done on this trip.  And that is my prayer that I remember those things and more than that I pray that they change me.  Right after this long list of things God has done through people who stepped out in faith, Hebrews 12 starts out with this verse "Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."  So that is my prayer that after being surrounded by this great cloud of witness, this wonderful journey with God is Brazil, we can run with perseverance on the course that the Lord has for us.  That we will not forget but keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His work for our lives.  We have seen God work, seen the power of prayer, seen God´s blessings, felt his love and his Holy Spirit in worship and I pray we never forget that.  

sorry this is long...

The last week has flown by! It has been great and God has truely blessed the time that STJ was here in Brazil. Here is a brief recap of the last week...

Friday – we cleaned up ICP and got ready for all of the youth (in Brazil they consider youth anyone from around 14 to late 20s) That night a couple of hundred youth from around Brazil came ready to serve! My favorite thing that I got to do was help in the kitchen. I helped a lady named Shealie make what seemed like a million pieces of cake! There were several other girls from STJ helping as well and she was so kind in teaching us the proper way to make this cake. She had already premade the sheet cakes but we took each on of them and used dental floss to cut it in half and then spread this carmel like frosting on the inside. Then we could put the cake back together and then put holes in the top of the cake and pour some type of milk on top. Then we could add more of the frosting and finally cover with chocolate sprinkles! Then we cut the large cakes into little pieces and wrapped them in foil. There were 8 total cakes so you can imagine it took a long time! But, she was so kind in teaching us and she did not speak English! She really showed us love and made us laugh!  She would sneak us pieces of cake and put her finger over her mouth and make a whisper noise like it was a secret! plus we got to wear hair nets! 

Saturday – We got up really early and only got about 5 hours of sleep but everyone was excited to help serve and meet the Brazilian youth. It started out with a worship service and then we devided up into groups, social service, evangalism, and kids. I went with the social service group. First we sorted clothes for people from the fevela and then we helped sort food into bags. Each bag had sugar, oil, beans, and rice. My favorite part of this day was getting to go up into the fevela for worship. The fevela that is around ICP goes straight up a mountian (like most fevelas do) and towards the top is a outdoor gym like area and that is where STJ and a Brazilian worship teams played. The Bishop also spoke. Being in the fevela was like nothing I have ever experienced before. We took vans up there and right as you are about to enter there is a guard standing, not a police officer but someone that works for the drug lords. I was in one of the later vans to go up but I was told they have to get permission to come up there and notify the police and everyone we are coming so there will not be violence. The ride up there gave a closer look into what the conditions are like inside the fevela. The roads are narrow and steep, it is hard for two cars to pass each other. There are all types of animals living on the very dirty and littered streets. We passed a giant pig on the way up! I have never seen guns like I saw that day. It was really common for people to have large guns by there side. One of the Brazilians pointed to a shed that was next to the gym area and said that is where they deal a lot of drugs and then pointed on the other side of the gym and said that is where the police are. It seems there is a lot of corruption taking place.  We did see police officers walking around and they had really big guns.  There were a lot of people walking around and some stopped to listen to the worship.  There were kids outside of the gym area flying kites, a lot of people fly kites here.  It was really cool to sing and procliam Jesus Christ in that space, there were a lot of hurting people in that area. I hope that I always remember that experience and pray for the people there. That night we had another amazing worship experience, I could really tell that God had sent this STJ for a reason. I was so encouraged by their passion for Jesus and worshipping him. A few of the team members stayed that night at ICP and the rest of us went back to the hotel because there was not enough places to sleep.

Sunday – We started the day with some worship and then went back to our groups to help with our projects some more. We had to leave early becuase the STJ team would be playing Sunday night at a Church. It was fun to watch STJ bond with the Brazilians, it was hard for them to leave. The language barrier was broken down by the love we shared for our Savoir. After we took a million photos (if just a few people are in a picture one Brazilian will yell photo and everyone will jump in, it is funny) we got on the bus and went to eat at a Brazilian BBQ place. This is totaly different than our BBQ. They have all differnt sides for you and then they keep bringing different kinds of meat around to eat. Then we want to shower and head to the Church. Lester (the head pastor at STJ) preached that night and the youth lead worship. In Brazil the big church services in on Sunday night, not Sunday morning. Lester talked about missions and how the Lord has called us to go and serve and Wilson translated for him. It was late when we got back but we ate at McDonalds. 

Monday- This was a fun day where we went on a boat to some islands. We rode around a little bit and stopped at some little beaches and we could get out and swim! We only got in the water once because there was not much sunshine but it was fun to jump off the boat and swim to this little beach! Then we took the boat to a resturant and ate lunch. After lunch we got to explore the area and take a few trails to some different beaches. Then we took the boat back and made the 2 hour bus drive back to the hotel. We set our stuff down and then headed to the market on Copacabana. We had fun shopping and hanging out.

Tuesday – We spent the morning going to see a Fort that is on Copacabana beach and then we had lunch and got ready for the STJ team to play at Wilson´s church. It was a great worship night.

Wednesday – The day before Lester and Wilson had met one of the top Christian recording artist in Brazil at a meeting. Her name is Casiana and she invited us to her recording studio to hang out! This was a neat experience, the studio was so nice. They played some music for us that had been recorded there and then the band got to play in the studio! It was so cool that God blessed this group with that oppurtunity. It was a sign of God´s love! We then had lunch before going to the Church where they would play. I went back to the Salvato´s home to get clothes for the rest of the week. They had lots of company intown and I got to meet them. The Church they played in this night used to be a supermarket. It was really neat place. Some other groups also played including a rap group. Again God presence was felt and it was an awesome worship time!

Thursday – Some of the Brazilian youth came and hung out with us in the morning at the hotel. It was a time to process and refelct about the trip. God truly blessed this trip! We ate some lunch and then got ready for the last night of worship.  The worship was awesome, it was my favorite night of worship! I could really feel God´s love in that place.  I really had grown to love and appreaciate the way God had been using these youth to share the love of Christ.  We learned so much from the Brazilians and how they love and accepted us and I think the youth did a great job of loving the Brazilians and worshipping with them.  The language barrier was always broken down when we worshiped becuase if it was in Porteugues or English we were all worshipping the same God.  To me it was a glimpse into what heaven will be like, worshiping God with people from all nations! After worship we had a wonderdul meal together and headed back to the hotel.