Many apologies--my computer died and I still don't have the information from it because, well, Brazil. And I am trying to fill in the missing spaces and use Caid's old computer, but somehow when making videos it hasn't been happy and has skipping problems. Just jump it ahead a bit, and hope I can figure it out soon!
Some highlights from our week:
1. Finally got my pre-natal doctor set up and went in for check-ups and the blood test thingy where they have you drink sugar and sit for two hours. Yes, this is a highlight, as there was lots of daddy/daughter time and I got to sit and read. By myself.
2. Teaching at the International school. I stopped teaching in 2012 to focus on Living Stones, but it has been really neat to be back (not full-time though, and with an assistant who will take over once pregnancy takes over me). And oh my goodness...the school has the best lunches ever.
3. Teaching English at Living Stones. The two days I am not at the International school, I am at Cajueiro and Guadalajara. The leadership at both places asked that I go back to the basics and offer English classes to the students--which is the easiest and funnest for me to do, especially while pregnant (basketball just WASN'T gonna happen).
4. Cajueiro Claro Bible Study and Preaching class. Not only do we love our church, but everyone has homework of putting together and posting a five minute lesson on the Bible chapter we discussed together. In Portuguese. Each week. This has been fantastic and challenging for Caid and I, and a much needed "dig into the Bible and Portuguese" time.
5. Old and new friends. Taco Tuesday is a basic staple to our lives, and I don't know what we would do without our amazing English speaking friends/teammates. Friday we met with some new friends (and ministry) and were blessed as well.
6. Pre-natal yoga. I found a couple of moves that have been helping with digestion and oh-my-goodness-so-much-burping. If hairy babies cause more heartburn, I am birthing a monkey.
7. Stay-in rainy Saturdays. Finally saw Guardians of the Galaxy vol.2, and the best part? Baby Groot and teenage Groot. Made me look sideways at my daughter and wonder how we are going to manage in ten years.
Reads from the Interwebs:
About Charlottesville:
1. Who is willing to pick up their cross? I knew Ann Voskamp would have something posted soon:).
2. How to talk to kids about race and racism: I want like all the lists of resources ever. For eventually when I have some space in a suitcase.
3. Love cannot look away: from my cousin or second cousin or something like that...from family:).
4. The false equivalency of the alt-right and Black Lives Matter: yes, I know there were "all sides," and yes, I saw hate and violence from both sides. And yes, that hate and violence was wrong: but to call them equal, or the same thing is also wrong. I understand that there are unbalanced and horrible people involved in BLM (and anti-fa, or whatever other groups were involved), but it is an important movement, and there are many important things to be learned from BLM, as well as many wonderful people involved in it (that I know and love). Looking at the heart of both sides (yes, both sides messed up!), I clearly see what is hate doctrine, and what is standing up for our brothers and sisters who have real needs and issues that need to be addressed.
5. My mother posted this video on Facebook, and I appreciated it. Especially the part about getting over the hot air of the press, and getting to the real race issues: education and prisons.
5. For our white friends desiring to be allies: from Sojourners
Happy Brazilian Father's Day! Or, if you are like me, you are happy for a chance to "try again" in celebrating, since during American Father's day we were returning to Brazil and I completely forgot about it. Oops.
This week I suffered the mini-crisis of my computer crashing. Again. It has been at the computer doctor all week, but there is still no prognosis on if it will survive (fingers crossed). Fortunately, I was able to go back (I didn't delete my deleted videos) and rescue the footage about Ana Sofia's first day of school. So you still have a video this week:).
(Something happened in my second attempt at this...the beginning skips. so jump to 40 seconds in if you have any troubles!)
As we celebrate Fathers today in Brazil, I feel so incredibly far away from the men (many of them fathers, many more will be fathers eventually) I see in pictures, carrying torches and hate in Virginia. In our small little yellow church in the middle of nowhere Northeast Brazil, we had four fathers that we celebrated, and felt the absence of the so many more fathers who were not present. Our church is basically made up of 50% Living Stones children, and yet, no Living Stones child's father was there.
How often does the thought, "Where are the men" Go through my head? More than I want it to. And so I hug my husband tight and scroll through my Facebook and see them...so many of them...marching in Virginia. How are we at a place where (those white) men feel so challenged to stand up for their (idea of lost) rights? Honestly, I feel almost a sense of jealously in me--if only I could inspire even a bit of that passion (horrible and misguided as it is) in the fathers of the Living Stone's children to be FATHERS. To be present.
I feel tied up as to what to do and say...to the men (and the whole racism monster) in the USA...and to the men (and lack of fathering) in Brazil. My prayer this morning for the men at church was that God would bless them and make them strong, and draw them closer to His heart every day: for it is only as they learn to be sons (of God) that they will be able to be fathers. I'll keep praying.
It was a wonderful week, teaching and figuring out new schedules and enjoying life. Saturday was Ana's first school presentation (for dad): keep an eye out for my Father's day video coming the next couple of days (with just as much crying as you would expect from ten 2-3 year olds "presenting").
Reads from the Interwebs:
1. Bring your expectations to the field: yes, yes, yes! Please.
2. Language of Transition: I am building this, and working through this not just for me--but for my kids. I believe this is a fundamental need for all missionaries to do.
3. #Charlottsville: Since I am in Brazil, most of my news updates actually come from Facebook (great, right?) I have been reading a lot of what friends and acquaintances have been posting. I do not admit to be any kind of anything on the matter of race, or of finding out what actually happens in a country I am not living in. But I am praying, and I am feeling many things. Perhaps enough for a blogpost eventually, but not now.
What a start to the semester! Here is the video of the trip that was here the last week of July:
This week was so full, and as I realized it, the first time this year we have been on a set schedule (since we were in the USA on home assignment, and then in Brazil during winter break/mission trip time). It was really good for all of us, as in the mornings we have breakfast and potty training, paperwork and planning (while cleaning up potty training misses), nap time, and then getting ready for school (or Living Stones) and lunch. I am teaching three afternoons a week at the International school, and so Ana Sofia is starting in the 2s-3s class there. She loves it, and comes home exhausted, which is nice for Caid and I:). Don't worry, a fun Ana Sofia centered video is coming soon!
I am teaching two days at two different Living Stones programs, and Caid's schedule is coming together as well. We plan carefully our evenings, as this pregnancy is taking more energy from me than I had planned (but all is going well, health wise). I haven't taught at the International school since 2012, and I do love it (especially the incredible lunch!), and all the planning/organizing that comes at the start of the year--but I am so grateful that I have an assistant (teacher James) who does a great job, and will be fully capable to step in once my belly gets too big to handle four classes each afternoon!
Reads from the Interwebs:
1. When Missionaries Starve: a good reminder. We just started an intensive Bible study with our church, and it is so good to listen (at least) once a week to someone who is passionate about the Bible. Just to remember. Always need to remember.
2. Dear New Missionary: reading things like this just makes me happy and nostalgic and nodding my head like yeah...
As we had a missions trip this week, I made a video about missions trips:).
This was actually from the beginning of July, but I am still working on all the set up:
It was an incredibly full week,with Caid gone most all the time (doing an amazing job with the amazing soccer outreach team of Americans and Brazilians!) and I running our home, first attempts at potty training Ana Sofia, and making sure the details of the mission trip went well.
We were very blessed by the 13 teens (and their leader) who came to give their lives here in Brazil for a week. It is always a beautiful thing to see God work through open hearts!
Reads from the Interwebs:
1. The fine line between expat chaos and rhythm: they had me at the picture:). This is why we try to always stay longer than 6 weeks in the USA on home assignment. But I totally identified with a lot of this.
My computer was acting up, so this is a bit late, but it is summer so who is counting? Besides, I am half-way through creating a human. That is a doin' pretty good!
We visited hospitals, Ana had her two year check-up, we did a lot of second semester planning, and got ready to receive the last mission's trip of the summer (well, our winter). Some good reads from the Interwebs:
1. Thank you for hosting my niece: as someone very involved with short term missions, I like to read different people's perspective on it.
We spent a lot of this week organizing and unpacking the week before, which was quite an adventure:
And some food adventures:
And thinking about how the year is more than half over:
We had time to think and enjoy each other (in our small family, and with our team/coworkers here in Brazil), and I had a lovely time with other pregnant women (and share some of my story). We are so blessed with the new (to us--less than 28,000 kilometers) car--and the added blessing? It is semi-automatic! Like, enough of an automatic to make me feel alright about driving in Brazil! (Many of you do not know of my struggles to learn to drive a manual. Let's just say it isn't pretty).
Next week we have meetings and preparations for the last summer missions trip (coming in next Sunday! please pray for their traveling mercies!) and for the fall semester. We appreciate your prayers for wisdom and grace in all the plans/actualities.
Reads from the Interwebs:
1. Thoughts on entry, reentry, and TCK: Every time I read things about third culture kids (TCK) I feel semi-guilty about creating one without asking her opinion. And then I feel a rush of worries about all the issues she will face. And then I take a deep breath and remember that growing up is easy for NO ONE. And EVERYONE has issues. And life is just hard, even if you aren't a TCK.
2. Let's bring motherhood down a notch: I am looking forward to 40. Especially if it is more chill-lax than 30.
3. What a dollar gets you around the world: I find these things so interesting! BTW, minimum wage in Brazil is less than $300 dollars a month. BTW, no way I ever made near to average American salary ever!
4. Strong in the Broken: an amazing testimony
