Opening Your Heart (In Memory of Drew Schwier)

Part of being a missionary is opening your heart to many different people you would have never met if you weren't a missionary. It is opening your heart to a whole country and culture and people that you work with and for. It is also opening your heart to other people who come to serve alongside you. Each and every intern (defining "intern" as someone who comes to Brazil for 3-6 months or longer) who has served in Brazil has touched our lives.
Our support team (as all us Americans are here to support the ministry being run by Brazilians) has laughed and cried with many (normally around 2-4 per year) interns from all over, and opened our hearts and lives to people of all different ages with all different stories. And boy, do we have stories to tell! There have been good times and bad times, unforgettable experiences and moments shared that will never go away. But the one sure thing is that once you open your heart to someone, you are never the same.

Drew Schwier came to Brazil in Spring 2012. He taught gym class at the International school, and helped out with many other ministries. Since I took the bus everywhere during this time, I would swing by and pick up Drew to join me for Living Stones, or whatever else was going on. In the above picture, I said "Hey Drew, wanna go to Recife with some of my friends today?" He didn't know anyone, and barely knew me, but he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure!" And we all had a great time. That was Drew. So was the fact that he always wore something neon, and liked to cut out the sides of all of his shirts that weren't jerseys.  

The Soares family took us on a trip to the beach and we decided to rent a surf board (and a woman to teach us how to use it). Drew, of course, did really well. 

For three months, he loved on the International school kids and the Living Stones kids and opened his heart to everyone he met. And we all loved him back. 

(Easter celebration with the kids from the International school serving at Living Stones Cajueiro)

(Living Stones Cajueiro kids at a pool party. And Drew's famous cut out shirt.)

Last week Drew was shot and killed during a robbery at his house in Indianapolis. We mourn for his family and loved ones, and for the vibrant life he lived for 26 years (26 is never enough). And while we are so far away and not able to attend the memorial, we are there in spirit.I got to see Drew a few times after 2012 in Brazil, and it was always good--because once you are part of the team, you are always a part of the team. But I wish I could say thank you again, and reminisce over the "Good old days." 

So to Drew's family, I say THANK YOU. Thank you for enabling Drew to come serve in Brazil. Thank you for sharing him with us. We weep with you. 

To all our past interns: we still think about and remember you. Thank you for your fresh ideas and energy and love and willingness. Thank you for making hard choices. Thank you for opening your heart. Thank you for being a part of us. 

Sunday Funday Wednesday

How long does it take to recover from vacation? :) We are a bit behind, but totally happy about! Here is the video that was supposed to be from last week:

And here are the two videos from Living Stones (to keep you updated)

(Guadalajara Living Stones)

(Lagoa Living Stones)

Last week was fantastic--September 7th is Brazilian Independence Day, and we love our traditions (video to come soon)! Then we headed to the beach for a long weekend of much needed rest and relaxation (video to come soon). We are so blessed to have friends who freely share their beach house! 

While we were at the beach, we (Turners and Fergies) were reminiscing about some of the awesome people who have come and gone, serving in Brazil. One name that came up was Drew Schwier. The next day we read on Facebook that Drew, now 26 years old, was killed during a robbery at his home. Our hearts go out to his family. 

(Drew surfing at Porto de Galinhas in Spring 2012) 

Reads from the Interwebs: 

1. What can I do today: thoughts about Houston (and SO many other places!)  

2. Is calling in our DNA? or, as it hit me "The one calling I know my daughter DOES have" 

3. Ten ways to get elementary MKs talking (this will be super applicable in like 5 years...)

4. Guess what my life is like right now? Oh third trimester! 

September Sunday Funday

This week's vlog was about my birthday, and all the great people we got to share it with (over a couple of different days):

We also celebrated 4 years of Moments for Moms, a ministry for mothers of Living Stones kids in Cajueiro Claro:

As you all, in the USA celebrate Labor day this weekend/Monday, we are finally getting to celebrate Independence Day on Thursday (September 7th). Our family is excited for this vacation time:). For some bad news: we knew my laptop was dead, but thought they could save the data--nope. Nutin:(. Fortunately, I backed everything up in April, so the damage was limited. 

Reads from the Interwebs:

1. The weight of privilege: weeping with those who lost so much in Texas. Love this lady, and her awesome suggestions of how to help.

2. Ten reasons why our good intentions to help poverty backfire

3. Minimalistic Wrestlings: thoughts from my good friend Karianne

4. Fostering Love: thoughts from my good friend Rachel S. 

Have a wonderful week!

Gender Reveal Sunday Funday

So our big news was that we finally found out the gender of our baby! (This is what we did while you all were watching the eclipseP.)

It was also my birthday this week, and I was so blessed by the many well-wishers and lovely time with my little family:)

(ending the day with a milkshake rather than cake)

Reads from the Interwebs:

1. When hard things happen back home: YES! I feel so drawn to scroll down Facebook to "discover" what is going on...and yet need to find balance...

2. Practitioners in ministry: who are your two or three?

3. Double standard on corruption: so much to unpack and work through here

4. No, Jesus would not be okay with bombing other countries

5. "Don't you just love it?" 

6. Edge X conference: WHAT? Ok, so wishing I would be in Indy for this! Indy ppl: check it out!
7. Flying economy class

Sunday Funday August

The promised Father's Day video:

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

About everything else:
1. My favorite post I had to post on Facebook as soon as I read it because it couldn't wait: Dear future missionary: how to prepare for missions
2. Living as an acceptable outsider: it has taken a while to be okay with "acceptable outsider." But so true.
3. The art of belonging

Father's Day Sunday Funday

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.

Beginning August Sunday Funday

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...