Wednesday Sunday Funday

There is no video. Because last week was amazing and so much happened and I haven't organized the footage and all that. And BIG things might be happening soon. So there will be multiple videos posted...when they are posted:).

Sorry about that.

Not sorry about the amazing week! We loved having our friends from Shelbyville Community church here! It is Wednesday already because we have been taking seriously our rest and recovery days before next week, when another group comes and school starts!

Reads from the Interwebs:
1. On welcoming the third culture kid
2. Pregnancy loss when you are far from home: she also wrote an article for how to help someone dealing with pregnancy loss
3. How much it costs to have a baby in every state: this is crazy guys! Have you heard of medical tourism? It is where you travel somewhere, have a great vacation, get dental (or whatever )work done--all for less than the price of just the dental work in the USA (often, even with insurance!) Good thing we had our children in Brazil! It saddens my heart to see how messed up medically things are in the USA:(
4. Is Silliness a sin? This article hit the bulls eye for me, in finding balance for a Sabbath (and most all biblical disciplines).
5. Dear Powerful People--Invest in Little People: so excited for every new piece of information about how important it is to invest in the pregnant/first months of life, and what a difference it makes!

Sunday Funday July

here is our weekly vlog:

Last week we celebrated the 4th with some fireworks, went to the zoo with friends, and unfortunately, saw Brazil eliminated from the World Cup. We also were very excited to see and play with our friend Renato, from the trash dump community: thank you so many who have been praying for him! Here is the update. 

Sunday our friends from Shelbyville Community Church arrived, and we are so excited to spend the week with them, at Living Stones and doing VBS in Cajueiro Claro! 

Reads from the Interwebs: 

1. How to hold the sadness in your heart: super practical and important (about grief)

2. Growth as a community around racism: a life overseas important article
3. Fourth of July--who are we? A super interesting quick look at "We the People": “The question of ‘We, the people’ has been our ongoing and unresolved conflict in American identity,” Cobb said at a Chautauqua Institute talk in upstate New York. “We’ve never sufficiently understood and defined who is included in that term.” Ever since Thomas Jefferson’s passage famously decrying the transatlantic slave trade in the Declaration of Independence was cut, American democracy has been characterized by a boom-and-bust cycle, Cobb said. “An expanding concept of ‘we,’” followed by “a contracting, fearful idea of who ‘we’ should be.”
4. Want to love your job? YES:)
5. In praise of being washed (basically, how to gracefully move from 20something to 30something): a fun secular read to all those who realize that their youthful potential and "glow" is gone.

July Sunday Funday

Our weekly vlog:

We celebrated Ana Sofia's birthday on Monday, and Caid was busy translating for two short term mission trips that were here in Brazil. One of the mission trips, a group from New Jersey, always (for the last three years) runs English camp for the International school, and has a special time for all the women in general, and for ministry leaders (women). The women leadership time is the only time we really get all the pastor's wives and women leaders together all year for all the Community and Friends churches--it was a lovely and refreshing time. Brazil is also doing well in the World Cup, which is a really big deal here (seriously, EVERYTHING stops for a game that Brazil plays in).

Reads from the Interwebs:
1. Asking the right question: about citizenship (from a missionary perspective, not the hot button current topic...but if you want to talk about how that overlaps...)
2. For all the anniversaries and weddings: Ann Voskamp
3. On the yoga mat as it is in heaven: I enjoyed reading this
4. Four ways to avoid the white savior complex in Missions: an important subject that is covered well here! (not completely, as it is a big issue--but a good beginning place!)
5. Brazil's plan to fight poverty: a little nervous about getting too excited about this too soon!
6. Ted Talk: This woman!

Last June Sunday Funday

Here is our weekly vlog:

Last week, for those of you who didn't know, was Juneteenth and World Refugee Day (for my woke folk). It has been a frustrating week on social media as I have strong views on those seeking asylum, and many people I love disagree with me. I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place as I do not agree with, and cringe at much of what is said by many Republicans, but am horrified when I see how many Democratic friends respond to them--the hatred stuns me as much, if not more than the heartlessness they are reacting against. I finally posted this: 

Because almost everyone who posted things, I knew personally--at least a bit. And I knew they were loving, caring people--even if they were calling for more separation of families, or even if they were calling those calling for those things "evil and undeserving of life." There is always more to the story. There is always a story, and as Brene Brown says, "Everyone has a story or a struggle that will break your heart. And, if we’re really paying attention, most people have a story that will bring us to our knees." So I will continue to apply this principle to my life as I listen to stories of those seeking asylum. And I will continue to apply this principle to my life as I watch people don "Make America Great Again" hats. 

On a lighter note, Jessica is now six months old, and Sofia is three today:

Last week was the end of the first semester of Living Stones, and finals for all my English classes:)

Reads from the Interwebs:

1. What to do in a crisis of faith: I enjoyed this perspective, because I think other people's crisis of faith often rocks me more than my own 

2. When the world feels like it's on fire: Sit. Listen. Cry. #Choose Welcome

3. I think it is okay to be an alien: As I read the articles this week around the word "Alien," I realized I've now been serving in Brazil for 15 years (not in the country that whole time, but since 2004). Wow. 

4. The weight of inequality and the baby right in front of me: Tears and YES--so heavy sometimes, but our weight to carry and then do as God calls us to. NEVER FORGET.
5. I am not a racist: This starts with me realizing me.
6. Ending on a lighter note: How many words do you need to speak a language? 50, it seems:) YESSSSSSSSSSS!

Ten Years as a Single Missionary

Ten years as a single missionary
Living off $350 a month
Public transportation anywhere and everywhere
60-70 hour work weeks
I loved my life

Met a man
First time I saw him I called a friend
Said there is this great guy- but just too young for me
Second time I saw him I gave him my number
We were married two years later

He came to Brazil to propose
He spoke Spanish not Portuguese
He loved Jesus and kids and music and sports and multi cultures
And I loved him
But he was not called to Brazil
So after the wedding we returned to the USA

I remember crying, a week before my wedding
This was my goodbye to my kids, my life, my ten years as a single missionary
All wrapped up in walking down the aisle and giving myself to someone else
We don't know the turns our paths will make

When God brings you back
It doesn't look the same
He always adds new colors and rhythm and rhymes

You learn something in the letting go
In the realizing that you don't control the times 
He always adds new colors and rhythm and rhymes

For my Woke Folk

As a white, middle class gal married to a Jamaican immigrant with two tri-racial (Brazilian) daughters, living outside of the USA, I have a unique (sometimes confusing) perspective on some things. Perhaps you also don't feel like you really fit in anywhere either.

A current trend is to be "woke," which the urban dictionary says, "Although an incorrect tense of awake, a reference to how people should be aware in current affairs." I also see a trend towards social justice, and so for those who want to help, but just aren't sure how, here are two important things to know THIS WEEK:

June 19th is a holiday. Maybe not your holiday--but Juneteenth is an important part of our history, and one I just learned about recently. You don't have to celebrate it, but you should know about it!

June 20th is World Refugee Day: it doesn't matter what politics you hold: if you want to be like Jesus, you love your neighbor: and Jesus said our neighbor is the one who isn't like us (and in his example--beat up and from another country--sounds like a refugee to me). 

I know people seeking asylum on our boarders is a hot button topic right now, especially with the separation of children in the past six months. One political side said it was done under Obama too, is just enforcing the law, and was over exaggerated (like the picture of kids in cages). The other side said how awful this was and the right was using scripture to justify it. I see the validity of most all of these arguments from both sides.

But it doesn't matter if WRONG was done under what president: wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if we are just hearing about it--WHEN we hear about it and do nothing--WE ARE WRONG.

I am not there in the USA, and I might be missing something, but what is happening needs to be changed. I do not know the solutions (although some were mentioned here), but the system is broken, and enforcing the law is enforcing a broken system which the CHILDREN pay for. Don't use scripture, and don't just say you are enforcing the law. On the other end: don't whine about the president and the broken system (which has been broken for many, many years). Foster care, volunteer for non-profits who are making a difference, put your money where your mouth is.

Here is an excellent article about what you can do and what is happening: please read it with an open heart. Below is a video I made about refugees with my friend Em Bricker. Let's make a difference instead of getting angry or staying silent:

Father's Day Sunday Funday

I finished the vlogs when my sister and goddaughter were here:

and

And then on Saturday we had the pleasure of going to our friend's wedding--on the beach:

Fellipe is the one who heads up the project at the Trash Dump community. It was beautiful to see some of the kids and their moms at the wedding--and the flower girl (seen above) was Taina, and the ring bearer was Werik. If you don't remember, they were the children who were orphaned last November when their father killed their mother. It is beautiful to see how this community came around them and is raising them! 

Holidays are all confused: we celebrated Valentine's Day on June 12th (not February 14th) and in the USA you celebrated Father's day on Sunday, while here Father's Day is the second Sunday in August. But anyways, there was a group of men from Brandywine Community church here last week, and they had a great men's conference which was very encouraging to Caid, and to our pastor, Flavio. I am really excited to see how God is showing Caid more and more of his passion and calling to music, and what that might look like in the next couple of years. 

Reads from the Interwebs:

1. Fair Trade Guilt? Yes Please: written by me:). Finally got some of my thoughts together on this subject! 

2. What is going on with separating families: so I started hearing from my very vocal friends on both ends of the political spectrum about these almost 2000 children separated from their families in the past six months. One side said it was done under Obama too, is just enforcing the law, and was over exaggerated (like the picture of kids in cages). The other side said how awful this was and the right was using scripture to justify it. I see the validity of most all of these arguments from both sides. But first, it doesn't matter if WRONG was done under what president: wrong is wrong. It doesn't matter if we are just hearing about it--WHEN we hear about it and do nothing--WE ARE WRONG. I am not there in the USA, and I might be missing something, but what is happening needs to be changed. I do not know the solutions (although some were mentioned in the video linked), but to be locked up separately when you are trying to be heard for your case of asylum...the system is broken, and enforcing the law is enforcing a broken system which once more the CHILDREN pay for. NO. Don't use scripture, and don't just say you are enforcing the law. Also, don't whine about the president and the broken system (which has been broken for many, many years). Foster care, volunteer for non-profits who are making a difference, put your money where your mouth is. Ok, this is going to end up being its own blog.
3. Four word prayer that changes everything: spoiler--the words are "Reduce me to love"
4. An open letter to Focus on the Family: more about refugees/ people seeking asylum
5. Confessions of a black sheep: going against "ministry expectations" is a big deal for all people in ministry...and so hard, specially when you feel God leading you other ways.
6. I am sorry you had to see this mess
7. What's different about being an expat family? I needed this article after listening to last weeks podcast on third culture kids...whew.