Birthday Bonfire!

My second birthday in Brazil was celebrated tonight and it was even more fun than my first one! Edit's birthday is just a few days before mine so we decided to celebrate them together this year. Instead of having our birthday cake in the dining room like we normally do, we brought it outside around a huge bonfire that Donei and Lobinho had made earlier in the day. Edit and I lit the fire before we sang a few worship songs and, of course, Happy Birthday. After we opened our presents and ate cake, we just hung out together, enjoying the warmth of the fire. I felt so encouraged by my conversations with the kids, listening to their laughter, and receiving their hugs and kisses. I remember being so overwhelmed when we first came, wondering when I'd be able to put together a complete sentence, let alone share my heart with them, telling them about the wonderful plan that God has for their lives. But tonight, around the fire, the conversations just flowed, no tension or stress, no frustration with vocabulary or grammar...God is so good! I praise Him because He is truly able to do far more than we can ever hope or even imagine. Thank you for standing with us in prayer, encouraging us during the difficult times, and rejoicing in each small miracle that we've witnessed in the lives of these precious children.

Trip to Turvo

We had a wonderful visit with the rest of our family in Turvo yesterday. They are located about an hour and fifteen minutes from CLM and currently have 19 children. Mike and I arrived with 18 of our children before lunch and stayed until after dinner. The day was filled with lots of fun activities, including a walk to a nearby waterfall, basketball, bicycling, cricket, and board games. I think the highlight of the day was the series of tug-of-war competitions right before dinner. Luis and Aninha's children, Alan and Natalia, Paulo (one of the older boys from Turvo), and Mike went against about 15-20 of the younger children...and the kids won every time! They finally convinced me and their sister, Etienne to join in...and we still lost! You've never heard so much bragging! We were thankful for God's hand of protection while travelling and for the bonding that took place between our two families. Please pray for our extended family in Turvo, that the healing touch of the Holy Spirit would heal the wounded areas of their hearts.

Wedding #2

On Saturday, we celebrated the wedding of Everson and Leticia, the first wedding of one of our boys. (The boys´ ministry started in 1990, after having an all girls' orphanage since the '70s.) Paulo, Elaininha, and Moanna were the ringbearer and flower girls. Not only were they adorable but were very well-behaved, sitting directly behind the pastor for over an hour during the ceremony. This wedding and reception were held at our church and was not nearly as stressful as the first one this month! Mike and I actually took a van load of the younger kids back to the house before the reception to pick up all the pop and by the time we returned, they were ready to start serving. Dishes of food were placed on each table and then platters of beef and pork were brought straight from the barbecue behind the church. It was a wonderful evening, enjoyed by all (except our cow and two pigs!) Thank you for praying for Everson and Leticia as they begin their new life together.

The Hike

Since the kids are on their winter break from school, we divided everyone into three groups for some special outings. We invited Jorai and Narah to join our group at Salto Sao Francisco, the highest waterfall in our state (643 feet). Since it is about a three and a half hour round trip hike, we knew there were only a few kids that would be up for the challenge. (Actually, I think the three and a half hours in the van there and back were more challenging because of the narrow, curvy roads!) Donei, Willian, Lucao, Maria, Francielle, Geovane, Romulo, and Lucas were excited to be chosen and did a fantastic job. We were so proud of them! We praise God for wonderful weather and His hand of protection...although Mike had a first-aid kit ready for practically any emergency, he only had to pull out a pair of tweezers to remove a splinter!

Robson

Thank you for your concern and continued prayers for Robson and his brother and sisters. It has been a month since he ran away and we found out on Friday that he has been at his mother's house the entire time. Our vice-director, Viktoria had spoken with her several times on the phone and each time Robson's mother expressed deep concern about his whereabouts. During the last phone call, Viktoria directly asked her and she admitted that he was living with her. She went on to explain that he has changed and that she wants to resume legal guardianship of him but not Altair, Caroline, and Carolaine. Although we miss him, we believe that God is in control and we trust His perfect plan for each of their lives.

Wedding #1

After hours of preparation, we arrived (with our sanity somewhat intact) at Meghan and Joacir's wedding with 36 children in their best clothes, hair curled, gelled, and sprayed for the evening's festivities. I have to say, in my unbiased opinion, they all looked absolutely beautiful! (Lots of great photos on our flickr page to prove it!)

Unfortunately, there were not enough seats downstairs at the reception hall for all of us to sit together and we were directed to the balcony area. Imagine for a moment, 21 children under the age of ten waiting for four hours to eat, on a balcony?! Let me just say, it wasn't pretty! The good news is, we finally managed to get them all home and in bed by 11pm with plans of allowing them to sleep in...but I believe those same 21 were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning and gearing up for our next wedding in two weeks! Please pray for Joacir and Meghan as they begin their new life together...and for us as we prepare for wedding #2 this month!