Merry Christmas!

Christmas was a long but fun day at CLM. The day began for us around 6:30am when we began preparing breakfast for 70 people (Fortunately, cereal is a popular tradition so it was really just setting the table!) After eating and washing the dishes, we were ready to open gifts...this took over three hours since we randomly selected three at a time. When everyone was finished, we received one last gift...and although it was close to 75 degrees, we all went outside and took this family picture in our new CLM sweatshirts! After lunch, the rest of the day was spent swimming, playing volleyball, and having fun with all the kids' new toys. We are so grateful for everyone who so generously donated gifts. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and prayer that consistently helps us to share Christ everyday with our kids.

Sports and Recreation Area

We are excited to announce the official start of the sports and recreation area! A neighboring farmer supplied the use of this tractor attachment and Mike was able to take the first layer of topsoil away this past weekend. Then, it was up to the rest of us to remove the rocks and level the area. Our original plan was to create a court that could be adapted to play basketball, volleyball, futsal, handball, tennis and hockey. We were blessed to receive additional funding that allows us to put in a sand volleyball court! We will now be able to play soccer, basketball, and volleyball simultaneously. (The kids are starting rumors that we are going to be charging visitors to play!) It has been exciting to see everyone working together to make this happen. The kids are overwhelmed by your generosity and can't believe that people they don't even know have given so much money to make this a reality. We will be travelling this weekend to Paraguay to shop…pray that we find some good deals on equipment!

Lizena's Graduation

Lizena came to CLM when she was only 18 months old. After many years of struggling to catch up in school, her hard work and perseverance were honored last night at her high school graduation. We ended the night celebrating with a huge pizza party. Lizena plans to begin evening classes in January to earn a degree in Administration. She has been working at CLM in the laundry room during this past year and will continue as she begins college. We praise God for her life and ask you to pray for this incredible young woman as she seeks God’s will for her future.

Celebrating Jesus!

Mike and I have been doing a children’s service for our youngest nine children on Thursday nights for the past several months. We have read about the miracles surrounding Christ’s birth and have discussed the powerful truths of God being with us all the time and being children of God ourselves. This past Thursday, we celebrated Jesus’ birthday with a cake, party hats, and games. The children recited our memory verses, played games, and shared why they were thankful for Christmas. Thank you for praying that our children will understand the awesome love of their Heavenly Father and the precious gift of His Son.

Maria's Chair

Mike invited Maria, Romulo and Arivaldo to join him in the workshop to make their own special project, after they helped him to make the picnic tables last week. Maria was first and chose a plan for this beautiful chair. All the scrap wood (Brazilian cherry, oak, and pine) was found in the barn so the whole thing cost about $2 bucks in hardware! Mike cut some of the more difficult angles but she learned how to read a blueprint, use a mitre saw, planer, drill, belt sander, table saw, and jigsaw. I think you can tell by her smile how proud she is of her accomplishment! Please continue to pray for the bright future that God has planned for her.

The Bezorros are Coming!

As I'm typing this, bezorros are slamming against our doors and windows every few seconds. This picture was taken right outside our front door and by tomorrow morning, our garage floor and sidewalks will be covered with these nasty little beetles. They come out every year and it is like walking on peanut shells. They are able to fly but not very well--unfortunately, their kamikaze dives leave them wriggling around on their backs like little turtles until they slowly die. The kids love putting them on each other so I have to pretend like they don't bother me--even though they gross me out!

Picnic at the Pool

Today was our official summer kickoff celebration! With the help of Maria, Romulo, and Arivaldo, Mike made three picnic tables for the event. We brought out the umbrellas, swim noodles, beach balls and innertube and after grilling out some hot dogs, the kids enjoyed kicking back in the pool. This month is jam-packed with activities and parties, including several trips into the city with groups of kids to do Christmas shopping. Please pray for safety as we travel and as the kids swim and ride bikes.

Scholarships

All of our kids except Rita attend the public school in the colony. Two years ago, Rita was given a scholarship to attend a private German school, Imperatriz. This past week, we were told that the school board at Imperatriz has decided to give an additional nine scholarships to CLM for next year! This is an incredible opportunity because of the smaller class size and extra courses that are offered. However, the work load is two to three times greater than what our kids are accustomed to at the public school. Please pray that we will choose the right kids who will be able to handle the academic as well as emotional pressures of being at this school.

Trip to the Foz

Last week, we were blessed to spend some time with our short-termers from Ohio, Pete and Denise Haring in Foz do Iguacu. This waterfall is located about 6 hours from CLM on the Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay border. The views of the waterfall were breathtakingly powerful after all the recent storms we've had. We pray that God will continue to bless this special couple!