What Gabriel Has Been Up To

Gabriel is adjusting to life in Brazil quite well. The Brazilians love him, especially because he's very chubby and white, "branquinho". I often have to stop when I'm out with him so that people can talk to him and ooh and aah over him. He usually gives a big smile and tries to talk back to them. Everyone at church loves to hold him and sometimes the younger girls even fight over whose turn it is!
It didn't take long for the mosquitoes to discover his sweet American blood! We quickly learned that he has to sleep under a mosquito net over his crib every night.


His johnny-jump-up is one of his favorite toys. We like it too, since it keeps him occupied for a bit while David studies and I do housework. He jumps all the time, even if he's not in it. If we hold him in a standing position, he uses our legs as a trampoline and continues jumping.We splurged and bought him a walker. At first, he wasn't quite sure what to do with it and would just play with the toys on the "dashboard." Very soon though, he discovered it could take him just about anywhere he wants to go and he zips around the house getting into all kinds of trouble. His favorite place to be in the kitchen if I'm in there is right at my feet. That or by the trash can, trying to pull the bag out.

Once in a while, Gabriel enjoys some cartoons on TV. It keeps him occupied for a few minutes but then he's ready for the next adventure.
His latest new adventure was going to the beach for the first time. At first, he wasn't too excited about being there. Everything was so different for his little mind to process! But he soon began to enjoy himself, playing in the sand, splashing in the water and even eating some sand before I could catch him! Oh well, it's good for the immune system, right?

It's not all fun and games though. Gabriel goes with us everywhere since we don't have anyone to watch him at home while we go out visiting. He is a good sport though and only gets a little grumpy if it's way past his bedtime. Here he is visiting a one-day-old baby at the hospital three weeks ago whose family goes to our church. He wanted to hold the little baby boy (Andre) and he stopped long enough to pose for a picture with Andre's big brothers, Mateus and Davi.


Bath time has become a favorite activity for Gabriel. He's very glad that we put in an electric shower head so he can take a bath with warm water. Even though it's hot here, taking a bath with cold water isn't the most pleasant thing and I was having to heat up a pot of water to mix with his bath water.

Sometimes he does take a break in his busy day to settle down and relax a little. Here he is enjoying my new hammock.


At last he's asleep! But then I'm tired too and take advantage to catch a little shut-eye with him.

Here at Last

For His Glory and For Our Good

God has been so faithful to us - I don´t know where to begin.

Monday morning was hectic trying to tie up some loose ends. We arrived at the airport a bit late, only to run in to Wendy at the Delta counter - a member from a Baptist church in town. Unfortunately my wal-mart scale did not prove accurate at home - which meant overweight. Wendy helped us to re-pack our suitcases saving us over $300. She also checked our baggage all the way to Brazil which is unheard of. God placed Wendy and her kindness in our path for His glory and our good.

In Atlanta we were warned of a 30 minute delay, which turned into 1hr 30min. The flight put us in Miami a bit late, but Gabriel took us to the front of the line. We got through security and were among the first on the plane. Upon arrival in Sao Paulo we learned of missing piece of luggage. We filled out paperwork in hopes of seeing it again. When we arrived at customs we were only asked 4 questions and sent on through - once again - unheard of. God placed that agent in our path for His glory and our good.

As we walked through the sliding doors we were welcomed by my parents and my brothers family. They hauled us to a nearby hotel where we relaxed, had a steak meal, and went swimming. What a blessing to have parents and family that love the Lord and stand behind us 100%. God placed family in our path for His glory and our good!

That evening we were back on the plane and we arrived promptly at 1 am in Joao Pessoa, greeted by Jonathan Reiner- the missionary we are serving with. He and his family have been so gracious to provide some furniture and some things for us to eat! They have also hauled us around to look at vehicles in the area. God has placed Jon, Jenny and family in our path for His glory and for our good.

Thank you all for your prayers for us. We believe that God has placed you in our path for His glory and for our good. He is teaching us dependence on Him in the process. God bless you all!

We're Going to Brazil!

We had tickets to Brazil reserved for March 31st. Our deadline to confirm those tickets was March 10th. We prayed and prayed all weekend for enough support to come in so we could purchase those tickets, but March 10th came and went with only one extra percent of support added to our monthly need. Since our travel agent didn't call to get an answer from us, we decided to wait and see if God would bring in more support before we called her. As we lay in bed that night, both David and I were restless as we wondered what the next step would be. Lining up more meetings didn't sound too appealing, but we realized that was a possibility. My heart was discouraged and I didn't understand why God had not met the deadline we imposed on Him.

The next day we went on with our routine of doing things to get ready to leave. David got a call that afternoon from our pastor telling us that someone had just called him to tell him they would like to support us anonymously. The amount bumped us to 96% and within minutes, David was on the phone with our travel agent, confirming those tickets for March 31st. Isn't God great? That was a lesson for me and a reminder that my faith is not nearly as strong as I wish it were. We had asked God to provide for us by a certain date, and when that didn't happen, I was discouraged, wondering, "now what?" But obviously God had other plans and one of the many things deputation has taught me is that God does things in His own time and very often, in unexpected ways. Why did I think this time would be any different?

I went for a walk after we got the news of our increase in support, and I had mixed feelings. Of course I am thrilled to finally be going to Brazil to start our ministry there, but a part of me resists change, especially change that will affect just about every area of my comfortable little life. I know that the life God has planned for us in Brazil will be rewarding and challenging and fulfilling, but my heart is saddened by the sacrifices that will be involved, especially when it comes to family. Since I'm already tearing up as I write this, I won't keep writing about it for fear of becoming too emotional, but know that we need your prayers more than ever. Raising support was the easy part, I'm sure, compared to what lies ahead for us.

Here are some specific prayer needs to keep in mind:

1) The remaining 4% of our support, which in dollar amount is $150
2) Wisdom and strength to:
-- continue to sort through and pack our stuff
-- wrap up final details (like closing accounts)
-- step into the pastorate at Valentina Baptist Church (yes, we will be busy from the start)
3) The sale of our second car (we just sold one on Monday!)
4) Safety on our way to Brazil
5) Satisfaction in Christ and in who He is as we enter a new phase in life

Answers to Prayer