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Brazil Mission Team Schedule August 5 August 6 (7pm) August 7 (10:30am) 1st Update We met in Calgary at Bethany Chapel at 10:30 Calgary time. We prayed together and then headed up to the Calgary airport to board our flight to Dallas Texas. As we are checking in, they told us that our flight to Dallas has been delayed 30 min. This created a bit of a problem as our layover in Dallas which was only 45 minutes to begin with was now looking like it was down to only 15 minutes. Since there was nothing we could do but pray, we continued on through American Customs. Everyone made it through with out any problems, although some got through no questions asked, while others had to stand there for 5 minutes answering all the questions asked by the Customs guards. We then waited in line, and all made it through security with no problems. After we all met up in the 'secure' part of the airport we all went different directions and got some food. While we were eating there was an announcement that our plane was now at a different gate. Once we were all finished we met up, got team pictures taken and waited to board the plane. Finally we were all on, the door had been closed, and we were in the air on our way to Dallas. The flight attendant beside us asked us what time our plane from Dallas to Sao Paulo was supposed to leave, and by that time the plane was leaving 5 minutes after we landed. They got in contact with the Dallas air control center and got them to make sure they would hold the plane for our team. This was a great relief to us, because it meant that we didn't have to spend the night in Dallas, but at the same time it created the problem we had all been already fearing.... there wasn't going to be enough time for our luggage to make it on the plane. So what did we do? We continued to pray individually. The power of Prayer and the power of God are miraculous. We got to the Dallas airport 10 minutes earlier then they had originally thought, but also we found out that the plane that we had to catch was delayed for maintenance. This created for us an hour layover in Dallas so we were able to get food before boarding the plane. As we were getting taxied to the runway the captain made an apology to the passengers for the delay saying that in the 26 years he's been flying planes, he's never had something like that happen. That was a complete God moment. It was so amazing to see that He is with us right from the start before we even get to Brazil. I know for me that it put me at ease about the trip to know so early that He is going to be beside us each and every step we take. We then started the long 10 hour flight to Brazil. Luckily it was a night flight so most of the team was able to sleep for at least part of the trip, even if it wasn't the best sleep ever. We woke up in the morning just a few hours from Sao Paulo and that time passed quickly. Once we landed we had to collect our bags. Thanks to God providing earlier with delaying the flight all but 2 of our bags were able to make it on the plane, and the 2 bags that are missing are donation bags. Once everyone had all their bags we proceeded through Brazilian immigration and customs with out any problems. We were then met at the airport by Paul, who runs Lar Feliz, and his son Jeremy, as well as one of our translators for the week, Danielli, and 3 of the boys from Lar Feliz, Pablo, Pedro and Eduardo, with whom Travis had made a deep connection with during his 6 months here last year. Then it was on to the bus for a 2 hour drive to the guest houses. We made one pit stop on the way at a restaurant called Frango Assado, where most of the team tried fried chicken on a stick, the local drink Guaranna, and purchased some food for the road, then it was back on the bus the rest of the way to the guest house. Once we were there, we unloaded the bus and put all of the donation bags in the living room of the gate house where the boys on the team are staying. The bus left and we moved our bags to our rooms and settled in before meeting with Gordon and Paul. It was there that Paul introduced us to the rest of his family, Jill his wife and Elisa his daughter. We went over general rules and questions for Lar Feliz and then went to unpack the donation bags and practice one of the dramas. Then a group of us went swimming in the pool at the guest house. After spending almost 24 hours in transit, getting in the pool was incredibly refreshing. At 5:30 Brazil time (2:30 Calgary time) we headed down the road to the Project to meet the kids. We played with them for an hour and a half before we sat down for dinner with the kids. Once dinner was done we put on a small program for them where Melissa and Micheal C. shared their testimonies, the drama team performed “Chains”, and we sang a few songs with them. The kids then went to bed and we all went back to get clothes for the night and then piled in to the vans and one car and headed to Hotel Shellter where we spent the first night. We woke up this morning, and enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at the hotel before getting back in the van to come to the Project this morning. Once here we got right into working scraping old paint off the walls, putting new paint on and getting organized. We broke for a quick lunch before launching right back into the work. Now a group of us are preparing to go to a public hospital in the nearby city of Jaguariuna to go walk through the halls and sing for the kids. We will spend the rest of the day working at the project and playing with the kids. Tomorrow we will spend the morning here at the project before going to a juvenile prison in Mogi Mirim. That is all that I have time to write today. Chau August 8 (12:30pm) 2nd Update Hola! I left off just as we were about to leave for the optional trip to the hospital in Jaguariuna. What an experience. About 12 of us went as well as two boys, Tiago and Vandeli, who have left the project but Gordon is very close with. The hospital we went to is one that a group has visited each year we have come to Brazil, and each year gets better. Bonnie was telling us last night that the first year they went they didn't allow the team to go any further then the lobby. Later in the week they then invited the team back due to the amazing response from the hospital staff and allowed them to walk through the halls and sing songs. Last year when we visited, the hospital director, Manuel, escorted us from place to place, and took with him one of our puppets that has the same colors as the flag for Jaguariuna. They had for us a table full of sandwiches and goodies when we were done, and the director promised to teach us this year how to make a dessert called Brigadera, which is pretty much chocolate balls that have been rolled in chocolate sprinkles. This year when we went down the first thing we noticed was a mural of Jesus that was on one of the walls by the waiting room, a huge change from when the group came the first year. They escorted us through the halls allowing us to sing songs everywhere we stopped and talk briefly to the groups of people we met. Manuel once again took our puppet and interacted with it with the kids in the halls. When we stopped in one of the halls we sang to a group where one of the doctors was a friend of Pauls and knew about Lar Feliz. When we were done, he invited us to come and do a service at his Church, so we are trying to find time that we can go. Immediately after we left to move on, he gave Paul a call (who was with some of our team who had stayed to continue painting and start building walls) to say that the Canadians had just stopped by and that their singing was beautiful. Once we were done touring the halls they took us back to the room we had been in last year and we walked in to see a portable stove, and ingredients sitting around it. Although we had forgotten, Manuel had not. He got one of his hospital staff to come and teach us how to make Brigadera! What an incredible experience. When we finally went to leave, the hospital staff that had been with us walked with us out to the vans to say goodbye and wave us off. Never in Calgary would you ever see that, it was such a blessing. We stopped to pick up some fresh squeezed orange juice and then headed back to the Project to join the rest of the team, getting lost only once on the way home. Once we had joined up with the team, we played with the kids for a little while before sitting down for dinner. Once again as with every lunch and dinner we had rice and beans. However new to previous years at every meal now they have some sort of meat, and even better, at lunch they now always have fresh fruit. Once dinner was done we quickly hurried away and met back at the guest house to go in to Holambra to get some ice cream. Just as we were leaving, it started to rain, and it rained hard. As we were driving there was some beautiful lightning and the rain poured down. We spent some time in Holambra bonding and eating ice cream before heading back to the guest house to have a group devotional. We focused on 1 Peter 3:8-12 and it was able to relate well to everyone either for themselves or in regards to the children at the Project. We talked about how everyone was doing and about moments that has happened during the day. Janna had the chance to sit down and have a heart to heart with one of the girls from the project. Gordon was able to talk with Tiago about his life. We are all building amazing relationships with the children, and able to see the way that God is here and working in our lives and in the children’s lives. We prayed and talked over a bit of business then were dismissed to do what we wanted. Although it was still raining a group of us went and jumped in the pool to clean and relax, others went to bed, and still others went and had their own devotional time or chatted with others. Then eventually we all made it into bed. We woke up this morning and had breakfast at the guest house with the little bit of food we had, since we were not able to get groceries yesterday. Once that was done, Bonnie, Janna and Janae went into town to get groceries while the rest of us either headed down to the project to do what work we could in the rain or those who were sick had time to get some more sleep. People continued to build the walls, others played with the kids, a group painted the gate house (where the boys on the team are staying) and a group primed the inside of the new room on the boy’s house. Then lunch time, which was easy for everyone to get to except for those priming the boy’s house. The door had just been installed so while the cement sets there is only one way in and out - a little window in the bathroom. It was a riot to get out and to watch everyone else as they attempted to climb out the window. We sat down for a quick lunch then back to work. The primer group climbed back in the window to paint, the wall group went back to building, the gate house group went back to painting and the grocery crowd split among us. We will continue to spend the rest of the afternoon here getting what work we can done in the rain and playing with the kids. Tonight we will go into Campinas to go to the Nazerene youth service. Tomorrow we will spend the morning at Lar Feliz, and then go to a prison in Mogi Mirim in the afternoon.
August 8 (9pm) Email messages to the team can be sent to team@bmtn.org August 10 (9pm) 3rd Update Hola! Well, lets say that night got interesting. We set out in our regular convoy and met up with Paul on the highway. There was Paul, then the car, then the first van, and then our van. Driving down the highway at night, pitch-black, a large transport truck pulled in front of us just before a traffic circle, we lost sight of the convoy and by the time we could see around the truck they were gone. We quickly decided to go left and followed that road for a while, then turned around went back to the highway and headed toward Arthur Nogueira. Eventually feeling completely lost we pulled over to call Paul only to find out after calling that we only had his home phone number. So we asked a local how to get to Paulinia. After getting lost once more on the highway we finally made it into Paulinia and were happy to be on the right track. But that happy feeling didn't last long. We pulled over and asked a group of locals where the small Nazerene Church that we were supposed to be at was. They didn't know, so we continued up the road until we pulled up behind a white car. Giving it a shot, Gord went and asked them and it turned out that one of the men in the car was a Pastor at a local Pentecostal Church. They said they knew of a small Nazerene Church, and offered to take us there. We drove and drove and ended up leaving Paulinia and eventually pulled up beside a very small, closed Nazerene Church. Once they realized that was the wrong church they offered to help us find gas, and then take us back all the way to Holambra. We agreed, but said we only needed to be taken back to the highway we could find it from there. After we had gassed up they took us to the highway, waved us off and we headed back in Arthur Nogueira, this time making it through with little to no problems and headed back to Holambra. We talked in the van about the bigger lesson in that, the humility, compassion and willingness that complete strangers had shown us. We returned home and then waited for the rest of the team, who had actually successfully made it to the Church. They did a full service for them and did everything they had hoped to do. We chatted about the night’s experiences and then everyone went to bed. Hola! August 9, I believe it was a Saturday. Everyone was up around 8 getting ready for the day and everything that it had in store. While some people slowly got ready to head down to the Project, 14 of us jumped into a van and a car to head into Campinas to a supermarket to do a service outside the doors. We got in, having no idea where we were going, but just following the car in front of us that was showing us where to go. We were all surprised when we pulled up in front of the largest mall in South America. We unpacked the van and headed in to set up. We met up with Danielli's family, who are involved with a group from the Project School that we had been at last year in the slums. They come every year to this supermarket and bag groceries for shoppers and in turn are able to raise support for their school and church. We received another surprise when the manager of the supermarket gave us permission to stand inside and to talk about what ever we wanted, to talk about God and pray with people who wanted it. We started off with some songs, then performed a few dramas and gave a few testimonies while those with puppets walked around talking to those who stayed and those just passing by. When we were done we received a note from a girl who had not been able to stay, blessing us and thanking God that we were able to come to Brazil and to that supermarket to Bless the people around us. We packed up quickly and piled back in to the cars to go meet the others. Those who had stayed at the project to paint in the morning came into Campinas to meet up with us around lunch. We all ran in to a little convenience store, grabbed food, and then the whole team drove over to a juvenile boys prison that we had been at last year. We split into two groups and went to do programs for the boys. We only had about 30 minutes at that prison, and then we drove to a different prison a bit further away. The boys in this one have not yet been to the judges. Unlike the first prison where they were able to sit on benches out of bars around us, the boys at the second prison had to stay behind bars and we weren't allowed to lean against or stand to close to the bars. We again split into two groups and did programs for the boys. We had a longer time at this prison so we were able to do more dramas and testimonies for the second groups. Once we were done there we headed back to Lar Feliz and quickly ate dinner before getting back in the vans to head into Jaguariuna to go to Bruno's church. Bruno was the friend of Paul and Danielli that we had met when we were at the hospital in Jaguariuna a few days before. This time we all made it to the Church with no one getitng lost. They sang all of the worship, but it was really cool because all of the songs they sang in Portugese, we knew in English. They had 3 girls who danced to the song Prince of Peace, and a small choir that has been learning English, so they sung for us a song in English. Then we got up. We sang for them a few songs, did a few dramas, Janna gave her testimony and then Gord preached. Their Pastor then came and thanked us and blessed us and we then joined them for hotdogs. We then came home, and most everyone went to bed pretty quick. Although some were starting to feel tired and sick, it is evident the way that God is working in their lives, and working through them in the lives of others. Everyone continues to create stronger bonds with each other and are creating special bonds with the kids. We then piled all the rubbermaid bins and personal gifts that had been made by people from Bethany Chapel into the vans and drove down to the dining hall. While the kids ate, we brought them in and organized it all. That meal was the fastest one the kids have eaten yet. They were all so excited. We handed out the rubbermaid bins to all of them and they were all grateful for the new supplies. Then the personal gifts. For those on the team who had made one, they handed them out to the kids they had made it for and then we handed out the rest of them to the kids. It was like Christmas morning. The kids were all so happy and excited that they all got specialized gifts. However in our rush, we forgot one of the gifts at the guest house. One girl sat with no gift and as we searched high and low for it we couldn't find it. Finally just in the nick of time we did. Once everyone was happy and on their way to bed we got in the vans and went into Holambra to a small all you can eat Brazilian Buffet. Everyone enjoyed the change of food, and we filled up over conversation of the trip, rejoicing in special moments, and funny memories. Then a second group went back to Paul’s to call home and send emails. Then everyone came home and did their own thing, talking in the kitchen, devotionals or journaling, or going to bed. Kelly and his van drove past us, thinking that they knew the way home. Once back at the guest house we arrived to see the gate still closed, wondering where they were only to get a call from them saying they took the wrong exit and were in Campinas, they had to double back to avoid rush hour traffic and were now on their way back. We unloaded the two vans we had and then went down to the Project. We played with the kids and then ate supper. After supper a group of girls, all sat down to paint nails. The girls from the Project all did our nails like professionals, one even giving a french manicure with only her finger! We tried to do as good a job as they did, and a few of our mistakes ended in everyone laughing. The team then left when the kids went to bed and we went into town for ice cream. After that we headed home and hung out, played another game of quelf, and chatted till everyone went to bed. We then headed back into Holambra to get gas. We decided that we wanted ice cream and once we got down to the bakery where you get the ice cream we ran into part of our team. They had all come in with some of the kids to spend the afternoon shopping and eating ice cream. This had been planned for a while, but they were able to take more kids because we ran out of paint down at the Project. We talked for while before they left and we got our ice cream. Once we were done, we headed across the street to do a bit of shopping. we all bought new flip flops and looked at shoes. Once everyone was happy we headed back to the Project and cleaned up a bit before heading down for supper. After supper we played outside with the kids, and we are coming to the realization that all of these kids have more energy then us. Shortly there after the Paulinia youth that a van load had missed when we got lost arrived at the Project and went to set up in the dining hall. Then their youth, our team, and the kids from the project got together to have a service. The Paulinia youth did the worship, and had the words for two of the songs in English. so that was so cool to have everyone singing in English. We came out of the service to hear a fire roaring. we looked over to see that the farmer in the field over was burning his now dead crop of sugar cane. It was a huge fire, and it was close, but it was so beautiful. The kids went to bed and we headed back to the house and ate more ice cream and cookies and chatted with the Paulinia youth. They stayed for a while and then we cleaned up and did our own thing then went to bed. Which actually brings me to an important matter of prayer. For those who were on the Brazil team last year I'm sure you will remember Bruna and her sister Isabella. They have the opportunity right now to be adopted. They are in a 30-day trial, and yesterday Bruna returned to the Project. This is the third adoption family that she will be turning down, and only by the grace of God does she have until Sunday to change her mind. We ask for your prayer that she will change her mind and go to live with this family for a few reasons. Firstly if she doesn't, she will be separated from her sister, Also because this is the third oppurtunity she has had to get adopted, if she does not take this she will no longer be living at Lar Feliz. She will either be sent to live with her family in a poor situation, with little money, or she will be moved to a full orphanage. The best choice for her is to go with the adoption so we pray that she will make the right decision. Also we ask for your prayer for the staff. Because of the circumstances they have to be tough, and thus she is not allowed to play with us or the other kids and this is hard for the staff. We ask that you would pray for continued wisdom and strength to deal with this appropriately. Also for your continued prayer for our team. We are on the last leg of the trip and are starting to get tired. Your prayers for strength to finish strong and for continued relationships are going to be important to us. Thank you for your dedication to our team through your prayer and encouraging emails. I have been sharing them with the team and it is a definite boost to our spirits. Thank you to Nino and Gail Arenzale, Greg Lusignan, Dave and Betty Petkau, Sheila Jepps and Steve Marsten for you words of encouragement and hope for our team. It is a great feeling to know that there are people back in Canada who are supporting us, and your emails often can bring a lift to our day.
August 16th Saturday. As the crowd dispersed we split into groups to go and do more shopping. We met up again, and got in the vans to drive to a soccer store that people wanted to visit to buy jerseys. We were about half way there and had been stopped at a red light, the light turned green, Kelly’s van went, Bonnie’s van stalled, Gord’s van stopped, the Honda behind Gord stopped, but the Fiat behind him really didn't feel like stopping. Fiat met Honda, Honda met Fiat, Fiat met van. Fiat, little bit of damage, Honda nothing, Van.... Bent in bumper. Everyone was OK, no one was hurt and everyone was very understanding. Gord pulled over, we kept going, caught up with Kelly, told him what happened, then made a large circle back through the streets to meet the van. The information was exchanged and we continued on our way. We spent sometime in another market where the soccer store was and people got what they needed and then we headed over to the largest mall in South America to pick up Dave A and Kurtis who had been shopping there with one of the translators Mauricio, and to let one van stop and shop while the other two vans went home. Kim, Danielli and myself went to try and find a bank that would read our cards, and we ran into Carlos, Janna and Miriam who had been in the other van. They told us that Kurtis and Dave had not yet shown up and that started for us the wild goose chase of finding everyone. We found Kurtis and Dave, but were not able to find nor get hold of Carlos. Eventually we met with the rest of the shopping group and walked over to the van and got there just as one of the other vans pulled up. they were supposed to have left over an hour before that and were still there waiting for the boys. The other van had gone back with people who were feeling sick, so the two vans loaded up and headed back to the Project. We got back to find that there wasn't enough food for us at the Project, and since we didn't have much food at the house this created a problem. But we came up with a solution. The team was breaking into two groups that night anyway, some of the girls were staying to do a bible study with the older girls at the Project while the rest of the team was going into a church in Aregna Nuigera. So those staying at the Project went down there to eat while the rest of us went into town to the Servette (ice cream) store and bakery to get supper. Once again God provides for us. They had a feeling that they were going to need a big meal ready for that night so they made two batches of soup that were almost finished cooking when we showed up. So we were all able to have a good hot meal before going into Argena Nuigera. It was a small Church, but by far one of the most hospitable to us. They asked us if we wanted to do the worship, and we agreed and then continued on with our service. There was a lady there that night who had really good English and had just come back from spending 2 months in Canada, however she was not a Christian. At the end of the night the Church asked us to pray for them so Gord said for those who wanted prayer to stand up and we would come and pray for them and the entire church stood up. So we split up and went to each person and prayed for them in English, and that Lady received prayer. After that the church prayed for us and presented us with a huge gift basket full of chocolate for the entire team, then the invited us to come and eat with them a kind of pizza-like torte. It was quite good and then we got into the van and came home. We talked with those who had stayed and heard such amazing stories from them. Kirsten said she could go home now, and that the conversation from that night was the reason why she was down here. Kim and Ashley shared their testimonies, and through their stories the girls felt comfortable enough to share their stories which many of them have never done. It was an incredible night for everyone that was there. August 18, Monday Today was a day of continuing to trust in God and letting his plans overtake ours. We got up this morning, and 19 members of the team got ready to go to public schools in Campinas, while the rest of the team stayed to finish painting the gazebo, tile the floor in the boy’s room, and Monique and a friend stayed to continue to work on the murals. They went down to the Project and we continued down the road on to the highway to Campinas. Part way down the highway Gord pulled over. The transmission in the 12-seater van he was driving was acting up and he didn't want to be driving it around in Campinas, so 2 people moved to the other van, and we went back to the guest house to switch vans, leaving the others on the side of the road. We got the other van, and headed back to meet the rest of the team where we had left them, but when we got there all we saw was the van sitting there empty with its hazard lights on. We were all confused until we heard Kurtis yelling at us from the balcony of the bar above. We pulled over and they all came running down super excited. When we had left them, they went up to get a cold drink, figuring that they would have pop. They got up there and Danielli felt the need to go and talk with one woman who was there and was able to pray with her. Brianna also felt in her heart that she had to pray for one of the bartenders so she went to talk with him and was able to pray for him and one of the other bartenders. Complete God moment. We got back in the vans and continued on to the public school we were now late for. Everything was going well until we got a little turned around in Campinas and we ended up in front of a special needs school instead of the public school. By that time there wasn't enough time to find the public school and do an outreach there so Gord went in, and asked if they would like us to do an outreach for them and they said yes. We got what we needed out of the vans and headed in to their cafeteria where they were eating lunch. We sung a few songs for them, did a drama and a puppet skit as well. Although the students were more just entertained, the staff were so touched by us being there. One of the ladies was saying that it is incredible that people from another continent cared so much about their children here in Brazil that we would come and do our outreaches, and that they were Blessed to have us visit them, and we are Blessed for what we are doing. Another God moment for the day. Ashley prayed for her, and then we went out to grab a bite to eat before heading to the next school. The afternoon school is one that teams have been to in the past. 3 years ago the principal was not a Christian and thus was very strict about what we were allowed to do. Last year when we returned she told us how she had become a Christian in the year, and encouraged us to do whatever we wanted. This year was no different, although she was not there, the vice principal greeted us with as much joyfulness and hospitality as we had been given the year before. We set up, and they brought all the kids who were in school at that time to see us. We did a few dramas, a few puppet skits, taught them dum dum diddy, and Bonnie and Brianna shared with them their testimonies. When we were done the kids all ran to get a pen and their notebooks, and came around to all of us to get our signatures. Then we headed home, driving by the project we saw what had been done so far of the mural on the office, which is the symbol for Lar Feliz. It had come along way and we were all impressed. We had some free time to play with the kids before dinner, then we ate and spent sometime with them after dinner as well. We watched a movie with them for a bit, and then they all went to bed, so we packed up and went back to the guest house to go to bed ourselves. August 19 Tuesday Today we again split into groups, a few people stayed to continue work on the murals and to finish painting the gazebo, while the rest of the team headed into Jaguariuna to go to a Down Syndrome school, which Rodrigo one of the boys from the Project attends. We bought some of the trinkets that they make to support the school and then set up in the courtyard. We kept the service short because the students were in the sun, but we were able to do a few dramas, a few puppet skits, Lindsey danced and gave her testimony, and Gord talked. We spent a bit of time with the students and then came back to the project for lunch. After we joined in to get the rest of the work done. A few people went to finish the tiling, a few people went to completely finish the gazebo, a few people were able to play with the kids, and Janna and myself went to start work on the ostrich fence, that we thought was half done with the poles already in the ground. Unfortunately it hadn't even been started so we got shovels and started to dig the holes for the poles. We hadn't realized there was that much work to be done on the fence so unfortunately we will have to leave not having finished the fence. We got a lot of work done before most of the team had to get ready to go to Teen Challenge. Teen Challenge is actually a facility for men who are overcoming drug addictions. We sang a few songs for them, did a few dramas and Dave and Miriam shared their testimonies and then we opened it up to them. A few of the men shared their stories with us and it was great to be able to hear them. Then they sang a song for us, and then we got in the vans and came home. We went down to the project to say goodnight to the kids, and then came up to the guest house and met for a quick devotional, then went to bed. August 20, Wednesday Today was our last full day in Brazil and we were able to spend all of it at the Project with the kids not doing any work, but just spending the whole day playing with them. It was great to have a full day where we could completely be with the kids and not be worrying about work that needed to be done. Then about mid-afternoon we split off to get ready for the stampede night that we had planned. a group of us prepared from scratch hamburgers and cooked them, while others got ready different activities like horse shoe toss, and cowboy relay, practiced line dancing, and water gun target shooting. We did some face painting and put on a video from last year of the kids for them to see, as well as bringing out a few games for the kids. We had a Canadian dinner, hamburgers, fries and Canadian beans and then split off for the activities, which the kids all enjoyed. Then they went to bed, and we went out for ice cream as a team. We looked back on the week, shared memories and stories and once we were done, had the opportunity to pray for Louis, the manager of the ice cream store. We headed home, and had time to ourselves to do devotionals, talk or go to bed. August 21, Thursday. I cannot believe how quickly this two weeks has gone by. This is our last day in Brazil and we are all sad that it is over, yet happy to be coming home to our families. Everyone has been pitching in to get everything packed up, and to clean both houses we have been staying in. What's left of the donations is being brought down to the Project, and the team is coming down to spend that last little bit of time with the kids and saying good bye before we have to get on the bus in 3 hours. Everyone who came on this trip has been blessed in their own individual way, and has also been a blessing to those that are here in Brazil. But we could not have done it with out support from everyone at home, through your prayers and donations before we left and while we have been here. God has been glorified these past two weeks, and will continue to be here even as we leave and will be in Canada as we return. We continue to ask for your prayers for the kids at the Project that they would continue to lean on God and be strengthened by Him. As well as for Bruna and her sister, as they have made the final decision not to be adopted, that God would continue to wrap his arms around them and keep them safe. As well as for the team, in that even as we return home that we would be able to continue the relationships that we have formed while we have been here, as well as for safe travels as we will be starting the long journey home soon. Thank you to everyone who has been reading the updates and has been praying for the team, your prayers have made a difference to us.
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For more information call 403.249.8605 or email info@bmtn.org |
Watch this page for updates as we prepare for the trip and while we are there!