Pray for the Gospel to Spread!

These were lives given and not taken in Orissa, India. Pray that the Gospel will spread as a result of them giving their lives even unto death for the Gospel. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage in your faith so that when you are called even unto death to give your life; you will be ready.

Interesting reading...

Brazilian Baptist churches open doors to flood survivors in Rio de Janeiro

Alternative Futures
What will the imb look like in the future? With only around 25 new workers being sent out this year and money still lacking what is going to happen? A lot depends upon the GCR document that will be explained and voted on this summer at the SBC national meeting.

Karis is 6 months old!

Karis had her first "real" food today! Carrots- I want to see if she will turn orange. She loved them! Well, the second time. After gagging on them on the 4th bite we took a break. A few hours later she went for seconds. For dessert we had cake. 1/2 a cake for 1/2 a year old. Don't worry- I didn't let her eat any.

Some days I'm ready to be done nursing and then the next I want to rewind and do it all again. (Okay, honestly I never want to relive the first couple weeks.) AND also she set a new sleeping record of 9 hours straight! Yes, I am loving sleep!

Week 8

This week went by very fast because we had a holiday on Wednesday. We were able to celebrate Anna's birthday with a cook out. Sara was able to use her ability to lie in order for us to surprise Anna. I was able to make a cake thanks to the supplies I borrowed from Michelle. The only disappointment with the cake was that the powered sugar wasn't sifted b/c I don't have a sifter.

Steven shared a verse and the meaning in Portuguese at church on Wednesday night. I wasn't able to be there, but according to my friend Luciana he did very well. Luciana and I spent the afternoon together on Thursday. She works full-time and her husband works and goes to school full-time. So it was a special occasion for us to spend a lot of time together. She took me around town and graciously listened to me stubble over many words. I am thankful for our new friendship!

Friday was our second test. I stayed up way to late studying, but all these irregular verbs are killing me. I passed and then came home and took a nap. The evening concluded with my first trip to the movie theater. Good way to get in some language in a relaxed environment. Not to mention way cheaper than the US.

Week 7

Two teeth. Duas dentes.
I found it incredibly difficult to take a picture of the teeth in the mouth of a 5 month old.
I also discovered how to make rice cereal and it was very fun to feed it to her.
We got 2 packages! Cheerios! Sun glasses for K!
Our church held a couples dinner and our friend Michelle generously kept K for us! For dinner we had pizza with peas, cream cheese, and collard greens as the toppings.
We visited the "hippie fair" downtown and met a guy with a Hebrew tattoo whose family is Jehovah Witness.

New Toy and the Park

From the look on her face I think she likes it.

Week 6

Another full week with a lot of interesting happenings. Last Saturday we got a knock on the door around noon from our neighbors. We knew they were grilling b/c we could smell it. So we were happy to except the invitation to come down for some food and Portuguese. We ended up spending over 5 hours with them and their many guests. That night was the 10th anniversary of the church that we attend so we gathered to have a celebration.

Sunday was filled with futebol, studying, and church.

Our first language test was on Wednesday so the beginning of the week was filled with studying. Except for a break on Tuesday for Emily to get a massage (1 hour for $15!). We both passed with no problem (a true testimony of God's grace).
Oh, and Karis was right in the middle of cutting her first tooth : )

After our test we wanted to eat good food so we went on a search for something besides rice and beef. Thanks to the elaborate decor we easily found an Italian restaurant. Little did we know it would be the most famous Italian place in Brazil and cost $40 a plate. So we opted to share and eat ice cream afterward. It was delicious!

Thursday Karis enjoyed a nap at the park while I caught up on some reading for fun! I also did some baking- banana bread. Friday was the day we were determined to find a new toy for K. We were successful and she loves it (pictures to come).

This time last year...

When I think about the past I enjoy remembering how God has been faithful. As I studied Portuguese and watched the NCAA championship my mind kept returning to "this time last year". Last year about this time I had not been feeling 100% and thought I had picked up some bug in the Amazon. However, I was pregnant and that "bug" is now 5 1/2 months old. Yes, UNC did win the national championship last year so it was only fitting that Duke would win this year.
Back to the point- God has taught me much patience and given me a tiny understanding of how much he loves me through Karis. I am thankful!

It was a joy to celebrate Christ with our new fellowship here over the weekend. Even though I struggled to understand the language I was able to praise God. It was a small victory. I am thankful!

I am also thankful for family and friends! Really thankful to receive packages from them in the mail. Shout out today to Stan and Melanie! We love the sweet basket (that you made) and cute outfits.

Week 5

We hosted our first dinner at our home for our brasileiro neighbors. They love ranch dressing (not found here in Brazil). So if anyone wants to mail us some packets, we have lots of friends to share it with. With "Good Friday" and "Easter" coming up we had an opportunity to ask them about their beliefs. After they explained a interesting mix of religiosity I(Emily) was able to share the Gospel with them, emphasizing a lot about the death and resurrection of Christ. They listened and seemed to want to continue the conversation at another time. Please pray for more opportunities to share.

Wilma (Vilma in Portuguese) came on Thursday to clean our home and teach us how to make rice the Brazilian way.

Karis is still into everything and now loves sleeping on her belly. She even tucks her legs up under her with her butt up in the air. Sooo cute!

Today is "Good Friday" so we didn't have class and are planning a drive out to the countryside.