The guys had to disconnect our Internet over the weekend while the siding was going on so I wasn’t able to blog about our work weekend or upload pictures. Apparently the cable wires were connected directly to the back of the house and the guys re-routed them. So…random thoughts from me…
Congratulations to my friend, Leslie, in Ohio who recently had a baby boy! He was welcomed by mom, dad, and his big brother, Joshua who can show him the ropes!
Our Memorial Day work weekend to side the house was successful…after the rain stopped on Saturday. I had to break from the siding for about 24 hours starting Saturday afternoon because SoulFire played in Cedar Rapids Sunday morning and we needed to get set up. It was a great time with the folks at Cedar Rapids Family Church and we hope to worship with them again sometime. When we finally stopped siding on Monday evening we had the back, one side and ¾ of the front of the house finished. It has really been a fun project to work on…and it’s been interesting to learn how to put on siding. My friend, Joe, has been a great help to us in the project and I’m sure he has gone away with some great stories about my family! I’ve uploaded pictures of the results so far and you can check them out by clicking on “My Pictures” in the column to the right.
I still have yet to upload the pictures from my recent trip to Brasil. They are on my friend’s computer and she put them on a CD for me but no computer is able to read the CD for some reason. I need to have her try again. More on that trip later…
Last night Jill, the boys, and I went out for a celebratory dinner. We celebrated their last days of school and my new job! Wednesday I got an offer to work for Nationwide Mortgage and I start Monday, June 11. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time. I’ve done mortgage processing before and I really liked it but the process will be different at a new company. I will really miss the flexibility I’ve grown accustomed to from temping but am excited about a full-time job again. Especially since my brother will be coming home from the Persian Gulf in about 5 weeks and I will need to find my own place to live. I will miss seeing my sister-in-law and nephews on a daily basis but it will be great to have my brother home safe and sound!!
So, I gave all my possessions away when I moved in here thinking that I would be preparing to move to Brasil…but God is telling me to wait...so if you have anything you want to get rid of I’d love to have it!
Thursday, May 31
Friday, May 25
Siding Weekend...
The last couple weekends my friend, Joe, has been helping us get started with the new siding. It started off being just Joe and Jill's dad but then we all got in the game! They started on the garage (for practice) and we finished that this week. Now family is on the way for a work weekend and we're ready to go! Here's a link to some pictures, if you're interested...and I'll post more as we progress!
Last Day of Preschool for Lucas
On Tuesday Lucas had his last day of preschool and they had a small program for the parents and then we had a snack together. Jill had to work and Dan is still in the Middle East so I went for Lucas.
This is Lucas with his teachers, Miss Cherie and Miss Michelle...
And a couple videos of them performing the program...mostly for Dan, his dad, to see. Be safe, Dan...see you soon!
Thursday, May 24
Thursday, May 17
Tennis Elbow
Well, it appears that I have tennis elbow. Here's what www.mayoclinic.com has to say about it: "Tennis elbow is an overuse injury. It's caused by repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. The repeated motions and stress to the tissue may result in inflammation or a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bone at the outside of your elbow. As the name tennis elbow indicates, playing tennis — particularly, repeated use of the backhand stroke with poor technique — is one possible cause of the condition. However, many other common arm motions can cause tennis elbow, too — including using a screwdriver, hammering, painting, raking, weaving and others."
Hmmm...haven't done any of that...
I can tell you that the symptoms they list are dead-on! "Pain that radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist. Pain when you touch or bump the outside of your elbow. Pain when you extend your wrist. A weak grip. A painful grip during certain activities, such as shaking hands or turning a doorknob. They say the pain often gets worse over weeks or months. Sometimes you may feel pain even when your arm is still." Yup...got that, too. It pretty much adds up to, how do they say it?..."General difficulty holding onto, pinching, or gripping objects. Pain, stiffness, or insufficient elbow and hand movement. Forearm muscle tightness and insufficient forearm functional strength." Nice, eh?
And there is no cure. They do give you some remedies to try at home before you go see a doctor so I'll give them a shot. If anyone has had this before and has some "magic" remedy please let me know!! SoulFire is moderately busy in the next few months so I wonder how much this will affect by bass playing...
Hmmm...haven't done any of that...
I can tell you that the symptoms they list are dead-on! "Pain that radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist. Pain when you touch or bump the outside of your elbow. Pain when you extend your wrist. A weak grip. A painful grip during certain activities, such as shaking hands or turning a doorknob. They say the pain often gets worse over weeks or months. Sometimes you may feel pain even when your arm is still." Yup...got that, too. It pretty much adds up to, how do they say it?..."General difficulty holding onto, pinching, or gripping objects. Pain, stiffness, or insufficient elbow and hand movement. Forearm muscle tightness and insufficient forearm functional strength." Nice, eh?
And there is no cure. They do give you some remedies to try at home before you go see a doctor so I'll give them a shot. If anyone has had this before and has some "magic" remedy please let me know!! SoulFire is moderately busy in the next few months so I wonder how much this will affect by bass playing...
Monday, May 7
Luciana
Last night I had the chance to visit my friend, Luciana, after church. She is to my right in the picture. Luciana used to be very involved in the church doing children's ministry and I got to know her very well when I lived here for 3 1/2 months. She was one of my guitar students. A couple years ago she began to make some choices that have cost her a lot of things. Her marriage and time with her kids among them. And these choices have taken her away from God. But Luciana says she is happy...happier now than before. But her face betrays her. My heart is broken for her because I can see how Satan is blinding her to what is right. I came across this saying and I think it fits Luciana's life perfectly...
"The world:
- took me farther than I wanted to go;
- cost me more than I wanted to pay;
- kept me longer than I wanted to stay;
- left me far more empty than I could have believed."
I wonder if she is "lost" in this cycle...not knowing how to stop it because she is being blinded by the evil one. No one can make the choice to come back to God for her. It must be her decision. And it pains me to know there is nothing I can do. Nothing except pray for her and make a point to visit her whenever I come to Brasil. To let her know that I love her and to tell her that none of these choices will make me love her less.
Sunday, May 6
Uma dia bem legal! (A very cool day!)
Today was a very good day! But first let me go back to yesterday...
Chellee and I went with Tamara, Chris, and Thais sight-seeing in Porto Alegre. On the way into the city we were stopped in a police blitz. The police have been cracking down on people who don't update their car documents. It's all on the honor system here and if you're caught with expired documents your car is immediately taken from you. The only way to catch people is to randomly stop cars and check the documents. Well, we were stopped...and I was driving. So, I handed the officer the documents along with my Iowa drivers license and he walked away. He came back several minutes laster and he asked, in Portuguese, if I spoke Porguguese. I said no...which wasn't a total lie. Then he started to speak to me in English - and very good English at that. He said he had a brother in Rhode Island and his brother had 2 daughters but they were coming back to Brasil soon. We had some small talk for a bit and then he handed me back the documents and said we could go. It was quite the experience. Once we arrive in Porto Alegre we went to several mountain tops and had several very beautiful panoramic views of the city. At the top of the third mountain we had a picnic lunch. Then we drove back down the mountain to catch the 1:30 double decker tour bus. For $7 Reias (about $3.50) you can take a bus around the city for 90 minutes to see the sights. It was very cool! And well worth the money. By the time it was over we were all pretty beat so we ventured back to Gravatai to rest. Last night Chellee and I went to Geferson and Marcia's for dinner.
Today - Sunday - was a GREAT day!! I spent the entire day with Jaque and her family. I arrived at her house around 10:00am and we had a blast!! We made lunch and Flavia and Andresa came for a visit and then at 4:00pm Gremio (the soccer team I like here) played for the Gaucho Championship...and we were watching on TV. The score ended up being 4-1...Gremio is the Gaucho Champion! The city went crazy! Then it was time for church and I was asked to play the guitar for worship. What a privilege that was. Now it is 11:30pm and I am pretty beat. Tomorrow Chellee, Heidi, and I are going to Gramado to do some shopping and then meet up with some other missionaries for fondue! Can't wait!!
Chellee and I went with Tamara, Chris, and Thais sight-seeing in Porto Alegre. On the way into the city we were stopped in a police blitz. The police have been cracking down on people who don't update their car documents. It's all on the honor system here and if you're caught with expired documents your car is immediately taken from you. The only way to catch people is to randomly stop cars and check the documents. Well, we were stopped...and I was driving. So, I handed the officer the documents along with my Iowa drivers license and he walked away. He came back several minutes laster and he asked, in Portuguese, if I spoke Porguguese. I said no...which wasn't a total lie. Then he started to speak to me in English - and very good English at that. He said he had a brother in Rhode Island and his brother had 2 daughters but they were coming back to Brasil soon. We had some small talk for a bit and then he handed me back the documents and said we could go. It was quite the experience. Once we arrive in Porto Alegre we went to several mountain tops and had several very beautiful panoramic views of the city. At the top of the third mountain we had a picnic lunch. Then we drove back down the mountain to catch the 1:30 double decker tour bus. For $7 Reias (about $3.50) you can take a bus around the city for 90 minutes to see the sights. It was very cool! And well worth the money. By the time it was over we were all pretty beat so we ventured back to Gravatai to rest. Last night Chellee and I went to Geferson and Marcia's for dinner.
Today - Sunday - was a GREAT day!! I spent the entire day with Jaque and her family. I arrived at her house around 10:00am and we had a blast!! We made lunch and Flavia and Andresa came for a visit and then at 4:00pm Gremio (the soccer team I like here) played for the Gaucho Championship...and we were watching on TV. The score ended up being 4-1...Gremio is the Gaucho Champion! The city went crazy! Then it was time for church and I was asked to play the guitar for worship. What a privilege that was. Now it is 11:30pm and I am pretty beat. Tomorrow Chellee, Heidi, and I are going to Gramado to do some shopping and then meet up with some other missionaries for fondue! Can't wait!!
Friday, May 4
Brasil - Week 1 Recap
Apparently I'm not turning out to be the best blogger in the world. Part of the problem is that I have a laptop with only dial-up capabilities therefore I can't always have it with me to write about stuff...but I am thankful for it nonetheless!
I have been in south Brasil since Monday of this week and I know you're just dying to know what I've been doing! So, I will take the time I have now to update you. I came here to visit friends and then to fly home with my friend, Chellee, who has been here since January teaching.
I arrived on Monday afternoon at 1:35 pm...safe and ON TIME! Which is somewhat of a feat nowadays in Brasil but I prayed for just that and God answered my prayer. Monday afternoon was spent simply relaxing and organizing all the gifts I had brought for people. Monday night we went to Eduardo and CiCi's and Geferson and Marcia's for a visit. Tuesday was a holiday here...Dia Internacional do Trabalho. The International Day of Work. Many countries in the world celebrate Labor Day on the first day of May. It's a public holiday in many places, including Brazil. We spent the day at the Palavra da Vida (Word of Life) camp. There was an organized soccer and volleyball tournament they were putting on as an outreach. Two teams from the Rincão church (one men and one women) and two teams from the Sitio Gaucho church (one men and one women) were entered and the womens team from the Rincão won their division! We also had a churrasco (barbeque) that day for lunch. There were tons of people there so it was fun to just walk around and watch stuff. There also is a waterfall there...once I get a chance I will upload pictures. Although that may happen after I get home next week.
Wednesday I spent the day in the Rincão with my friend, Flavia. I arrived at her house around 9am and was greeted at the door by her mom! So awesome! I met her mom last year when I was here but since then she had moved to the beach to work. She was only here for a visit and it was so good to see her! Flavia and I sat and talked and laughed...it was a day that passed much too quickly for me. That afternoon we went to the ladies bible study. They are almost finised with the book "Uma mulher segundo no coração de Deus." A Women After God's Own Heart." Flavia gave the lesson and I was able to follow more or less. My portuguese is coming back to me the more I am here and I am able to understand a lot more but it still is frustrating at times.
Thursday (yesterday) I spent the day with my friend Jucele and her family. I arrived at her house around 9:30 and we sat and talked and had lunch and then my friends Tamara, Alex and Cheyenne came there to see me. I ended up giving them a ride back to the Centro (downtown) when I took Bruno (Jucele's son) to work. Then I went back to the Geiger's for a little rest and to pick up Chellee. We returned to Jucele's about 5:30 and were there for dinner and the evening. Paulo made his famous Chinese pasta dish and we laughed and laughed. We ended the evening making chocolate chip cookies.
Today (Friday) I am at the MK (missionary kid) school with Heidi and Chellee. I had not seen the new building where the school is housed so I wanted to come today. This is also the building where another couple missionaries have their church. Today is the last day of school before they have a week off and we are having a "party" for lunch. Then Chellee, Heidi, and I will do some shopping in the Centro.
It's been a busy week but a wonderful week for me so far. My only regret is how fast the time is flying by!! I am only able to spend a small amount of time with each person and family and that is hard for me. But I am very thankful for that problem! Because that means I have some very wonderful friends in south Brasil that I didn't have before...and that is a problem I will take anyday!
Pray for me as I am trying to memorize Psalm 119:11 in Portuguese. "Guardei no coração a tua palavra para não pecar contra ti." (I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.)
I have been in south Brasil since Monday of this week and I know you're just dying to know what I've been doing! So, I will take the time I have now to update you. I came here to visit friends and then to fly home with my friend, Chellee, who has been here since January teaching.
I arrived on Monday afternoon at 1:35 pm...safe and ON TIME! Which is somewhat of a feat nowadays in Brasil but I prayed for just that and God answered my prayer. Monday afternoon was spent simply relaxing and organizing all the gifts I had brought for people. Monday night we went to Eduardo and CiCi's and Geferson and Marcia's for a visit. Tuesday was a holiday here...Dia Internacional do Trabalho. The International Day of Work. Many countries in the world celebrate Labor Day on the first day of May. It's a public holiday in many places, including Brazil. We spent the day at the Palavra da Vida (Word of Life) camp. There was an organized soccer and volleyball tournament they were putting on as an outreach. Two teams from the Rincão church (one men and one women) and two teams from the Sitio Gaucho church (one men and one women) were entered and the womens team from the Rincão won their division! We also had a churrasco (barbeque) that day for lunch. There were tons of people there so it was fun to just walk around and watch stuff. There also is a waterfall there...once I get a chance I will upload pictures. Although that may happen after I get home next week.
Wednesday I spent the day in the Rincão with my friend, Flavia. I arrived at her house around 9am and was greeted at the door by her mom! So awesome! I met her mom last year when I was here but since then she had moved to the beach to work. She was only here for a visit and it was so good to see her! Flavia and I sat and talked and laughed...it was a day that passed much too quickly for me. That afternoon we went to the ladies bible study. They are almost finised with the book "Uma mulher segundo no coração de Deus." A Women After God's Own Heart." Flavia gave the lesson and I was able to follow more or less. My portuguese is coming back to me the more I am here and I am able to understand a lot more but it still is frustrating at times.
Thursday (yesterday) I spent the day with my friend Jucele and her family. I arrived at her house around 9:30 and we sat and talked and had lunch and then my friends Tamara, Alex and Cheyenne came there to see me. I ended up giving them a ride back to the Centro (downtown) when I took Bruno (Jucele's son) to work. Then I went back to the Geiger's for a little rest and to pick up Chellee. We returned to Jucele's about 5:30 and were there for dinner and the evening. Paulo made his famous Chinese pasta dish and we laughed and laughed. We ended the evening making chocolate chip cookies.
Today (Friday) I am at the MK (missionary kid) school with Heidi and Chellee. I had not seen the new building where the school is housed so I wanted to come today. This is also the building where another couple missionaries have their church. Today is the last day of school before they have a week off and we are having a "party" for lunch. Then Chellee, Heidi, and I will do some shopping in the Centro.
It's been a busy week but a wonderful week for me so far. My only regret is how fast the time is flying by!! I am only able to spend a small amount of time with each person and family and that is hard for me. But I am very thankful for that problem! Because that means I have some very wonderful friends in south Brasil that I didn't have before...and that is a problem I will take anyday!
Pray for me as I am trying to memorize Psalm 119:11 in Portuguese. "Guardei no coração a tua palavra para não pecar contra ti." (I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.)
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