As promised earlier, here's a list of all my readers. I haven't seen or heard from one or two of them in a while, so I don't know if they're coming back or not. In any case, as far as I'm aware now, these are all my readers in no particular order.
Mirella, André, Ronaldo (oh-NAL-doh), Ludymila (loo-dee-MEE-la), João (jz-WOW... kind of), Diogenes (dee-OH-jen-eez... maybe), Myriam, Tatiane (tah-tee-AH-nee), Eliane(eh-lee-AH-nee), Christiane (cris-chee-AH-nee), Marcelo, Gilmar (JEE-ooh-mah), Adelson (ah-DEH-oo-son), Ivamar (AYE-vah-mah), and Pietro. Today, I have two new readers: Fernando and Dalmo. Also, don't forget Giovanni. He's not a reader anymore, but he could use some prayer.
Don't bet any large sums of money on those pronunciations. I ain't a dictionary.
Please pray for my readers!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Now in Color!
I have been blowing my nose a lot. Just thought you should know that.
I've had an icky cold-type thing all week, but it's going away, so that's good news. I hope this counts as my turn to get sick. Everyone else has had...other problems.
I had almost a full day of readers today. They all enjoy practicing their English a lot. Several of them have told me that they've lost some of the English they've learned because there's no one to speak it to. And if they practice it on their own, they don't know if they're pronouncing it correctly. We're very happy to be here to help them for free!
Today, I read with Pãulo, one of Kensey's readers who she didn't have an open slot for this week (he can only come at 7:00p). His English is very good. He is not a believer, but he was very excited to be in the LST program. He doesn't want to lose his English; he said it was very hard to learn it. He thinks Jesus was a good guy and agrees with some of the things he says, but he doesn't believe in religion. We talked about our foundations (building your house on a rock, etc.). He said his was his education and experience. I told him that God has to be my foundation. When a flood comes and I rely on myself, I'm always disappointed and confused and scared. But when I allow God to be my foundation, I always have something stronger than myself to build on after the storm. He said that he thought what Jesus was saying was a good thing. I pray that God will use this opportunity to reach Pãulo in a way that he hasn't been reached before.
Daniel and Everton, both readers of Kensey, have been getting me to read a lot of Portuguese lately. I can speak a few words. The most important include phrases like, "I speak a little Portuguese," "I don't understand," and "Where's my donkey?" Evidently, though, my pronunciation is very good. Whenever they get me to read, they say they are very impressed. Unfortunately, I rarely understand what I'm reading. That helps me empathize with my readers a bit, even those who seem to speak English well.
Kensey is also learning Portugese, but she's way too American to speak it as well as I do. :)
I finally thought to upload a couple of pictures. Nothing too relevant to tonight's post, but they're pretty to look at, nonetheless.
View of Recife from Danny's apartment. The beach is about six blocks thataway.
On the way to the beach, we saw lots of sugar cane. There were hills and hills of it!
My closet at Danny's house. Don't let it fool you, that's a sweet pad.
William just before his nap. His name in Poruguese is "Sehnor Grumpé Pants."
Kensey was attacked by bats on the stairs!
That was a lie.
Okay, so maybe not the strongest start for pictures. But I'll have some better ones later. If I ever remember to take my camera to the Escola, I'll try to get some of my Brazilian friends.
Thanks for your emails and comments! We miss you!
I've had an icky cold-type thing all week, but it's going away, so that's good news. I hope this counts as my turn to get sick. Everyone else has had...other problems.
I had almost a full day of readers today. They all enjoy practicing their English a lot. Several of them have told me that they've lost some of the English they've learned because there's no one to speak it to. And if they practice it on their own, they don't know if they're pronouncing it correctly. We're very happy to be here to help them for free!
Today, I read with Pãulo, one of Kensey's readers who she didn't have an open slot for this week (he can only come at 7:00p). His English is very good. He is not a believer, but he was very excited to be in the LST program. He doesn't want to lose his English; he said it was very hard to learn it. He thinks Jesus was a good guy and agrees with some of the things he says, but he doesn't believe in religion. We talked about our foundations (building your house on a rock, etc.). He said his was his education and experience. I told him that God has to be my foundation. When a flood comes and I rely on myself, I'm always disappointed and confused and scared. But when I allow God to be my foundation, I always have something stronger than myself to build on after the storm. He said that he thought what Jesus was saying was a good thing. I pray that God will use this opportunity to reach Pãulo in a way that he hasn't been reached before.
Daniel and Everton, both readers of Kensey, have been getting me to read a lot of Portuguese lately. I can speak a few words. The most important include phrases like, "I speak a little Portuguese," "I don't understand," and "Where's my donkey?" Evidently, though, my pronunciation is very good. Whenever they get me to read, they say they are very impressed. Unfortunately, I rarely understand what I'm reading. That helps me empathize with my readers a bit, even those who seem to speak English well.
Kensey is also learning Portugese, but she's way too American to speak it as well as I do. :)
I finally thought to upload a couple of pictures. Nothing too relevant to tonight's post, but they're pretty to look at, nonetheless.
View of Recife from Danny's apartment. The beach is about six blocks thataway.
On the way to the beach, we saw lots of sugar cane. There were hills and hills of it!
My closet at Danny's house. Don't let it fool you, that's a sweet pad.And of course, my beatiful team:
William just before his nap. His name in Poruguese is "Sehnor Grumpé Pants."
Kensey was attacked by bats on the stairs!That was a lie.
Okay, so maybe not the strongest start for pictures. But I'll have some better ones later. If I ever remember to take my camera to the Escola, I'll try to get some of my Brazilian friends.
Thanks for your emails and comments! We miss you!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Juicy Fruit
Today is bright and sunny! It's a welcome change from yesterday. It rained aaalll day. The worst part (for me) about that is that I have been a little sick recently. Not the "oops-I-drank-the-water" sick, mostly sinus-type stuff, and it's worse when it rains. But I've got my trusty Sudafed, and today I feel better.
It also helps that I got more sleep last night. William and I have been adjusting to our new quarters since the move, and I missed out on some quality shut-eye for two nights. But we have things worked out now, so I slept like a bebê.
Today, I had two new readers (well, new for me... they were reading with Missy). Mirella owns a video store, and she comes first thing in the mornings so she can go to work afterwards. She was wearing an I Am Legend shirt today, so I decided we could be friends. Ronaldo works for the military. His English is very good, and he said he loves to come and talk about God's word. I had great conversations with both of them, and I'm glad they're my readers!
We are getting to know some of the people here better. Yesterday, Tatiane asked me lots of questions about myself. When we started talking about music, she was shocked that I hadn't heard of some of the big Brazilian stars. She gave me some musicians to check out: Fenini, Vanessa da Mata, Maria Rita, and Chico Buarque. If you get a chance to listen to them before I do, let me know what you think.
Ryan & Melissa (or whichever of them posted the comment) asked me earlier if I had tried any strange foods yet. I wouldn't say strange, but some things that are different. Like I said before, the juice and fruits here are awesome. Our favorite juices so far are cajá and graviola. We tried some açai a few days ago, and it was delicious. Evidently, it's very expensive in the states, but it's cheap here because this is the only country it grows in! I think Kensey's going to post about it on her blog, so see that for details. Lee (Danny's fiance) cooked us some couscous one day, and it was delicious. And of course, Guaraná, the best fruity soft drink this side of the Equator. I think the biggest thing here so far isn't the kinds of foods, just that they taste different from the States. If I get anything really neat, I'll be sure to share (the experience, not the food).
Speaking of food, it's lunch time soon! Thanks again for your comments and emails. We feel very special to know that you're thinking of us!
It also helps that I got more sleep last night. William and I have been adjusting to our new quarters since the move, and I missed out on some quality shut-eye for two nights. But we have things worked out now, so I slept like a bebê.
Today, I had two new readers (well, new for me... they were reading with Missy). Mirella owns a video store, and she comes first thing in the mornings so she can go to work afterwards. She was wearing an I Am Legend shirt today, so I decided we could be friends. Ronaldo works for the military. His English is very good, and he said he loves to come and talk about God's word. I had great conversations with both of them, and I'm glad they're my readers!
We are getting to know some of the people here better. Yesterday, Tatiane asked me lots of questions about myself. When we started talking about music, she was shocked that I hadn't heard of some of the big Brazilian stars. She gave me some musicians to check out: Fenini, Vanessa da Mata, Maria Rita, and Chico Buarque. If you get a chance to listen to them before I do, let me know what you think.
Ryan & Melissa (or whichever of them posted the comment) asked me earlier if I had tried any strange foods yet. I wouldn't say strange, but some things that are different. Like I said before, the juice and fruits here are awesome. Our favorite juices so far are cajá and graviola. We tried some açai a few days ago, and it was delicious. Evidently, it's very expensive in the states, but it's cheap here because this is the only country it grows in! I think Kensey's going to post about it on her blog, so see that for details. Lee (Danny's fiance) cooked us some couscous one day, and it was delicious. And of course, Guaraná, the best fruity soft drink this side of the Equator. I think the biggest thing here so far isn't the kinds of foods, just that they taste different from the States. If I get anything really neat, I'll be sure to share (the experience, not the food).
Speaking of food, it's lunch time soon! Thanks again for your comments and emails. We feel very special to know that you're thinking of us!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Adaptation
I've got a few minutes free, so I figured, why not post an update? I had Giovanni scheduled for 10:00a today, but Adriana and Lee just told me that he called and said he wouldn't be able to participate in the program anymore, because he got a job! He was coming here to practice his English while he was trying to get work in tourism, so I guess he accomplished his goal. I'm sad that I won't see him anymore, but I'm very happy for him--I know how much he wanted that job. He still has some questions about God that he hasn't quite sorted out yet, and he's still dealing with some big issues, so please pray that God will continue to push him to ask those questions and not be satisfied until he finds the answers in Him.
We're starting to get into a kind of rhythm here. That's probably not the best way to describe it. Actually, that's probably a terrible way to describe it. There's really not much of a steady pace at all. I could just delete that first sentence, but I've put so much effort into these following ones contradicting it. Let's say instead that we are finally adapting to the way things run around here. I think that's a good thing. It's not that we aren't surprised by anything or always know what to expect, but we were a little more stressed out when we had to deal with surprises in the beginning. Now we are learning how to quickly adjust to meet to needs of our work.
Please pray that God will continue to give us His strength and help us depend on Him to keep us going strong, and that we won't run out of things to talk about! :) Also, please especially pray for Kensey. She won't say it on her blog, but she has a busier schedule than William or I (not on purpose, that's just the way it worked out). She can definitely handle it, though, so don't worry. Just pray for a little extra endurance for her.
I want to let everyone know that my team is great. I am very thankful that I get to work and live with them. We work together well, and we haven't had issues yet that we haven't been able to deal with. We'll surely get annoyed with each other at some point during the trip, but overall, things are excellent. Our personalities and gifts really complement one another. Kensey and William are both hard workers and have shown great dedication to serving here. Missy also worked very hard to prepare us to be here on our own. Praise God that He chose us all to come here together!
I will be posting a complete list of my readers a little later on. Please pray for each of them, and for our team!
PS- It just started raining very hard. Where did that come from? Oí, Brazil!
We're starting to get into a kind of rhythm here. That's probably not the best way to describe it. Actually, that's probably a terrible way to describe it. There's really not much of a steady pace at all. I could just delete that first sentence, but I've put so much effort into these following ones contradicting it. Let's say instead that we are finally adapting to the way things run around here. I think that's a good thing. It's not that we aren't surprised by anything or always know what to expect, but we were a little more stressed out when we had to deal with surprises in the beginning. Now we are learning how to quickly adjust to meet to needs of our work.
Please pray that God will continue to give us His strength and help us depend on Him to keep us going strong, and that we won't run out of things to talk about! :) Also, please especially pray for Kensey. She won't say it on her blog, but she has a busier schedule than William or I (not on purpose, that's just the way it worked out). She can definitely handle it, though, so don't worry. Just pray for a little extra endurance for her.
I want to let everyone know that my team is great. I am very thankful that I get to work and live with them. We work together well, and we haven't had issues yet that we haven't been able to deal with. We'll surely get annoyed with each other at some point during the trip, but overall, things are excellent. Our personalities and gifts really complement one another. Kensey and William are both hard workers and have shown great dedication to serving here. Missy also worked very hard to prepare us to be here on our own. Praise God that He chose us all to come here together!
I will be posting a complete list of my readers a little later on. Please pray for each of them, and for our team!
PS- It just started raining very hard. Where did that come from? Oí, Brazil!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Overdue
Sorry for the lack of updates recently. I haven't been online in a few days. Guess I've just been keeping busy!
The rest of the week went well. Some of my readers come every day; others I've only had once so far. Starting this week, I'll have some of Missy's readers. Most of them are in the Acts book, so that will be a change (not too drastic though--same author, right?). Three of them--Mirella, Pietro, and Marcelo--already scheduled times with me for next week. I'll meet the rest later.
Some of my readers are really progressing. Even a couple of them who are basically fluent have become more natural in their speaking and can more quickly find the words they need to express their ideas. I'm glad they're getting the practice! Also, some of them are beginning to think about spiritual issues that they haven't really put much thought into before. God's working in their lives, and it's really neat to see that in progess.
Our first party was Friday. We had a lot of fun. William made a much better Elvis than I anticipated, even though he wouldn't dance or sing. He did eat a lot of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, though. Some of the Brazilians were afraid to try them--they thought the peanut butter was weird! They have something called peanut butter here, but it's nothing like what we brought from the states. I forgot to bring my camera (again), but you can see some great pictures on Kensey's blog.
Saturday, we went with some of the people from the Escola da Biblia to Porto de Galinhas (the Port of Chickens). It's been voted the best beach in Brazil several times. It was beatiful, and really enjoyed it. We can't always communicate the best with our Brazilian friends, but it's easy to have fun, even if you can't talk to each other very well.
Today, as you might have read before, things changed around here. First, Missy is gone to the states. As a matter of fact, she's probably getting into Memphis soon, if she's not already there. We went to the airport and saw her off. Our quartet's a trio now, but I'm sure she's happy to get back to her family. Thanks for all your hard work, Missy!
We also moved in to Randy and Kathy's house! We're very happy to be together under one roof. I think our team will only get stronger now that we are so close to each other and to the school. Our reading sessions will probably improve, too, since we won't have to get up quite so early to get ready and get over there. Anything that adds to my sleeping time is an improvement.
That's it for now. Sorry I had to cram so much into one post. I'll try to stay more current with this thing. Also, I've been taking a few pictures, so maybe those will find their way on here, too.
If you're not reading Kensey's blog, check it out! It's super neat!
The rest of the week went well. Some of my readers come every day; others I've only had once so far. Starting this week, I'll have some of Missy's readers. Most of them are in the Acts book, so that will be a change (not too drastic though--same author, right?). Three of them--Mirella, Pietro, and Marcelo--already scheduled times with me for next week. I'll meet the rest later.
Some of my readers are really progressing. Even a couple of them who are basically fluent have become more natural in their speaking and can more quickly find the words they need to express their ideas. I'm glad they're getting the practice! Also, some of them are beginning to think about spiritual issues that they haven't really put much thought into before. God's working in their lives, and it's really neat to see that in progess.
Our first party was Friday. We had a lot of fun. William made a much better Elvis than I anticipated, even though he wouldn't dance or sing. He did eat a lot of peanut butter and banana sandwiches, though. Some of the Brazilians were afraid to try them--they thought the peanut butter was weird! They have something called peanut butter here, but it's nothing like what we brought from the states. I forgot to bring my camera (again), but you can see some great pictures on Kensey's blog.
Saturday, we went with some of the people from the Escola da Biblia to Porto de Galinhas (the Port of Chickens). It's been voted the best beach in Brazil several times. It was beatiful, and really enjoyed it. We can't always communicate the best with our Brazilian friends, but it's easy to have fun, even if you can't talk to each other very well.
Today, as you might have read before, things changed around here. First, Missy is gone to the states. As a matter of fact, she's probably getting into Memphis soon, if she's not already there. We went to the airport and saw her off. Our quartet's a trio now, but I'm sure she's happy to get back to her family. Thanks for all your hard work, Missy!
We also moved in to Randy and Kathy's house! We're very happy to be together under one roof. I think our team will only get stronger now that we are so close to each other and to the school. Our reading sessions will probably improve, too, since we won't have to get up quite so early to get ready and get over there. Anything that adds to my sleeping time is an improvement.
That's it for now. Sorry I had to cram so much into one post. I'll try to stay more current with this thing. Also, I've been taking a few pictures, so maybe those will find their way on here, too.
If you're not reading Kensey's blog, check it out! It's super neat!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)