Finals Week-Part 4

Bronwyn,

Not much goofiness for you today. Sorry about that.

You've told us you are ready to come home so we thought we would get you ready by reminding you how funny your little brothers and sisters can be as they crash in different parts of the house and in different positions and, at times, with different people.

Starting on Monday you can help us pick them up and put them in bed or wake them up and hear and see them say and do so many funny things in their sleepy stupor.

Hope you enjoy them. I am starting with my personal favorite of the group. You know he's going to kill me when he sees it but it's worth it for your happiness.

Finals Week-Part 3 (Chest Man)

Bronwyn,

Your little brother (Giovanni) is still a big chicken. He doesn't like Santa Claus (he runs away from him), he got scared (like crying and running away scared) watching a trailer for the new Kung Fu Panda movie, he doesn't let me hold him upside down (like all the rest of you did) or up in the air (he's slowly working on this one).

He also doesn't care too much in having a conversation with Anderson's Chest Man.

Mean big brothers.

Are you noticing a trend of big brothers and sisters talking Anderson into letting them color/draw on his body?

Of course, knowing Anderson, he probably asked them to do it. He will probably be our multi tattooed child.

Who knows what welcome home sign he will have on his body waiting for you at the airport next week?

PS:  The uncracking of Anderson was so not Jennifer's idea.  We're not going to let her take credit for it.

Finals Week-Part 2 (Moon Message Man and Nugget Head Boy)

Bronwyn,

There was some hesitation (believe it or not on my part) to share this post with you on the blog. Your mom thought it was too funny not to share, so here we go.  (If any internet police out there have problems with this, take it up with my wife. If you are offended by the following picture, take it up with my wife. If you think it's in poor taste, take it up with my wife. If you think it's hilarious, good fun kind of stuff, then it was my idea.)

I know we showed you some pictures from the camera on skype of this event the other day but we felt they might have been too blurry for you to really appreciate it.

When it starts to get hot Anderson, as you know, becomes an underwear kid. He strips off his clothes when he gets home from school and at night he only likes to sleep in his underwear.

I found out a new twist on his underwear sleeping the other night.

I walked by his room and saw that his underwear was pulled halfway down his crack. The Brasilians call your, uh......rear end crack (that polite term was for your grandmothers who also read this) a cofrinho (or little piggy bank).

When I saw the way he was sleeping I immediately accused his 14 year big brother roommate of yanking the grunders down. Garrett assured me that it wasn't his doing but that Anderson always sleeps like that now.

Later I was on the computer and Garrett and Carys asked me to come to the back of the house. They both had smirks on their faces and I knew that meant that it was time to wrestle and they were trying to lure me back to the fighting area. I told them I knew what they wanted but I couldn't wrestle then. They assured me it wasn't wrestling but something else. Neither one of them could wipe the little smiles off their faces.

Together we went back to Garrett and Anderson's room and I was met with Garrett's art work.

Here's what it was:

A special hand written note from Garrett to me on his little brother's little buns. I felt so honored.

Through the miracle of iPhoto we were able to literally uncrack your brother. We thought he might appreciate it later in life. Honestly, knowing your brother, he probably won't have any problem showing the original crack photo.

It's kind of hard to discipline your kids while you are laughing.

Anderson, surprise, surprise, woke up the next day and found out what had happened. He thought it was really funny.

When I came back out from seeing Anderson I noticed Giovanni on the couch eating his chicken nuggets. So I took his picture.

He enjoyed having his picture taking during meal time and began to pose for the camera.

Somehow he thought being upside down and eating would be a good idea.

This upside down move somehow stuck a nugget to his forehead.

At least he was happy.

Bronwyn, these two super heros (kind of like Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy but with their own special, different powers) are super excited that you will be home in less than a week. We all are.

Finals Week-Part 1 (Chuck-Part 2)

This week is finals week for Bronwyn. We decided she might need some stress relief from all the studying. So, we are going to put as many goofy things on the blog as we can from today through Friday. They are specifically for her but the rest of you loyal readers will probably enjoy them too.

Okay Bronwyn, remember Chuck?

For those of you still reading and don't remember him then you need to click here and read about his first visit with us back in May.

He came back for a visit last week.

As you know, your mom has some problems with this little guy.

So what did we do with those problems? We tried to help her meet her fear head on.

First we had an intervention in the kitchen. We figured the best time to do this was right after mom woke up, was still a little sleepy and was occupied with making cookies for the bazaar last week.

We didn't allow her to run from her fears. We attacked them head on as we made our way to the bathroom.

Did you notice at the beginning of the last video that Carys was bending over and picking Chuck up off the floor? That's right, your mom, in her panic, had knocked him out of Carys' hand. Interventions with your mom are never easy.

But seriously, how can you have problems with someone so cute?

He's such a handsome, well behaved little guy.

I know it doesn't surprise you that your sister would put him on her head.

If you remember, the last time Chuck was with us he escaped and we found him in the kitchen under the stove. This time he only stunk up a bathroom after Carys left him in there and then forgot about him.

I know you are sad that he won't be here when you get home.

A church which pitches it's tents, without constantly looking for new horizons, which does not continually strike camp, is being untrue to its calling....We must play down our longing for certainty, accept what is risky, live by improvisation and experiment.


Hans Küng

Car Talk

Conversation in our car this week:

Anderson: "Did you know that God + 1 = God?
Carys: "No. That's impossible."
Anderson: "Possible. Dad isn't it possible?"
Me: "I guess so. I guess if He wanted to plus Himself He could. He is God and He can do anything."
Anderson: "See Carys I told you. (short pause) Did you know that Jesus + 1 = God?"
Me: "Really?"
Anderson: "Yes. (long pause) Did you know that Lyle + 1 = Moses?"
Me: "Uh what?"
Anderson: "Nothing."

Even short trips to school can make us laugh and give us something to talk about for the rest of the day.

It is never boring in our house or in our car.

Matthew 18:19

We shared earlier this week about how good last Sunday was in our house as we worshipped for the last time with João and Clarice. 

I'd like to share something that the Spirit did that made that day even more special. 

Last Friday my girlfriend and I went to a little store to find some paper products (labels, etc.) for the bazaar that we did this week and for the one we will do next weekend. 

While we were there we bought a little notebook. We wanted to buy it to use for a prayer journal.

I'd like to say that it's because we have always had one, and we pray daily using our book. 

The truth is we bought it to help us become more prayerful. More persistent in our prayers. 

It's very easy for me to say I will pray for someone, and very easy for me to forget to do it. 

We wanted the book to remind us to do what we've told people we would do. 

Anyway, we bought the book on Friday. 

On Saturday morning I woke up and began to write some things in the book. One of the first things I wrote was for one of our brothers that is a part of our house church, but who hasn't been with us on Sunday in a long time. 

My girlfriend and I don't believe that Sundays are the most important part of our Christian walk. It's important, but not any more important than our mid week bible study, or a cook out, or one on one time or going out to eat together, or going to a movie, etc. God can use any setting to be church. 

So it wasn't like we were the house church police going after a "lost soul." Our brother made a commitment to Christ and we know he will be in heaven with us. But we also know that our house church misses something important when this brother is not with us. He's special to our house church. 

We are family and our family was missing a member. 

Over the last few weeks we have all called him and either got an answering machine or no answer at all. It's been a little frustrating, but everyone has kept trying to get in touch with him. 

Anyway, I wrote his name down in our book Saturday morning and prayed for him to want to come back to his house church family. 

Sunday morning came and it was time for house church. The door bell rang. Who was the first person I saw? Our brother. 

I was amazed. I immediately shared with him that we were talking about him the previous day. 

Leni arrived later. She saw our brother and smiled. She told me she felt led to call him the day before and tell him he needed to be with his house church family again. 

I told her about the book and how I had put his name in the book the day before.....the same day she felt led to call him. 

We both talked about how God was definitely working through both of us and how cool it was that the one didn't know what the other was doing but that it happened within a few hours of each other. 

As Leni sat next to him in house church, she began to share with the group what happened the day before and how the Spirit had us on the same page. 

I love it when God is so obviously working. I'm ashamed at my lack of faith at times. He acted in one day in something I thought would take much longer. 

I'm no Bible scholar but I do know that God doesn't make mistakes, and that when He says something He means it. I thought of that today as I thought of the following verse. 

"When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action."


Matthew 18:19

Christmas Girl

It's the first day of December. It's Christmas month and it only feels right to share about the person who lives Christmas spirit in our house more than anyone else.

If you've ever seen the movie Elf then you need to think of him and you'll have a good idea of the Elf that lives in our house.

If you've been a reader of this blog for a while or actually have a close relationship with our family then you know our daughter Carys and you know how she just loves life.

Life is just fun for her. She finds stuff to laugh at every day.

Christmas really gets her going. Click here to get an idea of how her mind works.

The other day I walked by her room.

I noticed that she had decorated her and Giovanni's room with lights. I thought it looked pretty cool.

I then noticed some hand written notes on her window.

I already knew what one of them said because she asked every family member to write their names on it.....

.....but the other I had not seen yet. Here's what that one said.

If you know her then it doesn't surprise you at all and it actually is a valid question.

This is her time of year and we love it.

Sunday

This past Sunday we had a special time in our house church.

We actually had 3 house churches together to be with João and Clarice and their boys one last time before they move to Brasilia.

People shared from their hearts what João and Clarice meant to them. João and Clarice shared. People cried and hugged and prayed with them one last time.

I've shared before but I can't tell you what this family has meant to our family.

Our teammate Matt led a strong prayer to close our time together. He prayed for their new baby Levi. He prayed for each family member and their upcoming move. He thanked God for how He used them here and how He will use them in their new city.

We will miss them but it was a happy time.

In sharing from her heart, my girlfriend brought in a big spool of yarn. She showed everyone about an inch of it and said, "This is our life on earth." She then showed the rest of the yarn and said, "This is eternity. Even if we never see João and Clarice again on earth, we get to spend eternity with them."

Very cool and very true.

God was with us on Sunday and we were all blessed.

And it Begins

For the past 5-6 years my girlfriend and I have been kicking around an idea.

There really aren't good American sweets here. No good cookies, cupcakes, cakes, brownies, cinammon rolls, etc. Brasilians are now attempting those things in our city but they just aren't the same and most aren't that good.

My girlfriend is the best cook I know. I'm not biased, just honest.

Ever since we moved here, Brasilians have gone crazy when they taste all her food. They really love the sweets that she makes.

About 5 years ago we met with some friends of ours from São Paulo. We spent some time talking about opening up a cookie company together. They came to our city and we looked at locations to rent, met with the manager of a hotel in town about supplying cookies to them and their other hotels around the country and spent some time talking with another Brasilian couple about being a part of this idea.

It sounded good then but we just didn't have peace in our hearts to start something at that time. One thing God has shared with us over the years is that if we don't both have peace then it isn't from Him and we shouldn't move forward.

We didn't and we didn't move forward.

But the idea never left our minds. Our kids talked about it alot and we talked about it frequently as well.

Recently we've felt God's peace to try to start something.

My girlfriend has done a good job of sharing about this process. You can click here and then click here to read what she shared.

We literally spent all day Saturday and Sunday getting ready for this week. We are tired but excited about what God may do through this company.

Here is a picture of half of what we made this weekend:

Like I said, it was pretty tiring for everyone involved.

We are excited because we can see some possibilities with this idea.

We see so many opportunities to grow and strengthen God's kingdom through this company. From meeting lots of new people, meeting people who don't (and do) know Jesus, to maybe providing jobs to our brothers and sisters in Christ to maybe one day having a place that people can come and meet together.

We are also okay if we only earn enough money every year to fly our kids back from college when they want to come home.

We are even okay if this entire idea flops and we make no money and it doesn't last for more than 6 months.

It's God's to do what He wants with it and we are okay with that.

Benay and our sister Leni will spend the next four days (9-6:30) selling our products at the first Christmas bazaar.

I just went to visit them and took this picture.

They told me a man showed up and asked them if they had a cookie distributor? He wants to sell them to two suburb/cities just outside of our city. Benay laughed and told him it was "literally" our first day in business. Who knows where that will go but it's already been an interesting day for them.

Please pray for them to be Christ to everyone they come in contact with over these next few days.

And please pray for us and this new company. Not for us to be millionaires but for us to be faithful to everything God is asking us to do.

I am convinced that Jesus came not just to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. Otherwise, much of Jesus' wisdom would prove quite unnecessary for the afterlife. After all, how hard could it be to love our enemies in heaven?

Shane Claiborne

Today

My girlfriend is doing a Turkey Day play by play (everything she/our family is doing today) on her blog.

If you want to check out how we do things on this American holiday, while living in Brasil, then just click here. 

Mark and Ali

Some of our most favorite people in the world are Mark and Ali. You can type in their names at the top left part of this page if you want to read our past posts about them.

They live in the state of São Paulo in a city called Itu.

We met them about three years ago and immediately fell in love with them.

They've come to our house a couple of times. Bronwyn and Ansley stayed with them earlier this year when they took the ACT. We've talked about taking vacations together.

We love them because they are fun, really fun, to be around. We love them because they understand being the church instead of playing the church. We love them because they go about God's business in a humble, loving way. We love the way they treat everyone. No judgments or skepticism. We love them because they do exactly what the Spirit tells them to do. We love them because they love those that no one else loves.

It's one thing to say you are a Christ follower. It's another to be Christ to everyone.

Mark and Ali show and are Christ to everyone they meet, especially in their city.

Ali recently wrote a paper for a class she is taking and Mark decided to share it on their blog.

You need to click here to read it.

You will be blessed and, hopefully, moved in your heart to be radical for Jesus.

House Guest

When Bronwyn went to Rwanda earlier this year she met a young woman named Natalie.

I don't have time to tell her whole story, but Natalie has been traveling the world over the last few months. She's been doing mission work as well as just traveling.

She was doing mission work in Africa when she met Bronwyn.

She is now on the South American leg of her journey.

She arrived here yesterday.

She had a welcoming group waiting for her.

And today we took her to a churrascaria where she "enjoyed" her first experience with grilled chicken hearts.

She'll be with us until Friday and then she's off to Rio.

Please pray for her and her safety as she continues to work her way back to the United States where she will start a new job in January.

Also pray for her that she can handle three more days of Andersonism's. He, and his talking, get even more ramped up when visitors come to our house.

New House.....New Life?

Our family arrived here in June of 2002.

About a month after we arrived, and after much searching throughout the city, we bought a car.

We bought a used car called a Zafira. It was a Chevrolet and it had 7 seats (for those that don't know we came here with 4 kids and we thought we were done......or as the Brasilians say, "We thought we had closed the factory.") It also had trunk space that was about 8 inches wide. I'm not kidding.

I found this picture on the internet. Our car was a different color but it looked like this:

We thought we were being good stewards of God's money by buying a used car but that car was quite possibly the worst car we've ever owned. Towards the end of life with this car our mechanic (who was making a lot of money off our family) even told us to get rid of it. It was that bad but this post isn't about our abacaxi. (Abacaxi is a Brasilian word for pineapple which they use for a piece of junk car.)

When we were finalizing our used car purchase from the Chevy dealer they told us they had on site insurance and asked if we wanted to just do an insurance policy then. We said sure.

That is when God brought one of my best friends into my life. His name is André and we have many things in common.

We were born within 2 months of each other. Our two oldest kids are more or less the same age. We had surprise babies years after we thought the factory was closed. We aren't from Porto Alegre (he's from Rio). We also married up.

He and I have spent time together playing soccer, going to soccer games, eating lunch together, laughing together, taking our families to the beach together, goofing on each other as well as having serious conversations about eternity.

He's always treated me, as a client, with respect and done everything he's said he was going to do. He's gone out of his way, many times, to take care of us when there was an insurance need. One call and he takes care of the whole thing.

He called me after we had had the car for one year. He was letting me know that he had started his own company and asked if I wanted to continue with him as our agent or stay with the Chevy place. I told him I preferred to stay with him. I honestly had forgotten that it was time to renew (the Chevy place had sent me nothing) and was thankful for his persistence. I was super thankful 5 days later when I was involved in a car accident. I would not have had coverage if it weren't for my friend. He's been a real blessing to our family.

I was raised that if someone treats you right, is honest and works hard for your business then you remain a loyal client even if that person might have prices that are a little bit higher than the competition. I honestly don't like it when people only see saving money as the most important thing, instead of being loyal to a friend and his business.

Okay, you get the point. He's my good friend.

Last summer he told me he bought some land to build a house. He wanted us to go and look at some lots in his neighborhood. He wanted us to buy one so that we could be neighbors. We went, and even started the process of buying a lot but the more we prayed the more it just didn't feel like God was leading us there right now.

I told André and he completely understood.

From time to time over the last 10 months he's taken me out to look at the progress of his house.

He hasn't owned a house since he moved to POA and he was super excited.

He finally moved in about a month ago and they invited our family out last week to see the finished product and to eat a meal with them.

We went and had a great time. Here they are. From left to right it's André, his daughter Caroline (over his shoulder), his wife Luiza, their boys Lucas and Mateus and André's mom.

We are so happy for these guys. You could not ask for better friends.

I ask that you pray for these guys to give their lives to Christ. About 3 years ago André told me he was ready to give his life to Christ but he wanted to wait one month for his wife to return from the beach (it's not uncommon to leave the city for the summer to stay at the beach).  He wanted to wait for her to get home so that she could be a part of his baptism.

After that conversation with me he never came back to our bible studies, he never participated in house church and he never talked about it again.

I was crushed for a while. Honestly we are used to hearing many no's. It's always tough but so much more so when it's a close friend.

One of the things I tell my friends is that the decision to follow Christ is theirs. It can't be mine and they can't do it to please me. I also tell them that even if they don't want to be a Christ follower it won't affect our friendship. I will always be their friend. Because André and I have remained such good buddies God has recently reopened a door for me to really shared from my heart about  how I want to be with him and his family forever in heaven. He's been receptive and he wants to talk more.

Please pray for this family that we love so much.

Even if there were no heaven and there were no hell, would you still follow Jesus? Would you follow him for the life, joy, and fulfillment he gives you right now?

Tony Campolo

Back Home

This morning at 6:30 Anderson went with me to pick Ansley up at the airport.

She had a great time in Peru and is already wanting to go back.

More details and photos later.

Thanks for your prayers for her safety.

5 Years Later-Part 2

There are four guys in our house church family that like to run.

My brothers Sergio, Matt, João Spencer and myself. I shared a little bit about our running history on one of our old blogs. Click here if you want to read about that (Part 1). 

Last week we ran one last time together. It was a revezamento (or relay team) of a full marathon. That meant we each ran a little more than 10.5 km. 

We didn't win but we did okay. We never really worry much about our time. We always get in a little circle and pray before every race (we do that whether it's 2 of us or all 4 in a race). We always pray to have fun, to be safe and to run to give God the glory. 

I mentioned one last time because João and his family are moving from our city next month and Matt and his wife are moving to the states in January. 

I'm really going to miss those guys. At our last celebration they both talked about their families leaving. It was kind of emotional. While Matt was talking, Benay leaned over to me and said, "I'm going to cry when Matt leaves." We feel that way about both families. 

It's going to be weird without them here. They've been a big part of our lives but it's like João said that celebration Sunday, "It's time for God to open up a new chapter in our lives and for the life of this church family as He sends us to a new city to do His work and as He keeps bringing new people in like Freitas to do His work here in POA." I could not of said it better. 

I feel blessed that our running group got together one last time. In this photo (if you've never met my brothers), going left to right, Sergio is in the blue shirt with João next to him and Matt on the end. 

God has really used these men to bless my life in so many different ways. I know I am a more spiritual person because of my time with them. 

Please remember Matt and João and their families in your prayers as they begin God's work in other cities. And please pray for us and for Sergio as we continue His work here in our city. 

Special Delivery

It's always fun for us to get a package from someone, anyone really, in the United States.

Yesterday we got one from Bronwyn. Between studying hard, hanging with her friends and doing the whole college freshman thing she went out and made a special gift box for her family.

The kids, as usual, had a ball tearing into it.

 The bigger kids tagged the chocolate products.

Giovanni tagged the candy corn.......

.......while his brother just smiled as he read and reread your hand written note.

Mom was even excited about the box. In her own special way.

.....and my teeth are already a purplish/blueish color from all the blueberries.

Thanks Bronwyn.