I really don’t have much of anything to blog about. Today has been simple. I slept in and when I got up, I went out to play with the dogs some. What I thought was blog-worthy was, I did the dishes twice today. I thought of Ashlee and her dishes. At home I am blessed to have a dishwasher where I can stick the dirty dishes in and the clean ones come out after I run it. Here, mom has a dishwasher but it is broken and probably not fixable so we do dishes by hand. I dislike doing dishes almost as much as Ashlee, which is probably why I though about her both times I did dishes. While standing at the sink, I thought about my friends at home and said a short prayer over everyone who walked across my mind at the time.
I hope all are well at home, I am doing well here. You all are in my prayers and on my heart.
Ash, I am going to look for that glass washing thing-a-ma-jig. Maybe it will help your dishwashing life.
fofinha posted at 7:45 PM
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I hope the holiday found you all doing well. It was a wonderful time for me. This year I did not join my dad in pestering mom to open gifts on Christmas Eve as I have in years past. I joined her sentiment and waited until Christmas morning. We celebrated in a more American fashion since we waited to open the gifts and then have a dinner after. Here in Brazil, families will gather on Christmas Eve for a dinner held at midnight. Then if there are any gifts to open, they are opened after the dinner. Most of the shops closed about noon, except for most of the supermarkets. They are last minute shoppers here as well. That half of a day is pretty much all they receive in time off.
Saturday we woke earlier than the rest of the time I have been here. We opened our gifts from each other and the rest of the family. (I got some cool Sponge Bob flip-flops.) It was a nice time. I feel like the blessing rained down on me because I get to be in a place I love with people I love. That is the best part of Christmas. Before getting back to finishing the cooking for our Christmas meal, I laid in the sun by the pool. Yes, the sun was out and it was close to 80 degrees . I did not stay out too long because the sun was very hot and I am very white. Then the kitchen called and mom and I answered the call. As always, we made too much while doing our best to cut back. It was all delicious. Saturday evening we went to a special presentation at church. Saturday is the youth meeting at church and they prepared a drama for the church in place of their regular meeting. It was a brief depiction starting with a news reporter reporting on the coming birth of a new king of Israel then the angel appearing to Mary, moving on to Herod´s meeting with the three kings and ending with the three kings coming into the manger scene presenting their gifts to the new born king. The church choral had 2 songs in the midst of the drama as well. I do the great presentation no justice in these few words. Then the pastor gave a message. (More to follow.) It is great to see other Christians celebrating the birth of Christ, knowing that our “extended” family is all dong the same thing by bringing glory and honor to His name.
The pastor, Epitaçio, gave a great message on “room for Christ.” We read from Luke where we see that there was no room for Joseph and his family in Bethlehem so Christ was born in a stable and placed in a manger. There was no room. We don’t know how many doors they knocked on or how many inns they asked for room. In spite of their best efforts, there was no room and Christ was born in a humble stable. What about room for Christ in our lives? Have we become so full of other things that there is no longer room for Christ? We need to review those things we hold dear and those things we give our time and make sure we are giving God the proper honor and place in our lives. Christ made room in heaven for us by going to the Cross. Have we made room for Him in our lives?
Blessing and mercy fill your holiday.
fofinha posted at 4:07 PM
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My pastor at Gardenside Baptist Church has often preached on “no such thing as second chances, only next opportunities.” As I have prayed over this to come to a greater understanding in my own life, I have come to understand and realize it even further with the fact that you cannot go back to what was. Even with next opportunities, they may take on the appearance of the first but never hold the same complete events and with going back, nothing is ever as it was left.
I have traveled to Brazil multiple times since I first came with my parents 16 years ago. Being here this time I went back to the town I first came to know with all the people I first came to love, Garça, São Paulo. It has been about 5 years since I have had the opportunity to travel to Garça. It was so wonderful to see old friends and see again the town I used to know well. My heart was broken at the same time it was lifted up. Garça is not the same place and everyone has changed. Though I was given a warm welcome, it was not the normal fervent welcome of Brazil. Trust me, Brazilians are a welcoming and open people. There was a sense of apprehension and distrust in some I did not expect. I had every intention to speak with certain people as I arrived at the end of the church service Sunday evening and I watched as they made every effort to avoid me. It was not all bad, I was able to make deeper some friendships that God means for me to keep. I was able to start my personal prayerwalking as I went through the town and to places I had worked before. Also, I was able to close some history for good and that is a true blessing from God. It was a sobering and humbling time. You can never go back to the past, no matter how much you may want to do so. In spite of the heartache, God did speak, and trust me, I have been learning to listen. Doors close, and opportunities change location and He comforts in the midst of pain. I am learning to lean on God for my everything. I was told not to even look back so I am looking forward towards the future God has for me. Praise the Lord for His work and direction.
Now as I look forward, I am in the town of Caraguatatuba, São Paulo with my parents and those friends and family I met last year. The reception here last night at church was healing to my hurting heart. I am eager to see what God has in store for this trip. I will be prayerwalking in this town and in the surrounding towns. I am praying for the opportunity to share with the church here about prayerwalking as a church. We will see how God leads.
Thank you to those who prayed for my safe travels, God heard and delivered. I covet your prayers for the work God has for me to do even now while I am here.
God bless you and keep you these days.
fofinha posted at 4:45 PM
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I made it to Brazil with no problems. Granted, since America is fingerprinting Brazilians as they come into the country, Brazil is now reciprocating. After I passed through the entry part where they review your documents, I went to my second line for the day to have my picture taken and my finger print captured. The first line went very quickly, praise the Lord. The second line, however, was an hour long. (And it was before I could even claim my bags. They were just waiting on me.) I received the green light at customs, which is ALWAYS a praise. Thank you Jesus. My parents were waiting on me outside the doors. Yeah!!!!! They looked so great. I love them so much. They love me enough to let me go visit some friends in another town.(I will blog about that later, after I process my thoughts about it better.) I went to Garça for a couple of days and stayed with Marly and her family and got to see old friends. It was nice and heart breaking at the same time. (Refer to previous comment.) I even got mistaken for a Brazilian a couple of times. Beleza!!!!
I am so blessed to be here. I have been praying as I walk and as I have been riding the bus (which I have done a great deal of.) God is speaking and I am listening.
I pray that the Lord draws near to you as you seek Him. May God´s blessing rain down on you as you go throughout this holiday season.
fofinha posted at 7:15 PM
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Yep, today is day zero in the countdown to leaving for Brazil for the holidays. Am I packed and ready? you ask. Why not entirely. The bag of Christmas loot did finally zip, it was touch and go there for a moment. And praise the Lord in heaven, it weighs only 70 pounds. (For thoose of you who have not traveled internationally, that is the upper weight limit on bags.) I am wrestling with my sundry items and finding a location for them in the limited space I have left. Fortunately all my clothes fit into my captain's bag that will serve as one of my carry ons. (I refuse to put my clothes in a regular suitcase to be checked since my bags were lost once. okay, maybe I will put some of my clothes ina check bag but I will always carry at leat 2 outfits in a carry on.) Yes I am wierd, I know, that is what makes me - me. I am learnign to embrase my nerdiness and the weird that I am.
Back to leaving today. My flight leaves at 7 something this evening and I will arrive in Brazil 10 something in the morning local time. Brazil is 3 hours ahead of us in time so that will be 7 something in the morning. It is a red eye flight so I will probably sleep most of the way. Thank the Lord for being able to sleep on a plane.
As I go, I want any of you whoare reading this to know, I am praying for your holiday to be a wonderful holiday filled with the Lord's most gracious blessing. May he protect you and guide you this holiday season and throughout the year.
God speed to you all and His mercy upon you.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
fofinha posted at 1:15 PM
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Alright, I am down to the day after tomorrow!!! I call today 2 days til I leave. Holy cow, 2 days. I am insane because I am still not packed. I do have my clothes situated, it is all the Christmas booty I am hauling that is giving me fits. There will be one complete piece of luggage that is nothing but gifts. I might have some of my clothes helping to buffer those gifts, but still... a whole piece of luggage. I guess it was similar to last year. Please pray for my sanity. Thank you.
I was also freaking out over giving my first committee report to the church. I was elected to be the chairman of the Missions Committee at my church Gardenside Baptist Church http://www.gardensidebaptist.com/. I had typed out what I needed to let the church know and presented it when it was my turn. It went well. I felt my temperature rise out of nerves but God provided. I was particularly nervous because some of the old committee members were present and I did not know how they would react. God is great and it went very smoothly.
Praise be to God. I may feel like I am freaking out but the truth is that God has granted me the peace that passes all understanding. He is in control of it all and I am glad. I would mess it up royally if I had to run the show.
Thank you Lord for your strength and your guidance. You are great and greatly to be praise.
fofinha posted at 9:37 AM
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Tonight, I went to the Christmas party for Holy Encounter, the singing group at church of which I am a part. It was such fun!!! First our director had planned a progressive dinner for us to enjoy. We had appetizer at his house, salad at another house, main course at another, and deserts at a final house. I have not been on a progressive dinner since college. (We will not discuss how long that has been, I already feel old knowing that our drummer graduated last year.) The van ride proved to be greatly entertaining. I laughed so hard I cried, multiple times in the evening.
Once we got back to our director's house, we played Dirty Santa. For those of you who have never played this, it is where everyone brings a gift. Everyone draws numbers for the order of opening the gifts. As you go through the numbers, you get to choose if you want to open a new gift you may or you may choose to take a gift open by someone prior. If your gift is taken you can do the same, take a new gift or take someone else's gift. And so the game goes. It is great fun because you are never sure if you get to keep your gift. There were some great gifts. I ended up with a game controller you plug into your TV and there are 5 games in the controller. Pac-Man, Dig Dug how cool is that. Kissing Bees were the last gift opened for the eveing and it could not have been more perfect for the recipient. I laughed until I cried.
Christmas is about giving, but more than giving gifts it is giving of one's self. Tonight I was reminded that even in the silliest and simplest ways, you can give of yourself. To care is a great gift to yourself and others.
As you go out this amazing season of the year, think about how you can give of yourself to others. A smile for a stranger, a dollar in the red bucket, a hug to a person on the outside of your circle of friends. Give of yourself however God may lead you to do so.
May God bless and keep you.
fofinha posted at 4:23 AM
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By countdown, I am not referring to the countdown to Christmas, though that is a countdown on most folks minds. My countdown is the countdown to my departure for Brazil!!!!
5 Days!!!!
I am going to Brazil to spend the holidays with my great and amazing parents in the country that stole my heart over 15 years ago. I am so excited. I love to travel (most of my travels have been to Brazil) so that is cool in and of itself. Yeah!!!
Now the only not so cool thing, I have not pack a thing. The clothes I have pulled are in my bedroom and the Christmas stuff I have bought is in the kitchen/dining room floor. I need to get it all in some luggage. Tonight after the Holy Encounter Christmas party I will get on the stick. I know I need to. This is where I start to act like I have all the time in the world when in reality, I don't. So actually writing this out is helping to bring me back to reality.
Yeah!!! I love and miss my folks so I am thrilled to go see them. I will also get to visit some old friends too. It is going to be a great trip and I hope to encounter some new aspects of my Savior as well.
5 days.......
fofinha posted at 12:58 PM
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Here I go, my initial foray into the wonderful world of bloging. I am intimidated and in awe at the same time. I know that I can keep up with friends and allow them to keep up with me in this disjointed world we live in. I hope that I don't make a bigger fool of myself than I already do in normal life. ;7P
I don't know if I set stuff up correctly and I hope this posts.
To my friends reading, "Hello, glad to see ya."
To any random strangers, "Hey there, hope you are having a blessed day."
fofinha posted at 5:16 PM
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