Outreach Recap of Brazil/End of DTS
It's hard to believe that DTS is finally over. Most of the other trainee's have already gone back home. Young men and women I've shared my life with and become family to... are gone. I'm staying on through October to do some short-term staff and other local missions. All my DTS staff leaders are still her including many other people I've made friends with.... It just isn't quite the same.
I'll always treasure my time in DTS. I've heard that pretty much everyone feels the same way about their own DTS, and I know I'm biased, but I do think my DTS was the best one ever!!! :)
As for Brazil....
I don't even know where to start. That's 2 1/2 months of traveling and ministry.
We arrived in Sao Paulo where we had the chance to adapt to being surrounded by Portuguese and the Brazilian culture at Gateway for King's Kids. It was a one week summer camp and the World Cup was still going on! It's been a long time since I've seen so many teenagers in one place! And to experience the excitement that South American's have during the World Cup.... Hey! I'm from Texas, and I will probably get challenged for this, but I've never even seen a group of Redneck's watching American college football make a touchdown get as excited as SA's do over just getting control of the ball!!!! (No exaggeration possible!!!)
It was a joy to get to know so many of the kids and be there during a joyous time in their lives, worship the Lord and watch in awe as so many stepped forward unashamed of their own tears -just giving it all up!
....Not to mention when the boiler outside our (the girls) bedroom window decided to have a minor explosion in the middle of the night, and we all had to evacuate until we knew if it was safe or not. (There's been a standing joke from that night about what each of the girls thought most valuable to grab in an evacuation. I'll let you use your imaginations.) But everything was fine, and we got to go back to bed. The next day the guys would rub it in that they didn't have any night evacuations and got to sleep in pure peace. I think they accidently got a few bruises that day, but I'm sure none of us girls had anything to do with it.
The next week we spent in Rio in a 'less fortunate' part of the city. I will not say too much about that week except we got to experience some marvelous things there, incredible prayer times, and I got my first introduction to churches, and it's people, who truly understand what a difficult life really is. I will forever be touched by what we got to experience there.
After that, the REAL traveling began. We went back to Sao Paulo where we visited several drug rehab facilities, street kids, homeless areas, prostitution and 'Crackalonga' a.k.a Crack Land. I look back on that particular week as being one of the hardest and most beautiful experiences of my life. I had never really seen homelessness before and certainly not that openly. I confess I was amazed at how some homeless communities had constructed very well make-shift homes, and had even wired electricity to them. Several were actually kept quite clean as well, but it still broke my heart to see children playing there with little clothes in winter and an elderly lady in a wheelchair setting out side her 'box' house. But there were also many, many that were filthy and heartbreaking to walk in.
As long as I live I do not think I will forget the young freezing teenage girl from the streets holding my hands and, feeling their warmth, said "I wish I had your hands." I praise God for all the different facilities and organizations and churches that are going out and ministering to these people, helping them to develop trades, skills, education and new homes.
Following Sao Paulo we spent time in Duratina painting a local church, working with kids at a local school and visiting a Kobenoti tribe. Like most Native American's (or First Nations) tribes are losing their identities, language and stories. Some are taking steps to try and educate the children on their ancestral history and keep the culture alive. We all greatly encouraged this. After all, the Lord Himself created their language! There are so many beautiful customs and traditions that should never be lost! It was a true honor to be able to spend time with them. *Please remember to keep the Kobenoti, and all other American tribes, in your prayers that they do not lose their language or culture.
In Marilla, we had an exceptionally busy week. We taught English in... I have no idea how many classes or age groups. Let's just say several a day, ages 3-18. Not to mention all the local church activities, drama performances, sermons and testimonies. (Oh, yeah! Actually, the drama's, sermons, testimonies, dances and songs were during the whole trip!) The next pictures are one of the many ways we entertained and played with the kiddies!
After Marilla we stayed 5 days living on a sailboat working with the Velejando com Dues (Sailing with God) Ministry. It was an amazing experience sailing through a region of islands and visiting with the locals. We were even able to visit a small school on one of the islands! These particular groups of people live a life completely set apart from the outside world. They know it's there, they even get tourists, but they choose to stay on their tiny islands. Alas, sometimes a tropical paradise is not all it's thought to be... Sometimes it's more! All I can think of remembering the amazing scenery, the open waters and the smiles of the children's faces is that God must have taken great delight in His artwork there. (But of course, every child's face is a precious work of art.)
I have provided the link for copy/paste to learn more.
http://www.youtube.com/velejandocomdeus
Our last visit was in Baia Formosa. Another beautiful location known for it's incredible beach! Again, we found ourselves leading exhausting weeks of teaching English at several of the local schools, hosting an English Seminar at the church, working with the locals, hosting some events for the children, drams, sermons, testimonies... Oh, yeah! We were able to get a few beach hours in there too! ;)
I confess that by the end of it I was ready to go home, but it was still extremely hard to say goodbye to all the wonderful new friends we had made. In truth, we really blessed! Wherever we went we were welcomed. Whatever church we visited gave to us. Whatever house we went into offered us the best they had. Whatever friendship was made was sincere. Whatever prayers were said were truly meant. I hope that we were able to give to Brazil at least a fraction of what Brazil gave to us.
It was a very long, tiring, joyous journey. It is season that has passed but will never be forgotten. God willing I will be able to go back one day. I feel I have His blessing on that. But whether it will be in five months or five years I cannot say. But I do this: Brazilian's know how to show true love and hospitality in a way I've never experienced before, and I have been greatly humbled.
We went to bless Brazil, but in the end Brazil blessed us! Thank you, my beloved Brazil! Você sempre estará em meu coração! Amem!
I'll always treasure my time in DTS. I've heard that pretty much everyone feels the same way about their own DTS, and I know I'm biased, but I do think my DTS was the best one ever!!! :)
As for Brazil....
I don't even know where to start. That's 2 1/2 months of traveling and ministry.
We arrived in Sao Paulo where we had the chance to adapt to being surrounded by Portuguese and the Brazilian culture at Gateway for King's Kids. It was a one week summer camp and the World Cup was still going on! It's been a long time since I've seen so many teenagers in one place! And to experience the excitement that South American's have during the World Cup.... Hey! I'm from Texas, and I will probably get challenged for this, but I've never even seen a group of Redneck's watching American college football make a touchdown get as excited as SA's do over just getting control of the ball!!!! (No exaggeration possible!!!)
It was a joy to get to know so many of the kids and be there during a joyous time in their lives, worship the Lord and watch in awe as so many stepped forward unashamed of their own tears -just giving it all up!
....Not to mention when the boiler outside our (the girls) bedroom window decided to have a minor explosion in the middle of the night, and we all had to evacuate until we knew if it was safe or not. (There's been a standing joke from that night about what each of the girls thought most valuable to grab in an evacuation. I'll let you use your imaginations.) But everything was fine, and we got to go back to bed. The next day the guys would rub it in that they didn't have any night evacuations and got to sleep in pure peace. I think they accidently got a few bruises that day, but I'm sure none of us girls had anything to do with it.
The next week we spent in Rio in a 'less fortunate' part of the city. I will not say too much about that week except we got to experience some marvelous things there, incredible prayer times, and I got my first introduction to churches, and it's people, who truly understand what a difficult life really is. I will forever be touched by what we got to experience there.
After that, the REAL traveling began. We went back to Sao Paulo where we visited several drug rehab facilities, street kids, homeless areas, prostitution and 'Crackalonga' a.k.a Crack Land. I look back on that particular week as being one of the hardest and most beautiful experiences of my life. I had never really seen homelessness before and certainly not that openly. I confess I was amazed at how some homeless communities had constructed very well make-shift homes, and had even wired electricity to them. Several were actually kept quite clean as well, but it still broke my heart to see children playing there with little clothes in winter and an elderly lady in a wheelchair setting out side her 'box' house. But there were also many, many that were filthy and heartbreaking to walk in.
As long as I live I do not think I will forget the young freezing teenage girl from the streets holding my hands and, feeling their warmth, said "I wish I had your hands." I praise God for all the different facilities and organizations and churches that are going out and ministering to these people, helping them to develop trades, skills, education and new homes.
Following Sao Paulo we spent time in Duratina painting a local church, working with kids at a local school and visiting a Kobenoti tribe. Like most Native American's (or First Nations) tribes are losing their identities, language and stories. Some are taking steps to try and educate the children on their ancestral history and keep the culture alive. We all greatly encouraged this. After all, the Lord Himself created their language! There are so many beautiful customs and traditions that should never be lost! It was a true honor to be able to spend time with them. *Please remember to keep the Kobenoti, and all other American tribes, in your prayers that they do not lose their language or culture.
In Marilla, we had an exceptionally busy week. We taught English in... I have no idea how many classes or age groups. Let's just say several a day, ages 3-18. Not to mention all the local church activities, drama performances, sermons and testimonies. (Oh, yeah! Actually, the drama's, sermons, testimonies, dances and songs were during the whole trip!) The next pictures are one of the many ways we entertained and played with the kiddies!
After Marilla we stayed 5 days living on a sailboat working with the Velejando com Dues (Sailing with God) Ministry. It was an amazing experience sailing through a region of islands and visiting with the locals. We were even able to visit a small school on one of the islands! These particular groups of people live a life completely set apart from the outside world. They know it's there, they even get tourists, but they choose to stay on their tiny islands. Alas, sometimes a tropical paradise is not all it's thought to be... Sometimes it's more! All I can think of remembering the amazing scenery, the open waters and the smiles of the children's faces is that God must have taken great delight in His artwork there. (But of course, every child's face is a precious work of art.)
I have provided the link for copy/paste to learn more.
http://www.youtube.com/velejandocomdeus
Our last visit was in Baia Formosa. Another beautiful location known for it's incredible beach! Again, we found ourselves leading exhausting weeks of teaching English at several of the local schools, hosting an English Seminar at the church, working with the locals, hosting some events for the children, drams, sermons, testimonies... Oh, yeah! We were able to get a few beach hours in there too! ;)
I confess that by the end of it I was ready to go home, but it was still extremely hard to say goodbye to all the wonderful new friends we had made. In truth, we really blessed! Wherever we went we were welcomed. Whatever church we visited gave to us. Whatever house we went into offered us the best they had. Whatever friendship was made was sincere. Whatever prayers were said were truly meant. I hope that we were able to give to Brazil at least a fraction of what Brazil gave to us.
It was a very long, tiring, joyous journey. It is season that has passed but will never be forgotten. God willing I will be able to go back one day. I feel I have His blessing on that. But whether it will be in five months or five years I cannot say. But I do this: Brazilian's know how to show true love and hospitality in a way I've never experienced before, and I have been greatly humbled.
We went to bless Brazil, but in the end Brazil blessed us! Thank you, my beloved Brazil! Você sempre estará em meu coração! Amem!
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