God's Way's ARE Higher...

We have been in the "big city" of Altamira where our mother base is for over 2 weeks. We intended to spend only a week, but it sometimes never works out our way.

He learned how to fish!

He captured every crowd he played for!!!(This only shows one angle, there were a bunch on the other side)

We had our short termer, Nathan, leave earlier than expected when his visa wasn't approved for the following 90 days. We were informed that his visa was only given for 20 days. It was never communicated therefore we were all in the dark about it until we went to proceed with the extension. Apparently, the Federal Police can give up to 90 days and it's up to the officer who receives your passport first to determine that time. Nathan had to pay a stiff fine and stiff airfare. That was on a Friday and we said our good byes on Sunday night. He has since then arranged for the time he'd be in Brazil to serve at a orphanage in Mexico, so he's a happy camper!

He's off to serve at Mission Carmen Serdan in Mexico

One of our leaders from our community who traveled with us on the river for that long trip, got to know Nathan and got some guitar lessons from him too. When he came to vote this weekend for the Brazilian election day, we saw him and told him. He looked very sad and teared up a bit because he didn't get to say good bye! It was a disappointment, but God's ways are Higher.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps" Proverbs 16:9

So since Nathan has left, his "isms" have stayed. Like he'd say "um, um tasty good" and such. The kids still say that when it's something yummy coming their way!! HAHAHAHA!

We had plans to return back home, but we needed to get the truck maintained and it's so difficult to have it done timely here. Altamira has exploded, as I've mentioned before, and every area it's felt. Prices, traffic, construction and it's all going UP, UP, UP!!!!

Altamira is like a big city now. Clyde was waiting at a stop light and there were 3 hippies doing tricks in front of the traffic as they waiting for the stop light to earn money. A girl, doing hula hoop, a guy doing a hand drum roll and the the other guy juggling.  We see this in the really big cities. I guess Altamira has gone up a step! 

A few good things are that the "big city" now has Sushi and I don't have to go to Belem or Maraba for it now!!!! I expect to come for my bday/Christmas gift!!!

So the truck is fine, it's just those little things that need help! Brakes, clutch, power steering, electical so the brake lights will work. These things sound so routine, but here it's VITAL to have it all done WELL!!! I told Clyde that God has sent him to the Amazon to learn how to be a car mechanic cause if he doesn't keep a vigilant watch on these mechanics here, it won't get done and it won't get done right...in most cases!

We are praying that we can leave tomorrow for Uruara' and then off to Maribel by Wednesday. Friday is National Kids Day and I'm in charge of the cake!

Watch for another update around Christmas! Blessings from the Bergquist Clan~

Our 3 Week Adventure...

August 24th

Our boat before it was loaded up for the trip.

Friday morning we had everything in order. The boat was finally fixed up and ready to go. We had 2 willing boat captains to drive us up river 5 days. Loaded down with 3 weeks worth of food, fuel and all the camping gear and school books we’d need we headed out by 9am. 

We hooked up with our friend Palito(toothpick) who is a young fisherman, newly married and soon to be a Papai(Daddy) and who also is Pataca’s brother. Pataca is one of our boat drivers, friend and co-leader of our ministry in Maribel. 

Because Palito was driving his boat up the river and knows it like the back of his hand, we felt it would be necessary to follow him up to the end where he goes to fish. Pataca knows the river to a certain point, but doesn’t know the channels further up. The river is super low...dangerously low and many rocks are the main danger to the boat we borrowed from a friend down river. Many said it was a crazy thing to go up the river with out any experience during a time like this. We knew the Lord was with us!

Palito's foot steering his boat. This was a constant site from my seat on the boat.

Palito and his boat and crew with styrofoam coolers for fish and large drums for diesel fuel.

Taking a break, Palito sits on the top of his boat and makes sure we're behind him and doing well.

Leading the way are Palito and his fishing crew.

We drove the boat from 7am to 6pm with little play in between for 5 days straight. We camped at several beaches where Palito and his crew camp as they head up to fish. 

The scenery was to die for. Seeing rock formations that were impressive, water levels were so low, you could see the sting ray’s swimming below and rocks pass by that potentially could of put a whole in the boat in one quick hit!

We hit a few times that put slow leaks in the boat and we’d have to bail every half hour, but we stopped and patched it with cotton and with the quick experienced handling of a machete. 

We had a few rapids that required the men to push the boat, an outboard motor and the main motor of the boat all to get the boats up the rocky rapids. I, Kelsie, was the only woman on this trip. I took the kids out and we’d walk along the rocks and sometimes had to walk in the swift current to stay safe. 

The Lord provided help when we needed it and never were we in any crazy danger. There were a few white knuckle moments, but nothing that threatened our lives.

3 Motors at once to get Palito's boat up the narrow rapid

Palito drives, Pataca, Nathan and Clyde push to get it up the rapid.

Nearly there!

Going down another day in reverse with the motor running to help go down really slow.

Using long poles to control the hits, all 3 guys prod and push to keep the boat safe

Hung up, Pataca gets in and risks cutting his feet or stepping on sting ray's to get it done!

One of our last big rapids needed these 3 guys to keep us from slipping down the rocks

Looks mild, but you can't see all the rocks under us! We were hung up for a bit. We had 3 extra guys helping us get down this rapid!

Dona Celia and Seu BB

We finally arrived at the last house where Palito left us. We were barely introduced to the owners, but quickly received a welcome. The Dono(owner) of the house is well into his 60‘s, named Seu BehBeh(Mr. BB) and considered an old man. He has 14 children or something like that and all but 4 are sons. Of the 4 daughters, only one young girl remains in the home helping her mother at the age of 15. The first impression I had of this place was “wild, crazy and definitely needing Jesus because there were young people swimming in the river, doing somersaults off the big rock bed that spread out over the river in front of their home. There also was a young man, dark skinned, dark haired and definitely looked hard, who either didn’t know how to drive a canoe with outboard motor or was showing off, but he revved up the motor so loud and pulsated the engine and drove the large canoe all around where the people and even young children were swimming. Even Palito said “That guy is crazy”. It just looked like a classic group that had the partying thing all over them. We were shown an abandoned house we could stay in for our time there by a family friend named Cabeludo(Long haired), which he had short hair. It looked somewhat sound in structure, but needed a little womanly attention to be suitable. Makenna got on sweeping right away, we hung our hammocks and it worked just fine. 

Our little house we called home for 3 days at Seu BB's

We met the family by sundown as they all started to hunker in for their nightly routine of watching the national news on TV. I wasn’t expecting to see things of the nation and even the presidential campaign going on in the US. Seemed so strange to have traveled so far and be in the middle of nowhere and still get the nightly news. The house was cozy yet very simple. The Dona(Lady of the house) or wife of Seu BB, is Celia and she was relaxing in a reclined chair, hand made by her hubby. She didn’t seem very personable in the beginning, but once she got up to help us get a fire going in her kitchen, she warmed up real nice. Cabeludo was a big help for the first night, full of conversation and information about the region and such. We had a late dinner with BBQ’d piranha, rice and cold water. Seu BB  pulled out a 2liter of orange soda for us. That was way generous for  him to do that for us strangers.  We weren’t expecting that at all. As we chatted a bit with the family that was there, they we’re very welcoming. We came as friends and neighbors who wanted to meet the folks up river. 

That night we went to bed in our little abandoned hut that we made into a home for the next 3 nights.

At 3am, Pataca came to the door.  “Pastor! There is a guy who is having a really bad stomach ache.” Clyde woke up and knew Pataca was calling him to come and pray. He went with Pataca and I was awake wondering what was happening. I could hear in the distance a moan that sounded unusual. It couldn’t of been human because it was too steady, rhythmic and sounded like a howler monkey in the jungle. It was so loud and yet I knew deep down it was someone having a fit of something. I began to pray. The noise disturbed me so much, I began to get an upset stomach as I prayed. 

Clyde returned about a half hour later and woke up Nathan, our short termer from Grants Pass. He asked Nathan if he would like to go and pray with Clyde for this man. 

Clyde informed me that it was one of Seu BB’s sons, the one who was driving the canoe crazy. He’d been partying and drinking alot and had arrived home with a bad stomach ache. It was so bad that the sound I was hearing was him breathing to cope with the pain he was feeling. Clyde said he was moaning in his hammock nearly throwing himself out of it in this fit. I asked him if it was demonic or what. He said the symptom was like a bad ulcer that the alcohol must have made it flare up.

Nathan and Clyde left and I continued to pray. It sounded like the poor guy was on his death bed or he probably wished he would die. Makenna woke up asking what that noise was. When I told her, she couldn’t believe it. We quietly prayed from our hammocks. Clyde also took some liquid anti acid I had brought on the trip. They prayed, gave him the anti-acid and a half hour later, the pain passed enough that the guy could sleep in peace in his hammock! By 4am, Clyde and Nathan came back to their hammocks tired and relieved that the poor guy was resting easier.

The next morning, we woke and went down to Seu BB’s house for coffee. The old man was sitting there already sharing stories with Clyde. I entered the house and said good morning to he and his wife. When I asked how their son was, Seu BB said “I’ve talked to that boy about choosing Life or Alcohol.” I could see his wisdom coming through and his fathers heart. There was a bonding that had happened for us through that situation that early morning. That night as well, it began to rain. It hadn’t rained in over 40 days. The rain came and it felt cozy and the drip outside didn’t allow for us or anyone to push off really fast. 

That same night, another son, a bit older than the one who had the stomach fit, had come home with a cut hand. He was cutting a river turtle up with a machete to BBQ, which is a normal river event for them. The machete slipped and cut his hand so bad that it severed the nerves in his hand and left it without feeling in his thumb and first finger. He was so far from a hospital, that he couldn’t just pick up and leave for the hospital to stitch it up or have surgery. Instead he headed home and had it wrapped in a simple cloth. The pain was pretty intense and yet, he was up and around. He has 2 kids that he tended to. He and his wife, were separated and the kids were visiting him. He sat with them as they ate breakfast that morning. He said he’d head to the nearest health post(about 2-3 hours down river) to get stitches. He still was dealing with the pain and the fact that he had lost the main function of his hand. 

The son who cut his hand still smiling with his children even in the midst of pain.

By day 2 we had become better acquainted with Seu BB, his wife, Celia and their grandchildren and sons and their families. We had a service with them and it was a full room of family. After worship, I took the kids into another room as the house to have kids class as it was very spacious.

There were 2 young sons of BB,around ages 8 and 12, a grand daughter about 6 and grandson about 5 yrs old for a total of 4 kids. I had a great magazine with colorful pictures that shared the story of Adam and Eve and what happened with them disobeying God and His plan to send Jesus and it lead right into the salvation message! All 4 kids accepted Jesus and the oldest was so excited that each morning and evening, he would be in his room, listening to one of the solar audio bibles we gave his family. 

We pray that he learns much from the audio bible and his hunger increases and that he will become a new creation from that of what his brothers have become but he will be able to reach his family as a leader.

12 year old son of Seu BB, doing back flips after learning from his older brothers

Nate found friends to run around with at Seu BB's house

Seu BB's his youngest child, 8 yrs old

Hannah and her friend found dollies in common

First family photo for Seu BB and his family. The young man in the middle, back with green hat, black and blue shirt is the son who had the stomach problems. Cabeludo, standing to the right of him,  is the nice family friend who greeted us first and showed us around.

The rain let up and we were able to travel on to the next villages. Each place we arrived, we were warmly welcomed. Some places we arrived in time to see them play soccer which is usually about 5pm and it gave us time to meet people and get a feel of our location. Other times, we would arrive somewhere in the last few minutes of daylight. Many times, I felt very awkward showing up unannounced with 4 kids and 5 adults, with our luggage, that looked like a small move. But in every place but one, we felt warmly welcomed. The one place we landed at that we didn’t feel a connection was a village where they had a big birthday party planned and we didn’t know anyone. They allowed us to have a service just before the birthday celebration, but it didn’t go off like we hoped for and I personally felt very out of place. We were allowed to stay in the school and nobody from the village came to visit or invite us to their place. So the next morning, which happened to by Nate’s 7th bday, we headed out early and up to a new village. Clyde had met a family who had started their own village and shared that 2 years ago, they went to one of our city churches and recieved Christ. They really wanted us to come and do a service, so we did!

That morning we arrived and were greeted by one of the men in the village who was awaiting our arrival. The path into the village was longer than I’d ever seen. We walked through a very cool, jungle path for about 7 minutes before reaching the clearout where they had built temporary huts and were just starting on the framing of their more permanent homes. We did a service with them and they surprised us with  a lunch afterwards. We ended up baking a cake at their village and celebrating Nate’s 7th bday with them. They were very happy to have us do that with them. They gave Nate a handmade beaded bracelet. He was pretty excited about that!

Birthday boy and new family puppy too!

We left late from their place and headed down river to the next village that was expecting us. We got in late, but was warmly welcomed. They had a beautiful village, well organized and very comfortable. We stayed in the school for 2 nights and enjoyed meals and hanging out. They enjoyed our visit so much that they were willing to have us longer. They gifted us with handmade necklaces and other gifts for our trip such as bananas and potatoes.

Maddy plays with a river turtle

From there we made our way going from village to village until we reached home in Maribel. The water levels were super low and many rocks in the channels. We didn’t have an experienced captain, but the Lord lead us through and prevented us from a few potentially disastrous places. One occasion we were heading at full speed when Clyde got a fish on. The routine was to yell when a fish was on and the captain would slow down and wait for the clear to return to normal speed. As Clyde yelled, “Fish On”, Pataca was driving and slowed down. As he slowed down, a few seconds after coming to a much slower speed, Pataca said calmly “Good thing Clyde said “Fish On””...he paused and I wondered why he said that. I looked up and there was a huge rock bar under us that if we hadn’t slowed down at that very moment, we would of surely wrecked the boat and been in some serious trouble. We giggled with joy that the Lord protected us yet again from such danger. It was totally unforeseen and He gave us a fish instead of an accident!!!!!

Makenna and Maddy with their first catch!

Clyde caught this peacock bass with this rock in it's mouth!!!

Pataca waking up in the 3rd story of the tree. 

Our tent was a life saver for the mosquitos that came out in the evening and morning!

A sister moment on top of the boat.

By September 13th we hit home sweet home!. It was a good feeling to be back in our neck of the woods where Pataca and Magno knew the channels. It felt amazing to be back in our house with our routine, bathroom and beds!

We made several new friends, we had many new experiences, had white knuckle moments going over the rapids and many fun times playing in the water. We praise the Lord for His unfailing provision from places to stay, food to eat and times when it was uncomfortable and turned our doubts into reliefs! 

My prayer is that each time we see these people or they show up on our door needing a place to stay that we will remember them, our time with them and give them a warm welcome like they gave us! I also pray that we will be able to sow seeds and maybe even get to see them bear fruit!!!!

We are planning another trip in January when the water levels are higher and it will be easier to travel the river. Also to have a bigger boat to fit a larger team of Brazilians from  our community.

July 14, 2012

Moving back to Maribel has been challenging as always to live in a simple way with the people and yet so rewarding as we have built some amazing relationships with the folks out here.

We arrived July 1st in Altamira to a city that has changed so much that we can’t believe it. Because of the hydroelectic dam, many people from far and wide are coming in by the droves to get work. Rent has soared. The nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath house we rented in 2010 was something like R$700 a month and now it’s more than doubled, maybe even tripled!!!

The amount of cars and motorcycles on the road going somewhere with no regards for the law and anyone else is insane.  Clyde told a story everyday telling me how many close calls he saw or had himself with other motorists. He was ready to get out of Altamira shortly after arriving!

The mission face has changed and the guest house is totally walled off. We had to rent it out as the economy for the States has brought the teams to just a few each year and we don’t have hosts for the house anymore. The quiet community we once had is now very isolated feeling. We have a mission duplex and office and yard. That’s about it. Community isn’t the same like it was. Doesn’t mean the people have changed, but when your setting changes, it does affect some part of your comfort levels! I guess I love community.

We traveled to Uruara’ Saturday July 7th. Clyde ran into a friend from the Iriri River. Neiniha is a sweet gal, who put herself in a place for the Lord to use her when she went along to helped deliver a baby in the back seat of our Ranger, back in September 2011. Neiniha and her 10 yr old daughter, Regina needed a ride to Maribel, so they came along. We squished everything and everybody in for an always snug and bumpy ride. Neiniha was a happy camper because many times she has to get a ride from the fish trucks to Altamira to save money. That means she literally sits on top of the stinky fish truck cab and holds on for dear life through all the bumps and pot holes, dust and sun. She is a trooper!

While in Uruara’, we were pleased to see the pastoral house completed and Poli and Nega and their family living there. The church meets in the spacious living room. If they grow much more, we’ll be planning another add on so they can function better.

We had great fellowship with them there.

Our truck packed to the gil for the trip from Altamira to Maribel

Uruara' welcome home lunch

The pastoral house that Clyde and Poli built before we left to the US and now Poli and Nega live in it with their family! Very spacious to fit 7 hammocks and that is where the church meets too!

 We left there a bit heavy as Poli gave us a heads up that there is a pastor from a church in one of the cities who was invited by a newbie in Maribel to come and plant a church in the village. Since we haven’t been in Maribel for the past 8 months, the community leader allowed the pastor to put up a plaque that says “Future Site of....” and the church name. I’m not going to say the church name because I am not interested in attacking the denomination. It’s God’s people!!  Evangelical churches that are very legalistic and use the “turn or burn” tactic always have a bad taste in many peoples mouths. This news has disturbed us because we are hearing the aftermath of some of this pastors messages to the people. We feel protective of the peoples hearts and want to share Jesus with them so that they fall in love with Him, not run from hell to get into heaven.

When we arrived in Maribel, there it was. Right near our house. 

The village has changed a bit and there are a few new families that moved in.

For the people we have been working with, the welcome was warm. For those who we don’t know too well, it’s a bit awkward. Everyone knows who we are and yet we don’t know them yet. It will take time.

We are seeking the Lord for  His wisdom. He gave us many confirmation and we feel that this is just a mere test for the people and for us.

This is His ministry and we are His vessels. 

We do appreciate your prayers. It feels a bit strange to go where no churches have been and now there is one knocking on the door to come and we feel protective.

We want His will in this. We are willing to share this field, but it would help that the pastor is sensitive to the people and their hearts.

Line trucks are a huge help to the Brazilians who live on the long road to the Iriri River and a huge asset to the river people. This one was packed top to bottom and dust for 7 hours straight!

This is our community of 5 houses up top and many more up and down the river. Our house is the furthest one  just under the ridge line of hills and sky.

Kelsie back in the saddle washing clothes in the river with her best partner, Hannah! The water will go down much more and the washing door will move many times until the water rises again. 

We head to Santarem this week to meet up with the Grants Pass Vineyard missions team. We will take one of the members home with us to Maribel for several months.

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel this week. We’ll try to send out a update as soon as we can!

How to Pray!

The month of August we hope to be making a trip up river to meet and teach at all the villages. We pray for favor, wisdom, stamina, excellent health and for God encounters!!!!

Nathan Chavarria is our short termer we are picking up. Please keep  him in your prayers as he’ll be living and ministering out here with us. He’ll be learning the language as well as teaching guitar to some of willing vessels here on the river!

Pray for Kelsie as she is starting up another year of homeschooling and feels a bit anxious as there are many trials in a day outside of teaching! Routine and patience!!!

Blessings from the Bergquist Family! We miss you all and love you so much more!

BBQ Turtle with Seredipity Seasoning Salt that our friend Cheryl gave us! Thanks Cheryl!!!

Back in Brazil

The theme song that comes to me is silly,  it's "Back in the Saddle Again". I didn't know the words until I looked it up and think it fits my feelings!
Since leaving our hometown of Grants Pass June 20th, it has been a long journey and emotionally more draining.  I guess in staying as long as we did, we may have put some roots down, but I don't think it is a bad thing.

This past 6 months in Grants Pass, I understood an old concept from the Bible.  In James 4:14 and many other passages throughout the Bible it says "our life is as a morning fog" or a vapor. I've thought it was pretty poetic until we lived it. One day our family and friends are with us, then suddenly a tragedy happens or an illness comes knocking at our door and "poof" they're gone. I felt this more than once as we lost a dear friend in less than a month from cancer, several around us are fighting cancer and trying all they can to win through their faith, prayer and diet control and other treatments and one young man lost his life from complications of pneumonia. Poof, they are gone from us. And we never got to say good bye to either one of them.
I felt that I  needed to take saying "good bye" with family and friends way more seriously. So, saying good-bye was much harder with each one. Especially our grandparents. They are in their mid to late 80's and one is 90 and living out the hospice phase.
On the lighter side, with Jesus in our lives, we have hope and confidence that eternity is forever and not that vapor or morning fog that disappears. We'll have forever to be together when we have decided to accept Jesus as our master and savior! If you have not decided, please consider it so my forever can be spent with you as well! You will NOT regret it! I promise!!! Check it out for your self!

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord"
Romans 10: 9-10 " That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" verse :10 "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
Good news people!!!!! 


And this is why we are returning to Brazil...

We left for LAX Friday night at 10pm. We got there with plenty of time to unload our 12 totes, carry-ons and 2 little sleepers(Nate and Hannah), 2 tired girls and 2 already tired parents. The airlines didn't have a problem with our totes, but had problems with our carry on's. We were forced to pay for an extra tote by leaving the airport at midnight to find something that would fit 3 of our carryon's(which for the record were the right size???) So the total paid was $175 and we weren't sure why exactly, but we got on the plane on time. (Thank you Dad for your willingness and flexibility at such a crazy hour to look for a bin...it ended up being a Brawny cardboard box from CVS Pharmacy=-)
Our flights were good. Copa Airlines added a new feature to their planes!! An iPad kind of deal on the back of every seat loaded with entertainment for everyone. Games, movies, TV series and documentaries and even the map of our flight and how long it would take to get there!

!

Excited about the media in front of them and the journey back home they didn't sleep until 4am
LAX to Panama City

Leaving Panama City for Manaus...a bit tired but ready to get there!

After 4 hours of good sleep, they were ready for the last flight from Manaus to Altamira

Sunrise over the Amazon Basin

First Guarana after 8 months! Even at 6:30am!!

First Brazilian Coffee!!! So needing it about now!

Nate, so amped to get back to Altamira!

We traveled to Manaus that night and our sweet friends, Jim and Julie Benson and their neighbor, Grant had us for a short night and served us by getting us at the airport with our now 13 bins and carry on's, taking us to their house and getting up at 4am to take us back to the airport! We were so grateful for their sacrifices to help us!

When they dropped us off at the airport in Manaus at 5am, the airlines looked at all our bins and pretty much told us that the plane wouldn't hold that much! They wanted us to go another direction with our totes. Cargo with another airport next door or a line boat that would take 5 or so days. We were a bit taken back, but began to pray and trust the Lord for a solution so that we wouldn't miss our flight.
After some persistence and talking to the clerks at the check in desk for the airlines, they were willing to try it. We were so blessed and pleased when they got all the totes on and we weren't charged anything for the extra weight. We were speechless!

We arrived on time in Altamira and our friends Steve and Joao came to get us and all our stuff with our truck and Steve's truck! Nate was so excited to see "Smokey" our Ranger. It was a bit fast for us to already function in Brazil, but God is faithful to prepare us for every moment!
All our things were in tact when we got to the mission apartment. AMAZING!!!

We'll stay in Altamira til Friday. Then off to Uruara' to see the church there and Poli and Nega, who we church planted with last year. Monday we'll be looking to head out to Maribel.

Thank you for all your prayers. I know many of you have been praying daily for us and we just couldn't expect better results without you guys praying for us!

We'll be getting our friend Nathan Chavaria, from Grants Pass, July 20th or so and bringing him back to Maribel with us. He'll be staying with us til December. He'll be learning the language, teaching guitar to some of the guys and traveling with us. He feels called to missions in Brazil and is praying about Xingu Mission as a good fit for more full time missions.
We appreciate your prayers for his transition to Maribel and with our family!

Furlough to us is....

Coming home to family, speaking the same language, complete understanding of the general law around us,  calling before showing up,  finding fellowship with our missed brothers and sisters in Christ, driving in normal conditions and arrive in precision time,  weather is brisk and dry and don't feel exhausted at the simple tasks, supermarkets have nearly everything and then some, lines are sometimes long, but once at the checkout, it's a cinch to pay and get a real receipt. There are so many comforts here and yet we see our culture has changed. People are hungry for genuineness and truth and yet they don't even know it.

There is a mission field EVERYWHERE! Our family, our friends, our church family, the guy who served our country on the side of the road with a sign that says "Anything helps". It's everywhere folks. Don't think that leaving to another country is any more glamorous than meeting the needs in your own community and on the street corners.  It's really about being Jesus everyday to everyone and being willing to surrender your plans to His. I am preaching to myself too!

Our time here has been amazing and I won't lie to you. It's going to be hard to go. But, we have a commitment to the people of the Iriri river.
In the last few months I have enjoyed immensely many things.
Watching the kids go off to school and coming home with stories and hearing about all they have learned.
Going to my Grandma's house to chat and take her to Costco and enjoying her company.
Being asked to play on worship teams and mainly my old worship leader's team and allowing the Lord to use me and my hands to play music and sing high praises in English and a few times in Portuguese!
Being a chaperone to all our kids' field trips and watching their interactions with friends and teachers.
Cleaning the house and not sweating!
Doing laundry and getting nearly everything done and back in the cubbies and still having energy to do other things!
Fellowship with friends and spending late nights talking about anything that we want in English!

I will enjoy all the memories of this furlough.

I am looking forward to getting back to Brazil for the people who await us.
I am looking forward to catching up with each one.
Gift giving.
Returning to our schedule of going with the flow and being flexible at all times.
Getting back to homeschooling and seeing how much they have grown and learned.
I am looking forward to taking back all that we have been refreshed with and passing it on.
Praying and ministering to our leaders and watching them take off with the calling God has on their lives.
Stepping aside more and supporting the Brazilians in ministry so they can ignite and take off.
Salvations of those who are being prepared even now as I pray for them.
Fruit to be picked and sowing further up river.
Oh and eating organic again!!!

Thank you to all of you who support us in finances and prayers. We can't do this with out you! Your so essential to our being there in so many ways.
We are blessed and privileged. Keep us in your prayers as we transition back.

Ways to pray:
1. Our transportation to California, we're looking at getting our old van insured and registered and praying the engine is strong to take us to LA.

2. Packing and prioritizing, managing all the last minute events and meetings and 4 children

3. Transition back to the climate, culture and language.

4. Focus and vision for the next few years that the Lord is calling us to.

5. Hearing His voice and having His wisdom in all that we sow and invest in here on the Iriri river!

Mothers Day Weekend on the Oregon Coast

Mom and her troops

Cousin Yael and Maddy who are the closest in age of all the 20 cousins...1 week!

Twin cousins, Phoebe and Lydia with Hannah...they became best buds!

The youngest cousin, Salome 2 yrs and Clyde's youngest sister, Rebecca...my sweet sister too!

Cousin Nehemiah and Nate! 5 months age difference

Watson and Bergquistclans on a hike together

Playing again....feels soooo good

Our worship leader of 20 some years, Lewis Crownover and I playing again in a reunion....oh did it refresh my heart of worship

"Mom, can you come help in my science class? We're gonna dissect pig hearts?" Makenna 5th grade science class

First friend from school, Haley and sister dancing with Makenna and Hannah in "back then" music and attire

Clyde and his beloved Gramma Margot on Memorial Weekend...our favorite weekend in Grants Pass

The older cousins sitting and chatting during the Memorial Day Hydroplane race on the Rogue River

2 of the 15 boats that raced...they sound like wood bees whining down the river

Some of the littles having their own conversations during the race

Stone throwing lessons after the races

Family

Burying Josiah, 9 yrs old, in river rocks. His dad was there making sure it all went smoothly!