Making the transition

I guess in hindsight, it was a good thing when I called Marla with some bad news from the Sao Paulo Airport.  My flight out of Chicago (I had spent the previous week in OMS meetings in Indiana) had already been delayed 24 hours due to severe thunderstorms.  When I arrived in Sao Paulo, I was informed that my connecting flight was already full.  On the phone I told Marla that I was put on a later flight, and for a moment it was quiet on the other end of the phone.  Then she said with obvious disappointment in her voice  “if I come to pick you up from the airport when you get in, I’ll miss watching the Brazil World Cup soccer game.”

It wasn’t “I’m sorry Micah,” or “It’s already been a week since we’ve last seen you, I miss you and I’ll jump right in the car for the hour and a half drive to come get you:” it was “I’m going to have to miss the game!!”

I won out in the end and she  loaded up the girls and tuned in the radio for the drive.  In truth I was/am happy that she’s enjoying this World Cup season and she can now talk intelligent soccer with the ladies at church (yes I’m serious… this is Brazil after all).

Below is a picture of Noelle’s latest feat.  We call it “hey, I can look out the window now all by myself!”

FRIENDS

     Definition of Friend according to Webster’s:

     Person one likes

We have recently been thinking a lot about friends.  Those people whom we like and think about and spend time with and pray for and miss.  Being that we live in Brazil and most of you reading this do not, you fall into the pray for and miss category.  So recently when the pastor from the church that we worked at in Londrina called and said that they were bringing a group to Maringa for a holiday we were thrilled!  Here in Brazil there seems to be many holidays, city ones, state ones, national ones.  Most of the time were not even sure why there is a holiday, but try to enjoy it nonetheless. So just over a week ago Micah met this group downtown and played tour guide for them on a drizzly afternoon that eventually brought them to our home for “café da tarde” the afternoon coffee and snack time that Brazilians have every day.  The girls and I had made cookies and ham and cheese sandwiches and of course we had coffee.  They stayed and visited and we laughed and talked and thoroughly enjoyed our time together!. What a blessing for us to feel like we were not only among persons that we liked, but friends that we love.

Group from Belo Horizonte Church in Londrina

Samara and Isabella

Then we got another phone call from Andressa and Marlon and Wesley and Rosianne saying they wanted to come visit for the weekend.  These are two couples that were in Micah’s discipleship group and became some of our closest friends in Londrina. Marlon and Andressa are married and expecting a little girl in August. Wesley and Rosianne are getting married in October.  So again we were blessed by time with special friends who we love and who love us and really love Samara and Noelle.  

Tooth brushing buddies

Wesley and Noelle

"decorating" Rosianne's hair

breaking in our Churrasco (bar-b-que)

Telling us the story...The directions said to "mix by hand" when Micah turned around Marlon was doing just that!

SUPER special people we like

Wave Watching

I guess I’ve always imagined that when Peter was walking on water, what took his attention away from Jesus was a general curiosity and an ADHD inability to focus.  A “hey check this out, ain’t it cool” type of thing.  But recently I’ve began to wonder if it wasn’t something a little more.  Something that at one time or another will effect us all.  To read more read the PDF file Wave Watching.  And don’t forget to check out our picture page.