View from My Front Porch

Today starts the beginning of a new series of blog posts. Every Friday I plan to put up a single video or photo shot directly from my front porch here in Sobradinho, Bahia, Brazil.

Today's clip is from last week. I was actually standing on the sidewalk and not technically smack on the porch, by the way. Our region of Brazil is very dry and receives a limited amount of rainfall every year. Once every forty years or so, that amount shrinks substantially making for extreme drought conditions. We have been in a drought of about three years. Imagine living in a place where it rains about one time on one day once a year. This January we had some of the biggest total annual rainfall of the past five years - yes, all in one month's time! There was much flooding to say the least. And our grass began to grow again after how many years? We water it minimally with run off water from the washing machine. But we rarely have to cut it. So for the first time in about three years, Byron had to cut the grass! And that's the view this week from my front porch!

Comments

Everything New

I'm reading a book for old missionaries about all the crazy things people go through in returning from their field of service to spend time in their home country. One of the chapters is all about how tough it is to "go home." Things change and the missionary ends up out of sync with what's new since their last "home" visit. "Coming home" this time has been smooth in some ways and a little crazy in others. Byron and I haven't had a real furlough for six years. On one hand our recent short visits pathed the way for an easier transition. But staying for a longer this time around means we don't have to feel as rushed to go and do and see, even though we are always reminded of that the pages of the calendar are passing by. Keeping in touch with our friends in Brazil is uniquely easy nowadays allowing us the privilege of almost instant contact, real time decision making and even seeing regular photos of my cat. We can send money quickly an...

Core Memories: Furlough 2018

I happened upon an archive of old home video from our furlough in 2018 while transferring items to a new laptop. Oh, what fun to watch! Decided to put them in a little video collage. Making important memories while in the USA with our grands is important! It takes a little effort and a little intent. Enjoy! In memory of Papa Potter

My Promise Verse

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. This verse has been a favorite of mine since I was a teenager. When I was a high school senior at a Christian school in Virginia, Job 23:10 was chosen as our class theme verse. At our graduation commencement, the valedictorian and saludatorian in their addresses that day divided the verse in its two natural parts as a basis for the core of each one's address. I was the salutatorian of my senior class that year. I chose to speak of how God would one day reward our faithfulness and thus, we should always strive to remain true. For many years though, the first part of the verse haunted me in a way. As a missionary especially when times were lonely or difficult, I assumed it was my "trial" or "test," and as such must be accepted in all humility. As I have grown older, I have begun to look more toward the pearly gates and have reconsidered the thr...

Cactus Flower

Search This Blog