Cactus Flower

This morning right after breakfast, I got my hair all fixed up.  I put on some make-up and got ready to make a video.  I haven't hardly used any make-up for the past 22 weeks except for publications for social media! I thought I had my script ready.  It was for the Sombrinhas de Oração (umbrella prayer) page for this Saturday.  Alas nothing seemed to go right.  I decided to try out a microphone to see if the sound would be better than my last video.  The little microphone  bewitched my laptop's camera.  It didn't work and it somehow messed up all audio, even after pulling the plug.  Yes, I asked my husband for help, but I was so frustrated that I just wanted to scream and he wisely left quietly. Yes, I did cry a few tears at one point.  My good light of the morning turned into the shadows of the late afternoon, and my fancy hair went flat.  Then I saw the funny light at the end of the dark tunnel... When nothings seems to go the way...

All the work of Carnaval Retreat is done.  Two days of shopping, one day of packing and prep at home, one day of early arrival to prep on the island and host 30 early arrivers, four days of actual camp, whew!  We hosted around 150 campers and "os demais" - pastors, workers, etc.  In the midst of all the frustrations and plain hard work, I allowed myself the joy of some shadows - Idson, Jadiel and Nataly.  Jadiel is my little bud from past retreats.  His grandfather is the island caretaker and his mother frequently works in the kitchen as she did this past weekend.  Jadiel and I enjoyed plenty of quality time together - sometimes a little too much. He helped me on two afternoons to make cake to sell in the canteen.  Since he was my official partner in business, I took the opportunity to instill lots about work ethics, capitalism, economics and love! Would you pray for all my little shadows, but especially for my litte shadow and culinary student...

This was originally posted on my old Yahoo!360 blog on November 8, 2006.  Today is a good day to re-post it!  For years we have prayed for a man to come along side Byron and help him with the work of the boat and the camp.  Recently it seemed that God had, in a unique way, answered those prayers.  Then suddenly everything was turned upside down this week, and I began to wonder if I would have to start "catching canoes with tennis shoes" again!  But our God is indeed an Awesome God and knows all things.  Read on and a little later I'll tell the rest of the story with our recent test of patience and prayer in the area of the camp and help for our work here in Sobradinho. The photo below was not included in my original post, by the way... Children's Retreat, July 2010 November 8, 2006--- I have no photo today since no one had a camera in hand during this little adventure.  As we were leaving the canal where the boat is usually kept to go ...