Cactus Flower

June started off with a rush of activity that never stopped.  William and Kerri, our oldest and his wife of one year, arrived on Friday, the 7th and jumped right into ministry and activity here in Sobradinho and points nearby.  It was a joy to have them work beside us and see them in action. We enjoyed loads of Brazilian style grilled meat and lots of fried macaxeira over the course of the month.  Kerri and I went to an all day ladies' rally and got to enjoy a girls' day out on the town with two Brazilian friends.  There was a big first birthday party for a handsome little fellow and a big wedding at our church.  We took a boat trip from Sento-Sé to Sobradinho.  We visited two incredible caves, one that was just a little scary.  And, we did more evangelism in the past month than Byron and I have done in quite a few without all the great help.  Ah, and add a Fourth of July party with missionary colleagues in that mix somewhere. All in all it w...

Last week Byron and I celebrated our wedding anniversary without a lot of fanfare.  No roadside billboards this year!  No kids at home to leave behind for a date night.  Just us.   On the actual day, Thursday, May 30, I was feeling super under the weather.  Somewhere I picked up a bad sore throat bug. But I drug myself out of my sick bed to head off to the big city for a happy lunch at the mall with Byron and our bestest pals, Jonas and Andressa.   We enjoyed a walk around the airconditioned mall and did a little big town shopping before heading home to eat a frozen pizza (warmed up, of course) and renting a YouTube movie for the occasion.   Marriage isn't all honeymoon, fancy dates and extravagant vacations.  It's all about the little things that make you happy to be together and content.  I'm glad for a man that surprises me from time to time with wild and crazy events, but who also knows how to stay at home and just del...

So yesterday was Mother's Day in just about every country you can think of.  It was in the USA and here in Brazil.  Just for the record, Father's Day here is in August!  And Valentine's isn't exactly the same and it's not in February, but those are other stories for other days.  So it was Mother's Day... humpph!   Here I was in a faraway place without my mother, without my sons and without my grandbabies.  Well, what's a person to do but feel a little downtrodden.  Thankfully I have a pretty great husband.  I have to tell you he's not always been as great as he is now.  But with age he has ripened into the incredible guy he is today.  Saturday night he suggested we go out - for Mother's Day.  We went out for grilled meat on a stick.  We even drank Coca-cola (we're trying to avoid all that sugar and don't splurge too often on sody-pop), but it's for a holiday and so we did.  When Byron prayed for our meal, he than...

Where we live, it hardly ever rains.   The dirt is mostly sand. Things are brown and most plants have some sort of thorn. But in the midst of the dry and the not so colorful,  there is much beauty. Everywhere we look,  we can see the hand of God in creation. Sometimes you have to look a little harder  than you might in other places. It might require some patience,  but it's there... Seems many give up on the Sertão [Brazil's semi-arid Northeast Region], but if you are willing to look and patient enough to stick it out - you can indeed find beauty! O Lord , how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions— O Lord my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty,   Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.   He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes...

And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you,  he shall by no means lose his reward.   Matthew 10:42 On any given day I have at least one person clapping at my gate.  Some are regulars.  Some are poor.  Some are homeless.  Some are jobless.  Some are street vendors.  Some are mentally challenged in some way.  Some ask for money, some for food, some for a cup of water.  Some I've learned their names.  Some are regulars.  Some I never see again. I decided long ago when my boys were little that I wanted to be an example of kindness and respect to all the people that pass by.  It's not always easy.  Sometimes it's inconvenient.  And yes, sometimes I have little patience.  But I try. Recently one of our all time regulars has been showing up every day.  Asking him his name was always complicated.  I had heard him...

Sometimes as missionaries we really just need a day off, but finding the time is hard.  Two weeks ago I was feeling that need for a big city grocery store.  Byron had a whole list of car parts and boat parts and project parts that he needed and could only get in the "big city."  I tagged along with a good book and my cell phone to wait it out while he hit the parts stores so I could have my hour at the mall in town.  It was worth the wait.   We just can't get some things in the little interior town where we live.  A trip to the big city can be refreshing.  It can also be disappointing as even there often what you want to out of stock, no longer available, etc., etc.  It's like a snipe hunt and you never know what you will find.  Thankfully that day, our finds were good and "happy." Taking off a day to just do nothing, now that's a rare thing.  It's also a hard thing.  Missionaries are paid to work, and we take that very serio...

We needed milk.  At least that's the excuse I stated to my missionary man.  We live in a small interior town.  Our milk comes in boxes like the one of the right with Betania written on it.  It's long life milk.  Fresh milk is not available.  A liter of box of milk here in town is almost BR$5.00, but in the big city!  It's much cheaper, you know! So off we went!  My hubby really knew that I just needed to go.  I needed to walk about the air-conditioned mall and eat at an "American" restaurant!  There are two malls within an hour of us. One with a big grocery store and lots of other neat shops, Burger Kings, McD's and even a Subway.  The other with some interesting stores, a BK and a Subway.   We had our lunch in one at Burger King, cruised the stores and made some purchases at the big grocery store.  Then we stopped downtown to buy a new Bible for me.  Oh, I've been needing one desperately as James and Peter ar...