Cactus Flower

Career overseas missionary work is all about living here and there, and often means a lack of long-term relationships.  For our family other missionaries became "uncles" and "aunts."  We often spent holidays with regional missionary families, just as we would with family in the USA.  Our boys were actually very blessed in this area of M.K. life. Friendships with Brazilians were always a tougher thing with moves and responsibilities.  Byron and I have been privileged to have several important, close friends through the years even with moving to another state.  We were able to "keep them up" when the boys were young and we frequently returned for activities at the American school in Fortaleza.   One such family was that of Erinaldo and Ivanete Vieira.  We first met them in 1995 when William was just a baby.  As we worked to see a church built in their community they become true friends and "uncle" and "aunt" to our boys.  When we moved to...

People ask me all the time here in Brazil and even there in the USA, when are you retiring to be with your grandchildren?  Goodness, what a loaded question?  If I say, Never, people will think I don't even love or care about my three grandbabes and one grandcat.  If I say, tomorrow, some will think my missionary call is rather vague and limited. What a toss-up?  Do I love my babes and my stateside grandcat?  Well, yes!  What sort of a horrid question is that!  Do I think about them and pray for them every day?  Yup!  Would I like to live next-door and enjoy their presence on a regular basis?  You bet!  Even the cat! So when are you going?  Haha!  When my work in Brazil is done, that's going to be my new answer.   In the mean time, I pray.  I write real letters.  I send gifts.  I make short trips.  I send little messages.  I make video letters.  I plan for furloughs.  But I can't...

Gramma in Brazil took a little trip to the land of the Mighty Missipp.  Watch the video to find out all about it.  Please remember that these video letters are made for my grandchildren.  They are meant to be a little silly and aren't really for showing as a report of what we do on the mission field, although you may enjoy them just the same.   

 

  Every week I tell the same Bible story in six different interior places.  I sing Bible songs and hug little precious friends in three more spots along the way.  We have been on this route for about three years with some variations. Sometimes it seems none of them really pay much attention.  Cows and horses run by and everyone looks.  Some kids decide to play soccer nearby in the middle of a lesson.  Every once in a while a boy or girl gets mad at another and starts a rock fight. Every week is different and I never know quite what to expect.  Yes, this week I had to haul a little rock thrower back to his house with a stern face. Sometimes what I think is a great lesson is a wash-out and others a review lesson is better than than it was the first time around. Yet we hope and we pray that telling others will result in changed lives.  Lately I have been praying for a few of the older boys and girls that attend the little Bible schools.  I pray ...

 

Sometimes our missionary path seems weary, dusty and just plain sweaty.  This afternoon our little temperature gauge may hit 100F.  I'm thankful to be out of the sun and off the dusty roads at the moment. Our trip to Lage dos Negros this weekend was full of hot sunny skies and no water in the pipes.  Most of the little city had no water in their faucets due to a pipe break somewhere another.   Thankfully the lady of the little house we rent had a good sized reserve tank. We survived with the drinking water we had on hand, a small barrel of clean water that we took from Sobradinho some months back, and a few buckets from the tank.  Just part of the ride! Pray for us this next weekend as we begin adult group Bible studies with singing and preaching in front of the home of Dona Joalina.  She is the grandmother of Max and Maristela.  [By the way, Maristela, who swallowed the metal spring of a clothespin two weeks, ago is fine.]  We have had a sma...