The Reconciliation of All Things

Hi from Brazil ! It’s hard to believe that we have been here almost two weeks! God has taught us so much already! My wisdom teeth extraction went well and despite huge chipmunk cheeks I’m feeling much better. This past week we started helping in the orphanage with a group of college students who were on a spring break missions trip. We painted the main meeting room (the cafeteria) of the orphanage with palm trees and bright colors. It was lots of work, but tons of fun. I also started helping in the nursery. It is hard not to cry seeing the hard cement floor the toddlers crawl on with one or two broken toys to share amongst them all. The children are well cared for in regards to food and housing but lack the love and nurture needed for optimum growth. The babies are only held when being fed so they do not learn to cry for human touch or affection. One baby in particular, Marcos, has captured my heart already. He is 16 months old and has AIDS. When Ben and I first visited Brazil o...

Hello folks! Just wanted to send an update to you all and let you know that we’ve arrived safely in Brazil ! We left Miami March 1 st and arrived “home”, where we’ll be staying for the next 4 months, Anápolis, around 7pm on the 2 nd of March. We had an uneventful trip here, besides the 3 hour delayed flight out of Miami (very Brazilian!). Becky and I have been trying to catch up on our sleep and “de-stress” a bit from the weeks leading up to our trip here to Brazil . We’ve already been able to get settled in our place, do some groceries, and even get to know some of the local folks who are either students or professors at the seminary where we’re living with my parents. Beginning Monday we’ll already be getting involved in the orphanage across the street from us. A group of college students from the US are arriving here tomorrow (Saturday) and will be doing a few work projects at the orphanage, such as painting their whole cafeteria with a fresh layer of paint. Becky ...