Week 2, day 1.

Curtiba is different from Itapoa...

We arrived at 11:45 at the project and toured a home in the property region. Dirt floors with little space. Less square footage than most American household bathrooms. The Government is stepping in, but progress is slow, and Pastor Audir has a large heart! Great things Will happen in this place! One disciple at a time.

We headed to the Igreja Methodista do Bacacheri and were greeted with open doors, open minds, and open hearts as the love and welcome is beyond what I can comprehend! I know you are reading this and have no idea what we are experiencing. My lack of words typing these updates on my iPhone while driving with crazy drivers... Interesting roads, and carrying on conversations in poor Portuguese and bad English are not helping my thought process!

As you can see it's hard to explain, what I'm trying to explain, in a way you will understand, how I wish for you to understand...

Lunch was amazing again, and the food gets better and better with no meals bad. Everything is delicious. We then prepared for money exchange so we can get the best rate for today. It went up! R1.57 = $1

We played soccer with a few youth in the church alley, met with host families and parted ways to get settled in. The six of us are split up into 3 homes and the families are excited to say the least and extremely loving, no gauge can measure.

We met back at the church in an hour for tea, coffee, bolo or cake, desserts, and snacks! FOOD???!!!! I don't think I'll like this word as much as I used to!

We headed upstairs for a discussion of Cell Groups where the church has 95 groups with 1000 people in the comminuity. These groups are similar to those churches with circles within the UMW. But for everyone. Leaders have 1 hour every week to share lessons, prayers, blessings, and singing. Men and women are separate. So are families...sisters are not in the same groups, families are not in the same group, and so forth.

We toured the chuch quickly (GPS:25.400276 S, 49.241242 W) and then returned to the fellowship hall for supper. The food is so good, My stomach is saying no more, but My mind is like yes. Eat more!

We then headed and joined a cell group to see an example and the lesson was 1. Do not doubt and have Faith, 2. Be humble and accept Jesus. 3. Trust in Jesus

We then departed for our host families and drove through the city to our destinations. We were welcomed and at least Matt and I were asked to have dinner with the family at 11:30 PM. The love is so great, the family waited until we got back to have supper! At 11:30 at night? Find me a family that would wait together in the US to do that! A fresh cake made just for us, and the family was so excited they forgot to put eggs into the cake! But you could have never guessed until it was mentioned. We talked with the family and shifted thought and concerns until the morning was young. We are about to retire and I'm not sure who else will be posting but will try and get everyone to share since we are split up.

Details are limited at this point as plans are being changed around.

You are in our prayers and we love and miss you all!
CG