We have landed in Miami! Wonderful flight. Not too crowded. Now we enter US customs...and enjoy phase 10.

Road Trip North...

Greetings Followers!
First off, looking at page views, THANK YOU! Thanks for following our journey. We have lots of pictures, stories and videos to share, but we need more technology and time to get them to you!
Stay tuned!

We found all the luggage, minus one scare, and made the call to Rick Doss to pick us up! We greatly appreciate his time to make the round trip for us! We lost Rex to her family who were waiting in the baggage area and we got a welcome home photo moment and said our goodbyes.

We are currently traveling north on Route 77 towards VA, and hope to be there by 6:45. Sunday's services at Thrasher Memorial UMC will include some photos, a sermon, and reflections from the trip...but the best way is to take some time and talk with those who attended! A lunch meeting, a phone call, Facebook stalking, or even Skype... Perhaps next trip you can be a part of making a difference, and to experience the love from our brothers and sisters in Brazil...
Think about it!

Until we are home...
Enjoy your Saturday Afternoon!
And we home to see you at Church Tomorrow!

~Carl

Bom dia America! ( Good Morning )

Houston we have touchdown!!!
We are in Miami!!!
With a sunny hot humid 85 degrees we got through customs, found all the luggage, rechecked after customs, verified tickets, made it through US security, and now wait at the gate for our final flight.

First and foremost, TAM airlines is a wonderful company to work with. From candy at push off, to blankets and pillows, a travel health kit, and headphones and personal TVs it was a wonder trip the past 4 experiences!

One last flight folks! You can tell we're in America!!!

So last night...I'll tell you more later, but what are the chances someone buys a Soccer Jersey and boards a plane with it and then that team boards with you? Well that's what happened! Carl bought an official Jersey for Natico Team from Recife who were traveling to a game in Sao Paulo. Zack also had his favorite soccer ball with him and we both got about 20 autographs. Truly amazing! What are the chances?

We also made friends with a traveling businessman who had worked for Walmart in Brazil for 16 years before transferring to a local competitor. MaryAnn was happy to say the least.

Good is Good!
Off to get some Breakfast!
See you all soon!
~Carl

We are boarded for the long flight waiting for pushback from the gate! Awesome news from first flight! But you'll have to wait! Hint: Football


Here
We
Come
Miami!

Friday's Post (Finally)

What a great morning! Pastor David and myself woke to get in a 3.5 mile run along the beach one last morning. A cool breeze and a shower earlier this morning cooled things off, for a few minutes anyway. It's great to see this place for all it's glory one last time.

We had devotions from Zack this morning at 10, followed by a team closing, where we each took turns bringing out the best of others from this trip. We also gave Andressa her gift for the countless things and problems she has worked through for us! Pastor, Gallilleo, and Wilmara joined us for lunch after we packed the van with our our goodies. I tried sneaking my luggage into Pastor's car, but they said it was too big. Guess I have to get a taxi to move into her place.

We shared a quick lunch at a restaurant near the hotel and then departed across the rivers and through Recife to another bigger mall. Shaped like a capital D, it was huge. Half an hour to walk one floor end to end, not doing any shopping!

We currently are sitting waiting for the shoppers to wrap up to get through security. We depart our first flight at 7:35, and I think I have several opportunities to get "lost" from the group. I know at least 5 are returning to Virginia.

We are looking good for flights, and baggage is taken care of.

No news is good news folks. See the flight schedule post for details. At this point, all is legit.

For those returning to the other side, they will see you Saturday...

Tearful Thursday :-(

What a day...Where have YOU seen GOD today?

We end each and every day with this question and we all have a chance to share our viewpoints. By tonight, it should have been asked "where have you not seen GOD...?"

Today was eventful. Phase 1 of the Project Sombra e Agua Fresca is nearly complete. Big change from 2 weeks or even 4 weeks ago. We are working on a video, but even still, our resources are limited. I knew I should have gotten that iPad3. Next year! It's going to be amazing for you to see what we have accomplished. I hope by Saturday night. Sorry folks, time is limited.

We worked for about 2.5 hours this morning and then cleaned up the site, and there was a lot of progress looking back. We did good with God's help! We went to the preschool and gave shirts to the construction workers who had lunch today at the preschool as well. Then we gave shirts to the teachers, kitchen staff and our team leaders and assistants.
 
I don't want to leave anybody out, but I need your help for these wonderful people. Please pray for all that they have done and continue to do!  
All workers at the site:
Hildo-Engineer
Manuel-Foreman
Gatekeeper-Site
Gatekeeper-Daycare
Sergio
Ciao
Suzanna
Fernando
Jumara
Galileo
Wilmara
Director
Tete
Kitchen Staff of 4
Sarah
Jessica
Thalita
Gabriel
Carlos
And many others that I may remember later.

We had a wonderful lunch, and a Banana and Fruit Dessert. I am going to miss these meals! During the afternoon we shared memories and exchanged gifts, and they had prepared boxes with goodies for us. We have one for the Bishop as well, but don't let him know I ate the candy in case it went bad in checked baggage.

We visited a few in the neighborhood and as little as we knew these people, there were tears of sadness. We were going to play soccer, but the field owner was not available to ask, so we did not play. We departed early for the hotel to freshen up for the Brazilian STEAKHOUSE! When you visit me here, I'll take you every time. In exchange for some Apple products of course! We visited the local craft vendors for some small shopping before we leave Olinda.


Tonight we reflect back on the past 10 days and all that we have done, witnessed, made connections with, and conversations we had with little or even negative understanding. God is everywhere as we can share our experiences.

Although the roof did not go up today, all the walls will be completed by Friday to the half way point, which is a huge change from 3 weeks ago.

Fridays agenda consists of exercise, packing, breakfast, final devotions, and departure to a local restaurant for lunch. Then the mall, and then the airport. Tomorrow will be MIA unless I find free WI-FI, which is slim in these parts of the world. Our first flight departs at 7:35 Friday night and we go through Sao Paulo before Miami. Again, no news is good news! I'll update as much as I can, with the time I can find. Prayers are welcome.


Goodnight from our final night in the hotel.
~Carl

Wound up Wednesday?

Actually, I think we're losing steam. So wind down Wednesday? But one last day to get the roof up! Just kidding!

We had devotions with the kids today and sang songs in Portuguese and several in English. We sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "Deep and Wide", and "Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock". We then played with the kids with beach balls and had enough to give each kid their own.

There was special music from the pastor of the daycare who played the violin for the kids. We got a somewhat decent group photo of the kids and all the beach balls. The kids had showers and lunch as we recovered and some of our team visited a woman who makes origami, which were also available for purchase.

Mary Ann and Carl joined Andressa and Wilmara on an ATM trip to the mall. Keeping Mary Ann out of stores is like fighing with a shark in the ocean. You have to watch her... I tried to get driving lessons along the way, but Andressa is difficult to persuade! I'll bring American crackers and American peanut butter next time, and perhaps and iPad 3. I'm sure I'll find a way!!!!

We returned to the project for lunch and joined the rest of the team. Today we had spaghetti and red and white chicked Alfredo sauce and also rice black beans and kalbasi-like popular dish called "..." which all food is amazing! Thanks to the kitchen staff and Pastor Gilmara who takes great care of us!

We checked the work site and can't wait to show some videos of how the site is progressing... The footers we dug now are walls, bricks we moved are now permanent walls, and it's exciting! By weeks' end, all walls should be complete!

The afternoon we visited with Caio (a helper) and his mother and brother in their home. We gave them gifts (T-shirts) and then finally got to play soccer (or an attempt thereof). Zach, Carl, Lyndsay Rex, Pastor Fernando, Caio, and Galliello played a quick game until we had to leave to catch our van ride. We started off strong but soon fell victim to the locals...

We returned to the hotel for some cleaning up and then headed on our way to pastor Fernando's church for Thursday night service which they are hosting tonight so we can attend!

hours later....
We worked our way through Recife and the soccer/rush hour traffic where tonight Pastor David gave a sermon on John 1:35-39. What a welcoming church! With the team we had about 47 in attendance, with songs and music and dancing, the service was amazing yet again. We ended the night with food and drink in the fellowship hall and made new friends. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel.

We shared our God moments of the day and reviewed the schedule for tomorrow! Everyone is sad about saying goodbye, but a trick I learned is not to say goodbye, but see you next time... Next year, next month, next week, it's relieves the heartache of saying something that could be permanent. You never know what God has in store for you...

We returned Pastor Gilmaras car to her and Andressa, as sweet as she is showed us the soccer stadium where Santa Cruz plays. GPS coordinates: Lat: 8D 1'31"S Lon: 34D 53' 36" W The biggest stadium in the NE!

What blessing to have been witnessed today. Truly amazing of what people can share with fellow Christians.

Goodnight everyone!
~Carl

Sunday Catch-up

Because three of our team weren't able to be with us Sunday for the tour of Recife, we are going to try to catch you up on what we saw. We saw the first synagogue in the Americas and lots of very old beautiful buildings.  We stood on 'Ground Zero' which is the point where the city of Recife began. We got a close-up view of the reef that protects the city. There are 5 rivers which all come together into 2 rivers which flow into the ocean. We crossed many bridges and learned that Recife is actually made up of 3 islands. A few interesting facts that were shared by our guide - the number of layers of roof tiles told how wealthy the family was and the number of Imperial Palms also reflected wealth. The government buildings were next on our tour. The courtyard between the governor's mansion and the legislative building contains a gorgeous fountain and an ancient boabab tree. Many pictures were taken to try to capture this beauty. We can't wait to share them with you.

Brazil has found a most unusual use for an old prison building. It is now a craft market called Casa da Cultura and we had the opportunity to shop for awhile. Each cell has been turned into an individual shop full of Brazilian products. We especially loved the table cloths and blankets and did our share to help the local economy. One cell has been kept in its original condition and we all decided that we didn't want to spend any time in that one.

All of that sightseeing and shopping left us pretty hungry so we headed to a Brazilian buffet for lunch. The array of food was unbelievable - everything from shrimp to beef to goat. We missed having very many vegetables but we managed to find enough to eat.

We couldn't survive without Andressa and her amazing knowledge and ability to interpret for us. Our new Brazilian friend Sergio spent part of the day with us and was a great help in translating and making deals at the craft market.

After lunch we headed to a cultural museum of Northeastern Brazil and learned lots about early Brazilian history.

It was time to head back to the hotel and catch up with our sickies! We found them all well and Carl has already told you about Sunday night and the amazing church service.

Deus te abencoe!
Carrie and Bonnie

Tuesday July 24th 2012

Hello everyone! Trying to update before dinner. It's Pizza, and hopefully ok like Wednesday night. As long as its not mall pizza!

It was hot today. We were sweaty just from the tour.We started at 9 AM and went just a short drive to begin our tour. Learning history and heritage and seeing several Synagogues around the district. Including the first one in Olindia shown below.

There was intermittent shopping in local shops along the way. We climbed a water tower for a beautiful view 360 degrees around and could see the earth curvature.

We headed to the van and drove across town to the project, where we had delicious hamburgers again (back by special request of Zack) and some Mango Mousse! YUM! It was work time at 1:30 and we had to stop at 4:30 where we continued again to move some soil, and Zack and Carl moved a foundation footer 2 feet over for a bigger kitchen.

We made a quick video and it's uploading to the Brazil Partnership as I write.

Tomorrows schedule consists of devotions by Carrie at 8:00, departure to project at 8:30, devotions with the kids at the Shade and Fresh Water Project at 9 until lunch. The afternoon consists of a break, visiting a helper's family (Caio) and then playing soccer with him and his friends in the neighborhood at 3 (Zack and Carl). We depart back to the hotel at 4, and depart to Pastor Fernando's church at 6:30, for a 3 hour Wednesday evening service. Small church of about 20, so we are bringing some visitors! The team almost doubles the population.

The views today are beautiful and many of you may have had the opportunity to see a paradise near or far...but today with rich houses in the historic district, the downtown near the rivers, the slumps on the hillsides, and mother nature with the ocean wide open was truly breathtaking!

God is here. God is there! Our God is an awesome God and is and can be everywhere! This team is living proof of showing and believing in that!

Ok, Round 2 of Phase 10 is requested to have been set up, so will be in touch tomorrow!

A : See Details(Google Map)

A new day in a new week past half way.

Well, the sickness is behind us, we pray, and we have started the work week again. Apparently I over worked the crew last week, and so they put me down with food poisoning at the mall to catch up on some rest. Apparently it worked, minus me feeling horrible, and at Zack's and Lindsay's expense!

We had a late start today as a catch up of the weekend. Those sick Saturday were able to see the beach and enjoy a walk. Others caught up on sleep, and the rest moseyed around. We had devotions at 11, thanks to Bonnie, and were told to be dandelions and keep an open perspective during our journey today. We then caught the van at noon to the project where we had lunch, and headed to work. We continued to move soil around from trenches and piles to level rooms and assist the masons. There will be a video tomorrow of site progress.

Speaking of the site... Please join the Facebook Group Brazil Partnership if you have not already done so! There you will see pictures of us, our friends and random updates.

We worked until 5 today and headed back to the hotel for chicken noodle soup supper and a walk to the ice cream parlor with Andressa, before the soap operas came on at nine. The rest eventually joined in a game of Phase 10, where we just paused for another night.

I need to get more photos but the tablet was being used, so I'll try tomorrow. The video will be made and it will tell a lot.

We tour the city of Olindia first thing and then head to the site to continue our quest. My percentage of returning to the states stands at -34.583% on a 0-100 scale. Most of us are at or near 100% health, mentally however, I'm not sure, but physically I think the team is back!

From the sea shore in Olindia, good night folks!

~Carl

Wonder Worship!

What a Sunday! Let's start with the most recent and work backwards. It will match your schedule in the States!

At 6:30 we departed across town about 45 minutes into the bumpy dirt roads to the Methodist Church, where we were late from the boys! I'll admit that and explain later. The service started at 7 which we enter into the beginning and were welcomed with hugs and kisses and tears of joy!!! I can't explain this feeling of the Brazilian People unless you experience it! The love they show us was uncomprehendable, yet can easily be witnessed. We watched as they sang songs and danced, as the music was praiseworthy and sincere. We also saw the kids sing a song from VBS, that they had last week, where 40 kids were in attendance.

Pastor David then gave a sermon on Luke chapter 19, about Zacchaeus and how wonder our God is to do the best of things even for those who are the worst sinners. If his heart is that big, then our brothers and sisters in Brazil can do wonderful things with him down the path ahead! They also provided drinks and hotdogs with all the fixings for those who wanted some.

We had to leave shortly after for the trek back to the hotel in light rain as the driver was short on time.

Back to last night, three of us had pizza from the mall as dinner: Lyndsay Rex, Zack, and Carl, and through the night, all three got sick. Thinking food poisoning of kinds? But not sure.

We attempted to go to the shopping center this morning, but only made it less than half way, before we transferred to a taxi to go back to the hotel and rest. We slept the entire day, until the group arrived back about 5, where we joined them for church.

I'd love to tell you the scenes from today, but I was not there. But the group went to an old jail, where the cells were converted into small shops with crafts of many kinds available for sale. They also had a visit to the history museum and had a few more tours. I hate missing out on even the littlest thing, but my body was not able to be bounced around on the roads for a days worth of shopping. I believe the ladies did enjoy most the the day, and had Pastor David to keep them in line!

Thanks Andressa for checking on us today and for all that you do! She takes care of us and looks out for us.

Tomorrow we go back to work at mid day, until sunset at 5, and that's another post my friends.

Here are a few photos from today! Good night everyone and have a great Monday!
~Carl

Saturday Wrap Up

To clarify, when I said sick, most had dehydration symptoms which related to tired, not being able to keep things down and woozy or clammy, with light headaches.

All are not back to 100 percent, but around the 80% mark. Nothing to really get worried over, but it's a bummer we can't be at 110%.

We returned from the mall and ate dinner at various restaurants and did a little shopping or more like sight seeing. You think you pay too much for a 42" flat screen LCD? Think again, you could pay double! But relax, Walmart can get you that office chair for 3 easy payments of $50 US, or that TV with payments that would add on 1/5 the total cost! It's nice for a reality check!

Now if anyone is flying down here in the next 6 days, please bring me as many iPad 3's you can get into a suit case! Don't claim anything at customs, they're yours! Wink wink;-/

Sunday is a long day, and we have the pleasure of finally seeing the church tomorrow night. (Most services are held on Sunday evenings in Brazil)

With that said, I need to catch up on some sleep, or prevent losing some so Boa Noitche or Good Night!

Thank you all for the wonder support in any way shape or form and/or by prayers or mumbles! YOU are a BLESSING!

~CrazyCarl

Healing underway!

Lyndsay Rex did have dehydration and was unable to replenish on her own, so the doc advised IV and after most of the mid afternoon under close care, she is back and doing fine. At the same time Lindsay Grace is also feeling better and Carrie is comming back around as well. I guess I gave rough orders over the last two days, but I did allow for an Agua break every 1 minutes, mandatory, or at will in between.

We believe all is well for visiting the mall tonight and we depart in 1.5 hours at 18:00.

The beach crew consisted of Zack, Mary Ann, myself and 6 of our VIM friends, who spent the day with us. Playing soccer, visiting people on the beach, and trying not to be numbed out about the rest, but they were taken care of.

Prayers have been answered, let's hope it doesn't happen again!

I'll let you know what happens this evening, but it will be late.

Not to mention tomorrow is a big day!

Carl

Sick Saturday Morning!

This was supposed to post this morning!!

Lindsay Rex got sick late last night and our observations overnight indicated dehydration. This morning plans have changed as we determined we need doctors help to make she she's OK. Likewise, Lindsay Grace was feeling the same way, and Carrie was really sick as well.

So we have a crew staying at the hotel resting and feeling better, a team going to a clinic, and the others with the Brazilians going to the beach for a few hours.

Nothing serious at this point, we just want to make sure.

Prayers are more than welcome, and tonight's plans look slim.

I'll update as word arrives!
Carl

Official Team Picture

Our first official photo that is on a camera that can be uploaded after file shuffling:
Taken after Culture Questions Session...
Pictured:
Lindsay Rex, Andressa, Bonnie, Carrie, Pastor David, Carl, Mary Ann, Lindsay (Grace) Carter, Zack

Awesome Team!

Digging....and more Digging

God is good......all the time!   All the time......God is good!
Our awesome day started out with 5 of us jogging/walking on the beach at 6:30am.  There
were many others also out watching the gorgeous sun shine down on the ocean. The main street in front of the hotel is even closed for traffic in the early morning to allow for the joggers & walkers. Plus, street vendors were set up selling fresh fruits & veggies.

We headed to the job site, starting out at the day care, where the little children were there to greet us. (They are all so precious!) The many volunteers at the day care also met us with open arms & hugs.

Once we arrived at the construction site, our main goal was to continue digging.....and
digging........and digging. Our Project Manager Carl, delegated the tasks at hand. Lyndsay R. & Carl were successful with digging foundation trenches looking like pros with every shovel full of dirt!

Pastor David, Carrie, Lindsey C. (alias Grace), dug multiple wheel barrows full of dirt from one of the brick walled in rooms, while Bonnie & I moved the wheel barrows full of dirt to another brick walled in room. Quite a heavy task to accomplish but God was right at our side as we dumped the dirt and then stomped the fresh dirt to make the room level for the next step.......cement! (Of course Carl, our PM, had to stay in contact with our progress to make sure the dirt was level and at the proper depth!)

It was quite gratifying when the job site engineer came by to inspect our rooms and commented that we did a great job! Again, God was with us ......showing us the way!

And, I can't forget about our Zack! He helped out with the cement work and then even showed his electrical skills as he helped install an electrical outlet in the temporary 'room' set up for the workers to get water & shade! Nice work, Zack!

Once again, our awesome day involved sharing fellowship with the wonderful staff & volunteers at the day care & job site, including singing worship songs & being served delicious food & snacks. (Thank you Andressa for making this happen!)

Tonight, Andressa, our coordinator for VIM (Volunters in Mission), did a very informative power point presentation about Brazil and the Shade & Fresh Water Project. This presentation reinforced why God called us to be here & motivated us even more to feel good about what we are accomplishing!

For now, we all are very tired from working in the extremely hot sun, but look forward to tomorrow.....Saturday.....for a little R & R on the beach! God is good......all the time!   All the time....God is good!

Blessings to all!
Mary Ann

Friday night, O what a night!

Ok, so the rain today does not exist yet! Thanks for the prayers. A few may return looking like Brazilians, but that was the goal right? To look and act like them?
Ok, I'll behave, but I am allergic to sunblock!
We continued to assist the masons and crew onsite moving piles of block and dirt to level to site.
Pointed shovels? That still tickles my funny bone! And the garden rakes I bought today are a little bigger than the ones in stores for Easter that the Easter Bunny brings to young ones, but they are amazing to to the job if you are gentle!
We continue to plow through the language barrier with a breeze. I call it Universal Sign language, with a mutter of sorts. They show us, then we do. It works out in the end, because we doing their work. We are
Learning Portuguese as much as we are teaching English. It's the same experience as last year, we want to learn but end up teaching simultaneously. I'm not sure which one is happening the most, but regardless, it's truly a blessing.

After today's work we we turned to water down the sweat, and remove the stench from us all. I know I laughed at getting away from the heat on the trip, but God got even with his sense of Humor. Many of you have exactly the same conditions as we do, but just longer daylight hours.
We visited the supermarket again, but this time with Andressa, for a few lessons, and if you thought 3 people in line at the Walmart was bad... This was worse, but we supplemented the local economy. We quickly returned for Dinner shortly followed by a Brazilian Culture Preseststion with questions.
We all have leaders we are proud of and can't thank enough, and don't ask if they need help as much as we should, but I truly have seen God working in out throughout and around Andressa! She put. Wonderful powerpoint presentation together and we spent 2 hours learning about this country, the UMC, the local project we are working with, and the people involved.

Let me explain the best that I can about whats going on. I mentioned we are in the winter season. I know boohoo for many, but with that school systems are different. School year starts in February and ends in December, with a 20-30 day vacation in July, which is where we sit not.
Schools are part time, similar to half day kindergarten but for all grades. There are morning students, and afternoon students, and a shortage of teachers. So you go in the AM or PM for example. December and January is Summer break. The preschool I mentioned yesterday, Crèche Genre Nova or New People Daycare which is where the GPS coordinates were for, has 92 kids representing 60 families. It was started first. Like most shade and fresh water projects, the project is started up in hopes of attracting families to the project which in turn a church is born.
But they an still grow, just not in current spaces, which is why they are expanding!!!
They obtained the field 20 years ago, and it's been sitting ever since waiting for funds to move forward. In that time, the property was taken advantage of in terms of people
Building their houses on many sides of the property. In turn, they can call the police and make the people move. However risking lives of workers and members of the church and even the pastors life, consider one intruder is a drug dealer:-(
So the current engineers have developed the building design to include these property line deductions. Nevertheless, there will be space to have what they need to have 200 kids! That's exciting!
There will be 6 phases, we are nearly finishing phase 1, and funds are running out. R$90,000 or about $45,000 USD was needed for footers, foundations and half walls. What are half walls? Walls built half way up, which was completed early this week, and is why we are not laying block, as it's nearly completed this week.
Phase 2 will continue forward, but another R$90,000 is needed but only $R27,000 we have faith that this will arrive in the next 12 days.

Please pass the word! The Virginia Conference sets aside an amount to go directly to the Shade and Fresh Water Projects. But please remember you have way more than they have in Brazil, and the minimum wage is about R$ 550.00 or half that in US dollars. Think about and extra special offering
This Sunday!

Our Hotel is at Lat: 8D 00' 23"S, Lon: 34D 50' 27"W
But are considered in Olindia, in the state of Permambuco.

Tomorrows schedule is to head to the beach and then to the mall for a little shopping. Our only free day in sight.

Until then, God Bless you all Back home and we push forward.
Goodnight,
Carl



Mission is made of the feet of those who go, the knees of those who stay and the hands of those who follow! ~ Unknown

Thursday Evening

Well, ordering ice cream in Brazil was interesting. As the group tried to figure it out, I just ordered what I thought was either Strawberry or Cherry Vanilla but after tasting it, and using Google Translate, my lessons have failed me. So what if it was Pineapple Wine? It tasted like Robitussin.


We ventured to the supermarket and shopping is much easier than one might think. Many brands are the same as in the States, but we are proud of ourselves as we did both of these adventures with the group, down the street. The best part was ordering ice cream, which was a comic act all by itself.

Today we had soup for dinner which was like chicken enchilada and bread and fruit and juice. David set the week up with our schedule and I'll get that on here tomorrow. We are at the project for Friday, Saturday is a free day, and Sunday we have city tours and shopping, as church in Brazil is usually later in the night on Sundays.

We are exhausted and a small group of us run each morning at 6:30 down the street, so off to bed we go. The first day in the field has enriched all of us in many different ways, and progress is being made. Pictures are on their way, but need to be formatted, as they are not on my phone to upload.

Good night followers,
Carl

P.S. I don't hog the blog time, I have offered several times. I think as PM there should be a tax or fee for not contributing. That way I can make a living!

Work day numero un!

Shhhh, the workers are tired and sleeping! Ok, that may not be the full truth, but I do have reports of at least two members sleeping in the past four hours! I will say one was our Pastor, but he was exhausted, so I'll allow it. It is winter here, but Florida is not this warm in February! However, the sun is set by 5:30 daily, so at 4:30 when most of you are waiting to get out of work in the next 30 minutes, we have finished a full day's work.


Our brick laying was put on hold, but we have our hands full! The masons are in full swing and most walls are up to 4 feet!

It was unanimous that I (Carl) was elected (in a very unfair election), the PM or Project Manager! (I asked for a recount, and I got twice the count, so I gave up). Now most of the team regrets their decision, as many are tired, sore, and asleep as I write this...will post pictures as proof!

I get directions from the Project Engineer and Foreman on-site and then I delegate these tasks to the team.  Our task for the next day or two is to move dirt (clay) from the ditches of the footers to level the floors to the top of the footers and fill holes from construction. Pictures will help you understand, but Brazil is famous for terra-cotta block, and needless to say, construction methods are nowhere near US standards. Even patch and pray methods might be argued to be better. We are basically assisting the contractors that are hired by the United Methodist Church to construct this project.

We continure to be blessed by some wonderful people. Sergio was onsite to bring entertainment to us. He taught himself English and has better English than I do! Which is amazing, so he teaches English as a profession.

Can you believe Brazil does not have pointed shovels? I am still shocked by this...moving compacted clay with a flat shovel is not the most convienient way to move earth, but we have a week, so it might be our only task.

The current daycare "Creche Genre Nova" meaning " New People Daycare" has about 90 kids in three rooms, and is very crowded! The new facility will hold 200 kids, which is incredible!

I got lots of feedback last year from providing GPS coordinates, Google Earth is amazing! The project is located at Latitude:7D58'48"S & Longitude:34D54'52"W  (once you have downloaded the free Google Earth program put 7 58'48"S, 34 54'52"W in the search bar and watch it fly!) I advise you look it up...or not.

Going to store...be back in a bit to finish. We are all OK. Tired but ok...Carl Gravely

An Update from Lindsay R

Wow, what an experience this has already been! From the multiple airports and planes, to the culture shock, it is looking to be a very life changing and beautiful experience.

The people we have met already have turned into friends and it feels like a family has already been forming through His love and with open arms. Both the other Lindsey and I were taken on a beautiful walk down the strip by the beach and got to see only a glimpse of this glorious country. I look forward to seeing and experiencing much more that this country has to offer!

We all just participated in a bilingual communion and worship service as a peaceful and fitting way to bring this evening to a close. The music was from the heart and you could feel the passion no matter what language the song was sung in .

With most of us worn out, it is soon to be the end of the evening but not without a sense of excitement and hope for the next few weeks. If this is any glimpse of what the rest of this trip will be like, none of us will walk away quite the same.

Thanks,
Lindsay R.

Home Sweet Home away from Home!

Greetings families back over there!

We are here! Alive and well, though some should have taken more Airborne when I offered it. They will have to suffer with stuffy noses from the planes...

Here are a few photos from our hotel, right on the water. The last flight was delayed. We sat waiting for the final plane to take off for about an hour, which delayed us an hour. Last minute communication last night did not get through to our connections in Recife, so we finally met up about 2:45! We exchanged some money to Real (pronounced hay-al) and then crammed in the van for a drive to the hotel through the city. Current exchange is R$1.91 for $1.00 USD so its better than last year!  whoo!

We are resting at the moment and dinner is at 7:30 with our new friends and team leaders.

The hotel is really nice and will be perfect for the next 10 days, plenty to explore in this safe section of the city.

David is working with Andressa on a plan of action (or at least an idea) so we can see the schedule ahead of time. I'll pick this back up tonight.

Thanks everyone for the love and support along this journey and now as we prepare to provide our talents to the community that needs us.

For the group,
Carl

Recife!!!!

Quick update! We landed in Recife and some bags are claimed, so we should be in the clear...

Once we have everything we will head to the hotel with Andressa and get settled in.

Will update later tonight. It's one hour earlier here so keep that in mind.

Your prayers have been a blessing so far! Keep up the great work!

Carl

Almost There!

This is David, checking in from the airport in Rio.  We thought we'd be having a longer visit here, since the airline changed our flight last night to a later one, but we arrived here this morning to learn that we're back on the original flight.  So now we're waiting at the gate to board our final flight into Recife.  All is well--we got a little sleep on the plane last night and the food was good--but people sure do speak a lot of Portuguese here!

Flight Change!

Here is an update:
Our third flight has been bumped to Flight 3258: which delays our original plans by 3.5 hours!


Here's a flight status update from FlightTrack Pro on TAM Linhas Aereas (JJ) 3258:

DEPARTURE
Jul 18, 2012, Rio De Janeiro (GIG)
scheduled: 12:12 PM BRT
terminal: 2

ARRIVAL
Jul 18, 2012, Recife (REC)
scheduled: 3:07 PM BRT

We are preparing to board our night flight so well be in touch tomorrow! Goodnight America!
CG

Airport update!

Greetings brothers and sisters!
We arrived safely in Charlotte thanks to our drivers Rick and Pastor B. We met Lindsay Rex in the cell phone lot which is pretty cool by the way, and then headed to check in around 1 and were through security by 1:30!
We grabbed a lunch as our plane dinner will be served at 11 tonight about an hour after the flight departs listed below.
We made it through flight 1 of three the shortest and are not looking forward to the next 2, but will cope.

We are safely in Miami and going to kill 3.5 hours until boarding at 9:30 tonight. We have a small baggage check mishap but are trying to get answers for Bonnie's carry on that had to be checked from overcrowded overhead bins. But otherwise, all ok!

Rain just let up in Miami with temps in low to mid
80's.


Here's a flight status update from FlightTrack Pro on TAM Linhas Aereas (JJ) 8057:

DEPARTURE
Jul 17, 2012, Miami (MIA)
scheduled: 10:05 PM EDT

ARRIVAL
Jul 18, 2012, Rio De Janeiro (GIG)
scheduled: 7:30 AM BRT
terminal: 2

This flight's current status: SCHEDULED on Aircraft: 763

Prayers have been great so far!
Zack says hello from his first flight to EVERYONE!!! Including you!

~Carl Gravely

Travel Underway!

The team met at Thrasher Memorial UMC at 8 AM (minus Lindsay from Charlotte).
We left Vinton at 8:45 and are on the road. Taking 81 S to 77 S.
Here is an 87.5% group picture. Even sporting our new shirts! We gratefully thank Charlotte Carver for obtaining these nice shirts to keep us together! And for the photo!

Until the airport,
Enjoy your day!
CG

Team members include: David Vaughan, Carl Gravely, Bonnie Jones, Carrie Pence, Lindsey Carver,
Mary Ann St. Clair, Zack Doss and Lindsay Rex (not pictured) (names may be out of order)

Today's the Day

Well its time to quit packing and get some rest! I know that I hate over packing, but this year, since my ticket is one way, I have enough T-shirts as gifts that after the leftovers, I can sell and make a living the first 3 months. But speaking from experience of last year, I probably should have grabbed a few iPads and iPods to "coincidentally forget" in Brazil, since taxes and trade nearly triple the cost...but I didn't, so i hope I can make it with t-shirts! (editorial note: Carl is threatening to remain in Brazil...but since his Portuguese is pretty awful...I think the Brazilian government will notice he's not a native).

I'll keep the blog updated as best I can especially during our travels. If anything changes, which it may, I'll let you know. The only thing so far I see is that my Flight Tracker app has indicated a longer plane ride to Rio into Wednesday morning due to gulf currents, but it is noted that times are fluctuating.

But the plan still stands as:
Group meeting and sendoff: 8:00 AM at Thrasher Memorial UMC in Vinton, VA
Arrive in Charlotte: 1:00 PM
Depart Charlotte, NC to Miami, FL: 4:16 PM
Arrive in Miami, FL: 6:10 PM
4 hour (ish) layover
Depart to Rio De Janeiro: 10:05 PM
Arrive in Rio: 7:30 AM Wednesday!!! (6:30 EDT)
Last flight to Recife Departs @ 9:12 AM
We arrive in Recife at Noon on Wednesday, after 20 hours of air travel.

I'll leave it at that for now and update the progress along the way.

Thanks for all the prayers, and support in numerous ways to make this possible.  Its Finally Time!

Almost Ready

336 days ago, I could not believe I was back for a week after visiting Brazil with the Young Adults. Today, I find myself asking why cant the next 6 days disappear with a "That was easy" button?

I apologize as I've been way to busy too write any updates, but should get used to it as I'll try to get one written every day during our trip.

This is Carl Gravely, and I'll be either writing the blog or making people write the blog during our trip. I ask you for your patience and to hold back your criticism. I learned last year that blogging while moving around in Brazil, with an iPhone is an amazing way to keep up communication, but my spelling, and words may not seem right. That why I have deployed my team from Centenary to correct and edit as I post. Thanks Chris Howell and Ida Powell! (you're welcome) If you would like to know something, or want to say hi, send an email to to team account at vaumcmissionteam@gmail.com

So...my summer class got crammed in and finished. A- is not good, but I'll take it. I've been trying to fit in Portuguese lessons in, and may need some more this weekend. To be honest, I forget most lessons trying to communicate with people in New York City, so I think my efforts are hopeless at this point.

I have my masonry skills ready to go, BUT as American models are more...Americanized...than the Brazilian traditional, and I know there are challenges ahead.

David has just sent an email while I'm in the middle of this post and here are a few things I can share:
The team in front of us is experiencing a lot...A LOT of rain...so we will be prepared to get muddy and wet. Raincoats and old shoes, team!

This Sunday at Thrasher, Pastor B. will have a commissioning of the team during the service, to send us off well. I wish I could make it, but I'll be traveling from NYC to Roanoke, so I'll thank you all in advance for the support I can only imagine you'll show this Sunday!

Mission Travel insurance is paid and we are covered.  I hope to not return to the states, and everyone can fight over my belongings, but I believe my mom or my brothers have called dibs on my truck.  I won't be here for the fight..but I hope someone gets that on video. (editorial comment from Chris at Centenary UMC...Carl has been threatening to stay in Brazil. Ida and I are prepared to go and retrieve him if we need to)

The rest of the team is ready to roll! We'll be in airports and closed cramped quarters for extended periods of time, I can't say that I'm looking forward to that. But with some Airborne and lots of fluids, I hope to survive the trek down south without getting sick. I am really looking forward to the wide variety of fruit juices we'll experience during our stay.

Almost packed. I keep trying to cut unnecessary items from my list, but I may just have to take two bags. I mean after all, I'm staying there anyway right? I'll find a suitable replacement in Brazil to fill my seat on the way back, but I claim no responsibility with what happens along the way. I'll be in my homeland.

Thanks again for you few loyal fans. I hope to report amazing stories and news in the days ahead!

Excited and Adventure Bound...
Carl Gravely