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
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