Tudo bem in Brasil

Hey all, I finally got to a computer and have a few moments to write, I don't have a lot of time, but just wanted to thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I arrived in Brasil on Wednesday morning tired, scared and excited. After leaving my house at about 11am on Monday, getting to New York around 5pm or so and then leaving my friends apartment at about 3:30am to ride the New York metro for the first time ever to get to JFK airport. My flight left at 8am and I arrived in Bogota, Colombia around 2pm their time, I spent the next 8 or so hours waiting for my connection and took an overnight flight that landed in Sao Paulo at 5:30am, from there I took a bus to the domestic airport and met John, the guy I'd been emailing with their. Since then I have met a lot of people, messed up a lot in speaking Portuguese and continue being challenged as to what to do. I still feel a bit nervous at the prospects of being here for 6 months, but I know that God will provide for my needs and watch over me. I am currently staying at the retreat center/office of Misao Servos, which is a Brasilian organization related to the US organization Servant Partners. There I have a room to myself that has a few bunk beds in it and during the week I'll be helping maintain the grounds there, doing odd jobs and ministry with organization. I spent the weekend in the favela (slum) where I'll hopefully be working, its name in Portuguese means "hell hole", but it is actually now one of the nicer slums communities. Before it was all house made of plywood and cardboard and one of the most infamous slums in Sao Paulo, but after a fire burned it all down 5 years ago, it was rebuilt with brick and although definitely still a slum, there are certainly worse slums in the city. I say that I will hopefully work with them because recently there arose a problem with the idea of foreigners in the house as community members seem to have some resisitance to the idea, they have had a few European missionaries stay at the house and it seems a leading family in the community thinks they are somehow exploiting the community. Anyways, its a long story, but I would ask for prayer that things might be worked out there and that I might be able to move into the ministry house and continue to define what I'll be doing here for the next 6 months. My portuguese is coming along pretty well and I feel like I can have a conversation pretty effectively although sometimes I still struggle to understand people. I visited 2 churches on Sunday that are involved in the ministry and enjoyed both of them. My heart still beats a few beats too fast s I am still nervous about being here, speaking Portuguese and about what lies ahead, but I'm trying to trust God and know things will work themselves out. Today I went downtown for the first time and saw the center of the city, it is massive with an incredible amount of tall buildings, the skyline is like nothing I have ever seen, it looks very different from Mexico because it has so many tall skyscrapers (which don't exist in Mexico because of fear of earthquakes). It is all so overwhelming, a new big city, a new language and the uncertainty of where I will be ministering. I would ask for prayer for peace and contentment while I am here, for perseverance through difficult times, for wisdom for John and the Casa Esperanca (the community I will hopefully move into) as they decide how to proceed. I thanks you again for your prayer and support. Hopefully I will be able to get to a computer at some point and post some pictures (haven't taken any yet). Much love and God bless.

With fear and excitement I leave for Brasil

Well, the time has come and gone and I can't believe that the day is here. I can't believe that it has been over a year since I graduated from school and that I spent a year in México and now am off to Brasil. I am both excited and scared for what God has for me and what is in store. My heart races even as I write this and am not sure what to expect as I leave for Brasil. I will be leaving tomorrow with a friend to New Jersey then taking a bus to New York City, and then I'll be leaving on Tuesday morning from JFK airport and flying first to Bogota, Colombia and then to Sao Paulo, Brasil where I'll arrive on Wednesday morning around 5:30am, from there I'll be taking a bus from the international to the domestic airport and hopefully someone will be there to pick me up. It has just been such a blessing to see all the support I need come in and just be so blessed by all of you. This time at home has made me realize what amazing friends I have and how much I am going to miss all you guys. Much love and God bless.

Fundraising and preparing to leave

Hey all, thanks for all your prayers and support. I wanted to thank everyone that is supporting me with words of encourage, prayer and financial support. If anyone is interested in supporting me, let me know and I can tell you how you can. I will be leaving for Brasil on September 23rd and be in Brasil until March 17th, then on to Colombia for two months until May11th when I will return to México and there is a good possibility that I will spend the summer in Mexico City again as a leader for Spearhead. I have been enjoying my time here in the US visiting friends and family. This past weekend I spent with the family in Ocean City, NJ and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in the next two weeks as I prepare to leave. Much love and God bless.