Changes...Seasons...Phases

I was talking to a good friend this afternoon and this topic came up.  Made me think how grateful I am that changes and challenges are truly for a season...are phases that will pass and make room for others.  Sometimes more pleasant and a little easier and sometimes today is just preparation for a bigger challenge or season down the road.

One of my all time favorite quotes is by Corrie TenBoom-

"Every situation and every person God brings into our lives is preparation for a future only HE can see." 

So I thank God for this season.  For this final stretch of yet another schoolyear of teaching.  For this final stretch of finishing 2018 strong and well.  For this season of change and decisions.  For God's amazing grace shining through every shadow of doubt and uncertainty and the fears that so easily beset us.  Truly His grace is sufficient!

Here is to a continued chronicle of the past weeks of our lives in Great SP!

Our incredible women's ministry leadership team sharing our hearts over coffee and all manner of good things to eat in late September...How I LOVE these women.  Chloe joined us this evening, as well!

September 30th: Celebrating my in laws wedding anniversary.  Here they are with their three sons.

Jorge & Rosa with Wellington's Family

Avo e Avo (Grandpa and Grandma-just missing the needed accents to make the distinction-my computer is set to English...of course!) and their five grandchildren.  Noah was NOT happy about taking pictures-it cut into his playing outside time.

Jorge & Rosa and Everson's Family

Jorge & Rosa and Binho...we are still waiting and praying for the family part! 
The poor cake is fake and ended up being used as a funny prop!!!

Jorge & Rosa and the daughter-in-laws...being normal.

and us...being silly!

My sister, my friend, my confidante, my encourager and inspiration.
She leaves in one month for her new mission field.  I shall miss her desperately.

Science projects with Daddy's help.  Seeing it was a worm farm, mommy could hardly be expected to spearhead that project now could she?  Yuck!  They had to live in my laundry room for two whole weeks as she observed what the 30 some worms did to the layers in the soda bottle. 

In spite of the "rain on our parade" we had a wonderful day in October celebrating our five year old.  His birthday was one month before but due to his little surgery, we postponed it until October.  He was thrilled with his day and his two little buddies from school joining us.

Field Trip with my High Schoolers to our local council sessions called Camara Municipal in Brazil.

My coordinator, Katia (right) and I getting to know our local councilwoman, Elian Santana (left), a bit better.

Waiting for the afternoon session to start...

My students really enjoyed our time in the session and interacted with the councilmen and women, asking them questions and giving super mature and intelligent feedback for 14-17 year olds.  I was super proud of them.  As we have waded our way through US Government this semester, it has been so exciting to me to see them take more interest in their own government.  Brazilian students do not study government as a course in High School, so as they dryly tell me often when I ask them questions about how this or that is done in Brazil, "Mrs. Silva, we know more about US Gov than we do our own."  For my 11 students it is sad but true.

Us, all dressed up and attending our final and fourth wedding in the wedding marathon!!!

And sometimes, in the midst of what most often feels like a chaotic, heck, busy life, you just have to make a cup of coffee, drink it out of your special California mug, buy yourself a cake (you could have made for a fraction of the price), light a yummy smelling candle and SIT DOWN.  And in quietness, just BE.  I did just that one day recently.  Just me, myself and I.  and my Lord.  It was marvelous.  I really should do it more often.  I had all of like 10 minutes to just BE.  But it was worth it!

Children's Day Celebration at Restoration Ministries-another special day serving with some of my favorite people.

We were actually celebrating Avo Jorge's 69th birthday but the little boys were so excited over the cake they could.hardly.leave.their.fingers.out.of.it!

Happy Birthday, dear, sweet, loving, generous, kind Jorge.  What a joy to celebrate one more year of his life and here is to hoping this year will bring the much needed kidney transplant we all so pray and hope the next phone call will bring.  Pray with us, please!

Chloe and Nicolle-silly girls and special friends

It's good to have a best friend

Nicolle's 9th birthday party

Today is Memorial Day in Brazil, so we enjoyed another holiday (they are frequent happenings in Brazil.  We will enjoy no less than THREE in November alone!) with Daddy off work and the children home from school.  Special friends asked us to spend the day with them and treated us to a wonderful day outing.  

Thank you, Paulo and Vanda, for not only a special day with you both but for literally treating us to breakfast, park, toys, lunch, ride to and from home and ice cream for everyone!  We will not soon forget.

Now that everyone else is asleep, exhausted from our wonderful outing, it's time for me to be as well.  May God bless each of you and make His face to shine upon you and give you peace.

Blessings, Jama