Third Time's a Charm

The first week was overwhelming and confusing, the second week was frustrating, but the third week of teaching has been a charm! I guess it has taken me about three weeks to finally begin to get the hang of the classroom. I am loving the kids more than ever and have finally started some relationships with them, the teachers, and others around the school, which makes all the difference.

This is me with some of the Kinder 1 students in my classroom. We were playing dress up and learning the names of items of clothing. They are the cutest! Only three years old.


Paul and I have been doing our Bible workshops in the afternoon. Since Easter is coming up, this week we have been focusing on the death and resurrection of Christ and what that means for us. I focused on the verse, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23. When I was with the third graders I was trying to explain to them that because of our sin we deserve death and hell. But because of God's grace and forgiveness he allows us into heaven because of Christ's sacrifice. They only halfway understood it. But then I had one of the children read this verse out of the Portuguese Bible and when she finished the whole class resounded with an, "Amen!" What an encouragement it was when I knew that they understood God's gift! I am so thankful that they teach Bible in this school; that we are free to talk of Christ our Lord. I can tell that many of the children understand what they have been taught and strive to live in a worthy manner.

Paul also had a great workshop with the 8th graders. He finished the lesson and afterward said that anyone who wanted to leave could, but anyone who wanted to talk more about the lesson could stay. The two boys left but all the girls stayed and started asking great questions about why Jesus died, the significance of Passover, and the forgiveness of sins. It lead to a great discussion where many of the girls really starting thinking about their faith. He was very encouraged by the whole conversation and prays that this will only be the beginning of their questioning and finding answers.

I am very excited for Easter coming up. We have a whole day celebration tomorrow for school and then no school for Good Friday. I'm not sure what we will do with our long weekend but I hope to have some great time with God somewhere in there. That might even include waking up to see the sunrise one day!

We hope all of you have a great celebration this Easter!

Stress comes and stress goes ... And so the story's told

When we were in marriage counseling we heard that the top 5 things that cause the most stress in peoples lives are getting married, moving, changing careers, kids, and money. Apparently Ruth and I decided we would test that theory. To begin with, we got married. Within 8 months of being married we moved to Indy, then almost immediately, moved to Brazil for awhile. Of course, we did not have money and it was definitely a career change; considering we were full time college students. Oh, and though we do not have kids, we are teaching, living, and spending 85% of our time at a 2 acre complex: of which is full of roaring and screaming kids all under the age of 14. I say these things not to complain, but to simply give you a fuller picture of what is going on in our lives. You, readers, have been caring enough to read what it is going on in our lives; therefore, we felt it appropriate to also give you what is going on in our hearts.

I must begin by praising God for His existence and choosing to revealing Himself to us. Though, we are feeling like we are experiencing the top 5 things that cause the most stress in life, we can't help but see the Lord's work in His provision, taking the yoke from our necks, and continually given us opportunity to rely upon Him. We have come into our own little routine for the days, but for me the weight of change has taken its place in my heart. Are you one who reacts to something big immediately or one who has delayed reactions? For me, I am a delayed reaction person. My initial reactions for coming down here were prayer, rationale, discussion, and a game plan. I did not have time for anything emotional. We prayerfully discerned and discussed and here we are. But now, I'm taking it in. I believe the stress of the kids this week has brought all to surface.

Each day is a battle for the attention of children. It is not exactly what I imagined. At this age, a teacher is not necessarily teaching content. We are really teaching kids how to be students, and how to be human beings in the battle that is life. Everyday is dealing with kids picking on each other, trying to get them to be diligent in their studies, helping them learn how to control their emotions, helping them deal with fellow peers, direct their focus on studies more than the concerns piled upon them at home, and walking beside them as they struggle through the stress of academics. I did not necessarily think it was anything different, I am just simply seeing it play out more fully day after day. Though difficult, I'm reminded that anything that comes easy is not worth achieving. Though it takes time, the greatest satisfaction is when you see a positive change: when you Are able to help students through all those things. You can't help but feel like you have begun planting seeds. I've been learning that a teacher doesn't necessarily produce fruit, in regards to others, but plants the seeds. I am very curious to see the progression that will occur in a four month period; beyond the progression that has occurred in only the last three weeks. I believe God has us where He needs us. We are trying to continually serve Him, but at the same time we are growing tremendously through Him. Thank you for reading and your continual prayers.

Deus te abencoe e Deus ama voce.

A Brazilian Soccer Game . . . Enough Said!

We have been told that Brazilians were big into soccer: or futbol as it is called anywhere outside of the United States. We have also been told that if you are going to experience a professional soccer game that you should go to a Brazilian soccer game. Well, who said we don't follow the advice of others who have come before us. The game was crazy!

It was like any other afternoon after school. As usual on Wednesday afternoons the English teachers were having a meeting when Novenio (No - veen - yo), a Brazilian who lives at the Alcance and helps with the youth, asked us if we were going to the soccer game that night. It was 4 and they were leaving at 5:30. It reminded me so much of when we were in high school and a group was bored on a Friday night. Sitting around, getting anxious, when of course someone pulls out something wild to do. Something that normally takes at least a few days to plan for and anticipate, but no, it was to happen now!

About 19 people crammed into a van made to hold 12 for a 2 1/2 hour ride to the game in Recife. Though we finally arrived at the stadium, we still didn't have our tickets. Counter-intuitively, it is apparently cheaper to buy them at the stadium than prior to the game. So, we gave our money to a Brazilian who frantically bought our tickets from a scalper outside the stadium walls. People were running everywhere, and per Brazilian custom, cars and people were competing for spots in the road all trying to get to our final destination: THE GAME! There were around 10 in our group all following each other periodically raising our hands to indicate where each other were in the mad scramble. Finally we found ourselves in what looked like a riot crowd trying to get up a parking garage car ramp. There weren't gates, fences, or stairs: only a line of a half dozen police officers on horseback looking menacingly down at the crowd and about eight officers holding back the crowd. As we were pushing and bumping each other around, we had to lift our shirts to show we weren't carrying a weapon while waving our ticket in the other hand. At the release of the police officers a mad rush of the crowd poored forth through their make shift barrier of bodies, stopping the next crowd when they felt enough had come through for the time being. Finally, after running our way up the ramp (looking like the mass crowd in the streets of Spain running from the bulls ) we made it to a ticket gate. We gave the men our tickets, pushed through the revolving gate that you push with your hips, and off to the races once more.

The bottom section was of course full; therefore, the mass of bodies had to be corralled like starving cattle up yet another ramp to the upper level. This was an experience like we've never seen. We grabbed each others shirts and shoulders to keep our group together. I (Paul) held to Ruth's shoulders so hard I was fearful that I was honestly hurting her. For five minutes up the ramp we constantly felt the pressure and push of fifteen bodies on either side all jockeying for position. This does not even count the countless sweaty men pushing from behind as if they were going to use YOU as their battering ram through the mass of bodies. We went through puddles, for it had rained a bit, filled with dozens of lost sandles not dared to be retrieved for fear of being trampled to death.

Once we made it to the top, it was quickly realized that no one had assigned seats. It was mass ticketing and we ran from opening to opening searching for openings to seat our group. The 'seats' were simply gaps in the crowd because the stadium had large stone steps for seating. Finally, we had made it. And what a game it was. Though 'our' team was in the 4th division out of four and the other was in the first division, they played very well. The proffessionals were so impressive to watch. The ball skills, feet skills, and tenacity with which they played was very exciting. We could not help but catch the fever and really get into the game. Chants? you might ask. Oh yes, we chanted! It was great. Everytime the crowd would scream vai ! ( Go) we would join in the urge. We screamed our approval when the other team got a red card, and we screamed our dissapproval when we felt the ref had unjustly denied our team a foul call. It was great to have passion fed off the passion of others around you despite having no investment in the team or players. Plus, we had worked so hard to even get to the game, you couldn't help but enjoy the very fact that you were there.

It was very cool to go to the game. But I must say, I think this was the experience that Ruth and I were hoping for that would open up doors to relationships with the church family. Since then, we have been able to join in the forever long debate about who's team is better, or recieve invites to a game of another persons favorite team, and so on and so forth. We have talked more in general with some of the people who had gone to the game, as well as relish in our shared experience. I become more and more convinced all the time that it truly takes shared experiences to bring people together. It allows an opportunity for the Lord's Spirit to work at connecting people. And it was truly accomplished. May we praise the Lord together for how He works through all experiences and blesses us at the same time.

P.S. Notice in the picture the moat around the field and the guards with guard dogs! Intense eh!

School Days

We made it! We successfully (I think) completed our first week of teaching! Considering that it's all pretty new to me, I think it went pretty well. I have learned a lot of things about teaching kids and classroom management and still have a long way to go. It is neat to really get into the teaching and begin to feel responsible for the children's education. Today in the Foundation class, which is the equivalent of Preschool, we had a unit review where we tested the kids on the letters m, p, and t, the shapes circle, square, rectange, and triangle, and the numbers 1-5. Only about 3 of the 10 children could actually pass the test. So now it's time to regroup, go back and figure out how we can get the other students up to par. I like the challenge and plan on spending an afternoon this weekend pondering how to engage them. I am very thankful because we have no school tomorrow! It is St. Joseph holiday tomorrow. It will be nice to have a three day weekend and hopefully I can look over the whole next week's curriculum instead of going day by day which is what I did this last week.

I have been getting to know the kids better. My favorite part of the day is either teaching the three year olds (which is basically play time in English) or hanging out with the kids after school until their parents come to pick them up. Some of the kids are there until 5:30 and school ends at 4. We play soccer sometimes, or hopscotch, or play with the sweet train set (the really nice wooden ones). It is fun to be able to play around and not have to remind them every five minutes to sit still, or be quiet, or write their name on their paper. Plus it's a great time to get to know them better.

There are a few students on my heart that stick out to me. They are not well behaved and very hard to handle at times but I really want to get through to them, showing them both love and discipline. Please pray for me in this.

One other very exciting thing this week....Paul and I got to go to a soccer game! It was.....well, I will have to leave that for the next post and keep you all wondering! But it was definitely an experience!

P.S. Please feel free to comment on our posts, we love to hear your thoughts!

A Taste of Culture

When someone begins to talk about culture, several things can be brought up. First, you can talk about the differences in dress or music/dance. You can talk about if the people are extremely generous, or hospitable, or secluded. However, it almost always begins with food! As you can see by the picture, that is where I would like to begin: with food. The dish you see in the picture is a typical lunch. Lunch is by far the most important meal in the day and sometimes the only meal. Not that someone can't eat breakfast or dinner, but that they just eat lunch: and boy do they eat lunch! If you don't have beans and rice there is something wrong. Also, there is always some sort of meat and vegetable. (chicken, corn, cooked carrots, and pasta in this picture) Also, there is a wonderfully sweet juice everyday. The proportion of the cups and bowls, as you might see with this cup, is about 1/2 to 1/3 the size of a typical American proportion. All the cups and bowls are smaller. The drink is so sweet I'm not sure if we could handle anymore than what can fit in the cup. Secondly, you will notice the fork and knife. Yea, seems normal right? Well, you eat the whole meal with both forearms on the table using the knife to scoop the food onto the fork. Not how mama taught us when we were kids! But, it's proper to do so. It was funny when Ruth and I were first here (only a week and a half ago!) we started trying to notice the norms. The first thing we saw at lunch was all the kids grab their fork and knife and start scooping away. We've actually grown quit fond of the knife and fork routine. It is so much easier and quicker. Plus, it's nice to relax with both forearms on the table and it be proper. :-)

The next picture you see is, of course, some of the kids eating. But, what stands out the most is what is on the table with them. It is a bottle of touthpaste and a toothbrush. Sure, when I was a kid I was supposed to brush my teeth after every meal because I had braces. Here, almost every kid pulls out their toothbrush and toothpaste to use after the meal. That is one of the biggest cultural differences that we have witnessed. The Brazilians are extremely big on hygene. I feel like a bit too much, but I guess that is certainly better than not at all. Also, after lunch Ruth and I started noticing all the kids with wet hair all the time. Kids are encouraged by the family and allowed by the school to take a shower at the beginning of the afternoon. You sweat so much around here I can see why. But can you imagine in American schools, every student allowed to 'hit the showers' after lunch everyday!

Typically, a school day in public schoools are either in the morning or afternoon, but not both. Here, one of the big draws is that the kids have school all day. So, I guess everyone needs to freshin' up to finish the day. I'm not going to lie though. I've taken the shower and brushed the teeth after lunch once or twice and I felt like a champ the rest of the afternoon: And I usually despise afternoons. I think in my first school board experience back in the States I am going to push for early afternoon break time so everyone can shower and relax for a few moments. We'll see how it goes! hahaha

The Weekend and the Week Begins

We've had a great weekend and were able to relax just enough. We went out to a pizza buffet on Friday night and it was delicious. We enjoyed all the various kinds and had Guarana to go along with the meal. That is the best soda from Brazil. It is made from gaurana seeds that have lots of caffeine in them. It has a good taste to it as well so we are enjoying it. We got to go swimming in the school's pool (seen above) on Saturday afternoon and tried to get our skin a little more Brazilian-looking. When we arrived we were as pale as could be! But we have to be careful because the sun is so hot here.
We had some good conversations with Brazilians today. A young man came and talked to us for about 15min. after church. He had a lot of practice with English so it was fun talking. We also played soccer again this afternoon and really enjoyed it. We talked soccer with one of the guys who lives at the school as well. He was giving us tips on how to play better. He spoke to us in Portuguese mostly but he spoke very slowly so we could understand it. Plus Emily was there to translate the words we didn't know. We tried to tell him the United States might win the World Cup coming up this summer. He just laughed at us and reminded us how many times Brazil has won it versus how many times the United States has won. Our argument wasn't very strong. I hear that when the World Cup starts they cancel school whenever Brazil plays. That should be very exciting! I am glad we are here when the tournament is. I think it starts in June.

I have spent a lot of time looking at, organizing, and adapting the curriculum for my classes this week. I am excited and nervous to teach on my own. Mostly I am just excited to get to know the kids better. Wish me luck!

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.

I, Paul, have also begun to teach. Though I was down a bit, my belly yet transitioning to another culture, I have begun. My title indicates how much I have recognized that kids are kids wherever they are: or by whatever named nationality they are called by. So far I have seen the whiny kid, the teacher's pet kid, the bully in class kid, the lash out because I don't know what I'm doing kid, the devoted to learning kid, the gregarious kid, and oh yes the middle school girls who giggle and talk about boys. "What's in a name?" Whether an United States kid or a Brazilian kid it's funny to see that the age is what makes the similarities.

What I am doing in the mornings is tutoring the level one kids. That is to say, those kids who have just arrived to the school and do not speak English. Emily, who I have been working with, has three classes each morning, 3+4th grade, 5th + 6th grade, and then 7th + 8th grade. We divided the kids in each class into two or three groups. During class, I pull one group at a time for a portion of the class to receive extra assistance on learning English. Again, they hardly know any English at all. It is very interesting and challenging to find ways to communicate, let alone teach when there is such a large language barrier. What I have begun to do is teach basic classroom commands. I figured if they can feel a little more comfortable in class by understanding when the teacher asks them to open their book, or sit down, or raise their hand then they might have a better or more relaxed environment to tackle the difficult task of learning a new language. Starting next week, Ruth and I will begin our workshops in the afternoon. I, again, will teach the older kids Bible and Ruth will teach the younger kids Bible. It's going to be a great way to practice English; more importantly it's going to be a great way teach God's words and His principles. I love that the school has, each week, a character trait based upon a Bible verse. I believe I am going to piggy-back that model and teach off of the character trait and Bible verse during my 'workshops'. Above in the picture, you will see the classroom where I will be mostly. Though, during tutoring I move around a lot. The other seen to the right, is where Ruth is mostly.
We both have started the ever glorious process of lesson planning. How in the world, we ask ourselves, are we going to teach kids a new language in a way that is productive, effective, and yet fun/interesting. I think back on basic biblical lessons learned from saints long ago and remember that we all need to pray for guidance, perspective, and HELP. If you are reading this now, may we ask that you help us pray for the Lord's guidance, perspective, and help in what to do? "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." 1 John 5: 14-15

Ready...Set....Almost Go!

Paul and I are transitioning into our new life in Brazil! It is a strange thing to wake up every morning and realize that everyone still speaks a different language than you. It is very frustrating at times and completely changes your perspective. It is sad how a language barrier can completely stop you from knowing someone. So many of the Brazilian teachers here seem like such amazing women, I would love to be able to have a conversation with them, but I can't!!! On the other hand, right now I am teaching children who will eventually be able to bridge that large gap and that is something worthy of working towards.

I am really liking it at this school and have been very busy this week, mostly because I am having to learn so much: the class schedule, how the school operates, about 75 or more Brazilian kids' names (my favorites so far are Adrielly, Simielly, Thiago, and Thierry-pronounced Tee-eh-he), how to keep the attention of five 3 year olds, and how to lesson plan! I am so thankful to be training under my great Teacher Lindsey. She has given me a wonderful example of being a teacher to young children. It is a busy job and takes lots of patience, creativity, preparation, and last minute decisions! I love the kids. Even in just four days the kids are warming up to me and getting to know me better as we spend more time together in class. I am really looking forward to being with them for the next four months (hard to fathom) and seeing all their learning and development.

I have been observing and just helping in the classes this week and today got to teach my first two lessons! They went pretty well. It is still hard to figure out where the kids are at: whether or not they understand you and whether or not they will be able to do what you have planned for class! I was teaching about the letter T today to one class and the numbers 10-30 to another class. At first I was a bit disappointed because I hoped I would be able to teach more important things, but as the week went on and I got used to what it is like to be in a preschool class I realized how important it is to teach the basics like that. Now I am finding it quite fun! Next week I will start full time and will have three classes in the mornings. First is the preschoolers/Kindergartners, then the three year olds, then Level II English with 1st & 2nd graders. I have them each for 50 minutes. The three years olds are so cute! Today we played dress up and learned the names of clothing like 'shirt', 'shoes', 'pants', etc. Then we put on music and danced around. One of the kids is definitely going to be a performing artist; he was pulling some Elvis moves and strumming his guitar the whole time. Haha, it is going to be a fun semester!

I also will teach a Bible Workshop in the afternoons to the 1st-4th graders. Not sure how that is going to go, I fear it will be very difficult getting the message across to students who don't know very much English. But perhaps if I can stick to the simple things like God loves you, then perhaps it is possible.

One other thing: my name! It is practically impossible for Brazilians to say! First off they pronounce R's like an H and secondly "th" doesn't exist in their language. So my name turns into things like hoof, hooty, and hooch. But the other American teachers here are adamant that everyone say my name the American way so that they can practice their English. Every class that I am introduced to has to practice how to say their R's and th's.

It is hard to think that we will be here for so long, but on the other hand very exciting to see all that will unfold in that time. Please pray for us that we might show God's love to the children, parents, teachers, and co-workers here. There is so much ministry going on here and we are only a small part of it, but God is doing great things.

The Calm Before the Storm

The real work begins tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. with a teachers meeting, but before that Ruth and I had a great weekend! Since being here a few days we have been able to see a little bit of the surrounding area. There is flush greenery all around us with large rolling hills in the countryside. Parts of town are formed in the valleys next to the river as well as along the main road. It is an interesting contrast to see that houses are made of dirty brick with clay roofs along side a Ford dealership with brand new cars and trucks. From what we have heard and even seen, there is a much larger gap between rich and poor all around Brazil, especially compared to America. Poverty is much more in your face here than in America. It reminds me so much of the Lord's words speaking of how we must take care of the poor and that we are saved by the grace of Jesus' sacrifice and not by silver or gold. What wonderful news. I hope in future conversations with the students and parents at the Alcance school this message could really be known. One of the school's three main purposes is to train the future leaders of Brazil. Therefore, I hope in our humble efforts we could help train Brazilian's 'upper class' to close that gap between wealthy and poor so that we might all be reminded that we are All God's children connected by the Holy Spirit.

That reminds me of service this morning. We were welcomed very graciously by the small, but fervent congregation today. The service was in Portuguese, which was difficult of course, but great practice. I also believe it was good to see and be seen in church with those we are trying to connect with especially since there were some who God has yet revealed Himself to. Though it was in another language, the gospel totally showed itself to be good news for all in the world. What stood out the most was that the singing seemed just as genuine; the tears seemed especially genuine; and God seemed to be present when Pastor Tele was speaking. The preaching was mainly from 1 Peter 1 and 2 with the words that will stand for all time.

After church I didn't feel very well; adapting I guess. Therefore, I stayed back while Ruth went with the other native English speaking teachers for an English class. It was made up of mostly teenagers being taught and there to learn/practice English. I must say it was kind of nice, though, to relax on my own and let everything sink in a little bit. After a few hours I felt better and decided to go for a walk. Little did I know that the Brazilians were going to play soccer in the field behind the Alcance School. What an experience! I tried to tell them that I was not good nor was I Brazilian. After a chuckle from the crowd they gave me a jersey and off we went. Being a male athlete and all I was forced to oblige. haha. It was nice of them to show love by allowing me to play. Later, Ruth, Betsy, and Emily came and the Brazilians again showed their love by allowing them to play as well. We all played for a couple of games. Ruth, of course, showed off her college soccer skills impressing the Brazilians. From their perspective I'm not sure if it was just the skills that impressed them or that it was a women with skills in soccer that impressed them: you see women don't play soccer very much at all here. Anyway, it was great to fellowship and play with Brazilians. The church family is very gracious around here. We are both excited that God has allowed us to be a part of the work He is doing down here.

The Brazilian Journey has begun

As the title says, the Brazilian journey has begun. We have made it through our first day of a foreign country. The plane ride of course was very long, but we were able to "sleep" a few hours on the overnight flight. The initial thoughts of Brazil is... you guessed it, hot! However, we are coming from an Indiana winter. We are extremely thankful for the support that we have gotten already in terms of prayer and finances. In only one month we have raised 3/5 of our fund raising goal. It is amazing what God puts on people's hearts and how tremendously gracious He is. We totally feel confirmed by God that this is where He needed us to be in order to best serve Him right now. Like all things, I believe God is really going to work in us and shape us for the future.

People have been very kind to us. Last night we had dinner at Jeff and Lindsey Turners house, took a nap, and was a part of their bible study. Afterward, we were shown our room. We were extremely blessed to have a room that was once Tele's (the Alcanca founder and Pastor) daughters and her husband's room before they went off to additional schooling. We do not have a balcony, however, we actually have a couch and AC!! Here is a picture of our room and the view from the window. Apparently we lucked out in getting the nicest room since the husband and wife had just left. It's interesting to think that someone is using our apartment in Indiana while we are gone and we are using someone else's apartment while they are gone.

So, that brings us to today. We were able to sleep in a bit and then start the day unpacking everything. It was great to begin meeting everyone and having lunch with the students, as well. It is interesting to feel totally vulnerable being that we are the minority in every way. Not everyone speaks English, but since we are native speakers is very welcomed being the fact that the school is big on teaching the language. For those students and parents who want to communicate with us, they must attempt and practice English: difficult I'm sure but great practice. In the afternoon we were able to go to Pastor Tele and his wife's house for coffee and conversation. It was wonderful hearing the history of the hotel building they had bought and is now home to the Alcanca seminary, World Renewal Brazilian Headquarters, the church service, living quarters, and of course the K-8th grade school. Just in the short time that we met with that family it has been confirmed, ten-fold, of their dedication to the Lord's work! God is really working down here and we are amazed of the provision that He is providing: Not to mention the abounding success stories of people coming to Christ. We are excited and feel very blessed to be a part of this. Of course it will be challenging, but when has anything great ever come out of something that was easy!