Caju fruit

The caju fruit is literally falling of the trees here.  I had never seen or had the fruit from the cashew tree before I came to Brazil.  The fruit is a little tart but when you juice it and add a little sugar it makes a great juice.  We have many of the caju trees on campus here and we have been enjoying eating them and making juice with them. Since I had never hear or seen a cashew fruit before I wanted to share a picture here with you.  I wish I could send you all some to try but you will just have to come visit sometime to try it! 

Back into things

I made it back to Brazil with a very smooth trip all in all. Once my passport with missionary visa got to me about 2 hours before I had to leave my house, I left for my flights to Brazil.  I made all connections with plenty of time and made the entire trip in just over 1 day.  A new record for me in speediness!

So I am back in Brazil and back to helping with 2 choirs here, talking to people on campus and taking my portuguese class.  I still have so far to go in understanding and communicating well in Portuguese and so that has to be my top priority.  It seems so easy to let other things get in the way though.

The seminary that I live on and work with is going away for a retreat this weekend.  It is at a camp about 2 hours away.  It is the same place I went to camp before so I get to sleep in a hammock again.  I will be gone for about 4 days.  I may have some stories to tell when I get back.

For now I will just say Bom Dia and Tchao!  (Good Day and Goodbye!)

Time in the States

My time in the states was a time of refreshment and reconnecting with so many people.  It was nice to spend an unexpected trip back in such a nice way. I got to do so much in a short period of time and even saw friends that I have not seen in many months.  I made it to Minnesota and in that weekend managed to go to the State fair, a church picnic, church, and visited with my former nanny kids! At my parents house I was able to attend my younger sister's baby shower,  saw most of my extended family, vacationed at my family's lake house, and got in some much needed rest.

It was a profitable trip as well, because I did receive my missionary visa in my passport.  It came none too soon as I got it into my hands about 2 hours before I was to leave my house for the airport.  Praise God it came in though and I was able to make my flights!

I am now at the airport in Boston waiting for the first leg of my journey to Brazil.  If all goes well and I am not delayed on any of my flights I will make it to my final destination in less than 24 hours. Which will be a new record for me for sure.  I am praying that God blesses me with such a journey but am prepared for complications along the way.  When I first began the journey of going to Brazil as a missionary over 3 years ago I had many friends encourage me that God uses the journey not always the destination.  I can say that God has used many journeys in my life to change me and convict me of sin.  I am still on the bigger journey even if I have begun the term of my life that will be marked by being a missionary in Brazil.  And I can certainly say that God continues to convict of sin and to change me.

Just in the past few days I re-questioned everything about my call to go to Brazil when it did not look hopeful that my passport would make it back to me in time. I questioned why God has to make things so hard.  I still don't have the answers but I continue to cling to the promise He gives that He loves His children, and works out all things for His glory and our good.  So I am happy to say that I have not given up and I will continue this life, in God's service, and will do my best, with His help, to go where He sends me, and do what He calls me to do.

Please pray for me to do this as I pray for the same for you.  Feel free to share with me any journeys you are on that you would appreciate prayer for and we can lift each other up as we bear one another's burdens in our co-journey towards Christlikeness and Heaven!

In the States

I began my trip back to the USA on Aug 18 and made it into Boston on the 19. I had to come back to the States to get my missionary visa into my passport so my first stop on the way home from the airport was the post office. I mailed off my passport and am now waiting to receive it back or hear from the Brazilian Embassy.

I don't know exactly why things worked out the way they did but I am enjoying my bonus time to spend with family and friends. I was able to be apart of my baby sisters baby shower, and have spent time with family. I am now about to get on a plane for MN where I will get to spend time with many brothers and sisters in Christ. God is good to me in blessing me with this trip even though I tried hard to avoid it.

I am missing Brazil and the many great people I have met there and am anxious to get back. I know that when I return (Lord willing on september 8) I will hot the ground running. Roque and I will start a choir at church and I will have portugeuse lessons and class, plus many other things.

I will post pictures from my trip later.
God bless you!

Visas Visas Visas

Many months ago I began the process of applying for a Missionary Visa so that I could go to Brasil to serve God and stay there for 18 months.  When I left over a month ago from the States I had not heard a final word on my visa, so I came on my tourist visa.  I came in the hopes that with God's help I would receive my missionary visa and residency status while in Brasil and find a way to stay there.  I did receive word that my missionary visa had been APPROVED and then I began to search for a way to change to my missionary visa.  I did not find that way.  So instead I am traveling back to the US for a short trip to finalize my visa and enter Brasil on my missionary visa.  That being said I will be in the USA from August 19 to Sept 7th.  I am flying in and out of Boston and going to Minneapolis for a few days in the middle (25-30).

I was reminded by a friend that when things come into our lives that we do not understand and have not planned for, both good or bad, that we need to not ask "Why" but ask "Who."  I don't know the why, but I do know the Who.  God in his sovereignty has allowed this to happen in my life, and I will praise Him through it.

I have had many emotions and thoughts that go through my mind when I think about the fact that after only a month and a half I will be going back to the USA.  From feelings of defeat and failure for only making it for such a short time, to happiness that I will once again see friends and family that I dearly  miss, to wonder at what God could be doing through this, and to finally understanding that for so many different reasons some I am beginning to see and some I may never know, God has ordained for me to travel back to the states and to praise Him through it.  So that is what I am trying to do!  In all things to give Him Preeminence, for He is worthy of all our praise, our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior.

So that being said if you are near Methuen or Minneapolis and want to see me, please let me know, I would love to see you!

Hope to see you soon!
Joy

Started classes

In my need to learn Portuguese I began attending a module class here at the Seminary.  It is an advanced Portuguese class on Composition of Texts.  Needless to say, but I don't understand very much.  I am however being exposed by immersion to the Language and I can say I am exhausted by the end of the day from all the thinking and trying to comprehend that I have done during the day.  I am learning new words and phrases daily and I get opportunities galore to use my new knowledge.  Thank you to all of you who are praying for me to learn the language, I am slowly learning, but have a long way to go.
 I went to a camp for the Association of Regular Baptists with Roque and Adriana last week.  I met many brothers and sisters in Christ many of which are pastors of local churches throughout the state of Ceara.

 Here is a beautiful view of the pond on sight, full of beautiful lily pads and flowers.

 We had beautiful weather to enjoy God's handiwork, as all the buildings are open air with only roofs to shade from the sun.  With mosquito repellant for the night we faired quite well.

 This is where we slept.  I slept in the red hammock, with Adriana next to me and Roque on the floor.  There was another family in 3 hammocks next to ours in the same room.

Thanks for keeping up with me, if you want to know more please comment or contact me!
God Bless,
Joy

My first newsletter!

I just created and sent out my first newsletter, if you did not get it check it out here - July Newsletter. If you want to receive it in an email let me know.