More Good News

Remember Francisco? This guy? I told you about him about a month ago. He walked in to the church building off the street one day when he saw the sign for Let's Start Talking. He began to study with my dad, then he began a Bible study in Portuguese with one of the missionaries, then he was baptized. He has had a rough life and although it's getting better, there's still a long road ahead.

However, part of that "getting better" is what I'm here to tell you about today. The day after Francisco's baptism, he went to tell his friend, Geraldo. Geraldo has been a friend to Francisco when no one else would, often times taking him into his home to give him a roof to sleep under and food to eat. He has let Francisco work with him, selling peanuts on the street, to make a decent living. Francisco couldn't contain his joy following his own baptism and wanted to share it with the one person that had always been there for him. Geraldo began studying the Bible with John and was baptized last night! His whole family was there, including his wife and five or six kids (I haven't been able to get an accurate count...they're pretty active and look very similar.) He is excited about his new life and we pray that as he continues to grow he follows Francisco's example and shares the Gospel with those around him!

John baptizing Geraldo

Up out of the water

Francisco serving communion to Geraldo after his baptism. :)

Out of Touch

Something pretty funny happened last night. I try to stay connected with the news via internet. I have been following the presidential election very closely since the middle of 2007 when the first debates began. For the last week or so my roommate Lacy and I have been reading all kinds of stories about John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin as his VP running mate. I have followed the media's reaction, bloggers' reactions, etc, and felt I had a pretty good sense of what was going on, but didn't have a good feel for what so many people love or hate about her. Last night I finally had a minute to sit down and download Palin's speech at the RNC on YouTube. When I started the video and the announcer introduced her to come out to the podium, I yelped and Lacy ran out of the kitchen. "What??" we both said. For the last two weeks Lacy and I had been calling her Sarah "Paah-lin" rather than "Pay-lin." I started laughing at how out of touch I felt. I had done my best to stay caught up and with it, and all this time didn't even know the most basic detail, how to say her name!

This past weekend about 15 of us from the church participated in a retreat for young people put on by the churches of Christ in Fortaleza, the capital city of our neighboring state to the north. The theme was "Facing Giants" and the classes and talks were centered around the story of David and Goliath. The retreat was EXCELLENT, and I came away from it with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to the Word. It was wonderful to get away and relax for a couple of days but to spend that time with my closest friends. Highlights included: learning new Portuguese worship songs, a Bible Bowl-type competition complete with pie-in-the-face penalties for the losers, a spider on my bed frame the size of a softball (not exaggerating,) cold showers, 6 am wake-up calls, and a quick trip to Pizza Hut. This was my second opportunity to travel to another city and participate in a retreat for young people planned by young people, and once again I was blown away by the organization and quality of the program. I hope, dream, and pray for the day that our church in Natal will be big enough and have the resources to plan our own retreat and invite our friends from neighboring states. It was a fantastic weekend and I look forward to the next retreat we get invited to! And now, pictures.

Our group from Natal

Marta (missionary), Carol, Andressa, and Lacy, hanging out on Saturday

Kelly, Sarah, Fernanda, and me hanging out during the Bible Bowl competition

Everyone in the van (Sprinter, really. Shout out to MRCC) doing a quick tour of Fortaleza with a special stop at Pizza Hut before heading to the retreat

One Year

One year ago today you probably woke up a bit groggy, not wanting to get up for school or work. The holiday was just too relaxing, too short. You were excited for the short week ahead, but wished that it could be even shorter.

One year ago today I woke up groggy. I wondered where I was, and then my eyes immediately filled with tears when I realized that I was on an airplane, somewhere over South America, destined for a place that I thought I knew but really didn't know at all. I wished that the plane would make a U-turn and just dump me back in Miami. I cried and cried when I realized that I wouldn't be having any family dinners any time soon where Kelly and I laugh at things our mom said, and that I was going to have to make friends all over again, and that I was going to have to figure out how to speak Portuguese, and that when I got off the plane I couldn't just turn on my cell phone and text "I made it." For the next year...or two...(or 3 months, I thought, in my state of despair) I was going to have to build a new life, all by myself. What had I gotten myself into?When I finally got to Natal after 30 hours of travel (it may be beautiful but it is NOT easy to get to!) I stepped off the plane and looked for the nearest bathroom-- I thought I was going to throw up. I couldn't stop smiling but I couldn't contain my nervousness. Were these people going to like me now that they were stuck with me? Was I going to like them now that I was stuck with them? Would I be able to communicate? Would I be good at my job? Would I have enough readers? I got my bags and stepped out the doors. I saw the missionaries and we took this awkward picture:

The last year has done everything and more to completely dash all of those scared, nervous, anxious expectations. I have learned more, grown more, served more, been served more, shared more, loved more, been loved more, been humbled more, made bizarre mistakes more, lived simply more, laughed more, experienced true JOY more, than in the previous 22 years of my life. The last 12 months, the last 366 days (leap year, remember?) have exceeded my expectations in every possible way. I could never have imagined that day that in just one quick year I would be an entirely different person, a person who cries at the mere thought of ever having to leave this place. God has blessed me beyond all measure with this experience, and it is my prayer that as He continues to bless me here, He continues to use me to bless others in His work. Words don't do the past year justice, but all of you know that I sure will try. :) Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, support, contributions, blog comments, Facebook messages, photo comments, and stories from home. The year has been wonderful, but it hasn't been a breeze. Without you and your prayers I literally would not have made it. I'd like to leave you with a few photos of the past year, highlights from each month. Thanks, again, for your support, and please continue to keep me and the work in Natal in your prayers! More next time on my plans for the future...in Natal. :)

SEPTEMBER 2007Reunited with friends!

Becoming a part of the Signoretti family at Roberto's birthday lunch

OCTOBER 2007My apartment!

The original advanced English group class...RIP.

NOVEMBER 2007Youth retreat in Joao Pessoa, also my first time to speak only Portuguese for three straight days...

Thanksgiving feast for readers

DECEMBER 2007Sarah's baptism!

Christmas at the beach

JANUARY 2008
Fernanda and Caio passed the Vestibular, the Federal University entrance exam, and celebrated by shaving half an eyebrow (girls) and his head (boys)

Family vacation with the Signorettis

FEBRUARY 2008
Apparently I didn't take a single picture in February. I guess I was recovering from the previous 5 months...

MARCH 2008
ENOCA conference in Sao Paulo

Meeting up with childhood friends from Brasilia

APRIL 2008
My first Brasilian wedding! (One of my readers', NOT my own!)

Advanced group class meeting for breakfast at my apartment

MAY 2008
Dune buggy ride with the Jewells and Toni

Duck Duck Goose at the LST Birthday Party

Celebrating my birthday LST style!

JUNE 2008
My parents and Jacob's LST team with the missionaries!

LST Baseball party, teaching the Brasilians the wave!

JULY 2008
Great turnout at one of the English worship services

Family dinner the night before my American family went home. :(

AUGUST 2008
Francisco's baptism!!!!!!!!!!

Westover LST team in front of the church building with the missionaries

Roommate Appreciation

I have a big "the Americans are gone, now what?" post planned, but tonight I would like to take a moment and publicly appreciate my new roomie. In college I learned to appreciate the value of good roommates. In Brazil I have learned that a good roommate is good for two reasons:

1. Good company
A. Company during scary movies on TV
B. Company during the Olympics, to ooooh and ahhhh over the precision and talent in gymnastics and to have someone to whom I can say "did you see that???"
C. Company to keep from getting lonely
2. To scare away nasty, tail-less lizards that sneak their way in to our apartment and terrify the living daylights out of me

In the last 24 hours, Lacy has proven herself useful for both. Thanks, rooms. It's nice to be able to follow my gut reaction and sit on my bed curled up with my legs at my chest squealing in a pitch too high for the favela dogs to even hear behind a closed door while you get rid of that sick creation. I can only hope that I will be as useful to you in the coming months.

(And in case you're wondering, my umbrella is laying on the floor along the crack underneath my bedroom door. I won't sleep if I know he might come back.)

This is why I live in Natal doing the Lord's work. There's nothing better. Nothing.

Jesus is in his belly: A Teachable Moment

I come bringing good news to you tonight from Natal, Brazil. Francisco, a man who began studying in the LST program while my parents' team was here, was baptized tonight. Francisco was riding his bike past the church building one day and saw the sign for Let's Start Talking. He stopped to ask what it was about and we got him signed up for reading sessions with my dad. Soon after they began their studies in English, Francisco began Bible studies in Portuguese with John, one of the missionaries. Since June Francisco has come two to three times a week for English reading sessions and twice a week for Portuguese Bible studies. Francisco has had a hard life and has been though way more than any one person should ever have to experience. It took a lot of study, a lot of conversation, and a lot of scripture for Francisco to understand that yes, even he is included in God's offer of love and forgiveness. We rejoiced (and I cried...a lot) with our new brother. GOD IS GOOD!

In related news, my friend Andy (age 3) called me into the auditorium yesterday to look at the baptistry. He noticed it was filled with water and wanted me to notice it, too. So I took the opportunity, since I am a missionary after all, to see if he had any level of understanding about what the baptistry was for. I said "Andy, do you know what this is?" and he responded "Yep. It's for people to get bat tized." "Good," I said, "so, what happens when someone is baptized?" "They go to God." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah. They lay down, they look to the sky, and that's when they see God."

Well done, I thought. That's pretty good theology for a three year old. I was quite impressed and even went to his mom to brag on him a little bit. Little did I know the more detailed explanation I would get just a day later. Tonight after Francisco's baptism, Andy called me over again to look into the baptistry. I said "Andy, what happens in there?" "A guy just got bat tized in there." "So what happened when he got baptized?" "He got Jesus." Then, with a gentle pat on his tummy, Andy declared "Jesus is in his belly."

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15

Hey, look at me! Only one week between posts! That's gotta be some kind of record. The folks over at BBA (Bad Bloggers Anonymous) would be so proud.

If you're wondering why I've continued to be MIA lately, it's because I decided to jump feet-first into American Invasion 2008. Let me lay out a timeline for you just so you can understand what things have looked like around here lately.

Beginning of February: Cris is the only American for miles and miles
End of February: John Jewell and family arrive
March: Toni arrives
May: I travel to US for 2 weeks
June: LST team #1 arrives, includes my parents and one other OC student
Toni leaves
July: LST team #2 arrives, includes Lacy, the new intern, and one other student
LST team #1 leaves
August: Elder visit from Westover Hills in Austin, TX
LST team #3 arrives
Elder's family leaves
(yet to happen)
LST team #3 leaves
Other student from LST team #2 leaves
Arrival of two more LST interns

So, take a guess where that puts me? I am the resident American, the resident LST worker, and the resident speaker of both languages. That means all kinds of grocery store visits, bakery visits, introductions, babysitting, English Bible studies, language instructions, class scheduling, problem solving, etc. But I'm not complaining...I actually really love it!

So, that brings me to the point of writing this post. I am signing up for more. I want to stay longer. I want to participate and successfully get through subsequent American Invasions. So I'm fundraising for a second year with a goal of staying until May of 2009.

Will you help me? Yes, you. You who are reading this blog. You read this blog, you see the work is good, and I know you want to be able to come back many more times and read about life in Natal. Wanna know how to do that? Go to www.lst.org/2008projects/cris.

Yes, this is a shameless plug for myself. It's late, I'm tired, and I might actually question my own judgement in the morning. But not right now...

Need it again? www.lst.org/2008projects/cris

Goodnight!