Domingo (Sunday)

Follow Up on Zane (new Christian from "Home Depot")
What a joy! What a joy! The lady who accepted Christ with us at a home improvement store several weeks ago said she would take a bus to our church the next day rather than ride with us, but never showed up. Deborah has called a time or two to follow up but did not get her. Today, however, she DID get her and the woman was very excited to talk to her. Deborah told her that she knows one person in this lady's neighborhood (far far side of the city) and that she would like to hook them up for discipleship and rides to church. Then Zane (the new Christian) out of nowhere said "does she have short hair?" Deborah thought to herself and then answered that yes she does but, thinking that this city has 3 million people, that description just didn't mean much. Zane kept describing the woman she thought Deborah was referring to and they came to the conclusion that somehow Zane knows this lady on her side of the city that calls herself a "volunteer missionary"! If the first part of this story (Zane's conversion) was not miraculous enough, here is another instance where the Lord is blowing our minds with His ability and delight in saving and training those which are His!

Church is Fun...at Last!
Those that have ever lived in a foreign culture can surely relate to the feeling of total exhaustion at the end of a simple day. Everything is new and you concentrate for hours upon hours just trying to pick out the one or two words that you know in the sea of bla bla blas around you. Smells and tastes are different. Homes, processes, traffic rules (Lord have mercy!), fashion (here you see a lot more than in the States) and expectations are different. And while it is a total adventure, it's a lot of work too! I got a headache every day for my first few weeks because I was just working my brain too hard. But NOW AT LAST I am at rest here. I feel that my remaining time here is fleeting and that is kinda sad. :-(

This morning at church I felt at home walking through the halls and responding to this person's wave, and that person's "tudo bom?" with "tudo bem, voce tambien?" and was able to ask people followup questions to things they'd told me in the past (without translation...praise the Lord!)! I didn't have that ultra out of place tall white girl that doesn't understand a word you just said feeling anymore! This morning I understood about 50% of the sermon and at least 80% of the hymns and worship songs we sang! At last I have "friends" to stay after church and talk to about whatever, and several peers setting up times to get together on a coming evening. Ahhh.

Cooking American Food
This week I grew determined to make some American food, so yesterday (my day off) I walked to several stores looking for ingredients to make 3 things I've been craving. This morning I fixed the most delicious pancakes my mouth has ever tasted! For lunch I had chicken parmesan with sauteed veggies, italian bread hot out of the oven, and fresh pineapple! One evening this week I plan to make American style cookies for neighbors, but first I have to find baking soda!

These recipies have required that I improvise because I don't have measuring cups or spoons and don't know where to buy them. The gas stove cooks quickly and tiny ants come out of everywhere when any food is on the counter! I don't have Ziplock bags, Saran Wrap, spray Pam, a salt shaker, a microwave (for melting butter) or a good knife (accept for one gigantic meat cleaver thing that I cut the pineapple with! I'm a little over cautious with knives these days! See previous post "I Know How this Looks!"). All of these missing items made it really fun...like a puzzle. And ummm...there was pay off in the end!

Back to the Quilombo Tomorrow!
Leaving for "the interior" at 7am tomorrow to continue preparation for the church building we'll raise two weeks from now! Can't wait to see them again!