Now we know we will be here for a little while we're beginning to make it a bit more like home. After much searching, we found a tool shop, so Dave now feels like a real man, it also means that we can make some of the windows a bit more secure. However, one of the best things we managed to buy was 2 ceramic mugs. It's very strange that something so simple can make you feel like you're home, we were getting fed up with drinking out of plastic camping ones.

We are currently finishing off our DTS, it's a very strange time, as we formed some good relationships with the other students, then we had 6 weeks in 3 different teams. So now, it's really nice to be back together but we all know it's not for long, than maybe we will never see these people again on this earth.
We have heard from the base council that we ahve been accepted to work at the lighthouse. This is really good news for us a family as it gives some stability for a while. This afternoon we will chat with the leader of the lighthouse about which areas we will work in. Thankyou to everyone who has been praying about God guiding our future, it is so good to know that He leads us.

We are now back in Belo Horizonte. We have travelled on 5 buses and for a total of 32hrs. It's great to be back!!!!!! I really liked seeing the view of the big city (even though I don't like big cities) and this morning it was great to look up at the mountainside covered in the favela. We experienced some good things in Amambai, and really learnt a lot about different projects. I think there is still more to learn (by reflecting on the last 6 weeks) about who we are and how we can work in Brazil. We had a team de-briefing today, and it was interesting to hear how the rest of the team viewed our time, feelings were very mixed. Dave and I tended to remember some of the difficulties, so we need to spend a bit more time focussing on the way our eyes have been opened and how we need to respond to the challenges of what we've seen.
The boys were both sad to leave some special friends (Debora and Kelly), but were also looking forward to living back at the lighthouse. We were greeted by a room that had ransacked, as our house had been broken into, probably by a child from the favela. It is very sad that he only wanted the children's toys and Daves phone. Most of our stuff was with us, but the boys have lost some things they really liked. At first they cried and Gideon was particularly upset and didn't want to go to bed, it was very hard for me to tell them to forgive, and that it was only 'stuff', when it wasn't my 'stuff'. We decided not to preach to them, but to pray and let God change their hearts. God is so good! This morning, Gideon prayed that he wouldn't feel angry when he next saw the child, and the way they have been speaking has been so much better. I think they are also more appreciative of everything they have now.

Sorry we've not been able to update recently. The internet here is very irratic, sometimes non-existent, sometimes only loads up half a page and sometimes it is incredibly patience growing.
This last week we have been cultivating a garden for the community to grow their own vegetables. It has been great to do something really physical, which doesn't require much thinking or Portuguese speaking. Some of the children came to help us, they really like getting attention from us, and will come here whenever they are not at school, and we are around. This is good at times, but also has it's difficulties. Do we need our own space away from the children we work with? Does that mean that our hearts are cold to their needs? What is the best way of doing this? Should we be feeding the children that keep coming here? Of course they come more often when we feed them...but, they have far less food than we do, so why are we sometimes so reluctant to share what we have?
I have just begun reading 'there's always enough' (by Heidi and Rolland Baker) again and once again I am challenged by their selfless attitudes. They have been willing to give out everything, and beyond that, giving what God gives to them. I want to utterly depend on God for everything, and I know that lots of you already think we do...but really we don't. We are able to do so much in our own strength....I want to think differently and love differently. This is something I cannot do on my own. When will God totally break away from me all of my worldly attitudes, what do I need to do? I don't want to make excuses. I now that there is so much more that can be done, here and in other places, EVERYWHERE.

Today, is Mothers Day in Brazil. We have helped to celebrate it at 2 services, plus some are going to an extra one tonight. This afternoon, we organised the service for the women in the community. It was a bit disapointing that not many families came, but it was good fun too. We presented a drama about the birth of Moses, and shared hearts of what true love is, and I spoke to the Mum's (very scary, I hate preaching!!!!!). We also gave the Mum's balloon flowers, a photo gift and the children presented a poem. I was also given a gift as a Mum, from YWAM.

Last night we had the youth service, Dave was playing in the worship band and Gideon went with him early to the practice. When Gideon discovered that the normal drummer didn't want to play that night, imagine his delight when the leader asked him to drum. He was absolutely ecstatic, we were also thrilled to see him drumming and hear him on a very good kit.

Some of the things we see here are difficult to describe and putting them on a blog does not really get accross the reality of the experience, but we try. For example, I (David) visited a family about 1/2 mile from the mission base and they lived in a house almost the size of our garden shed in England. The family consisted of 1 woman and 6 children. Her 'house' had many holes in it and outside there were 2 small shelters...a few bricks dry-stacked with a sheet as a roof...and these shelters were roughly the size of a cot and about 2 feet high (floor to roof). These shelters were for 2 of her children to sleep in. There are many examples of such poverty here.
In these situations there is little we can do on our own. We take them some food for their physical feeding and also share some passages from the Bible with them for their spiritual feeding. One thing that really strikes me about this is that there are 'rich' churches around here and they do very little for these people. How can the church demonstrate the love of God to these desperate people if not by actions?
I often find that we get good at talking but not good at doing because it costs us something...it requires us to give up time and resources for the benefit of others. This time could be spent doing leasure activities and these resources could be spent on our own pleasures (hobbies etc) but which is better? If we are to do to others what we want them to do to us, and that is how we love our neighbour, then what would you want someone to do to you if you lived in such poverty? Think about it, pray about it and then DO IT! Jesus spent himself on the cross for our freedom. Surely we can spend ourselves for others so that they too may know the freedom which Christ offers. Hmmm...I can go on for a long time about this but please do not sit any longer watching others suffer. Do something about it. Pray for those that work with people in need. Give to others. Find out what others need and be used by God to meet that need. Anyway...I'll stop for now. God bless you all and thankyou for your coninued prayers and support.

Yesterday we travelled into Paraguay. It seems to be a place of lots of imports, some are genuine and some are fakes. It was a good day shopping with both of the boys, as they both managed to get what they wanted. Josiah now has major knee pads for skating (I think he's planning on learning how to "grind"), and Gideon has cymbol stand. Dave and I also managed to buy some speakers for our computer, so now we can play our music LOUD!!!

It is Sunday today and this morning we did the Sunday school thing for about 70-80 children and we will be doing something similar this evening for the children too, although that is yet to be planned!
Last night we went to the youth service and I (David) was called at 6pm just before the service and was asked if I could play bass with them. I knew 1 song and did not have time to learn any of the other 4. Also, the sound was soo loud that I could not hear what the other musicians were playing apart from the drums so I had to guess. It was very difficult for me. After the service we came back to the mission base (a wooden house with some surrounding land) with about 30 other young people aged 16-30. I was then asked to bring a 'Word' from the Bible, there and then, to encourage them...again, being put on the spot but God is faithful and, actually, I found it easy. The Holy Spirit was bringing scriptures to mind as I was talking. It was really cool. Having a translator also helped because it gave me time to put together the words that were in my head.
Before coming on outeach to Amambai, God asked me a question. It was "Are you ready?" And I didn't know what that really meant...even now I am discovering more about what it means to be ready....that it is not about being physically prepared but about having a heart that is ready for whatever God allows to come accross our path. I do not know what tomorrow will bring, but if I am close enough to my loving Heavenly Father then I need not fear because I can do 'all things through Christ' for he gives me the strength to do just that. Gideon and Josiah are learning that too as they are often faced with situations that they do not like here because they do not understand what is going on or because it is boring or both but they still maintain a continual trust in God and for me as their father it is very encouraging to see.

Things don't always go well....
I just thought I'd let you all know about a disaster. Last night we had a service here at the community center. The kids all came really early (about 1.5hrs early). So by the time our service began they were completely hyped up. The other problem was that we hadn't planned enough activities. Added to that our venue was crazy, a health and safety nightmare. It was pouring with rain, the roof was leaking, the floor was very unlevel, there are windows all the way around, several with no glass in. So when we had to think on our feet, none of us could think of a safe game to play in that space, added to that at times we didn't have a Portuguese speaker.
We were all so glad when the time came to hand out food, at least all of the kids sat down and ate (very happily). We're not too worried about it, at least we learn how to prepare better and take into consideration venue difficulties. We keep learning.