One of the advantages of living in a YWAM house is that it is SO multicultural. We have volunteers coming and going from here all of the time. At the moment we have a couple from Australia here, and we´re learning of the many similarities we have. Last night, we experienced a ´TIM TAM SLAM´. Let me enlighten you....they were sent some typical Australian biscuits (rather like penguins), which you need to bite opposite corners off, then dunk in a cup of hot chocolate, then suck up the hot chocolate. The challenge is to let them go really gooey, then quickly pop it in your mouth, without it falling in your cup. the video below shows how to do this.....try with a penguin! Sorry if it is a bit slow to load. It was a very nice challenge!!!! So, missions isn´t just about work, prayer and mud huts. Getting to know other cultures can be a very yummy experience.

Today I walked to the local shop to fax some details for booking a flight to the UK for our Christmas visit. As I was thinking about England I was struck by just how different it is here in so many ways and how I simply take it as normal now. The smells were strong and varied. I walked past people cleaning their motobikes and I could smell a combination of cleaning products, oil, petrol and other chemicals. Then there was the dog and horse muck, the rubbish combined with the smells which emanated from the beauty salon...an unusual cocktail.
The sounds too fade from one to another - it started off from the loud (very loud) music coming from a small church opposite the gate to Luzeiro and then it was taken over by the music from a bar, then some children playing marbles in the street followed by another bar. These sounds were interspersed by the roar of motorbikes rushing past to run an errand for a drug traffiker or meet a girlfriend.
What is it like between your house and your local shop.....a bit different, I guess.

Every day we begin our group with a prayer, this photo was taken as we were deciding who would pray that day, they really are a lovely bunch, and I love the simplicity of their prayers.

I (Beckie) have been continuing working in the kitchen, alongside my group. it is often very challenging, making sure all of the food is available to cook, especially when our numbers keep varying (we have several visiting teams at the moment). Every week we receive a donation of fruit and vegetables, which is always a great help, and also means we can give a piece of fruit to every child each day. Occasionally we receive a governmental donation, last night it came....500kg of vegetables and fruit that is all about to go off. Thankfully a volunteer (Toni) who loves to help in the kitchen is helping me to sort through what we can use in the kitchen and then the children can fill up carrier bags and take it home. The children are always very happy to take the gifts home.