June 4, 2007 - Lovin

*******************************************Cliff Notes available at post bottom**************************************************************

"I love being a Mom" This is something I said to Micah the other day and it made his favorite moments of the day list. You see every night before we fall asleep Micah and I share our "highlights" of the day. For Micah these highlights are often centered around food and soccer so I was kinda suprised that he remembered that I'd said this and even more so that it made his list. But it really is true that I'm loving being a mom. Sure my days look a whole lot different than they did two months ago, sure I've got these little dried drool patches on the shoulders of my shirts, sure there are burp cloths thrown over the backs of all handy chairs, sure 4:00am and I are pretty well aquainted, sure many of those pre-pregnancy clothes still won't button and sure those curtains I started sewing two months ago are still not finished. But boy oh boy do I have a whole new appreciation for all you moms out there. And we just have one! A pretty cute one if I do say so myself. Samara is such a joy brings so much delight to our home. We love her to pieces!
Our days really do look different. Pretty much from the time we were married up until Samara was born, Micah and I spent the majority of almost every day together. Even here in Brazil we went to work together and were involved in many of the same meetings and ministries of the church. Since Samara's birth I've stepped back from most formal minsitry things at church and pretty much been at home the majority of my days. Micah not only kept up with all his old responsibilities, but he also picked up many new things to help take up some of the slack from where I had been. This has been an adjustment for us, one I don't really think we'd envisioned. We enjoyed spending our days together and working along side one another and we miss it.
We are both still involved in the leadership meetings at church and these usually entail a time of devotions and discussion as well as keeping everyone up to date on the different ministries and activities of the church. One thing that has been a focus in our church body lately has been a course called "Now That I'm a Member." It is designed to help people discover their spiritual gifts, learn about the assets and liabilities of these gifts and find ways to use their gifts within the different ministires of the church. It really is neat to see people understanding more about how God made them and gave them unique gifts as well as seeing them get excited to plug into different ministires.
I have been involved in the childrens ministry from the beginning of our time here and it's something that I really, really enjoy. The kids are just so cute and so excited every week for sunday school. They see us walking to church and come running up to ask "are you our teacher today, what are we learning." Our church building is a big concrete building with particle board dividers at the back for a few offices and two classrooms. Our sunday shool time for kids is during the main service on Sunday nights. Let me just say that someone is always coming into my class and telling us to "SSHHH." We taught the kids all kinds of creative ways to act things out, play games and celebrate without making noise and just using our bodies, arms and legs to cheer and show excitement. Over the last months we've had about 5 teachers rotating through the two classes (3-6 and 7-11 yrs old) and seven teenagers rotating as helpers. With the goal of training these teens to be future teachers, like a kind of teacher mentoring system. Several of our current teachers were wonderful to volunteer simply because there was a need for teachers, but they don't necessarily have a passion and love for teaching kids. The teens have been great helpers and have slowly been given more responsibility during the class time. They kept asking when they could start teaching on their own. So just a few weeks ago we offered a class one Saturday afternoon for anyone who wanted to learn more about teaching Sunday school. We told the teens that if they wanted to be teachers that they needed to come to this training time. A woman who has many years of childrens ministry experience in another church came and spent several hours demonstrating all kinds of creative ways to teach kids, different songs, games, dramas...Well three of our teenagers participated in this class and afterward were totally gung-ho to start teaching. So Elizia (the other lady who coordinates kids stuff at our church) and I decided to "turn them loose" so to speak. So this Sunday night Nathany (16) and Diorgi(13) are each teaching their first class and Elizia and I will be their helpers. I've no doubt that they will do great. They love the kids are are super inspired to have a more permant role as sunday school teachers. It's just been so neat to see them overcome their fears of being in front of the kids. At first most of the helpers seemed to be volunteering just to get out of sitting in the main services. They would pretty much just hand out snacks. But as the weeks went by and they began to get more comfortable and invest more in the younger kids, they slowly added to what they were willing to do, from telling the Bible story to teaching memory verses and leading games. I've really enjoyed getting to know the teenagers more too, they are so much fun and add a lot of creativity to the classes. So I'm pretty proud of Nathany, Diorgi and Thuany for taking the inititive to attend the training and now to become teachers themselves. Elizia and I will be their helpers just the first few times to help with the transtition, so that the little kids know that the teens are "real" teachers and to be respected and listened to. These kids stepping up to be teachers is a big answer to prayer in many ways. Several of our other teachers who have been helping but don't have the passion for teaching will now be free to pursue other areas of minsitry, and the teens who are starting to teach will have great opportunity to exercise their different gifts and abilities in the classroom as well as be role models to the younger kids. There are also several new people who are wanting to help with the kids ministry, so I look forward to seeing how our Sunday School program will be changing in the coming months.
Other big news in my life is that I have a new friend! Linda is a women that Micah and I happened to meet last year while we were in the local health clinic after Micah had dislocated his shoulder. She recognized right away that we were not Brazilians and that got us to talking. She herself is a very blond haired, blue eyed Sweedish lady and is married to a Brazilian. She has a little boy Adriano and they live about 3 blocks from us. Over the past year we'd bump into one another on the street and a few times she stopped by our house as she was passing by. We ran into one another on the street several months ago and I told her we were moving to a new house and where it was. A few weeks later she stopped by to see the house and to meet Samara. It's always been easy to visit with her and refreshing for me to visit with another women in English. So we chatted and she invited me to stop by her house sometime. I did and we ended up talking for a long time, both of us realizing that we were starving for deeper friendship with another woman. Not that I don't have brazilian ladies that I visit with...but it's still a bit labored to really talk, share our hearts and feel really close. So Linda and I sat and talked about all kinds of things. I learned that her mother is and has been an alcholic for many years, Linda was raised in foster care, and has very little contact with her family. When she was a young teenager she went to church with some friends but had to hide it from her foster mom. Eventually she decided that religion was not for her and has not had any interest since. She met her husband, Marcos, while they were both working in London. Linda was pregnant with Adriano when she and Marcos got together. She often talks about the difficulties she is having raising her son, and the screaming and yelling that goes on in their home. About how she really wants to be a good mom, but that she knows that Adriano is getting out of control. That she and Marcos fight alot. That her mother in law in involved in spiritism...ect One day I was at her house for a visit and she had been telling me about her struggles in her marriage and her frustrations as a mom so I asked if I could pray for her. I prayed for her and her family, that God would bless them and that she and I would be able to be good friends for one another. I also invited her to walk with me two mornings a week and we've been doing that for several weeks now.
A few days ago she asked me to go shopping with her. So we spent the whole morning together and I took her out for lunch. So we're walking around shopping and out of the blue she asks me "do you think people who are Christians have happier marriages and more peace in their homes than non-Christians?" Whoa, where did that come from. I was suprised...I know I shouldn't have been, I'd been praying for opportunity to share the gospel with her for many weeks. I knew that a seed had been planted in her life when she went to church as a girl and several comments she'd made over the past weeks led me to believe that she was/is looking for peace, hope and truth in her life. So here we were digging though a pile of handmade throw rugs and the opportunity drops in my lap. I'd like to say that I launched into an amazing, compelling presentation of the gospel then and there, but I didn't. I hesitated and sent up a prayer for help, wisdom and words. I talked about my marriage and how awesome it is to have Christ as the center of our home and to have a husband who loves the Lord first in his life. Linda looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. She was like " that means nothing to me." "What do you mean Micah loves God more than you." I realized that I was speaking "Christianese", that I was using phrases common to the believer, ideas that most Christians understand. I was talking to her as if we had the same foundation and understanding of who God is. I was not speaking her language. I felt pretty silly (for cryin' out loud I'm a missionary, I should have this down pat) By this time we were sitting down and finishing our lunch. I sent up another prayer for God to speak His words through me. And we started over with much more simply basics. Talking about God, do you believe he exists, who is Jesus and why is he important.... Linda was full of questions, and doubts and anger from how she had been treated by her foster mom for going to church. Full of fear about how her friends in Sweeden would view her if she ever became a Christian. Full of knowledge that her husband has absolutely no interest in spiritual things, and would prefer it if she felt the same way. I asked her if she believes in God. Her answer was that she believes in herself because everyone else disapoints, abandons and lets you down. But she said she'd like to read the Bible if she had one. So we sat and talkeda and talked and talked. I listened a lot. And in the midst of all her doubts and fears there was an open hunger for peace and freedom. She said "I know that my home is without peace." "I know that something is missing in my life." I talked with her about the salvation that is a free gift from God if we believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save us. By this time we were pulling up in front of her gate. We said our goodbyes and promised to continue our conversations on our next walk.
So I've been on my knees a lot these past days, praying for Linda. Praying that the seed that was planted in her life as a young teenager would find suitable soil in which to take root. Praying that no matter how insignificant that little seed of a word of God appears, however feeble its life may seem, however deep it's meaning may be hidden, and however slow it's growth may be that I will trust God that fruit will come. And that I will have the boldness to not make it sound like salvation is just a matter of having a happy home, a better day or joining a new club. But to make a realistic presentation of the gospel. He that has the Son has life. He that has not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on Him. (John 3:36) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.(John 3:16) That I will show love by saying "Linda, what will you do with the person of Jesus Christ? Your eternal state hinges on your decision. If you receive Him and respond to Him you will be saved, but if you reject Him you will die." This type of presentation makes me super uncomfortable. Part of me says, "be careful, you don't want her to run away", but I feel the Lord really prompting me that she will not appreciate how wonderful Jesus is until she realizes how lost she is. I ask you guys to please be praying for Linda, that the soil of her heart will be plowed deep and that the seed of the word of God will have fertile soil in which to take root and grow. That she will respond to the prompting in her heart and accept the free gift of salvation that is offered and that she and I will be so much more than just friends, that we will become sisters.
This Friday my parents will be arriving from Alaska for a three week visit. You can imagine how excited we are to have them here and how excited they are to meet their first grandchild. We are also looking forward to my friend Kim coming back to see us in July as well as Micah's parents who will be here in August. It's so great to have family and friends come to see us and we are incredibly blessed that they are taking the time and spending the money to get here and spend time with us. We've also been so blessed by all the notes, messages and packages that many of you have sent. Samara has received so many beautiful things and is one well dressed little girl. Micah and I feel so blessed by your outpouring of love for her. We're continually astounded at your generosity, support, prayers and thoughtfulness. We thank you with full hearts for being such important parts of our lives and of the work that God is doing here in Londrina. You guys are so appreciated!
In Him For Him- Micah, Marla & Samara

pictures:
mking brownies: is of Micah making browinies with two boys (Diorgi and Breno) that he is mentoring on Saturday mornings
nene (baby): is of Isabella, a 2 year old at church who just ADORES Samara
the rest I think are self explainatory


************************************Cliff Notes : Lovin' ************************************************************************* *****
This email I talked about how much I'm liking being a Mom, the joys and challenges for me.
I also talked about how God has answered prayers in the evolving and expanding Sunday School program
And I wrote about my new friend Linda, who is a foreigner just like I am and who only live a few blocks away from my house. It's been neat getting to know her and though she is not a Christian she is hungry for Spiritual things.

Prayer Requests
* Thanksgiving for a healthy baby
* Wisdom and sensitivity as I talk with Linda about the Salvation message and as we build our friendship
*Traveling safety and connections for my Parents who are braving a Brazilian bus
* Wisdom for Micah and I as we learn how to balance ministry with family
* Wisdom for Micah as he has new and expanding roles in our church