Are You Rich?

Earlier this month the kids in Geo's class were asked to answer the question "Are You Rich?".  I'm so proud of Geo's response.

Are You Rich, by Geo

 

In case you can't read all of his writing (though it is much much better than he normally does), here's what his answer says:

I am rich by playing the piano, friends, being able to go to school, being able to play basketball, to have a family, To have a house, To have toys, by happiness, To have phones, to have a car, to have electronics, to be loved, to have good meals from mom, to pay for insurance from dad.

So blessed by this boy.

CCC Days 7 and 8

Thursday morning the few, the proud, the brave, joined our resident fitness trainer, Stephanie, on the beach for a 6AM workout out.

Then the majority of the day was spent in classes, Connection Groups, and more time with God in silence and solitude.

But we also made time for some relaxing fun

 

And then on Thursday night it was time to really let our hair down and celebrate the week.  Doesn't Val look lovely in the bows she made from all the gifts that were donated for the missionary women!

 The candy from the states is always a big hit at the end of CCC party.

 

As are the skits that each Connection group puts on.

 

 Friday was our final day with the ladies which meant crunch time for the DVDs we were making of the pictures and the lessons to give to the ladies before they left.  Thankfully the process went so very much smoother than it did last time.

Friday is also a very special time when the team members gather and wash the feet of the missionary women.  It's a time when we show our thankfulness for the service they do for the kingdom and a time when they practice being able to receive a gift of service from someone else (something that does not come easily for women on the field).

 After the footwashing we surrounded the women and prayed over them.  We prayed for the journey home, for their re-entry back into their work, for peace, for guidance, and for them to remember the lessons of God's love that they learned this week.

Before we  knew it, it was time to say goodbye.

I'm so very thankful for the gift of having another year with these beautiful women.  They are amazing warriors for God and full of his love and grace.  I hope to see them all again soon but know that even if I don't we will continue to be connected through this week we have spent together.

 

CCC Day 6

This morning began as Babi sang a beautiful song of blessing to my baby.

And continued with more time of silence and solitude

As well as the women meeting together in Connection Groups to discuss their experiences here.

And because having fun is Godly too, we entertained the women with a flash mob of the Cupid Shuffle during lunch!

And we ended the day in sweet intercessory for one another.

 Being with the women continues to be a wonderful blessing.

 

CCC Day 5

Today we opened the day in praise and worship. What a wonderful experience to sing praises to God with 65+ other women!

And our speaker lead us through the story of Joseph, seeing how God worked in his life so that can  learn how to look back through our own lives - learn to see the fingerprints of the Father in the amazingly good, the unforgettably bad, and the everyday mundane- so that we can trust God as we move forward.

After the lessons, the ladies spent time in Silence and Solitude, to brainstorm through their life and capture five defining moments.

 

They would go on later in the day to share these moments in a short-story format with the women in their Connection Group.

 

During our free time today, a few of us went into town.  It's a big surfer location for many in Brazil.

And we popped into a grocery store to see what we could find.

Getting out of the resort for a bit made it feel a little more real that we are in fact in Brazil!

Many people that drove or walked by looked at my walking mates and me like we had a third eye.  I later told BG (an American who lives in Brazil) about the looks we were getting.  "Well yeah!" she replied. 

"Do we really look that foreign?"

After she finished laughing she let us know we were, for starters, way too pale and way too clothed to be mistaken for local Brazilians.

CCC Days 3 and 4

Sunday we spent time in preparations, rest, and worship together as a team.

 And on Monday morning we took a prayer walk around these beautiful grounds asking God to bless each of the women, praying over their rooms, the meeting center, the connection groups, and more.

And at last!!!! The ladies have arrived!

We enjoyed an afternoon tea with them, getting to catch up with old friends and getting to meet new ones.

And over dinner, connection groups met to begin the process of getting to know each other, and learning how God is working in each other's lives.

We feel so blessed that everyone has arrived safely and we're looking forward to the week of communion and connection with each other and with God.