The beginning of the end

My time in Itu was spent with the Barros family who was gracious enough to house me and make me feel right at home. Feeling right at home was made easier by the fact that my Brazilian mom, Aleni, is an english teacher and I didn't have to struggle with my portuguese or lack thereof. Every evening when we got done working I got the opportunity to converse with Aleni's students in english (thank goodness)and tell them a little about why I was there. They held Aleni in very high esteem and it was obvious that she is a very positive influence on all of her students. It is evident that God is at work in Itu through the things I have seen, the people I have met and the actions of my host family. The church is raising money to pay for a house they are fixing up to become a halfway house for drug and alcohol addicts that they will run. The most important thing I have realized in Itu is tying in your passions and interests with how you can serve, show love and show God to the community.

And so a chapter of our lives comes to an end...
Let me just say it's been a wild ride with our ragtag bunch. On a more serious note it has been a blessing to be on this trip gaining perspective and growing closer to God and one another. It has been interesting to see exactly what the missionaries in each location do and the different stages in which they are in. When the trip first started I wasn't exactly sure what mission work was but throughout the trip I have come to realize that it mainly consists of working with and loving the community. I can honestly say that I have been very blessed by the people who came on this trip and by all the people we have met along the way.

The Few

And now for some of my favorite pictures:

El Fin (The End)

So we just finished our 6th flight of the trip and have 2 more to go. Luckily the Starbucks in Lima has free internet to entertain us during our 17 hour layover. bleh.
Our last 10 days of the trip was spent in Itu, Brazil and I was lucky enough to be picked to stay at Ali and Mark Kaiser's house, who were our missionary contacts for Itu. I say lucky because while staying there I was able to meet so many different people, each with a unique story. The Kaiser's house seems a bit chaotic at first, perhaps because every night there is a different combination of people staying the night, or because there are beautiful sharpie and crayola artworks all over the walls, or because they are preparing for a huge camp coming up and all of the stuff is everywhere. To some this makes their house beautiful. The amount of love and acceptance and dedication to their goals is encouraging to say the least.

I think the most interesting part of this trip for me was getting to see a peek of 3 different styles of missionary work all in one trip. Previous to this trip, I had no idea of what missionaries actually DID. What their lives were like. Now I feel like I have a much better idea of what kind of lifestyle and dedication it takes. It's possible that the main factor that developed the teams into varying styles in the stage in which their family is in. I would say that is one thing that is most welcoming to the becoming a missionary, it shows that no matter where you I am in life I don't need to make excuses about waiting to dedicate my time. I can serve like many of the singles I have met, or with my wife like Mark and Ali Kaiser, or with 2 kids who are both in elementary school like most of the Lima families, or with kids in college like the Blumes

family. I think the main thing I got from this trip is encouragement. For school, life, my faith, and most things in between.


The Few

Here are some of my favorite pictures for your enjoyment: