"But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons." - Galatians 4:4-5

Bounce.  Bounce.   Ba-ba-Bounce.  Bounce. 

Squeek.  Squeek. And pounding feet.

Numerous “woah’s” and Portuguese moans

Whooshing nets and whistle blows.

Along with pivots and pushes

Lay ups and swishes

The late night cool

The sound of burning car fuel

Losers in a fury

Honks in a hurry

All seeping through the cracks and the blinds

As I lay down to rest and relax my mind.

I really love sleeping across the street from an outdoor basketball court.  Honestly, the sounds of squeaky gym shoes and point guards yelling out upcoming plays in a language that I don’t particularly understand, especially when it is coming from across the street, have been great to hear as I fall asleep for the past week and a half.  I have been extremely blessed to stay with the Thompson family for my first two weeks of transition.  My evenings have consisted of great meals (like really, really great ones), truly amazing piano playing, and encouraging fellowship with their family.

The search for a Brazilian family has been a continued blessing.  Most of the families that have volunteered to have me in their home live over 25 kilometers, or an hour bus ride away.  However, Jonathan, the guy that was subbing my class for the first couple of weeks of school, and his wife have expressed an interest in hosting me.  They have three kids, and one of them is in my 3^rd & 4^th grade class at BIS.  I may have another option at staying in the dorms of a Wycliffe Bible Institute right outside of town.  The main problem with this option is that it is very far away and I do not attend the school and they may not allow non-students to stay in their student housing.  Please continue to pray for my housing situation.

My quest for learning Portuguese began yesterday with my first tutoring session after school.  The pronunciation and forming of phrases will be particularly difficult for me because of my Spanish background.  Surprisingly, I can understand quite a bit.  But, it just doesn’t come out that easy! 

Yesterday, my friend Raquel (pronounced “ha-kell”) and I booked our tickets to Rio de Janeiro toward the end of October.  The tickets were super cheap!  I am really looking forward to seeing different parts of Brazil! 

My class is going great!  This was my first week to teach the 3^rd & 4^th grade class all by myself, and has been really fun.  We are studying plants, Mexico and Peru, taking timed addition and subtraction tests, memorizing Galatians 4: 4-5, and much more!  I still am amazed each day at the huge diversity that fills my class.  The different accents, cultures, and backgrounds play a huge role in what each child brings to the table.  Please be praying for my students that have not committed to following Jesus, especially those who are openly Muslim.  Pray that I will clearly present and live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily. 

Thank you for the emails and notes this week!