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BiciCross

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“Can we have a BiciCross (think MotorCross, but with bicycles) event? We can combine with a Drug Awareness teaching, and stores will get behind this. We can charge an entrance fee for participants, and sell hotdogs and pop.” Eliel was talking to Ivanildo several months ago. Here is what it took:

1. Get a printing press to donate posters and flyers.
2. Get the newspaper to print an article raising awareness.
3. Prepare the track in a ravine on our property.
a. Get a company to donate dump trucks and a loader to build the starting ramp and some jumps.
b. Get Ivanildo to smooth down the track, and to water it with our tractor.
4. Get stores to donate a bicycle and two cell phones for prizes.
5. Make some nice trophies out of bicycle chains and wood.
6. Get the police and a huge loudspeaker truck to lead us around town in a parade.
7. Get the TV reporters to film the event and get us on the mid-day news.
8. Pray with the Youth group. Orient starting people and helper people.
9. Get Deanna on the First Aid station.
10. Get Bella and Emma to paint a black and white checkered flag for the Finish Line.
The police were very helpful. Eliel had planned a short ride. The police planned a much longer route, almost 10 kms, through the city and through heavy traffic, all with the humungus speakers blaring away to the tune of a catchy jingle, made up by Eliel’s friends, “Bike races at the Igreja da Vinha today. If you are going to be addicted, get addicted to Jesus. Life is Jesus is more radical!” Emma did an endo when she was fooling around and hit another bike but thankfully there were no serious accidents.
This whole event was to get us known in the city as a group who wants to give hope to young people. A lot of people came through our gates who I have not seen before. Apparently the TV people really spoke well of Igreja da Vinha on the 12 o’clock news.
Here are some pictures of the Bicycle Parade through town.

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A Third Culture Kid’s look at Canada.

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Olivia, our first child born in Brazil, shares a two minute video of a Third Culture Kid’s first impressions of Canada and the US, after she moved there at 17 to study. If you know any TCKs, you need to watch this video so you can get a glimpse of how much you do not understand them…unless you are one yourself.

It’s a two minute video. This link will take you to YouTube. (click the title, not the photo)
Our Journey, by Olivia Bergen
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Drug Awareness Night

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Friday night we had a Drug Awareness night. Over 90 young people came.
Our young people did a drama, then we showed a video about the other
side of drug use, and then a guest speaker spoke for an hour. The youth
were all ears. Drugs are very attractive to many of these young people,
even though they all have family members or close friends that have
died or gotten severely messed up because of it. Just last week
Railan’s neighbour stabbed the guard at the high school (two blocks
away) seven times for his cell phone. So what is the big attraction to
drugs? I can think of three.
A. It offers a temporary escape from hopelessness.
B. It’s easy money for someone who cannot read or write.
C. It is considered cool to have new clothes and cell phones while
doing something dangerous.
How can we be “Good News” to needs like these?
1. We ask God to change their hearts and make them new.
2. We give away hope, encouraging school attendance, rewarding good
grades and in some cases we can help them get jobs. We talk about the
value of hard work, stewardship, and commitment in relationships.
3. We model healthy family relationships, which gives hope. “Please
pray for my family,” is a very common prayer request.
4. We are working to build a community of peace through our church. As
the church grows we want to give these youth the opportunity to travel,
share their testimonies and help plant more churches.
5. We hope to send out church-planters and missionaries from this group
someday.
I’ve noticed that we don’t need to do huge things to make a difference,
but we need to do something. Many small steps in the right direction
will accomplish huge goals.

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Sunday School Kids

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Monica preached last Sunday. She really likes preaching, and does a good job. In these photos Monica prayed for the Sunday School children and sent them off, before starting to preach. The last photo is the worship team, who led us in worship before the preaching.

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Harmony

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When we were in Canada I can still remember talking to two successful businessmen at different times. They both had a positive outlook on life in general. Pete Kingma said, “When in history have people been able to sit on their front porch in the evenings and have no fear of marauders? We live in a great time in history.” Larry Dekoff said, “I believe in consequences. Everyone stays on their side of the road when  they drive or there will be consequences.” Both of these thoughts and others came to mind as I watched this spectacular video. Have you ever thought about how many people are doing a lot of things right every day?

Then I remembered how God had to remind Job that there were so many things that God has created that Job does not understand. Look at these cities. Did God really have this in mind when He created the first the earth and it’s resources? I’m sure He did.

If you are tempted by the News to think that almost everything is broken, step back for a minute and look at how well it is all working, and then think, “For as great as all this is, and as well as it is working, better things are coming.” What will heaven be like?

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Catholic Wedding

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One of Deanna’s friends was married last night at the Catholic Church. What a beautiful service! I think seven couples said their vows and got married. This is what we call a community wedding. There was a big meal afterward at Deiu’s (Deanna’s friend’s) house.
Padre Ademir did a great job speaking about sin, the blessings of the marriage covenant, the value of family, and Jesus. This is the first time we have been to their church, which is right across the street from us. You can see our front gate in the background of this first photo. We were very well received, and to my surprise, he welcomed us from the pulpit.
After the ceremony, there was a special song. A young girl got up to the mic. “…I am 19 years old. My parents have lived together since my mom found out she was pregnant with me. Now God is giving me the huge blessing of seeing them get married. I have always been real shy. Hugging and expressing feelings like love has always been difficult for me and my brothers. I think we picked this up from our father, who is also shy. I want to take this opportunity to tell you, Mom and Dad, ‘I love you'”. And then she sang a solo about love. I noticed people in the congregation who were very moved by this. I think they were thinking about their own stories, as this girl told her story.

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Soccer

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Ivanildo is starting up the soccer school again. Bella went out yesterday (Saturday) and took these photos.

Our soccer school is one of the ways we are trying to be “good news” in our neighborhood. It takes a lot of time. It is a lot of work. It is exhausting. Art is going to help Ivanildo as he is able. We keep working to evaluate what we are doing, trying to love people and live among them knowing that only God can change their hearts, but He chooses to do that with our help.