We move to Brazil with a one year old baby.

Yesterday was her first day of University in Canada.

We had three more daughters in Brazil.

Yesterday was their first day of Private School in Canada. Thanks for the scholarships.

Yesterday I left for Brazil alone. The moving sidewalks in the airports just aren’t as fun by myself.

Whoever would have imagined this day?

Rick.

Phil and Jen are planning to move to Brazil in January as full time missionaries! My flight to Brazil included a layover in Toronto so they cleared their evening and drove up. I am looking forward to our next meeting, in Brazil, in January, if all goes as we hope and plan. (Lord willing).

Lots of activities feel like wasted time. Maybe this is one reason I sometimes struggle to take a sabbath (one day out of seven) rest? Do I feel it will be wasted time. I lovemy work. I long to see better results. I find that when I force myself to quit working for a rest day I look forward to Mondays. In a sense I dread the end of the week, because I love my work so much. But I love the week-ends too, and I love Mondays. Sabbath rest days are one of the keys to a winning rhythm of life.

• Driving long distances.
• Down time.
• Family time.
• Quiet time.
• Researching new ways to do things. (A lot of these do not work).
• Going slowly to understand how to do things right. (I always hope this will get fast with time).
• Reading a novel.
• Days off.
• Listening instead of talking.
• Sabbath rest days

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27, NLT

Our girls belong to the group of people who did not choose to move to a foreign country, or to travel around excessively with their parents, or to move to another foreign country (Canada) to go to University. Along with all the good memories comes the necessity of saying good-bye and starting over. The better your life was, the harder this is. Twenty-two young adults in this same situation met in Seattle for 12 days with some mentors and trained councillors who could help them understand what they were going through. The days were filled with small group discussions about everything, learning to put language to their feelings, eating all the good food they wanted, splitting into small groups and doing photo scavenger hunts in down-town Seattle,…”Those were the funnest days of my life.”


At the MK Transition course the girls watched a secular description of the five stages of a forced transition (included below). It is helpful for them to understand their feelings. It was encouraging to make friends with others who are also engaging in the process of “finding their place” again.

Click here to see Giraffe in Quicksand


We appreciate your prayers. While we are greatly blessed on every side,we are also all struggling in our own ways.

Part of our church planting strategy includes training faithful people, who will train others. Small discipleship bible study groups are one of the practical ways we train leaders. Cesar’s dad left abandoned his family about two years ago. In spite of this personal difficulty Cesar and his brothers are becoming leaders in the church, helping others find a better way.

Cesar (the guy with the green t-shirt in this photo) tells what he learned on the Altamira Trip.

1. I needed to understand this teaching about how to become a spiritual father to my disciples, because this is the future of our church. 
2. I learned how to grow by helping others become followers of Jesus.
3. I learned that I need to act as a follower of Jesus in every place, at all times.