Three Week Update!

This is the email update that was sent out, more detailed stories to come! I've gotta go play Uno Attack with the kids!

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Sunsets.
Sunsets have always made for sweet sweet times with the Lord, relaxing and reflecting, how sweet of a Father to continue that here in Brazil! Most nights I get to come home and sit in my big open window that looks out as the sun is just starting to really set. With all of the huge hills and valleys, I get to listen to so many sounds and be entertained!
Rainy season is in full swing here! I often wake up to what seems like a monsoon occurring yet everyday life here keeps going! The boys and I are tracking the rain in Science and anxiously await the new day to measure how much rain actually fell.

Well, life here seems to be in full swing! Tomorrow will start week four!

PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS!

The family has found out that their paperwork necessary for residency was sent to the place it needed to FINALLY and that means that it is out of the hands of the locals aka They can continue life as planned here- So Lord willing, the trip in March to Peru will still work out well!

They also have had two requests to go to the states for training/work related things and have their vacation to the states planned for June, so please be in prayer for the details of these things!

Homeschooling has been going SO well. The boys and I are learning each other and how to best use our time together. The oldest and I have started doing Tuesdays and Thursdays a little extra school during rest time (Yes, I have rest time as a part of my days, Praise the Lord!) to get school done, Lord willing, before they leave in June for the States. One of the many blessings I have seen with school and living overseas- amazing gifts and opportunity for flexibility! Pray that it all works well and that the oldest continues to be excited for our extra "hangout" time in the afternoons!

Both parents have been able to go out and practice talking with people in Portuguese while the big boys are doing school and baby boy is napping in the mornings. They are still seeking out more opportunities to practice, so please be in prayer for that. They have found a class that a local church/Bible school has early Friday mornings, so they went last week and it was pretty interesting!

The internet has been a sweet helper these past few weeks and has been alive and well! I can only have one tab open at a time, which I am starting to think is more of a blessing :) I splurged a little on Pinterest this week to celebrate the internet, true story. The family is still trying to figure out their permanent internet solution ( a normal wait on the phone is 2 hours we are told..) with that not being an option or possibility to sit and wait like that, we are eagerly awaiting another solution so that they can better do the things they need to do.

The other seven spread out among Latin America have all said that ministry is going well/beginning and that life is life in their countries!

 

Sara, one of the girls living next to me invited me to their church last week, because it was right then and I wasn't familiar with the church, I told her maybe another time. BUT how great of her and her family, the also brought me DINNER one night this week and it was AMAZING! So, so sweet. Slowly we are building life here! Please be in prayer as I navigate relationships outside of the family but along side our ministry here. Language is the HUGE barrier, but as a lot of us know- the Lord laughs at that statement ha. The family here is excited to help me in connecting with people so we are praying for opportunity and willingness to participate in the good work!

 

I have gotten to do one date night for the family, and hope to do many more. Most of you know the blessing of date nights, whether you have been taken on one or helped with making one possible. Most of you also have a church body to help with these things, it looks a little different out here and is a bit harder for the families to get out. Praising the Lord for how he has knit my desires for date nights to happen and their need for date nights. Such a sweet Valentines day!

They have welcomed me in SO well, I could not have asked or prayed for more. The Lord is so so good.

I have gotten to visit 2 different churches with the family, they are seeking out what will be best for their family and ministry. Be in prayer that they/we find a sweet community of believers to connect with. They were invited to a bible study this week so we are hoping that works out! It is a sweet treat to be entering in with this family on so many new things together. They haven't been here for every long so we are getting to do it together!

 

The other family working here is continuing to prepare for baby girl #3! We had a sweet sweet time last Saturday celebrating her and the family. Please continue to pray for that sweet (still no name just yet!) beautiful girl and her family as they prepare to bring her into the world here in Brazil! My family here will hopefully be in Peru, so I will be getting to help with things there- Pray for all that goes in to having a baby. Most of you know and have helped with births/ new families having babies- heck we even have a whole ministry dedicated to that. Here, not so much at all. Creativity and flexibility are big prayers here! We serve a good Father who provides for all that we need.

 

One of my dearest friends is getting MARRIED! Selfishly we would love for me to be there, and that is HARD! I could not be more excited for this day to celebrate all that the Lord has done. Please pray for my hear that I will continue to be excited, yet focused here.

The future and what life will look like when I get home has started to creep in, plans that I cannot possibly know or make happen so I NEED the Lord. He is a good Father that has it all completely planned, so perfectly for His glory and my good. Please pray that I seek Him and his righteousness all the day long.

Santiago and I are doing well. PLEASE continue to pray for our hearts and lives. That we would always honor the Lord and love one another well. Pray for wisdom on how to actively date well, yet not prepare for life as though we are engaged because we are not :) That man is so wonderful, patient and beyond forgiving. I am so overwhelmed by the picture the Lord is creating of His love and gospel.

This is prettttty long, I just don't know another way it seems :) I love for you all to know what life is looking like here and pray that you are seeing His goodness and faithfulness. I love you and thank you for your prayers!

 

Love you!

Brasil!

Well, this will be super brief!

 

 

 

All ideas of blogging, loading pictures, Skype, messaging/email are kind of basically out the window!

 

Internet in the jungle is just that, internet in the jungle! They have a system of buying small small amounts of internet as a package per month. I have a 1/2 gig? Basically nothing I am told ha! The M family's have a little more than that to do ALL of their work, homeschooling, emails and other things- count it as a blessing when you have internet longer than a day or week..or get to use your data when you aren't on Wifi- that is not even a possibility for us! It is crazy, among the other daily tasks that make things really hard to accomplish anything!

 

On a brighter note, I made it from Peru to Brazil and am staying in a little apartment 2 huge hills away from my family here and little further from another family here as well that I will be with.

I was in another small area of Peru with other families doing the same work as us Saturday-Tuesday Monday was supposed to be a fly day but they weather was bad. We go with the rain around here! Tuesday looked promising so we loaded up a TON of things in the plane and took off before the rain changed it's mind. I got to ride shotgun in the jungle plane, even fly a little-which I was most terrified and excited of. A quick long unpacking, and an  immigration coffee date then straight into life here in Brazil!

 

 

We started school Wednesday and it went well! Mainly the rest time after lunch makes all things great! After that in the afternoons I come to my place to start laundry and food. Small huuuuge tasks, and I am just doing it for one!

 
 

 

This jungle city is beautiful and there are so many possibilities and exciting things in the works with our group as a whole.

 

Prayers!

 

All of the other 7 are safely to their countries, Praise Jesus. Pray for their lives, ministry and families as they are serving!

 

 

The family: School, that we would work well together and free up the parent's so that they can better focus on language classes/practice. They have to test out basically before the next phase of their work begins so they are really trying hard. Having done Spanish for so long and now switching to Portuguese is a little rough with all the kids.

 

For their work. Exciting things are happening here but with that so many difficult things with the government, flights, residency, etc are also hard.

 

They have a flight planned in March (different from the original plan of coming to the states- they are going to Lima instead. My plans are up in the air still.) So that could be an issue, we are praying it goes smoothly.

 

For the internet, guys this is a big one. Silly but big- we can make it work with no central air surprisingly but the internet is rough! The family has been trying to get their amount raised, it is more than I have but doesn't last more than a week or so. Really hard to do life here and with others in the states without it!

 

For me-

 

Communication has been okay up to coming to Brazil, so that was an adjustment! Pray that myself and the ones I love back home can make it work!

 

Time- We are still playing with the days and seeing what works, there is another family here who will be having their 3rd baby in the coming weeks and the mom teaches the other two..we are hoping to figure out a schedule for me to help them as well as soon as the baby comes.

Pray that I remember that I am here to serve and be flexible.

 

Safety- This place is amazing, they for some odd reason like to run so jungle city/ nice "sidewalks" for running and HUGE hills..lots of greenery and little stores. I live close to the family and walk to and from there and a few other places. I haven't worried about a thing yet and hope to not have to!

 

 

Ministry- Similar to time with the added- I live in an apartment type place with 3 others on the floor with me. There are some great people I have been able to "meet" aka nod my head and smile speaking sloppy hellos in Portuguese! A little girl followed me down to the sinks when I was trying to wash my clothes (no water that day) and we tried talking..didn't work out but she stayed with me. I am hoping to get to spend time with some people here and at the corner store I visit to get my veggies and things. Prayer for opportunities outside of the family's yet go along side our work here.

 

 

My relationships back home- Yall, in case you didn't know, dating in these conditions is HARD. (Oh, didn't know I was dating someone- Surprise!) The Lord has planned and perfectly provided for all of our needs and abundantly more. PRAY for our relationship and the future we are excited about! Our God is worth it, and so is Santiago I think :)

 

Love you all and I am SO thankful for the emails, prayers and love that I know are coming. Can't wait to share more..one day! haha

 

Cassandra

 

Also, Cindy has a great link about our time in Peru!

 

http://cindyajenkins.xanga.com/2015/02/08/hands-on-orientation-lima-peru/

 

 

The Last Day!

Friday was our last full day as a group and it was FULL! We have been truly blessed by the Lord and have been filled up to GO out over all of South America to make His name known.

We finished up classes a little early and grabbed a quick lunch then went out to the park and made complete goof balls of ourselves taking pictures. It is exciting to know these great people and to know that they are fighting this good fight as well.

We then came back to pray specifically for one another. I have been stretched and grown in the area of prayer like no other..how physical touch and honesty can bring us all to a closer deeper understanding of the Father's love for us.

After a quick rest we were off to see the OCEAN! If I love anything sensory driven, it is the ocean. Being so close to it all week (little over a mile) but not going was just stirring at me. We went to the edge, like the literal edge of Lima, Peru. The sand was WAY below us and we were on a HUGE cliff looking out into the vastness the Lord has created. I cannot handle not knowing things sometimes, but the vastness of God's creation is something I love to marvel in. We took fun pictures, walked along the trails, and went to the lighthouse. So amazing. Our God is amazing. I am always reminded of Romans 1:20 where it says, "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." We have an amazing Creator!

After what seemed like a 20 mile hike back, we ate at La Lucha one last time :) ..for now at least ha!

We all got packed and  ready to start the great send off, 9pm, 2am, 3am and 7:30 am- Our sweet leaders were troopers, they then flew out a little after that, leaving our last two boys to hang out (aka surf) till their flight that evening.

And then there were none, we all left Lima full of love, food and hilarious memories to hopefully combat anything the enemy tries to use against us during ministry these next months.

Continue to pray for Brazil, Columbia, Chile and Antigua as we all go in faith!

Hola!

That is about the extent of my knowledge at this moment in time! Trying to bust this out before I take a quick power nap! So early morning Santiago and I set out for Houston on Feb. 2 and I then flew to Miami, walked 5 feet to the next gate and quickly jumped on to the next flight to Lima. In the back of the plane I parked it for the next several hours, and met 4 others that I would be living life with for the next week! Gabriel is from Tennessee and is going to South Brazil for University ministry. Sara(h?) is from Dallas/Plano and will be in Chile doing church planting ministry and such along with Bre, who is from Vegas. Then we have Jake who is from North Carolina who will be in Columbia.

We arrived in Lima, Peru super late..I don't even remember anymore-maybe 12:15am? Went through customs, and got ready for the crazy! Heavy bags in hand, tired and excited we found Rick and Cindy (our coordinators and fearless leaders for the week!) in the madness. Matthew joined us, he is from Texas and will be with Gabriel in Brazil, then we found Madison! She is from Louisiana and will be in Antigua y Barbuda doing a True Love Waits ministry in the schools. We made the bus ride to our hotel and got settled in bed around 1:45 or so.

Tuesday began slowly, so wonderful. We grabbed a quick breakfast close by and then went to our home away from home. We are doing orientation each day that consists of our organization's workers in Lima over the America's teaching on different things. Culture shock, safety, keeping from sickness..etc. We also had missionaries who decided to stay/extend their term hang out with us for the evening to talk and love on. We have learned that Chifa's are great cheap Chinese food, and that La Lucha (the fighter) has amazing sweet potato fries. Got my fix of them :) Such a sweet blessing!

Wednesday started out a little earlier but similar to Tuesday. We studied Orality, World View, Communication Processes, Syncretism, Cultures, Missiology, INR, and Community Transformation Training. Yep, we are basically pre-doctorate's. We then ate at a chicken restaurant and had amazing mall ice cream for dessert! We are so blessed to be learning from the best, drinking amazing coffee, being encouraged daily of the Great Commission and seeing the Lord so at work.

Thursday after our classes we rested for a bit and headed out for a quick dinner to then take a double decker tour of Lima! We saw super old beautiful buildings, crazy drivers and had a late night snack! We also went to "the biggest water fountain park in the world" So cool.

Today (Friday) will have it's own post. Simply wonderful and amazing!

Pray for Saturday, we will all be heading to our locations, the Brazil guys will be staying a few extra days but all of us will be off! Tonight we said goodbye to Hannah and Madison, the others of us will be leaving in shifts throughout the night and I will be leaving 7 am tomorrow for my 11am flight. I will be going to a small area on the border of Peru Saturday-Monday and stay with a family.
Then Monday I will get to head to my Brazilian family! Continue to pray for what my time will look like in Brazil and that I will be ready and willing to work hard and be stretched by the Lord. I won't always have this much to write, but I also want to remember all the pieces of this!



So far I have not had any major issues.. adjusting to the normal different things! Pray that the Lord continues to be my full delight.
He is stirring up great things and hope that you will pray with me for the reached, unreached and people working in the America's for those people.

Ask questions, I will most likely have a vague answer or none at all but can try! Also, pray is key, so let me know how your life is and how I can be praying for you in the days to come!

Love you!