more about my life in Brazil

I've been in Morretes for over two months now. It's been a lot harder for me to adjust to life in this city. I'm still learning the culture and adjusting to small town life. We've gone exploring around Morretes which is always fun. One day, we went on a 3 hour bike ride just looking around for cool rivers and waterfalls. Here's a few pictures from this adventure.

Steve, Shannon, and the kids :)

 me, Caleb, and Naomi

 waterfall

I'm still meeting with Rafa to study Portuguese and to help her with English. That has been such a blessing. I've been picking up on so much more Portuguese from spending time with her and her family... even though there are so many days when I feel like I know nothing.

 Paola, me, and Rafa

 

mattress sliding in Rafa's house

me in downtown Morretes

train tracks going over the river

I just went back to Curitiba on Friday and stayed with my friend Heloisa's family. It was so great to see them again. While I was in Curitiba, I went to see a cool show downtown with orphans singing. There was an orphan in every window of a huge bank singing.. so cool.

HSBC bank (before the kids came out)

me and Heloisa

So, things are going great. Yes, it's been challenging in so many ways, but God has constantly filled me with a peace about being here. These past few weeks, I've seen that God's at work even when I don't realize it. He's called me here to love on His people and to jump into life with them.

I go back to the states in one week. I'll be home for about 5 weeks and then coming back here in January. I can't believe how fast these 4 months have flown by. I'm really excited to see everyone and to spend Christmas and New Years at home (although it would be pretty awesome to experience those holidays in Brazil).

Thank you all so much for all your prayers while I've been here!
See you all VERY soon :)

Getting settled in Morretes

Wow I've already been in Morretes for a month. Sorry I haven't written on here in a while. It has been a crazy journey here. Here's just a couple of the obstacles we faced as we arrived.
    After getting all of our stuff moved in, we realized our house was infested with carrapatos (in English we call them TICKS) Literally, thousands of ticks covered the outside of the house. It was crazy. Steve said he thought the outside of the house was just really dirty... until he realized that all the "dirt" was moving!
So, that has been a challenge since we first got here. Luckily, we found out that these ticks aren't like our ticks back home. These ones are a specific kind of tick that carries a couple diseases for dogs. Poor Blackie was covered in them the first few days. I picked about 80 off of him the first day and another 50 the next couple days. (He sleeps in my bed so I've been checking him every day.) Steve has treated the walls and grass to kill the ticks, so it's so much better but we haven't conquered them all yet.
   Our next obstacle has been with our water. The people who lived in the house before us abandoned the house and didnt pay the last couple water bills. We thought this all got resolved until one day we woke up and the water was turned off. Luckily we got it back on that night but Steve had to pay the charges that the previous renter didn't pay. It doesnt really make sense but that's how they do things here... If we wanted water, we had to pay his fines. Thankfully we have water now but it hasn't been running the same since before it got turned off that day. We've had a lot of problems with the pressure and trying to get warm water.

    Enough with that stuff... everything hasn't been all bad. It has been a huge adjustment for me to move here but things are going good. The city is way different than Curitiba. Curitiba is a huge city with about 2 million people living there. Morretes is really tiny and there's not a lot to do... but it's gorgeous. It's in a valley surrounded by mountains and a big river running through the middle of the city. Here's a couple pictures of the river in the downtown area so you can see what I'm talking about.

    We've spent some time at AMAS(the children's home) playing with the kids and helping with some English classes. I've also met a sixteen year old girl named Rafa who wants to learn English. We've started to meet twice a week. She is helping me Portuguese and I'm helping her with English. It has been great spending time with her and her family. I feel like I've learned so much already from her.

me and Rafa

 the kids found a massive snail in our yard. Naomi said it was "Hu-normous!"

 the kids singing at church for Dia das Crianças (Children's Day)

me and Blackie :) gotta love him

We also just got back from a couple days in São Paulo to get baby Jordan's American passport. We went to an aquarium and Starbucks :)

 Naomi and Caleb at the aquarium

in front of Starbucks

goodies sent from my parents for me, Blackie, and the kids :) Caleb wanted in the pic but I couldn't get him to stop playing with the silly putty they sent

Ok and a random story...
So I normally try to spread my money in different places so I'm not keeping it all together. I had just taken out money from the bank the day before so I decided it would be good to split it up. I opened my purse and ALL of my cash was gone! I kinda freaked out and said, "Steve... ALL of my cash in GONE!" Steve, Shannon, and I were already trying to think of all the places we had gone the past couple days and how it may have been stolen, but we couldn't think of a logical explanation. Then it dawned on me that the kids had just been playing in my room and my purse was on my bed. I thought, there's no way they took it out but I might as well check. Shannon looked outside, and the kids were out there playing with all my money!
I felt relieved even though it wasn't good that we have some little thieves in our our house... haha. I'm really glad that's where my money really was though.

Well, that's pretty much it for now. I'll try and update soon as we start getting busier in Morretes and helping out with the kids at AMAS.

Acts 7:51-8:1

I just read Acts 7:51-8:1 which is about the death of Stephen. This is such a great picture of true love and trust in the Lord. While Stephen was being beaten, he prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life"... "Master, don't blame them for this sin." Wow that takes whole lot of courage and trust in our Savior to be in a place to say those words and truly mean them. I can't imagine being in His place. I wonder what I would do... how I would truly feel... what I would say...

I only hope that I can live a life with this kind of trust, knowing God has me in His hands no matter what. I'm so timid at times to share with others about the joy I have in Christ, which is crazy because my deepest desire is for everyone to experience this same freedom and peace I have in Him. I should be jumping at opportunities to share about our great Savior. I hope and pray that those I have come into contact with have seen maybe even just a glimpse of God's love through me. I pray that God would be glorified in all I do while I'm in Brazil and wherever else He leads me.

"Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"
Revelation 7:12

Amazed by love

Wow, I'm amazed by the hospitality and love Brazilians have shown me this past week. I got invited to talk with some Brazilians in an English conversational class. Everyone in the class was so nice and welcoming. I ended up riding home with one of the girls(Heloisa) and ate dinner at her house. Her family has been so great to me. This past Saturday her family took me to eat pastel (so yummy... we need to have this in the states). I went to Heloisa's handball game and had lunch at her house. Her family has shown me so much love and keeps inviting me to do more things with them. I have really enjoyed spending time with them.

Saturday night I went to a CD release concert at PIB (the church I helped out with when I came to Brazil the other two times). AMAZING. They have been working on this CD for a long time so it was a big deal. It was so awesome to worship with so many Brazilians and see the joy and love they have in Christ. Here's one of the songs on the CD :)

The past few days I had the privilege to stay at Fernando and Cris' house. They are one of the couples who helped us when we came on our short term mission trips to Curitiba. It has been so great to spend some time with them. They live in a small city next to Curitiba called Campo Largo... it's really cute.

We only have a couple more weeks until we move to Morretes. There have been some changes in what this next step will look like but the Lord has already been showing us that He is in control. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us there. 

"Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Jeremiah 33:3

Here at last

I've almost been in Brazil for two weeks... I can't believe it. Everything has been going really well. I'm living with Steve and Shannon Mersinger and their kids Naomi and Caleb. 

the street we live on

me and the kids

they're a little crazy sometimes...

Things have been really chill so far because Shannon has been waiting on the birth of her third child, Jordan, who was born yesterday :) 

me, Caleb, and baby Jordan

It's been really nice to have lots of relaxing time. I've realized how overwhelming it would have been to move here and jump right into a busy schedule, so I'm really thankful for some downtime. I've met a lot of the Mersinger's Brazilian friends which has been great. I'm slowly picking up more Portuguese and hoping to learn lots this first month while we're in Curitiba. We've gone to the favela where they have been helping out with a church. 

the favela

the church in the favela

We have about one month until we move to Morretes and then we'll have some Brazilian foster children moving in the home with us in January. So, there are lots of changes coming up... looking forward to all the new adventures. 

Countdown begins

So the countdown is on. I have four more days until I get on the plane to Brazil! These past few weeks have been pretty crazy as I've been preparing to go and trying to see lots of friends and family. It's starting to hit me that I will be sitting in another country in less than a week. And not just any country... Brazil!! I have talked about this for years and now it's finally happening. The Lord definitely gave me a desire to be there for a reason. I know He wants me there. He has completely blown me away with His faithfulness in providing for my trip. Now, it's just trusting Him in this adventure. I really have no picture in my mind of what this next year will have in store. I think that's a good thing, though, because I don't really have any expectations. He's in control and knows why He is sending me there and who He wants me love on. I just pray that I would be willing to listen and follow His guidance.

Anyway, this summer has been amazing and I've really enjoyed spending time with so many great friends. Here's some pictures of some of the adventures I've had this summer. I look forward to writing and posting pictures as I'm in Brazil... that will all be here soon.

 Sarah and I took a trip to the World of Coke :)

We finally went around Athens to take pictures with the bulldogs! So glad we did this before we moved

 

Mel and I took a trip to Wilmington with my parents to see where One Tree Hill was filmed. So awesome!

I also got to see Kyndra, Lauren, and Catherine(sweet friends I served with last summer at the Mission Centers of Houston) 

"Your Presence is all I need"

I have one more week of my internship. I can't believe it's almost over. It's really awesome how the Lord placed me at DFCS this past semester when I had a whole different plan. He always has a greater plan. I have really enjoyed meeting so many people and talking to them about their lives. I have learned so much. I know it would be a real challenge to be a foster parent but I could definitely see myself doing that in my future. That's something I'll have to figure out later on when I can actually support another child- and first, I need to be able to support myself :/ 


Wow, I'll be heading to Curitiba, Brazil in exactly two months!! I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I'll be living with the Mersingers :) I could not be any more excited to go live with another family. I know I will learn so much from them. And, I get to meet them in person next Wednesday!


These past few months have stretched me and made me think about a lot. Graduating and preparing to move to another country makes you really think about things. So many of the people I have been the closest to during my college years are moving away and starting new lives. Ginny just got married and is moving to SC, Melanie is going to graduate school in Chicago, Kelvin is possibly moving back to Malaysia, Maddie is moving to South Africa in January, and Sarah's still searching for where the Lord wants her next year. All of these close and precious friends are going to be so far away... and not just because I will be in another country. We're all going different ways... It's really sad but joyful at the same time. I can't wait to see where we will all be in the next few years. 

"Your Presence is all I need, It's all I want, all I seek. Without it, there is no meaning. Your Presence is the air I breathe."

That's the song we sang a lot at Youth Camp last week. His presence really is all we need. 

~Brit

Last days of college...

Wow... I cannot believe we just graduated from UGA. It feels like I just got here. I'm going to miss all these adventures in Athens and all my friends.... but I know the Lord has so many more great experiences to come for all of us. These four years went by way too fast, but they have been awesome! I can't even begin to explain how much I have learned through my friends and experiences since I first came to UGA. The Lord has challenged me and tested my faith but also blessed me in so many ways. He has showed me how awesome it is to have friends who want to live for Him in all they do. He has placed certain people in my life right when I needed encouragement or a push to deepen my relationship with Him. 

Now, the next step is Brazil. I don't know exactly what the Lord has in store. I can't picture what it's going to be like or what I'm going to learn, but I'm trusting that He has a plan and there's a reason he has given me an overwhelming desire to be in Brazil. It's hard at times to know that I'm going away but I know He has called me to be in Brazil next year. I don't know what this means... if he'll call me to stay longer or to return after the year but it's in His hands. The Lord is so faithful. He keeps reminding me that. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 37:4

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." 

Philippians 4:11-13

The Tiny Rosebud

It is only a tiny rosebud,
A flower of GOD's design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
GOD opens this flower so sweetly,
When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
This flower of GOD's design,
Then how can I think I have wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading
Each moment of every day.
I will look to him for His guidance
Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,
Only my Heavenly Father knows.
I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,
Just as He unfolds the rose.

I am forever yours...

"If my heart is overwhelmed and I cannot hear your voice                               I hold onto what is true, though I cannot see        

If the storms of life they come, and the road ahead gets steep        

I will lift these hands in faith, I will believe     

I remind myself of all that you’ve done"

So this is my first blog... I figured I should start now because I'll hopefully blog a lot while I'm in Brazil. My life has been pretty crazy lately, but I'm trusting in the Lord to bring me through everything and guide me where I should go. I know He has a plan. The song Love Came Down pretty much describes how I've felt lately. Even though I don't always know what God's answer is, I'm trying to cling on to his truth and trust Him. 

Tchau for now.... Britt