2015 - All Things New

The last few years have each held a theme for me, something that I've tried to focus on during the year, a specific area where I need to grow and allow the Lord to work in me.  You can check out the last few here.

This year is going to be quite the year in my life.  It's going to be a year full of beginnings and adventures and a lot of firsts.  And those are things I know are coming down the pipeline.  Who can guess what else the Lord has in store that I don't know about yet!  In light of all the beginnings on the horizon, this year is new.

2015 - All Things New

There are lots of very tangible new things happening in my life this year.  Probably the biggest and most significant is that I'm getting married in nine weeks.  This is the biggest new adventure I've ever undertaken, and I can't wait to take it on with my fiancé!  It still seems a bit surreal a lot of the time, but I am blown away by the Lord's blessings on our lives and the gift he has given to each of us in each other.  We're very excited about our new life together, but we're certain it won't come without challenges.  New things present new hardships that we don't always get to see coming.  I've never been a wife before, so I'll have to navigate lots of new waters over the coming months and years.

Along with the new adventure of marriage, a lot of other changes will follow suit.  I'll be moving to a new place to live.  I've been at ChezMK for over six and a half years now - longer than I've ever lived anywhere before, so going somewhere else is going to be a big change!  We're still picking out a place to live, so it's fun to dream about what the new place will be like.  I'll get to rearrange furniture! (One of my favorite things to do!)  I'll get to have a dining room table!  Lots of little newnesses will come along with having a new home.

Along with a new home will come a new roommate (my soon-to-be husband, of course). But I've shared my home with my current wonderful roommate for so long!  Miranda has been a huge blessing to me and one of the biggest reasons I've enjoyed my post-college years so much.  Her friendship has been (and surely will continue to be) invaluable, but there will be a new chapter of our post-roommate relationship beginning in a few weeks.  We won't get to have the same lazy Saturday mornings where I roll out of bed and put baked oatmeal in the oven for our breakfast or make sweet tea runs to Chickfila together (as often).  We won't share a Christmas tree or host MND together.  But we'll still get to join each other for morning runs and have lunch dates and throw themed parties together! Our friendship will take on a new pace and feel, and hopefully it will be no less of a source of sweetness in our lives.

These are just a couple specific news that are happening in my life this year.  There will certainly be others, but the idea is the same.  Lots of changes are coming down the pipeline.  I love variety and change and new adventures, but they can be a bit scary and overwhelming at times, too.  These are the words of scripture I have been playing over and over in my mind as I've thought about All Things New and the changes coming in my life this year.  

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?  I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 

The new beginnings of this year remind me of the newness we have in Christ.  When he draws us to himself, he gives new life.  He has wonderful plans for us.  We get to leave the past behind and run forward into the fullness of life the Lord desires for us.  This requires us to embrace forgiveness and trust the Lord's best for us.  I sometimes struggle with forgiving myself, so I tend to hold on to guilt and shame which keeps me from the best of the new, full life the Lord offers.  So sometimes really living in the newness of Christ is hard for me.  I want to get better at that.

This year, as I face so many new beginnings, I also want to fully embrace the new life Christ offers, trusting him at his word that he forgives and forgets has an abundance of joy to offer me!

Will 2015 be a year of new for you, too?

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Falling into Sweater Weather

Though a few days this week are still topping out above the 80 degree mark, September is here and with it is coming cool nights and not-so-hot days.  I adore fall and the crispness in the air, pumpkin everything (Despite its rampant trendiness that usually makes me stop liking something, I'm still a fan.  Even the PSL.  Though I've only had one and will probably not have any more because after tax the grande I got topped $5.  Unacceptable.), layering up with sweaters and boots, all the amazing candle scents that came out months ago but are only appropriate to start burning now, and the reminiscence that always seems to come with the season.

But as much as I love autumn (#autumnbliss is a favorite hashtag), I'm still mourning the end of summer.  Summer was full of fun and traveling and sunshine and tan lines (that only stay visible for a couple weeks max when you're as pale as I am) and smiles and memories, and I'm not sure I'm ready to let that go.  

There's nothing like a last hoorah to finish out a great summer though.  And this year it was a beach trip/family visit combo.  Not only did I get to spend a handful of sunny days in the Outer Banks with some great friends, but I got to make a marathon of a road trip (read: one fifteen-hour-drive day and two eight-hour-drive days for the return with only two days in between) to meet my brand new, oh-so-lovely, week-old niece.  Playing in the waves and lounging by the pool can only be improved by snuggling a sweet new little one a couple days later.  It was maybe the best week of events ever. 

Beach days with my crew!

Sometimes I feel like I spend my life in a car or a plane or somewhere besides my own house, but I love the craziness of traveling from place to place.  This next month is going to be no exception since trips to Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Florida are peppering my calendar.  

Amid the hectic travel schedule, this fall is bringing new opportunities to learn and grow.  Last night marked the beginning of a new Bible study my ladies group is doing for the next several weeks that promises to be a challenge in all the best ways.  There are books to be read, people to learn to love better, places to visit, and obstacles to embrace.  Last week I was reading in the book of Philippians, and found these words to be encouraging and a good reminder as I look forward to the busyness of the days set before me:

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

No matter how crazy things get or how much I might feel like I'm not making any progress, I can have assurance that my Lord is not done with me yet.  I can hope in expectant confidence that every day is one day closer to the day I will be complete in Christ.  I'm so much looking forward to that day!

So here's to the sun setting on a beautiful summer and the start of a delightful autumn. 

Nothing beats a sunset over the water.

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The Days of June

I woke up this morning, and it was July!  June slipped away from me but for all the best reasons.  I spent my June days away doing the usual with a few wonderful additions to the schedule.  We celebrated birthdays and beginnings and summertime and soccer.  There were a couple surprise parties, a pirate party, group breakfast outings, group dinner outings, chocolate tastings, visits to the pool and the lake and the river.  

The biggest adventures of June were the parts where I had a couple extra tagalongs.  For a week and a half in the middle of the month, I kept my friends' two kiddos while they were traveling and working.  It has become a little bit of a summer tradition (and I hope it stays that way!), and we simply had the best time.  

Here's a little taste of my time with Scout and Jude.  So lovely in so many ways!  Check out some of our shenanigans!  (There are more on my Instagram...search #scoutandjude)  These two are so, so special to me.  Can't wait for our next adventures together!

After the 7+ hour trip from their house to mine, they were still smiling! (For the most part, anyway!)

The splash park was a big favorite!

Breakfast time was one of my favorites...though I wasn't used to waking up to a little smiling face ready to tackle the day long before I had even found my slippers yet.

I miss all those Godzilla attacks! (Please excuse the part where we were jumping on the bed...)

A little outdoor fun!  Girlfriend loved gathering pinecones and pine needles and building things out of them.

"Do you like my mustache?"

Baking and frosting cookies!  So proud of their creations!

Slip and slide with fun friends!  Loved getting to hang out with so many people!

Miss Sassypants was a well-deserved nickname.  Love. this. girl.

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Taking the Plunge

Remember how I recently got my Open Water Diving Certification?  Well, I just got to use it for the first time!  It was bit of an impromptu (and quick) trip, but it felt great to put my certification to use!  Here's a a play-by-play of my Key West diving adventure!

I met up with a couple friends on the way to the Keys, but before hitting the road, we stopped to make some new friends in the Everglades.  This one is named Jackson.

A well-timed dinner stop in Key Largo along with outdoor seating made for a beautiful welcome to our brief visit to the islands.

We got up at 3am to walk down to the beach to watch the lunar eclipse, aka the Blood Moon.

Our first day there we spent hanging around the island, enjoying some beach time and soaking in the sun!

We rented scooters to ride around the island for the day.  I may have nearly killed myself learning how to drive it, but once I got the hang of it, it was a good time.

Another sunset dinner, this time on the pier.  Can't go wrong with views like this one.

A little Key Lime pie for dessert.  We may have tried as many different Key Lime pies as possible.  I believe my total was 6.

We were up bright and early the next day for our diving adventure, only after a delicious cuban breakfast and coffee.

It's time to go!  After a 40 minute boat ride, we were out at the reef ready to jump in.

Getting in and out of a wet suit may be the hardest part of diving.

I was a little excited.  Also, flippers are favorite.

And so our diving fun began!

Flag = divers in the water!  Apparently, there is also a reef shark that lives in those waters.  I didn't see her, and I can't quite decide if I'm glad about that or a little disappointed.

After diving, we enjoyed a little more pool time before it was time to pack up and go home.

Dear Key West, thanks for a fun, quick trip and my first ocean dive!

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Brazil Trip 2014: Day 8

This morning is bittersweet as we are packing up and getting ready to hit the road to head home.  Our last day in town was a wonderful time spent with friends we have made this week.  The Sunday morning service at Vila Nova is always a blessing, and yesterday was no exception.  The pastors from the other local church plants came to see us one more time before we left.  Ubiratan sang a special song in English for us, and each church presented us with thank you gifts.  We always feel so spoiled because we come here to be an encouragement, but we end up being blessed by the love and generosity of these people. 

Sunday afternoon was spent enjoying a special lunch with Bárbara's family who live here in town.  They also spoiled us with authentic Brazilian cuisine and the best desserts (pudim and chocolate mousse, anyone??).

The evening service at Vila Nova was also a blessing!  Fabiane shared about her son Yan who was diagnosed with cancer and miraculously healed before his treatments and how the Lord used that time in her life to teach her and grow her faith.  The youth band again blessed us with their worship music, and Pastor Zigomar shared a message.  

Though we will certainly miss our friends here, we are looking forward to being home again though I'm sure home will feel a little different after the experiences we've had this week.  Each time I visit Living Bread's work here, my own lifestyle is challenged in all the best ways.  I pray that I will be sensitive to what the Lord has to teach me as I go back home and serve him in a different context there.  I hope that those of you who have followed along with our journey this week have also been challenged in unique ways.  

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the ministry of Living Bread or how you can get involved!

 

Some of the youth who lead worship

Ubiratan singing for us!

Pastor Zigomar, the new pastor at Igreja Batista Viva

My sweet friend, Daisy

Bárbara with her mom and sister at our lunch

The team with the kitchen volunteers at IBV.  They work endlessly preparing meals and refreshments for different events including Sunday school breakfast and the monthly feeding service.

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Brazil Trip 2014: Days 6 & 7

Yesterday was our last day of visiting the communities where Living Bread is at work.  We walked with Pastor Alexsandro around Vila Safira where he serves the community.  This church body is excited to have a new building, and we are anticipating the ministry expansion that will come from having a place to call their own.  The store front where the church had been meeting after the leaving the extra room built on to one parishioner's home is now a small consignment shop where Christian materials are sold.  

As we walked through Vila Safira, we could see how the government is stepping into the community and working to improve the infrastructure by establishing roads and rebuilding faulty structures.  However, this presents some unique challenges to the needy in this community.  The local officials come in and give residents a very short notice that their home is going to be leveled because it doesn't meet their qualifications.  Alexsandro shared his concern with us that the government is making these improvements in order to use the area for something else, displacing the poor who live there.  His hope is that the local government is going to create more intentional lots and property line and give the current residents official deeds to the land where they live.  This would help establish the community and give them a place to officially call their own.

Yesterday afternoon we spent time with Pastor Magioli and his family.  He presented the current projects of Ministério Pão Vivo and shared his vision for the next year of the ministry.  We dreamed together about the lives and communities that can be changed with the impact Christ can have on their lives.  Our evening was filled with fellowship with the Magiolis and saying our goodbyes to their family since they are traveling this weekend.

Today we were able to enjoy a little sight seeing.  Our day trip took us to Gramado and Canela, towns in the mountains a couple hours from Porto Alegre.  We got to have a little change in scenery and got to see a different part of the state!  Our adventures took us shoe shopping (a big industry in this area), to chocolate stores (also one of the highlights), to visit a 700 year old tree (just as exciting as it sounds), and on a sky tram ride to see a beautiful, mountain waterfall.  
With one more day of ministry at Igreja Batista Viva ahead of us, we are so thankful for all this week has held.  We've been spent emotionally and physically with all we have seen and done.  Though we have been exposed to extreme poverty and dire circumstances these last several days, the truth is we are surrounded with the same hopelessness without Christ everyday in our own communities.  But at home that hopelessness is shrouded in suits and ties, 401(K)s, nice cars and houses, social status, or whatever people use to try to fill the void in their hearts that leave lives just as empty as those living in the slums we've seen this week.  It's a blessing to be a small part of a ministry that is making such a big difference in the lives of the people in these communities.  As Pastor Magioli often says, "We can't do everything, but we do everything we can."

A home in the Vila Safira neighborhood.  Notice the little red house in the front yard.  This is a Macumba (spiritist) house where they believe the spirits live.  They offer sacrifices to the spirits here and live in fear of the spirits cursing their home.

Walking through the community with Pastor Alexsandro

Alexsandro and Bárbara with Septembrino, a resident whose home was demolished by the city.

We made some new friends with the kiddos in the area!

Alexsandro and his wife Luciane

We're so excited for the new building for this church in Vila Safira!

Our time of sharing with the Magiolis and our new pastor for the church at Vila Nova and his family.

Playing tourist today!

Canela's natural beauty

Gremado's downtown area, heavily influenced by the German heritage in this area

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Brazil Trip 2014: Day 5

We started our day with a few stops around town.  Our first destination was the Christian bookstore downtown.  Here we have access to resources for our pastors and an opportunity to see what is available to the local Christian community.  Next up, we hit the flea market to pick up a few Brasil souvenirs.  (Dad, I got yours here today!)

After lunch, we got to visit the local Baptist school that teaches preschool through 12th grade.  The principal gave us a tour of the school and shared with us some of the challenges she faces in her role.  Though the curriculum is governed by the state's accreditation standards, she wants to ensure that Christian principles are being integrated in the classroom.  She also came into her position with the school in debt and declining.  Since she has been there (as a volunteer), enrollment has been increasing, and they are working themselves out of their deficit.  We had the opportunity to pray with her, for the school, and its witness in the city!

We then walked across the street to her husband's office where he is the director of the state's Baptist convention.  He welcomed us to their headquarters and shared with us how he is supportive of Living Bread's work here and why he is on board with our mission.

After visiting these folks and encouraging their work and ministries, we made our way to Planalto, another community where Living Bread has a church plant.  Our pastor there Ubiratan and his wife Cleide faithfully serve their church family, made up mostly of children and teenagers.  We walked through a slum in this area where one of the young girls lives.  Vitória is the only one in this specific area that attends the church, and she is a beautiful witness for the Lord!  We laughed and played with her neighbors and prayed with her for the community.

The evening held a midweek service at Planalto's church.  The youth led the worship as they are learning to fill the different roles of the church.  Pastor Magioli surprised me by asking me to share with the group tonight!  (Enjoy the play by play of Kristi's facial expression while speaking!)  This church serves a community in need of role models and a godly example.  There are few (if any) adult men who are part of this church other than Pastor Ubiratan.  The boys and youth look to him for so much, and we are glad to have this ministry in place!

Today is a little heavy on the pictures, but there were too many good ones to pass up!

Gotta get some Brasil soccer gear!

Touring the school

Visiting the Baptist convention office

The building where our church in Planalto is currently meeting

The slum where one of the girls from the church Vitória lives

The children in these places are simply beautiful.

Estela didn't waste any time making new friends!

A litte futebol!

One of the neighborhood boys, Robson

Bárbara with Vitória, one of the member's of Planalto's youth group

Neighborhood kids getting home from school

This is Leitiane and Nattah, a young couple from the church.  Leitiane is battling cancer, and Nattah is a recent convert.  He was baptized on Saturday night at Vila Safira's new building's inaugural service.  

Pastor Ubiratan, his wife Cleide, and their son Haniel

Love days that end like this!  Sweet baby Anthony slept in my arms through much of the evening's service.

Apparently, I don't make normal faces when I talk.  Caption contest anyone?

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