Heather Alkire's blog

Celebration

2008-09-22T09:39:00.003-05:00

Next week, we are having our monthly Women's Day luncheon. After service, the women of the church stick around. We share a meal together and then have a lesson time. For the last year or more, the women have been working through Richard Foster's book on spiritual disciplines. I was asked to give September's lesson, the final one in the series. I will speaking about the spiritual discipline of celebration. It's been a neat topic to explore, and I do have to say, we have had many reasons to celebrate recently in our church family. Let me share a few with you.

This is Gisele, our newest sister in Christ. She is 14, a member of our youth group, and this is us praying over her before her baptism. Leandro, her cousin is on her left and Dona Dulce, her grandmother is on her right.

Here is Leandro, her cousin who was just baptized in August baptizing Gisele in the ocean across the street from our church building.

We all surround Gisele to pray over her again after she comes out of the water.

We had a barbecue for all of our small groups at church. This is several of us playing Uno Attack. It was a lot of fun to celebrate together!

And of course, I had to include a picture of baby Calen. Isn't he sweet?

Thanks for reading and joining us in celebrating the good things God is doing here in Salvador! Please pray for my lesson with the women next week and my continued work with the children's ministry and beginner's English classes.

Return to Blog World

2008-09-14T20:07:00.003-05:00

I'm such a bad blogger, I know, I know! Please forgive me for not posting more often. I really do want to be better at this and keep all of you informed about what's going on in my life here in Salvador. Above you can see the biggest change in our lives in the last month. This is my newest teammate and adopted "nephew", Calen Xavier Sass. He is so precious!!! I love holding him and letting him sleep in my arms or on my chest. There's just nothing that ministers to your spirit like a sweet newborn baby!

So, what's been happening since my last post, you ask? Well, my parents and brother came for a visit. We had a great time!! I showed them around Salvador, and they were huge helps in getting our building ready for the inaugural service we had on August 17. It was of course hard to see them go, but I'm so glad they got to come.

Now I'm trying to settle into the "routine" (if you can call it that) of "normal life" around here. I am down to two LST follow-up studies, and I'm shadowing Mary on an evangelistic Bible study to learn how to conduct one myself. I teach all of the children's time on Sunday mornings since Alicia is on maternity leave. Today, I also began teaching the beginner's English class now that Val is on furlough. I really enjoy that! Teaching adults is a new experience for me. It's a little different than teaching my peers in Spanish lab at ACU or the first-graders I'm used to, but it's still a lot of fun. Adults know how to take responsibility for their own learning and ask good questions, so that is neat! And I still get to teach them silly songs to help them remember the days of the week and months of the year! I'm also continuing my twice a week Portuguese class, and we're still offering a free hot lunch to our neighborhood every other Saturday.

A couple of weeks ago, we had a visitor come to our church named Ana Carolina. She is my age, and she has jumped right in to our life at the church, helping out with lunches, participating in English class and Women's Day. Last night, I went out to the movies with her and Leandro (see previous post), and tomorrow the three of us and some others are going to the beach. I think I might finally be making friends my age...yay!!!

I have to confess that I still get pretty homesick every once in a while. Alicia said I was going through some culture shock. My mom said I also have job shock (first September since kindergarten not to be in a school setting). And add to that fly-the-nest shock. Yeah, sometimes my emotions get the better of me. But I know there are lots of people praying for me daily, and that really keeps me going. Beginning to make friends here also helps. Please pray that I will continue to develop good relationships with the Brazilians here and to deepen my relationships with my teammates. Please pray also for our work here and that we will continue to glorify God in all that we do.

That's all for now, and I promise to be more consistent with updating from now on. Thanks for reading, everyone!

And now for an update...finally!

2008-08-10T21:55:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry that I have not been blogging very consistently. Weeks have slipped away from me, and when I have been at the computer, I have not felt very creative. But I decided it was time for an update before everyone gave up on this blog altogether. Anyway, we are busy as always here in Salvador! The LST campaign left last week, so we are busy with follow-up studies. We are also still settling into our new building and busily getting ready for our inaugural service next Sunday, August 17. Though we have been in the building for nearly eight weeks, we will have our official dedication next week, and we are inviting many friends and neighbors, as well as our new neighbors in Boca do Rio.

In July, I started being responsible for the children's sermon that we have during worship every Sunday, and I am also helping to plan Bible class as we get ready to implement some new ideas. We began offering a free hot lunch to the neighborhood every other Saturday, and there are lots of kids who come to that. It gets me excited for things like our big Children's Day celebration in October and the VBS we eventually plan to start in 2009.

My family is arriving for a visit tomorrow, and I am so excited to show them everything about my new life here. They will get to be here for the inaugural, which is pretty neat. Another exciting thing that happened this Sunday is that Leandro decided to be baptized!! He has been involved with the church for a while. Lots of his extended family are members at ICOS. He went on the youth retreat in June and decided he wanted to begin studying the Bible with Travis. While LST was here, he was constantly at the building, helping out in any way he possibly could. Then last week, he told Travis he was ready to give his life to Christ, so after service this morning, we all trooped across the street to the beach and watched Leandro get baptized in the ocean. Here are a few of the great pics we got today:

Travis and Leandro heading into the ocean

Praying over Leandro after his baptism (He is in the navy jersey.)

All the church members who were present as witnesses for this great event

Here are some things I would like for all of you to be praying for in the coming weeks:

- my family's visit
- inaugural service on Aug. 17 (Pray for many visitors and curious neighbors!)
- my work with the children
- LST follow-up studies
- our new brother in Christ, Leandro

Thanks for your prayers, and thanks for reading! Ate mais, gente!

Happy 4th of July!!

2008-07-04T20:07:00.002-05:00

I hope that everyone at home is having a great 4th of July. We actually had our team celebration on July 2 because that was a holiday here in our state of Bahia. It was Bahian Independence Day. Apparently, it took the natives in our state ten more months to kick the Portuguese out, so they have their own Independence Day, which was Wednesday. We celebrated by cooking out burgers and enjoying all the traditional side dishes: potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, pasta salad, deviled eggs, etc. Not to mention the fantastic desserts: brownies, homemade ice cream, and Val's red, white and blue poke cake. We all had a lot of fun!

This picture was taken at the party that day. Here are all the missionary kids. I'm holding Samuel Porter, Jackson Quirey is hiding behind his book in the swing. Beside him is Kelton Porter. Tiffany (an LST campaigner) is holding Aubry Mabery, my across the hall roommate, and in the front is Ceara Sass. I hope to eventually take a better picture, but for now, these are my nieces and nephews. (And baby Sass #2 is on the way soon!)
I promise to post some more about my Brazilian adventures, but for now, a little taste of home was sure welcome! Thanks, everyone, for all your prayers. Please keep them up!

Lar Doce Lar

2008-06-28T18:24:00.002-05:00

So sorry that it has taken me so long to post here. Life has been a little busy ever since landing in Salvador! From spending a couple of days shopping for my room to being a full-fledged campaign member when the Highland group arrived, I have just now had the chance to settle in a bit. My house and room are beginning to feel a little more like home. I'm starting to learn my way around, slowly but surely. And I LOVE the new church and am looking forward to getting to know my new friends better. :) In the next week or so, I should develop a bit of a routine, at least for the next few weeks while LST is here.

I know this post is not terribly interesting. I will post more news and pictures later. But for now, I just wanted you all to know that I am adjusting and would appreciate your prayers as I continue in this time of transition. Blessings to you all!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2008-06-07T09:22:00.002-05:00

Well, today is the day! I will be leaving from the Abilene airport this afternoon and flying to Miami where I will spend the night tonight. In the morning, I will get up and take an all-day plane ride to Salvador. Please pray for safe travels and a smooth transition into my new life in Salvador.

Many of have asked how I'm feeling at this point. The answer is: a lot of different emotions. Am I excited? Of course; I've been waiting and preparing for this for a long time. Am I nervous? Oh yes; this is a new adventure for me. Sure, it's somewhat familiar, but there will be lots of new things to get used to as I make Salvador my home for two years. Am I sad to leave my family and friends? Absolutely, but I know that we have many ways to stay in touch, and God will comfort us in our separation.

I appreciate all of your prayers as I embark on this new adventure! The next time I post here, I will be living in South America!! Love you all!

Send-off Reception and Blessing

2008-05-25T18:57:00.005-05:00

For anyone who is in Abilene and interested, there will be a reception honoring me before I leave for Salvador. It is this Saturday evening, May 31 from 7:00-8:30 pm (come and go). It will be in the Living room (right next to the gym) at Highland Church of Christ. Also, there will be a special time of blessing for me in worship on Sunday morning, June 1. All are welcome! I appreciate your continued prayers as my departure date gets closer and closer!! I'd love to see you before I leave if you are in town, so stop by the reception or give me a call sometime in the next two weeks!

One Month and Counting!!

2008-05-08T21:44:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe it, but one month from today, I will be landing in my new home in Salvador, Brazil. I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. My head knows that I'm going, but it still doesn't really feel real. I think even when I leave, it might still feel like just going away for the summer like last year. It probably won't be until late August or September until I finally realize that I will LIVE in Salvador for two years. Luckily, though, I will be coming home from Christmas. So nobody has to miss me too badly! :)

Please be praying for this time of transition. Pray that I can get done everything that needs to be done before leaving. Pray for the last bit of my fundraising to come in. There are some great stories about that. God has been so faithful! Pray for my family and close friends as we get ready to be apart for a little while. And, of course, pray for the team and church in Salvador to be ready to receive me. I will be jumping in with both feet as soon as I land!

If anyone is interested, there is a send-off reception being planned for me on Saturday evening, May 31 at Highland. Exact location and time are yet to be determined, but I will post those details here when I know them. Also, there will be a special time of blessing during the Highland worship service on June 1. I officially fly out from the Abilene airport on June 7 in the afternoon.

Thanks, everyone, for your faithful prayers and support!

Two Months and Counting!!

2008-04-08T18:15:00.003-05:00

Exactly two months from today, I will be landing in Salvador, Brazil to begin my two-year adventure as a missionary apprentice! I'm so excited to see what God is going to do! At the same time, I'm nervous and sad about leaving my family and friends. And yet, I can't wait to be reunited with the friends I met last year and to meet the new people God is going to bring into my life. This will be an adventure, that's for sure! But it's not an adventure I can make alone, so I'm asking all of you blog readers out there to join me in prayer. Please pray for every aspect of this transition, for God to be preparing the way for me and the things He wants me to do to serve Him in Salvador. And in case you need some faces to go with your prayers, here is a picture that was taken last Sunday at the two-year anniversary service of the church in Salvador. There were 150 people there, over 100 of whom were visitors!! As you can see, there is work to be done, and I can't wait to be part of it!

Here are my future teammates. The only person missing from this picture of the team is me!

Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I couldn't do this without you!

Home Sweet Home

2007-08-17T00:55:00.000-05:00

So we are back in the United States now and officially experiencing reverse culture shock. It's the little things, you know? I went to WalMart today and was surprised to see the signs over the aisles in English. You laugh, but I'm serious! Hiper Bom Preco, the grocery store we went to in Salvador is owned by WalMart, so all the signs over the aisles are in the exact same colors and fonts as the WalMarts in the States; they are just in Portuguese. So I got used to them being in another language. It's other things, too, like remembering I can flush my toilet paper and speak to waiters in English. :)

I know that as the next few weeks go on, I will get used to my old habits again and silly things like WalMart won't feel strange anymore. But even as life in the U.S. becomes normal again, the"saudades" I have for my friends and my church in Salvador will not go away. ("Saudades" are a deep feeling of longing, of missing something because you're missing part of your heart.) I miss the team, I miss the Brazilians, I miss Portuguese. As my good friend Dr. Hale said, "There's just something about Brazil that gets inside your heart and doesn't let go." And this is what will keep me coming back again and again, as long as the Lord will let me.

Thank you, Lord, for a wonderful summer, for all the incredible experiences you gave me and the amazing people you put in my path. Thank you for the things I learned about myself and the things I learned about you and your kingdom. Please bless your body in Salvador. Help them to continue to grow and shine your light in that city.

I also would like to thank all of you readers for all of your prayers, support, and encouragement. I know that I have thanked you multiple times for this, but I truly could not have done this summer without you. We really do need each other in the body of Christ! This is a lesson I have learned all too well this summer. As promised, here are some pics of our last few days in Salvador, including pictures of the newest addition to the team!

Me leading the kids in the VBS program for the church on our last Sunday

Randy speaks a word of thanks to Laura and I on behalf of the church for our work this summer

A prayer of blessing is said over us. Val, Alicia, and all the children came to lay hands on us.

Here is the newest addition to the Salvador team, Auburn (Aubry) Nicole Mabery born at 11:55 PM August 12, 2007. (Sorry, I can't remember the weight and length stats.)

Aubry and "Tia Heather"

Proud Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma

Aubry and "Tia Laura"

Baby Mabery Is Here!

2007-08-14T00:48:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone! Just a quick update before we hop on a plane tomorrow to head back to the States. :( I'm sad about leaving, but I do have some happy news to share! As the title of this post states, Baby Mabery was born! Her name is Aubry Nicole, and she was born at 11:55 PM on Sunday, August 12, with five minutes to spare so that her birthday could be on Brazilian Father's Day this year. What a great Father's Day present for Matt, huh? :) Anyway, I have some pictures to share, but I will have to post them when I get home. I will tell you, though, that she is absolutely beautiful!

In other news, the VBS program at church yesterday went off without a hitch. I forgot to count the number of kids, but we had a great turnout! All of the regulars were there, plus a couple of new faces! We even had a couple of new faces in the audience, too: at least one of the kids' parents who had never before come to our church. Praise God! Laura and I were also thoroughly blessed and encouraged by the church, and we had the privilege of showing off (as much as we could in the darkness) and dedicating our children's mural.

Well, it's late, and I better sign off. Laura and I leave Salvador at 5:25 PM tomorrow to begin our nearly 24 hour journey home. Please pray for safe and smooth travel for us! The next time I post I will be back on American soil! Ate mais!

Who Turned Off the Lights?

2007-08-05T19:42:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, the fuse box at church caught on fire and caused the entire building to lose power. The problem is taking a while to fix, so today we had church service in the semi-darkness. It was kind of fun. I was reminded that the church is not about a building but the people who meet inside it. And though we were hot and didn't have our sound system, worshipping this way made us feel more like a family.

This is what the fuse box looked like after the fire.

Here is me and Alicia doing children's time in the dark.

Josh preaches while Paul translates in our worship in the dark service.

The countdown to baby is still on. Russ is the only person still left in our Baby Pool. Everyone guessed early days because of the early contractions that Mary had, but she still has that baby inside for now. We are praying she makes her appearance before we (and her Grandpa) have to leave. Please continue to pray for a safe and healthy delivery for mommy and baby.

This is our last full week in Salvador, so we are trying to cram everything in that we want to get done. Please pray for the relationships that we have cultivated this summer and for the goodbyes that have to be said this week. Thanks for all your support! I will be stateside again soon!

The Joy Bus

2007-07-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

Today was the exact opposite of last week. We had 16 kids who showed up for VBS!! Russ drove his minivan (he called it the joy bus) to one of the neighborhoods and picked up as many kids as they could pile in to bring them to VBS. I can't tell you how excited I was to see all of those precious faces!! God is so good, and I thank all of you who have been praying for this endeavor! I told the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Next week I will wrap up with the acension and talking about how we are called to be witnesses for Jesus. On Aug. 12, we will have our culminating event by hosting a special program during worship to show the congregation what the kids have been learning about this summer. Please pray that the children's parents are able to come to this event. Thank you again for all your prayers! Here is a picture of the whole group of us today:

No Kids Came to Play Today :(

2007-07-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

Well, today was a little bit of a let down. We got all set up and ready for VBS, and then no kids showed up. :( Kelton was highly disappointed. He wanted to know where the other kids were. But, the good news is that I wrote eight weeks of curriculum, but we actually have nine Tuesdays. So, we're just pushing back the last day of VBS by one week. And Russ, one of the other missionaries, offered to drive the "joy bus" next week to pick up some kids and bring them. Please pray that these last two weeks of VBS will go well and that God will send children who need to hear his Word to participate. Please pray also for their parents and the special program we will have on Aug. 12 to culminate VBS and try to get the kids and parents more involved in the church. Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Sunny Day....Sweeping the Clouds Away

2007-07-12T14:10:00.000-05:00

Finally, Murphy's Law is broken! We had a day off, and it was sunny, so we got to enjoy the beach!! Our theory is that the LST campaigners took the rain and clouds with them because it has been sunny ever since they left! Ha, ha! Unfortuantely, I cannot post pictures of our day at the beach to prove how nice it was because we only took the disposable camera and not the digital. Oh, well. Suffice it to say it was beautiful. Laura and I enjoyed playing in the waves, reading, relaxing, catching up on our journal and getting tan! (Yes, I did remember to use sunscreen on my legs today, for those of you who were curious.) :) Anyway, we just got back to shower and clean up and are about to head up the hill to get pampered some more with manicures and pedicures. What a great day off!

Tomorrow we will begin work on some of our projects up at the church building and then we'll have our last Youth Night for a couple of weeks. It should be a fun day! Please continue to keep all of us and our work in your prayers! Please pray especially for Laura's mom who is going to the hospital in Dallas next week for a special heart procedure and exams with some specialists. Thanks for reading!

What's New This Week

2007-07-06T21:43:00.000-05:00

Kelton the pirate...arrgh!

We made a thankful poster at VBS this week. The kids drew pictures of what they are thankful for, and then together we composed a prayer of thanksgiving in the middle.

Aloha! Me and Laura all dressed up for the last LST party that was Hawaiian themed.

Kelton and I played Musical Chairs as one player. This is me "sitting in his lap."

Kelton is riding in a boat in the middle of our bed. I love that kid's imagination!

Ahoy maties! Here we are dressed up for our Pirates of the Caribbean Movie Night

So as you can see, we've up to a lot of things this week! From VBS to themed LST parties, it's been busy! Next week marks our official halfway point, and lots of things are going to change as the LST campaigners from Alabama head home. Laura and I will take on some more LST readers to help with the campaign follow up. We will also get to work on a couple of projects that have been on hold until the LSTers left like organizing the office and working on a mural in the children's area. I'm very excited about the new work, but I'm also sad to see my American friends go.

So my funny story for the week: Our apartment is on the tenth floor, and our bathroom has a window in the shower that we usually keep cracked open a good nine inches to let the breeze filter in. Randy told us never to leave our shampoos on the window ledge because if a strong wind comes, they will blow off. We have been very careful to follow his advice, but today the cleaning lady did not know this tidbit of information, and she put all our products up there to clean the shower floor. When I came into the bathrooom this afternoon, only Laura's shampoo remained on the window ledge. I looked out the window and saw two bottles floating in the pool below. When I went downstairs to fish our conditioners out of the pool, I saw they were the only products that had survived the ten story fall. Both of our containers of body wash and my shampoo were smashed to oblivion on the concrete, and the only evidence left behind was a large puddle of soap and a few plastic shards of the lids. I was slightly annoyed at first, but as my budget has plenty of room to purchase more shampoo and body wash and it was an honest mistake, I just laughed and added the experience to my list of Things that Would Never Happen to Me in Abilene. Hope you enjoyed a little laugh too! :)

Thanks for reading, everyone! Know that I love you and I still covet all your prayers! Ate logo!

A Day in the Life

2007-06-30T21:36:00.000-05:00

So I decided that instead of a quick overview of the highlights of several events, I'd give you a better taste of my mission work by painting you a picture of a day in the life of a mission intern in Salvador, Brazil.

My morning started about 8:30 where I got up, grabbed some breakfast and headed out the door about 9:30 to head to the church building to meet two of my readers that I am studying the Bible with in English. The apartment where I live with Randy and Jennifer is on the tenth floor, so as I'm waiting for the elevator, I pull a R$2 bill out of my purse and tuck it into my jeans pocket so that I don't have to rifle through my cash on the street in order to pay my bus fare. It is about a twelve to fifteen minute walk to my bus stop, up a hill and down the other side. I pass by many other apartment buildings, a couple of schools and several shops on our quiet street before I hit one of the main thoroughfares, Avenida Paulo VI where I catch a bus. The bus takes me within about four blocks of the church building, and I walk the rest of the way and into the former restaurant storefront that now houses ICOS (Igreja de Cristo O Salvador).

The reading sessions were great. I had incredible spiritual conversations with both readers, although we really had to struggle through the first because Arnon's English is not terribly strong. Sometimes I try to revert to Portuguese to discuss the spiritual content, but he wants so badly to practice his English that he usually answers my questions in English. About 12:15, when I finished my session with Jorge, I asked Ian, one of the LST campaigners, and Francisco, Ian's reader who is quickly becoming my friend as well to accompany me to the little market just around the corner from the church to buy food for our benevolence project this evening. The boys, after insisting on carrying all the groceries, helped me pack 29 lunches to pass out to kids and adults on the street.

Around 1:15, I start to head home, this time walking a couple of blocks down the Orla, which is the street that runs parallel to the shoreline. It's hard to tear my eyes away from the Atlantic waves crashing as I walk. They are so beautiful today that my inner child just wants to run into them and start splashing. My bus comes quickly, and I get back to the apartment about 30 minutes later. I have time to heat up some leftovers for lunch and relax for a few minutes before Laura and I have to brave the heat again to walk to Matt and Mary's apartment for our small group Bible study.

On the walk to Matt and Mary's, I filled Laura in on my reading sessions. We breeze right past the porter at the gate of the apartment because we're white and so they automatically know who we are here to see. Our Bible study today centers around John 6, talking about how Jesus is the bread of life. We discuss the passage and share prayer requests, and then Matt gives us a ride to the church building to do the benevolence project.

We gather up all the lunches and get ready to hit the streets. But where can you find homeless people when you really need them? We checked the park where we got rid of all our lunches two weeks ago, but no one is there. We have to walk several more blocks to find some kids trying to sell candy to passing cars for pennies. Their mother and grandmother are sitting on the curb across the street. The mother helps point us in the direction of some other street children she knows, and after making a huge circle, we still have 1/3 of the lunches we packed. We decide to load them in the car and hit up the corner where our bus stop is because there are always children there. On the walk back to the building, we found an old woman standing on a street corner and when I handed her the sack, she didn't say a word to me. She just lifted her hands to the heavens and began praising God aloud for his provision for her. Tears stung my eyes as I walked away, and Laura comments, "I think heaven is going to be full of old women."

After delivering the rest of the food to the kids at our bus stop, Matt gives Laura and me a ride back to our apartment. We are greeted by a three-year-old's cries of "You ome!" and the enthusiastic hug that follows. Kelton is loving having two big sisters for the summer! We eat dinner and spend the evening relaxing and recuperating from a tiring but worthwhile day!

Now, I do have to say I picked a good day to describe for you in this post. Not all days are this glamorous. In fact, most aren't. Many days, my work is not as visible as it was today. Sometimes my work is sitting in front of a computer typing a VBS story or washing dishes after Sunday potluck. But I am thankful for those tasks too because I know that God works in and through all things, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity he's given me to work here in Salvador this summer.

Thanks for bearing with me through a long post, and thanks for all the prayers! I could not be doing what I'm doing without all the support from home! Please keep it up! Ate mais, gente!

Happys and Crappys

2007-06-28T14:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sorry to report that my good intentions of posting to this blog every couple of days have not been realized as of yet. It seems like every time my day off comes around, I think, "Oh, yeah! I should update my blog!" So, here is the weekly update. I entitled it "Happys and Crappys" in honor of my Spring Break Campaign co-leader who used to call our daily debriefing times by that name as everyone in the group reported the good things and bad things that had happened to them that day. I feel like my report this week follows a similar pattern.

In some ways, it has been a sad week. One of the families on the team decided that God was calling them back to the States, and so we said an official goodbye to them on Tuesday. That was hard because I hate to see my friends upset, and I also hate to see the Parkers go, even though I know this is the right decision for their family at this time. The other sad thing this week is that Laura got pretty sick over the weekend, so that was definitely the pits.

But on to the Happys. We had a fantastic youth lock-in on Friday night. Most of the regular youth attended, as well as four of the LST students. We watched Bruce Almighty and later had discussions about the spiritual themes of the movie and what we learned about God and his will for our lives. We also played games such as DDR and Spoons, ate junk food and stayed up way too late, as is customary at any youth lock-in. On Saturday, I went with some of the missionary families down to the Pelourinho to enjoy some of the São João festivities. Although it rained, Laura and I decided to brave it anyway and made our first official trip to the beach to play on Monday afternoon. (That doesn't count the two baptisms on the beach or the massage we got on the beach on Friday.) And Tuesday brought another great turn-out for VBS, and I only have God to thank for helping me pull it together this week because I know I did not do that on my own human strength! And yesterday, one of the LST campaigners, in the midst of her studies with Brazilians, realized that although she has been a Christian her entire life, she never really understood the significance of baptism or why it is important. So, she decided to make her commitment to Christ public and was baptized in the ocean by Russ! Below, you'll find a few picture highlights from the week:

Before we watched Bruce Almighty, we had to stand up and announce ourselves as Heather the Almighty and declare what we would do with all of God's power.

Giovane, Andre, Thais and Jennifer go head to head in four player DDR.

At VBS on Tuesday, Gean enjoys the marble art craft to represent Jesus calming the storm.

We also played a translated version of Ship to Shore, that I learned in my elementary PE class at VBS. The kids loved it!

Russ and Whitney standing on the beach just before her baptism in the ocean

Here are some things and people you could keep in your prayers this week:

- Whitney, that her new life with Christ would be abundantly blessed

- Francisco, one of the LST readers who is very interested in Christianity but is feeling persecuted in this search by his spiritist believing family

- Alicia, one of the girls who came to VBS and has just been diagnosed with lupus

- the Parker family, as they settle into their new life in Oklahoma

- the other four missionary families as they adjust to life and teamwork without the Parkers

- energy and strength from the Lord for all of us to accomplish the work he has called us to do

Thanks for all of your prayers and support! You have no idea how much they are appreciated! If anyone is interested, I have posted the video of my VBS announcement in Portuguese last week on Facebook. Here is the link: http://acu.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=504558444217. Please take a minute to leave a comment while you're here because I love to hear news from home! It helps ward off the homesickness. I love and miss you all!

Injury for Christ

2007-06-21T22:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, so my "injury" isn't that big of a deal. It's more of a joke really. We had a Bunco party tonight for all the church members and LST students. Brazilians love to play games, and they get quite competitive! I mean, seriously! I've never seen Bunco draw blood before tonight! When someone rolled a Bunco at my table, in the mad dash to grab the dice, my left thumbnail got bent backward, and so now it is a little tender with a nice dark purple spot right underneath the quick. Like I said, it's not a big deal, but I like to laugh about how intense the Brazilians are when they play games. However, I guess it's not that much different than the Big Purple game of Spoons (with Legos) that sent Carissa to the emergency room freshman year! :)

Anyway, this week has been very busy. I taught my second VBS session on Tuesday. It went well, even though I was completely exhausted when it was over! Please keep praying for this effort. I am hoping for more children to come in the following weeks so that this can really serve as an outreach and avenue of growth for the church.

This week I also began taking on LST (Let's Start Talking) readers. So far, I have only had one session, but I have four students lined up. Please pray for these studies and that I can have fruitful conversations in each one as we read through the book of Luke. My students' names are Arnon, George, Celeste and Alex.

Today I spent most of my day off at the Parkers' playing with the kids so that Keith and Stacey could get some things done on the house since they are moving back to the States on Tuesday. It's sad and I'm going to miss them (as are a lot of people here), but I know it's the right decision for their family. Please keep them in your prayers as they travel home and get resettled in Oklahoma.

We have a busy weekend in store. It's a holiday weekend here called Sao Joao, which is a harvest festival. We are celebrating by hosting an all night lock-in with the youth group tomorrow night. I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun, but probably also exhausting! Then, if we're not too tired, we're going to try to go downtown on Saturday night to take in the cultural experience of Sao Joao celebrations.

I promise to post some more pictures on here after this weekend. I'm also trying to figure out how to get the video of my VBS announcement in Portuguese posted on YouTube. When I do, I'll post a link here. If you'd like to look at more pics, you can see the photos I've posted on Facebook by following this link. http://acu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037642&l=9b2dd&id=54605641. The other photo album is at this address. http://acu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037320&l=b512d&id=54605641. Thank you again for all your prayers and encouragement! And please, take a minute to leave a comment and let me know about what's going on in your corner of the world! I love and miss you all!

VBS Week 1: Success

2007-06-14T11:15:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pictures from my first day of VBS on Tuesday. My apologies for not putting them up sooner. Wednesdays are pretty busy with staff meetings and mentor time, but Thursdays are our day off, so we have more time to take care of administrative tasks like updating blogs!

Alicia (the team's children's minister) is introducing me and my lesson for the day.
This is me telling the story of the birth of Jesus.
Two of the girls, Joicy and Leticia work on their pinpoint luminaries.
Elvis and Gean work on their projects, with Kelton and Alicia in the background.
Joicy diligently working on her picture frame.

My first day of VBS on Tuesday was a success. We had nine kids total and strongly encouraged them to invite more friends next week. I told the story of the birth of Jesus (written with the help of my language teacher Lea, who is also studying elementary education like me!). The kids did two crafts: a pinpoint luminary to hang in their windows and remind them of how Jesus is the light and a picture frame that we will return to them next week with their photo inside. We also had a snack (classic VBS staple) and played games. I had a blast! I definitely feel "in my element" when I am teaching, and the kids here are so much fun! I love to see their faces light up, and I am so glad that God sent me here to share Jesus with them! Please continue to pray for me and my time here, for the kids at VBS, for the other Brazilians that I am meeting and for the missionaries I am working with. You have no idea how much your prayers and support mean to me! And while you're here, take a minute to leave a comment. I love to hear about what's going on at home too! I love you and miss you all!

Language Blubbers....Every Rookie's Mistake

2007-06-10T19:26:00.000-05:00

So today was our first church service with the Igreja de Cristo O Salvador. I enjoyed worshipping in Portuguese, and I followed the majority of the sermon and communion thoughts. After church, we went to lunch with some of the LST team to a churrascaria. It was delicious! Then I rode back to the church with Daniele, one of the girls from our small group that started yesterday. She and I carried on an entire conversation during the ride. I was so proud of myself!

We spent a couple of hours at the church building preparing materials for VBS. Several of the LST readers helped us out as they waited on their campaigners to finish up with other readers. I really liked talking with Francisco and his friend, and they were incredibly helpful in bending the coat hangers into paddles for us. So funny story about that. They asked me the English name for “hanger,” only I thought they were asking what my name was, so I told them Heather. Then later when they asked my name, I told them Heather, and they said, “No, what’s your name?” I said it again, and we finally realized the mistake. They jokingly held up some hangers and said, “I have three Heathers.” And “Nice to meet you, Hanger.” J

Oh yeah, my other funny language mistake of the day. I commented to Daniele and the others in the car with me on the way to lunch that the eyes (I meant waves “ondas” but said eyes “olhos”) were very big on the ocean today. LOL

So tomorrow is my first day of language class, and then we are heading to the beach!! On Tuesday, I have the kids for VBS for the first time. Please pray for that to go well. I definitely need to be covered as I lead VBS in a foreign language! Thanks again for your prayers and support, everyone!

A Few Pictures from the Trip Thus Far

2007-06-09T11:32:00.000-05:00

This is the view from Randy and Jennifer's apartment. See the ocean in the background? We have yet to hit the beach, but we're hoping to go with the LST team members on Monday if it doesn't rain!

This is Laura and me in front of a FRIENDS poster (our favorite show!) at an ice-cream store not far from the church building.

Here we are enjoying some sandwiches with the youth group and Travis and Randy at Youth Night on Friday night.

Laura plays soccer with some of the youth group kids. I watched from a safe distance, LOL.

Me enjoying a lazy Saturday morning with Kelton in the hammock on the balcony

So, Laura and I arranged our work and class schedules with the team yesterday, and now we're trying to settle into life here. We're going to be busy: VBS on Tuesdays (plus the prep work), picking up LST readers when some of the Auburn campaigners leave the week after next, small group on Saturdays, Youth Night on Fridays, LST parties on Thursdays, and the list goes on. There's lots to be praying about, for sure! This week, I would appreciate special prayers for:

- my VBS preparation and my first day with the kids on Tuesday

- Danieli, a girl I met at the LST party on Thursday who seems interested in coming to church

- Lara, a girl we met at the bank yesterday who speaks some English and we hope will be interested in starting LST studies when she returns home from her honeymoon next week

- our new small group, made up mostly of university women and young female professionals, that is starting today

Thanks for reading, and thanks for your prayers! I love you all!

FINALLY here!

2007-06-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Oi, pessoal!

We finally arrived in Salvador, only 28 hours later than originally intended. Our flight was delayed in Dallas, causing us to miss our connection to Salvador in Sao Paulo. So, we got on the next flight, but it took us nearly two hours to recheck our bags because there were strikes and weather issues in Sao Paulo this morning, so everything was backed up.

On the bright side, we met two girls from UT Austin who are studying abroad in Salvador this summer, and we helped each other out, becoming fast friends. On the really bright side, we're in Salvador!!! I can't tell you how good it was to see Russ and Val pick us up at the airport and then to see Randy, Jenn and Kelton when we arrived at their apartment. If I wasn't so tired, I think I'd be a little more excited. :) Also, it will be great to see Salvador in the daytime. (It was already dark when we landed today.) Anyway, just wanted you to know that we're here and we're safe.

Please keep us in your prayers as we begin language study and our work really soon. VBS starts on Tuesday! I'm a little nervous about that, so please pray for me as I prepare this week! Love you all and check back here soon for more updates as we get to really experience our first few days in the city!

So Close...and Yet So Far

2007-06-05T11:32:00.000-05:00

So I had hoped that the next time I blogged, I would be in Brazil. Unfortunately, that's not the way it worked out. Our internship was delayed from starting by 24 hours due to bad weather in Dallas yesterday. We sat on the runway in Abilene for probably a total of 8 hours or so. The first 5 we sat there waiting for a ground stop to clear, which kept being extended every 30 minutes. We finally took off about 7:00 (we were supposed to leave at 2:00 PM) and got almost to Dallas when they put us into a holding pattern because of the storm. We did not have enough fuel to stay in the holding pattern, so we were sent back to Abilene where we were grounded because our crew had been on duty for too many hours. However, even when we got to Abilene, we sat on the runway for more than another hour because so many other planes had been rerouted to Abilene, and it took a really long time to deplane everyone.

Laura and I managed to find ridiculous ways to entertain ourselves for so long. (Think how many card games you have to invent for two people that can be played on tray tables.) The worst part was how starving we were. We hadn't eaten lunch because Dwight had made us such a great breakfast, we thought it would last us until we landed in Dallas. And it would have... Also, all the snacks we had packed were in our rollaboards which were gate checked because the plane from Abilene to Dallas is too tiny to fit them in the overhead bins. So, we went the whole day on breakfast and the bag of trail mix the flight attendant handed out at 8:30. The good news is, the Phillips came to rescue us at the airport when we finally got off about 9:15, and they got Sonic for us! :) The other good news is that I was able to rebook our flights from the runway. (Yay cell phones and AAdvantage desks!) So, now we are scheduled for the exact same itinerary 24 hours later. (Same song, second verse. Laura says it feels like that movie Groundhog Day.) We also got to sleep in real beds last night and catch up on some sleep...more good news! :) Anyway, please keep us in your prayers today as we attempt to begin our trip again. Hopefully the next time you hear from me, I really will be in Brazil! Until then!

We're Almost Off!

2007-06-01T23:20:00.000-05:00

Laura and I are just two days away from taking off on our ten week internship to Salvador, Brazil! (Monday, June 4 is the official day we fly out from Abilene.) We are so excited, but we are also running around like crazy trying to get everything taken care of before we leave! Here are some things you can be praying about for us in the next few days:

- safe travel (We leave on Monday afternoon and won't arrive in Salvador until early afternoon on Tuesday.)

- our families we are leaving behind for the summer

- quick recovery from jet lag and initial culture shock

- immediate bonds created with the missionary team and Brazilians

We covet your prayers, and we really appreciate all the love and support we have received to get to Brazil! Now we are excited to see how the Lord will bless our time there! Check back here in about a week for more updates about our first few days on the field!

Seeing Old Friends

2006-01-04T16:15:00.000-06:00

Me and Reagan, enoying some cuddle time

Chole showing Reagan the "magic bunny" trick my dad taught her

Me, Chloe, Reagan and Sheila...what a great visit!

Here are the pictures I promised to post from my visit over Christmas break with Sheila , my former private clarinet instructor and her adorable two daughters. The older one, Reagan is mentally and physically handicapped due to a genetic disorder, but she is the most precious cuddlebug! Her younger sister, Chloe is three and didn't cease to keep us laughing with her continous chatter. I had a wonderful time catching up with this precious family...I'm just sad that they still don't live in Abilene!

Happy New Year!

2005-12-29T21:40:00.000-06:00

Hello, everyone! I know you are astounded that I have actually updated my blog!! I saw an old friend today who told me that she checks up here every once in a while, and I felt bad for not posting knowing that others (besides Alex, of course!) were reading.

Anyway, I am in Oklahoma City celebrating Christmas with my grandparents. To celebrate, we're painting their house! Doesn't that sound exciting? My grandparents are trying to sell their house here so they can move to their other house in Missouri, so we are helping them along in the selling process by repainting some of the rooms.

As fun as all of that has been, the highlight of this trip was having dinner with Sheila and her family tonight. Sheila was my private clarinet teacher for two years in middle school and high school until her husband was transferred here to OKC with the Air Force. She has two precious daughters (and one more on the way!) and we had the best time tonight catching up with each other. Chloe (age 3) kept all of us laughing with her little girl antics, and I enjoyed some precious time cuddling with Reagan (age 6), their mentally handicapped daughter. When I get back home and have access to my card reader, I will post some pictures from our dinner tonight, but for now, I will just say that I was deeply blessed to spend some time with this precious family.

I hope all of you have a Happy New Year and a blessed 2006. Until then!!

Home Sweet Home

2005-07-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I am finally back on American soil, although I think I left my heart in Brazil. (Not to mention one of my suitcases.) To make a long story short, one of my suitcases didn't make it on my plane from Brasilia to Sao Paulo, so it is still somewhere in Brazil, hopefully on the way home to me via snail mail. We'll see how long it is before I view the contents of that suitcase again!

Other than that small fiasco, my trip was amazing. Thank you for all of your prayers. They were surely felt! My passion for missions has been renewed, and I also believe my call has been reaffirmed, so I am now praying for God's will in my future ministry. I can't wait to see what He has in store!

When I have recovered more from jet lag, I promise I will get around to posting some pictures! Until then....

Coming Home

2005-07-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

Sorry, gente, that I have not posted as much as I planned to while in Brasil. I kept hoping to be able to post some pictures from the trip to my blog while I was in Salvador, but my first attempt failed, and then I never got around to trying again until the last weekend when I could not because the Internet was down at Randy and Jenn´s apartment!

Anyway, my stay in Salvador was WONDERFUL!!!! I did not want to leave. I have been gone less than twenty-four hours as of right now and already I am dying of saudades (not a good translation in English...basically I miss my friends really bad!). I had a great time catching up with the team and hanging out with them. My two weeks there gave me a pretty good idea of what life is like for settling missionaries, and that is exactly what I had hoped to get out of my visit. Plus, the trips to the beach and neat restaurants and the Mercado Modelo were nice, too! I could definitely see myself spending more time in Salvador. I just hope that´s in the Lord´s plan for me too!

So, right now, I am killing time at my friend´s house in Brasilia until I can get on another plane to Sao Paulo to catch my overnight flight back to the States. I am sad to leave Brasil, but now that I have said goodbye to all of my friends, I am just ready to get home. And besides, when I get home, it will be time to move into my new place with Laura! I am very excited about that!

When I get home, I promise I will post some pictures from the trip. Until then, gente! Tchau!

Phase 2 of Brasil Trip

2005-07-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Salvador!! The rest of the Highland mission team left Itu on Monday, and I arrived in Salvador last night. It is so hot here!! Too bad I left all those nice summer clothes at home....

The team was really glad to see me, and I think it's going to be a fun two weeks getting to catch up with them and checking out what the life of a new missionary is like. Randy says he does have a card reader on this laptop, so soon I hope to get pics of the mission trip posted.

Anyway, the last few days of the trip were really great. Marketplace ended beautifully, and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. The campers came back all fired up and full of the Spirit. Over the last three days of the campaign, we had eleven people baptized!!! Praise the Lord!! Eight of them were Brazilian teens, two of them were Brazilian adults (one the husband of a woman my mom studied with on our last campaign) and one was an American from our group, Andy Perkins. His story is especially sweet, but I'm running out of time for right now.

Please post some comments and let me know about what's going on in the good old U.S. of A! Miss you guys a lot!!!

More later.....

Brazil Update 2

2005-07-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

We have survived two days of VBS so far!!! I am exhausted from being in charge and from trying to lead VBS in a foreign language, but all things considered, it is going really well. We went for four hours today, and it was a little too long. We had too much down time, and that was difficult because not every group had an interpretator. We decided to not go for as long tomorrow and see if that works better. Thank you for your prayers...I can definitely feel them. The Holy Spirit really is working because I am surprised at how much I can communicate with the children. Please pray for me especially tomorrow because I am going to close VBS by telling the story of the resurrection.

Hopefully by the time I get to Salvador, I will be able to post pictures here so you guys can see some of what went on before I actually get home. If not, I will share pics when I get back to the States.

Miss you guys a lot!!!! Keep praying for us....More later....

Brazil Update

2005-07-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, everyone! I am typing on the world's most difficult keyboard and am paying for my Internet time, so this will be kind of short.

We made it safely to Brazil and immediately jumped into the work here. On Saturday, we had a gospel concert at the mall, and lots of people came to hear us. A few of them even came to church yesterday! Our church service was a very neat time of reconnecting with the Brazilian Christians we had met before, and after church we had a barbecue to visit with them more. Then we sent the campers off to camp, and I spent most of today with my VBS team shopping and setting up for VBS tomorrow. I am getting really excited about having those little kids show up tomorrow, but I am also a little nervous. Please pray for me tomorrow morning as I am going to kick off VBS by telling a Bible story in Portuguese. Also, please pray for my roommate...she is sick (cold or something) and right now is having to miss out on camp. ;(

I need to go get ready for our Fourth of July celebration at one of the elders' houses. Please post comments because I would love to hear from you! I miss you and love you all very much!

More updates to come.....thanks for your prayers!

Brazil Here I Come!!!

2005-06-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

I know that I have not posted in forever, but I do plan on using this blog as a way to keep everyone updated on how our mission trip to Brazil is going. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to have Internet access, but I will try to post as much as possible. Please pray for our team as we leave tomorrow. Actually, my family will be leaving on Friday, so we would all appreciate your prayers for safe travel over the next couple of days. The next time I post I will be in Brazil!!!!!

News Update

2005-04-06T20:25:00.000-05:00

I realized I have not posted in over a month...probably because no one is reading my blog!!!! But, I decided that of course no one will read it if I don't post!

So, where to start??? Easter pagaent at Pioneer Drive this year...I played in the orchestra, and it was an AMAZING experience. I can't wait to do it again next year! I have always loved playing music, but there is just something even more special about playing music to help tell the story of Jesus.

My trip to Chicago last week was absolutely phenomenal. I went with 17 other people as a part of an Honors colloquium I was taking that was studying Wagner's Ring Cycle opera in depth. This is an amazing work that completely changed the style and form of opera during its day. This work is where many of our stereotypical images of opera are founded. You know the fat lady with horns and gold braids? "It ain't over till the fat lady sings?" That's this opera!!! The stage production was pretty modernistic (our group was quite disappointed by the lack of pyrotechnics!!)...apparently that's the new trend, but the music was FANTASTIC. I had an absolute blast. The rest of the time we spent exploring the city, hitting up museums and great food and shopping. I had a great time getting to know some new people and, of course, hanging out with old friends, too.

Last new thing and then I'll quit for today. I've started my Peer Leader training for next year. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, I'm going to be part of an ACU program to minister to the incoming freshmen next fall. Every incoming student is assigned to a University Seminar class. It is required for everyone to take this class, and it is designed to help acclamate the student to ACU and ease the transition from high school to college. The peer leader's job is to assist the faculty member instructing the class by being a liason between the professor and the students. I get to minister to the freshmen as the voice of experience, and I am so pumped!!! My group will consist of all elementary education majors like myself, and I will be partnering with Dana Hood in this class. Please pray for me throughout the months to come as I prepare to reach out to these freshmen next fall.

Well, that's about it for today! Please feel free to post a comment and let me hear about what's going on in your life! Also, if any of you are interested in keeping tabs on Jon Westin Bennett, one of the boys who was in the wreck at Highland back in January and is still being treated at Cook's Children's Hospital in Ft. Worth for an infection that will not go away in his broken leg, then please check out his blog, http://wesbennett.blogspot.com.

Talk to you guys later!

Chapel Today

2005-03-01T23:09:00.000-06:00

I am personally not a fan of "Healthy Choices Week" at ACU. Even though I think it's a good idea to encourage students to make good choices during the upcoming Spring Break, the whole concept usually comes across a little too much like sex ed or "Just Say No" programs in high school. So I was pleasantly surprised to hear Sally Gary's speech in chapel this morning about making Jesus the master and commander of your life so that all of your other choices become easier when Christ is at your center.

I was especially touched by Dr. Gary's reference to Brody Bourland's story. She briefly told the story about him making a public commitment to Jesus at Winterfest the morning that he died. Even though Dr. Gary didn't know Brody or his family personally, she talked about how touched she was by his story. I was blessed to know that Brody's story is touching so many people's lives, even those like me and Dr. Gary who never knew him here on earth but are in some small way, better people because of the amazing impact he had on the world, in life and in death. Praise be to God for this amazing testimony!

Inspirations from Nature

2005-02-27T19:40:00.000-06:00

In Steven Moore's American lit class, we were given an assignment to go spend some time in nature and then respond to what nature was telling us about ourselves and our spiritual walk. Later, we'll incorporate this into a paper as we discuss a nature poem by Frost or Sandburg and compare it to our experience in nature. Anyway, God gave me some really awesome insights while I was observing nature, so I decided to share them with you on my post today.

"It's funny what light can do to everything around it. As the sun sinks behind the clouds, the outlines of the clouds are tinged with beautiful colors, oranges and golds, pinks and purples. There is one long, thin cloud that leads to the large, thick cloud that the sun just disappeared behind. This long cloud is now a bright golden streak across the sky. It looks like the sun left this blazing trail behind it as it headed for the horizon. The sun has changed everything it has touched on its journey downward tonight. The sky and the clouds, everything is brighter and more beautiful after the touch of the sun. What a great analogy to how the world and especially we as humans are affected after we are touched by the Son! He is so glorious and so powerful that just a brush of His hand makes us shine with all His brilliance and beauty. When we were still dead in our sins, we were like that big gray cloud I see hanging overhead, thick and dark and full of so much that we need to release. Yet after we are touched by the Son, we are like those sunset clouds on the horizon. Suddenly our true colors are brought to light, and we display the bright pinks and the deep purples, the royal blues and the golden brilliance of our souls. Thank you, Jesus, for coming into my life to let me shine in your glory and splendor!"

My Thoughts on the Wreck

2005-02-26T23:08:00.000-06:00

Okay, my first couple of posts were just sort of experiments as I became accustomed to blogging. Now I want to begin to really share some of my personal thoughts and feelings. I know that there have been lots of people who have expressed their thoughts and feelings about the Highland wreck, whether in public or private, and my little brother (the budding author...I'm so proud of him) is busily working on a short story about this very topic, but now it is my turn.

I think I have, in a way, a unique point of view on this event. I'm not really in the youth group anymore, so I don't fit into that category, and most of the other university members at Highland have not been there since the 2nd grade, like I have. Highland is, more than any other church probably ever will be, my home, and because it is my home, I, too, have been deeply affected by this tragedy. Anyway, let me start at the beginning....

I was at my parents' house that afternoon when my brother came home from Winterfest with the horrible news. I was, of course, shocked and heartbroken for everyone involved, but the most difficult part of the news for me was knowing that some of "my boys" were in that car. You see, I started baby-sitting when I was twelve years old, and Chris was the first kid I ever baby-sat for. I took care of him on countless Sunday nights while Mike and Diane were at covenant group, and over the years, he became like my own little brother. He and Austin have always been good buddies, so through the years, I had taken care of Austin quite a bit, too. That is why I felt like they were "my boys".

I cried a lot that first week. I cried as I prayed for the families involved, especially those that felt like part of my own. I cried with tears of relief to have my own brother still safe and sound. I cried with tears of sympathy as I grieved with my church family, and I cried more than I ever thought I could cry at a stranger's funeral. Even though I hadn't known Brody personally, I felt like I had after going to visitation and the funeral. One of the things I remember most vividly is peering into his casket at visitation and then running to my mother, sobbing, "He's so small! Mom, he's just so little!" When I was twelve years old, I felt so grown up and mature, but looking at that sweet little boy in his baseball uniform, I realized that twelve is not so big at all. (I know, I know, nineteen is young too...thanks for reminding me, everyone.) I know that compared to the unimaginable glory and splendor that Brody is beholding now in heaven, the years that he missed here on earth are not so important, but for those of us who are still here, it is harder to deal with the death of a child so young. Originally, I hadn't intended to go to the funeral, but I'm so glad I did. It's hard to describe a more touching sight than the 2000+ people that filled Highland's auditorium that sunny afternoon. In a way, it seemed like the whole world was there: men in TXU uniforms there for Bret, many of the faculty from Franklin, almost every member of the Highland family (including all the kids from the wreck who weren't still in the hospital), and of course, who could forget all those sweet little boys in their baseball uniforms? I happened to be sitting right behind the group of singers in the very last row of the auditorium, and so I got to see almost every single person who attended that funeral as they walked by on their way up to the casket. What a blessing it was to behold the presence of the body of Christ that day!

I have so much more that I want to write about, but I've probably already scared a lot of people away from reading any more of my blogs because of how long this post has become. More of my thoughts to come later....

Day 2

2005-02-26T16:14:00.000-06:00

Spent most of the day baby-sitting the grandkids of one of my "other moms". They are absolutely precious, and we had a really fun time. My family is going to see Mouse Trap tonight, the ACU dinner theatre production. Other than that, it should be a fairly quiet weekend around here, especially with my roommate and most of my other close friends out of town.

Don't have much else to say today except: One more week until Spring Break!!!!! :)

More tomorrow....

Starting Out

2005-02-25T20:09:00.000-06:00

I just got into blogging, mainly because I wanted to post on Mike's blog. But I think this could be a fun way for people to know about what's going on in my life. So, what's new today? Let's see...

I watched a pretty good movie with my family tonight called Because of Winn Dixie. I thought it was going to be corny (and I'll admit, there were definitely some corny parts), but overall, I would highly recommend this movie for the themes of community and friendship. It was also surprisingly humorous. Definitely a must-see!

Well, I guess that's it for today. More on my exciting life tomorrow...