All GREAT things must come to an end - Loving our last day of Camp...

We have been blessed again this year to have campers attend camp who live in a community called Bella Vista. To help us better understand some of the challenges they face, we drove through their community after camp. It was an eye-opening experience for many of us. The living conditions are much different from anything many of our team members had ever seen. There is no indoor plumbing, no heat or air condition, very simple constructed houses, no glass in the windows, no grass in the yards – just dirt yards and dirt roads. The community suffers from high crime rates and alcohol and drug abuse.

Despite these challenges, the children show up at camp everyday (early) with smiles on their faces ready to have fun and learn about Jesus.  They have certainly taught us more than we could have every taught them in 4 short days.  Their hugs, smiles, laughter, and kisses (sometimes) have showed us that true happiness truly is not found in the possessions we have – but in a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tonight we are excited to celebrate with the campers and their families at the evening worship celebration. Please pray that the message of Christ will penetrate the hearts of moms and dads as they hear the good news of Jesus Christ. 

Thanks for your continued prayers for our team as we wrap up our mission here this week but please continue to pray for this awesome church as they follow-up with campers and their families – that is where the real work and battle will take place.

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Ice Cream is Good No Matter Where You Are...

            

Oi from Brazil! We are having so much fun here and can’t believe it is already Wednesday! The afternoon session of camp yesterday (Tuesday) was so much fun. The kids were crazy excited about everything we did and had a great time. The Brazilian volunteers are doing an incredible job of leading all the activities at camp. The kids love them and really listen to what they have to say. We are praying that the relationships they are building with these kids will continue in the days and years to come.

           

After camp last night we had a surprise stop at a local store where we got to try all different kinds of Brazilian ice cream and popsicles. The store just happened to be across the street from a playground, so of course we all had to climb the jungle gym, slide down the slide and play on the seesaw. Everyone knows camp counselors are just a bunch of big kids J

            

After ice cream we headed back down the bumpy dirt roads to Agua Viva where Brent presented Mark with his very own massive bowl full of pao de queijo. We think Mark has found his new favorite food. As I type this, he has currently eaten 28 pieces of pao de queijo! KT believes Mark may now be suffering from “pao de chitis”, a condition that affects all aspects of your life after consuming large amount of cheese bread.

            

Camp this morning went by so quickly, and the kids were more excited than ever. During the Roundup, there was a smile on every face, and kids were jumping and dancing everywhere! In Crafts, the kids got to color and design their own guitars. It was water day in Recreation, so they played Balloon Toss and Drip, Drip, Drop. In Man Land the meninos played tag games, and in Girl World the meninas made button bracelets.

            

Today is the day at camp when the gospel is presented to the kids. Please pray with us as we expect God to work in the lives of these kids and their families. Tomorrow night we will have a service where the parents are invited to come and see what we have been doing at camp. Pray that the families will be excited to come, that God would speak to them and that they would become involved in this church.

Ate lago!

-Haley

Caleb- loves being called “Chio Calebey”

Marney- When life gives you limes, make lemonade.

Haley- thinks the sky has to be more beautiful in Brazil than anywhere else in the world. Shout out to Mrs. Kitty and the Lincoln Monkeys!

Will- Happy birthday Daniel!

Born- ate “street food” for the first time ever and it was probably the best thing he has ever eaten. Alison, the cups are still a tease J

Kayla- thinks Brazilian mango ice cream is fantastic and loves doing the Cupid Shuffle with the meninas and meninos. ILY!

Ashlyn- “Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the church.”

KT- believes Mark ate so much pao de queijo because he misses McCall. Camp is going great!

Norma- The kids are so precious, even the one who bit KT in the stomach and played with his belly button

Brent- Oi Angela e Michael. Eu amo tanto de você e sinto saudades. O Programa de WinShape está indo muito bem - você gostaria de estar aqui! Deixe-me saber se você precisa de alguma coisa do Brasil

Kari- is enjoying the Brazilian food very much!

Mark- must be sweating pao de queijo because a kid chewed on his knuckle.

LB- Has a new favorite phrase…“Se esta na chuva, e para se molhar.” or “When it rains, get wet.”

Katie- is amazed at the differences but even more amazed by the similarities. Mardi Gras beads are everywhere!

Keenan- loves how God uses little things to remind him how great God is.

Nicole- enjoyed playing guitars with the kids in Art today!

Juliana- had a great birthday yesterday and is having an even greater birthday today!

Danielle- 1 John 4:4

Stephanie- enjoyed learning how to samba yesterday and loved taking pictures of the meninos and meninas today! Shout out to the family…love you guys!

Megan- It’s Wacky Wild Wednesday! Loves watching the campers try to do the Roundup J (CHIPPEWWWWWWWWAAAAAAA) James 1:27

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And it goes on and on and on...

Camp yesterday afternoon was just as good as camp in the morning.  After a two-hour break the campers began to show up.  We played soccer (fuitball) and four-square with them.  Communicating has been very easy.  The campers love to teach us words in Portuguese and we in turn teach them the English word.  Our Brazilian volunteers are doing a fantastic job teaching the campers in oficinas and small group time. There has been a lot of campers return from last year.  Marcos came last year and wore his Demais shirt.  He was called onto stage and recited the memory verse from last summer.  It was an incredible moment to see that the children remember what they learned.

After camp we drove back to Aqua Viva and ate an amazing dinner.  Dona Gon Gon was back to cook for us.  We were all extremely tired and went to bed early to get ready for the next day.

Breakfast was a great surprise.  When we woke up Dona Gon Gon had prepared her special pão de queijo, a cheesy bread Brazilians eat for breakfast and a morning snack.  It has been the best food I have had here, and that is saying something.

This morning we had twice as many campers as yesterday come.  It was great to see the old and new faces.  The Bible story today is about Jesus healing the blind man and the campers learned that God has an adventure for them.  In Man Land we made kool aid icees, rec played every kind of tag game you can think of, arts and crafts tie-died bandanas, and Girl World was filled with bubbles.

We now have a break for lunch while we wait for the second group of campers. I am sure this afternoon will be incredible just like the morning.

Born – Woke up to a pink sky after sleeping in a hammock last night.

Keenan – With all of Janie Byrd dancing, doing the round up, and helping with rec I think I’ve developed a new workout routine that I call C.A.M.P90X

Will – Pão de queijo!

Mark is being rocked by Brazilian people and culture and fattened by its foods.

Nicole has yellow hands for tie-dyeing today with children.

Katie – Bernie (Bruno) made a lot of friends today.

Megan is teaching English.

Kari loves being called Tia by the little ninas.

Mauricio – Peace up.  A town down.

Norma and Ken busted a move.

Juliana could round up all day long.

Danielle is jealous of Neil and Grabirel’s dance moves and hey Ruby.

Stephanie – round up is my new favorite dance and I like playing bubbles with the meninas.

LB – I like dancing.  Dancing’s my favorite.

Caleb – Will misses Katie.  It’s obvious.

Brent – Grateful for my time with Maurice G. yesterday.  Feels like I know him on a much deeper level.

Ashlyn – Kayla just got laughed at for saying butt in Portuguese.

Kayla loves being called tia! Currently being taught how to somba.

KT – Will is very grumpy today.  I think it might have something to do with Katie.  Please pray for him.

Haley is jealous that Caleb serenaded Will instead of her but understands because Will really misses Katie.

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“Yellow, Yellow, Amarello..."

Chime dois started the day bright and early this morning, ready for camp. We of course began our day with a declicioso breakfast, which included a new drink made of avocados. We packed up and loaded the bus ready for the bumpy, rollercoaster ride to Sao Sebastio.

We got to the church and prepared to meet the wonderful children coming to camp today. As the children came this morning we greeted them with nametags bracelets of the color of their teams. We enjoyed bonding over four square, Brazilian hand/foot games, and some futbol before starting grande grupo. Our friends Elena, Marnie, Mauricio, and Niel did a fabulous job getting the campers excited for the bible story and lesson for the day: “

As we lined up to head to oficinas cheers for our teams echoed in the church: “Azul e cor to seu, azul e cor to mar, azul e cor du chime que vai a ganar”, “Yellow, Yellow, Amarello”, “Un avion escrita que verde e campeon!”. We were excited to see the children getting into the spirit of camp. During oficinas our Brazilian teammates did a fantastico job!!! Jaiane got the campers creative minds going for arts and crafts, Andrea made Octopus and Hot Dog tag the funnest games around,  SuSu made the meninas feel beautiful as the made their headbands, and Niel had the boys making popcorn with a parachute.  We are so blessed to be working with such wonderful friends.

The children were excited to end the day with one final round up before heading to school. Their rock and roll silly bands made their way to their arms quickly, and they were so excited to see the different shapes. We are so excited to see them again in the morning!

Well, the children are beginning to arrive for the afternoon camp, so we better get up and ready for another fun camp session!

A te lago,

Nicole Riley

LB- enjoyed delivering presents to two children from last year. Valeria and Pedro say hi Jessica and Jon.

Kayla- another beautiful day in Brazil! She is enjoying giving her silly bands to the meninos and meninas. And to her family “te quiero mucho!”

Ashlyn- is excited about doing her secret handshake with Carlos again in the morning!

Born- drank the wrong water today.

Haley- didn’t realize how much she missed doing the round up!

Danielle- is in love with Marnie’s Brazilian sky.

Stephanie- Chime Verde, Chime Verde! She also liked making headbands with the meninas.

Megan- really liked hearing John Bieber’s performance last night (Marnie). THE CAMPERS ARE HERE!

Kari- thinks she loves the Brazilian mountains more than the Irish hills.

Caleb- thinks even on another continent camp is awesome!

KT- it was awesome seeing the campers from last year and to hear that they were still connected to this church a year later.

Norma- Brazil still makes her hair flip out.

Katie- trying to learn her colors in Portuguese, but the kids just laugh.

Mark- is deeply grateful.

Will- all the children laugh when I speak Portuguese.

Keenan-  loved doing rec with some fun Brazilians this morning.

Nicole (me)- loved meeting the children this morning and can’t wait to learn some more fun hand games from the girls.

Larissa- likes Round up.

Marnie-  Round up Rocks!

Brent – I have a hard time speaking with a translator… Rosetta Stone… Why have I abandoned you?

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SunDay FunDay

So today we trained. After a great breakfast of Brazilian fruits and bread, we started training for the “oficinas” or workshops that would happen during camp similar to “skills” or “tracks” at other WinShape Camps. We broke out into our different oficinas to learn the activities and teach the Brazilian volunteers how to lead them.  For lunch we had pork and beef ribs, rice and beans, Brazilian slaw, and a very special desert…

Today we commemorated the birthday of a great American leader and patriot. He needs no introduction but I will give him one anyway. He was elected SGA treasurer two terms in a row at Valdosta State University without submitting his name for the running. His vocal stylings have been compared to contemporary stalwarts such as Justin Timberlake and Aaron Carter. He is tied for the most social media accounts in the state of Georgia (he is winning in Brazil). His son is already predicted to win the Presidential election of 2040 (They are planning to change the age limit just for him).  He is a one-man-band, a venture capitalist, and an accomplished ventriloquist. Everybody’s favorite intellectual… Brent Fielder. To commemorate this day Chime Dois enjoyed a delicious chocolate and coconut cake after lunch.

After lunch the Brazilian volunteers took turns leading the different oficinas. Although we couldn’t understand anything, we all had a blast. They are going to do a great job. At the end of training LB presented our volunteers with diplomas signifying their graduation from “Oficina University.” With just a few minutes left before we needed to head to church at El Shaddai, our team practiced singing “God of this City” in Portuguese so that we could sing it in front of the congregation.

Church was a great experience. It made me remember what it was like to be a kid in big church. Because I couldn’t understand the sermon I was just sitting there twiddling my thumbs and making faces at the other counselors and kids next to me. Being with the Brazilians at church made me so excited about Monday and the first day of camp.  After church we headed to Pizzarte, a Brazilian pizzeria. They brought us out tons of pizza to try, even dessert pizza like chocolate and banana.  I have figured out I love Guarana and passion fruit juice, two traditional Brazilian drinks. After another crazy drive back to Agua Viva, it’s bedtime.

One more night’s rest until camp and we all definitely need it.

Caleb

Blurbs…

Keenan – Mark Lamb hit me in the face twice…with a ball at close range.

Haley – Loves chocolate pizza. Also, me and LB just found surprise letters from a really thoughtful friend, you know who you are. Thanks for the encouragement.

Born – Thinks Kayla is going to kill him by the end of this week.

LB – Loved presenting all the Brazilian volunteers with their first ever paper plate awards, seeing familiar faces at church tonight and is glad iPod Idol has made its way back into WSCIP Nation. ILU.

Stephanie – Got “chocolate and flowers,” ate Brazilian pizza, and doesn’t know all the words to Bieber’s “Baby.”

Kayla – Definitely got hit in the face by Caleb during Rec… with a ball.  He was in no way trying to cause me physical harm. But it’s all on camera.  Ready for día 1 of camp. Familia y friends: Te quiero mucho!

Megan – Loved seeing old friends at church tonight and might never be hungry again.

Ashlyn – Can’t wait to meet John Bieber, Justin Bieber’s dad.

Danielle – Ashley, I ate the heart of palm stuff and loved it, and is now a professional Portuguese singer.

Marney – Fill up my cup…Macintosh

Kari – Snuggled in a hammock while looking at the mountains and shout out to Pastor Frank and Sherri.

Lamb – Is only sunburned on the top of his feet and is enjoying the digital peace.

Marshall – Ate 6 different pizzas, all of which he’s never had.

Nicole – Looking forward to a good night’s sleep and waking up in the morning to meet the kiddos.

Katie – It’s a small world…I met a good friend of one of my favorite professors.

Brent – Hoping next year he and Michael can both celebrate their birthdays in Brazil (his fourth Brazilian Birthday and Michael’s first)

Larissa – Is glad Brent had a birthday today because she got to eat some really good cake.

Juliana – Proud to see her protégé, Mauricio, translate for Recreation training today.

KT  - Looking forward to seeing campers from last summer.

Norma – Crafts are ready to go and I am ready for camp.

John White -  U.S. bound

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We made it - and (NOW) finally have internet

Hello from Brasilia! Team 2 has made it safe and sound to Agua Viva.  We had a smooth flight (Friday night) where several team members were able to get a decent amount of sleep or enjoy wonderful entertainment like “The King’s Speech” and The E! Taylor Swift Documentary.  After an interesting trip through customs and immigration, we were reunited with Andre (leader of WinShape Brazil and husband of Marney) and Fufa (our bus driver from previous projects who will be driving our team this coming week).  After a forty-five minute ride through the city, we arrived at Agua Viva, our home for the week.  As we pulled in front of the house, we heard cheers from our friends on Team 1 who were about to head out to tour the city and catch their return flight to the states. Our time with them was short but so encouraging.  Kind words, notes, advice, funny stories and hugs were shared between new and old friends. As Team 1 loaded up and headed out, we met our Brazilian team of volunteers who will be serving with us this coming week at camp. There are several familiar faces of friends who served on last year’s project, including Niel (our guitar playing worship leader) and Sandra.  Of course, Marney, Mauricio and Elena were here to greet us along with many new friends. After a delicious lunch, we hit the ground running with this year’s curriculum for To Na Fita  (Studio U).

We spent the late afternoon relaxing and getting to know our Brazilian friends better. Some people read and napped in the hammocks, while others enjoyed a tour of the farm with Brent.  Some people enjoyed chatting (which tends to be an adventure in and of itself down here) while some played volleyball on the beach volleyball court.  However, the highlight of the afternoon was a bilingual, competitive, barefoot game of soccer.  I don’t know who had more fun… the players or the bystanders. Needless to say, dinner was well deserved and much enjoyed.  Another highlight to the day was the bonfire that followed dinner.  Niel lead us in several worship songs (ones that both cultures know like Shout to the Lord and Come, Now is the Time to Worship).  We spent time praying in English and Portuguese and ended the night with Grandes Coisas (God of the City).  It was a powerful time that will not soon be forgotten.  Currently, I (LB) am sitting in the living room with a happy and full heart.  There is a group outside keeping the worship going and there are people having meaningful conversations inside, but across the board people are thoroughly enjoying their time here.  We have a lot to be thankful for as we end our first day in Brazil.

Thank you for your prayers and support… we can surely feel them all the way in the Southern Hemisphere.  You can specifically pray for our volunteers as we train them tomorrow on how to step up and lead the campers this upcoming week.  This is an integral part of our project.  We love you and miss you, but are so blessed to have such a strong support system back home.

Now, here is a status update on each member of Team 2:

Mark is popping ibuprofen from the “hat trick” he scored in soccer and is well on his way to the “Brazil 10” (10 lbs. you can easily gain from the amazing food in Brazil). 

Danielle is working on her “Super Hero powers” of tongue clicking and eye blinking.

Kayla is saying “Mai e Pai, I’m ok!” and loving her new Brazilian friends.

Born is glad he still has a travel buddy… even if he has 5 snores.

KT scored 3 goals in his Brazilian soccer debut.  How’s that for some strategery?

Norma is excited to be sleeping horizontally after a restless night on the plane between KT and Brent who slept like babies.

Caleb is glad to be here after a long detainment in immigration this morning. “It’s been a really weird day.”

Nicole has stained feet from a fun game of barefoot soccer.

Kari is never going back to America.

Katie thinks music and the love of God is greater than words.

Ashlyn is currently asleep in a hammock on the porch.

Keenan hasn’t even been here 24 hours and has already consumed each variety of coffee that the Agua Viva coffee machine has to offer (7 to be exact).   

Will wants to take a monkey back to America with him.

Megan is also glad to be free from detainment in immigration (thanks Google).  Love you family!

Haley considers today to be a great day.  Caleb made it through interrogation, she did not lose to Will Marshall in soccer, and she has the best travel buddy ever (LB).

John W is tired from an extended stay at the President’s mansion with Team 1 today.

Stephanie had an awesome first day as a 20 year old!  Shout out to the family! Love you guys!

Juliana is keeping the worship service going outside… now on to hymns.

Mauricio is “fur hur sure”.

Brent is really excited to be in a place that feels like a second home and reuniting with great friends – although missing Angela and Michael.

LB is thanking Team 1 for the encouraging letters they passed my way before they left and is no longer watch-less (thanks Mel)! Basically today was “uh, pri-ty cool”!

Greater things have yet to come…

Team 2 (c/o LB)

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Day 1 | Off to a Great Start

Last night the team was able to attend church wheere they are serving this week. During the service they were asked to sing "God of this City" in Portuguese. The team did a great job!

Day 1 of camp has gotten off to a great start. The team is currently having Internet troubles, so they are not able to give a full update. They hope to have this problem fixed soon; but as we have learned from international travel...learn to expect the unexpected and remember to be flexible. Continue to pray for the team as they minister to the kids and community of Sao Sebastiao.

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Team 1 | Final Update

Team 1 arrived home safely early Sunday morning but we wanted you to have the opportunity to read about our experiences on Thursday night and Friday! Thanks for your prayers and support. We saw the Lord at work in so many ways this past week!

Oi! Thank you for all your prayers and support. Last night was an unforgettable time for our team. We traveled to the neighborhood where all the kids were from and met at 2nd Baptist Church of Paranoa. It was the end of week celebration and all the kid’s families and people of the church were there. The neighborhood was very poor and it was a very humbling experience. When we arrived, there were people everywhere that greeted us and everyone was excited for us to be there. The sanctuary was on the 2nd floor of the building and we made our way through the crowds of people and up the stairs. I will never forget the moment when I walked into the room. All of the kids were there and the whole place was completely full. The kids were yelling our names and running to hug us. They were overjoyed with excitement and it took probably 10 minutes to get through them to the front of the room. Since there were not enough seats for everyone, we all sat in the front on the ground and there were many people standing throughout the room. We sang songs and shared testimonies. All of the families were so nice and grateful for us to be there. After the celebration, we had to say our goodbyes to the kids and for most of us it was the saddest moment of our lives. Many kids were crying and would not let go of us. It was an overwhelming time and we will never forget these wonderful people.

Today we headed to the church where team 2 will be hosting camp. It is in a town called Sao Sabastion. This town is very poor and most of the kids will be from the town. We did some setting up and prayer walked the church. After this, we drove around 2 hours to a beautiful park. This was in the middle of nowhere and had hiking trails and waterfalls. We hiked about 20 minutes through the forest to the first waterfall. Everyone took a swim in the cold water and it was the first time some of us had ever been to one. After this, we hiked back and had a delicious lunch at the park. We then hiked to a huge waterfall and we couldn’t swim because it was dangerous. It was one of the most beautiful things we had ever seen. It was a wonderful day seeing God’s creation. Many pictures were taken so I am sure you will see these soon.

Please pray for the kids that will be coming to camp next week. Pray for their families and for the situations they are in. Pray that the kids will see the love of God this week and that they will find a heavenly father in God. We thank you for all of the prayers. We are sad that we have to leave this beautiful place and are excited to share what we have seen and learned this week.

Marcus

A word from the team:

Stephanie – Tia Stephanie misses all her sweet meninas and meninos already.

Maurice – Had a great time with John and Gabe today!

Alison – Thankful for such an incredible week of camp! God definitely showed up and showed off this week! Even greater things are yet to been done in the lives of these campers and volunteers!! Team 2, I’m praying for you!

Juliana – Praises God for allowing her to be a part of His great work in Brazil this past week and is so looking forward to staying another week serving with Team 2. I’m gonna miss you, Team 1!
Adrianne – Has been reminded in many ways this week that our God is the God of many nations, tribes, and tongues…what a joy to serve alongside a people that delights in bringing Him glory!

Whitney – Absolutely loved spending the day in the Lord’s beautiful creation. Seeing waterfalls and hiking was completely in my element.

Jana – This experience will always have a special place in my heart! I am thankful for the laughter and joy of the beautiful children of Brazil! It was such a blessing to be able to see the Lord move in the hearts of His children from America and Brazil.

Melodie – carry the name... JESUS!

Gabe – Being unable to speak the language of the locals was both frightening and freeing all at the same time. Brazil taught me Sabbath in a way that I had never experienced. I may squeeze my family so tightly they pop.

Joey – So much to say! Overwhelmed by the fact that God’s love knows no language. Going to miss this place sooo much. Loved experiencing McDonalds in Brasil, getting my Indian name (Persistent Penguin), and writing Catawba cheers. Bom dia!!

Daniel – Thankful for the way God worked this week. I am especially excited about the hearts of the Brazilian volunteers who have hearts for these children, and that they see how they can continue to do camp even without us.

Kevin – Ask me about mitosis and meiosis. I had a blast hiking to see two waterfalls and getting the chance to swim underneath one of them! I am gonna miss this country!

Stephen – I will never forget this trip. Seeing the joy of the camper’s faces and hearing the stories from the volunteers from the church showed me how much God doesn’t need me but how I need God.

Nate – A piece of my heart will always be in Brazil. So many memories. I can’t wait until I get a chance to come back!

Marcus – These Brazilian people have humbled me in many ways this week. I love Brazil!

Jimmy – These past two weeks have really opened my eyes to how faithful God is. Knowing that He went before us to prepare our way and then allowed us to be apart of His plan was absolutely amazing. Eph. 3:20,21

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Team 2 has arrived

We have heard from Team 2 and they arrived safely yesterday. They have been training the Brazilian Volunteers yesterday and today. Things are going extremely well. Currently the team is attending the evening service at the church where they will be serving this week. Stay posted for updates on there week of camp.

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Video Update | Day 4 | Team 1

Ending the week strong - Last day of Camp is coming to a close and we have our Family Celebration tonight!  Expecting great things!

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Day 4 | I have to have a title? I forgot about that!!

Boa tarde! It’s hard to believe this is our last day of camp in Brazil. We just said goodbye to our morning group of campers. As they left, I (Stephanie) got the biggest kiss ever from a sweet little verde (green/youngest group) camper, an obvious cultural difference between Brazil and the United States. This morning was slightly more rushed than the other mornings because, unlike the rest of the week, the kids had to go to school this afternoon. We painted nails in Girl World, my oficina, and now my fingernails are an attractive sea foam green. They colored puzzles in Crafts, and played Hot Dog Man in Rec, a version of freeze tag where to be “unfrozen” you have to be sandwiched in a hug between two other players. Shout out to LB for being a creative genius! Man Land made their own slushies, and the girls were all jealous. We were sad to see these precious campers leave, but we are praying that many of them will come tonight and bring their parents to our “graduation.”

Tonight we will go to the church who is sponsoring our camp and where the majority of our volunteers attend. We are hosting “graduation” night for the campers and their families. We are calling it this because the majority of parents would not come to something called a worship service. We are expecting God to do big things tonight as we share with these families. The church was unable to host the camp their because of the limited space, but praise the Lord for a wonderful alternate facility!

Side note: As I write this, we are listening to some of our volunteers’ children sing “Our God is so Big” on the swing set. Presh!

Yesterday, on our way home, we stopped at a gas station to get ice cream. Magnum bars were definitely a favorite among most of our team. I got the classic Magnum bar, vanilla ice cream with a chocolate shell on a stick. So good!! Brazilian ice cream is just as good as American ice cream which means I wanted to eat about 6 of those ice cream bars. Speaking of food, they eat more meat here than anywhere I have ever been. Seriously, I ate 5 types of meat for dinner last night – a major cultural adjustment for a fruit and veggies girl.

Also on our drive back, Joey educated Marney on the American tradition of pick up lines. The conversation started with him asking her, “Marney, did it hurt?” She was very confused until he completed the question with… “when you fell from heaven?” Well, she absolutely loved it and told him to be sure to ask her again when Andre was around. Apparently, pick up lines are not a common occurrence here. The guys all gave her a few more, and she said she would teach them to all her nephews.

Last night after another delicious Brazilian dinner (consisting of mostly meat), we had to rinse and wash all of the tie-dye made by all the campers. This took a few hours and now Kevin sympathizes with all of the boys’ camp moms. Alison, Joey, Kevin, Juliana, Whitney, and myself all have very stained hands. Tie-dyed hands look great with sea-foam green nails. The kids were so excited to get the finished product this morning. Brazilians don’t tie-dye, but I think they should. Maybe we’ll start a cultural revolution. We are excited/sad for our last session of camp to begin in about two hours. Please be in prayer for our team as we finish our work here! Tchau!

-Stephanie

Team Update...

Stephanie – Has worn knee-high socks everyday this week. Jessica Williams, you would be proud…and I’ve seen monkeys every day!!!

Maurice – Great week! Looking forward to the celebration tonight at the church.

Alison – Is going to miss her new friend, Julia. Hope she can come tonight! (P.S. Born…the cups here are still a tease. JD…Glenda is alive and well here!!)

Juliana – Sadly found herself defending Justin Beiber against the Brazilian boys. I never thought I’d see the day. (Happy Birthday Momma!)

Adrianne – I’ve long forgotten what it feels like to work in an office; SO grateful for these special moments and wishing I could bring Felipe home with me! Jesus ama voce!

Whitney – I’m bringing home a new puppy dog pen thanks to Mauricio from chime amarello. I feel so special to have received a gift from such a precious little child. He speaks a little Spanish and English along with Portuguese- we were able to communicate a lot!

Jana – It was so sad watching the first bus drive away after this morning’s session, but I’m excited to play with the afternoon group with my special group of little meninas!! P.S. I voted Jimmy off the island.

Melodie – grandes coisas estao por vir grandes coisas vao acontecer nesse lugar... ninguem e como o nosso Deus

Gabe – The spoken name of Jesus is the most beautiful sound (regardless of the language)…and I long for the sound of my own children’s voice

John – 他有一个状态，但是忘记了它。(Translation: I had a status, but I forgot it.) L

Joey – Moments like these are what I live for. Can’t believe I’ve only known these people for a week and they are already my family. Thankful my team puts up with all my questions. J P.S. Never laughed so hard than with Jana, Jimmy, and Witchney!

Daniel – I am the hot dog man. Also, I am enjoying singing Bieber with the Brazilian boys, but will miss Rosemberg as well as all the other campers.

Kevin – Is glad to have Brazilian ice cream! This morning’s session was quick and painful to see them leave. Looking forward to the last session and the celebration with the whole family tonight!

Stephen – The campers here now refer to me as “Es Loco” because of my Captain America hat, bandanas, and costume. I am considering pursuing an acting career after camp this summer after four Oscar Performances.

Nate – All good things must come to an end… but we still have the afternoon session and celebration tonight with our meninos e meninas!

Marcus – These kids have stolen my heart and I am now known as Marcos (Mah-koose).

Jimmy – Warning Stavish Family: Adrianne might end up on the international police’s most wanted for stealing a child and putting them in her carry on. All Brazilian children are at risk!! (P.S.- We missed Alison on Skype! Sad day.)

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Video Update | Day 3 | Team 1

Day 3 has been a lot of fun and crazy to think that tomorrow will be our last day of camp for Team 1!  Be in prayer for the campers and families tomorrow as we will have our last day of camp and end with a community celebration tomorrow night!

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Day 3 | I spent my Spring Break in Brazil… what did you do?

I love Boys Camp in Rome, but nothing can compare to how amazing it is here! The kids are absolutely beautiful and they are incredibly affectionate. You really don’t have to speak someone’s language for them to know that you love them. 6:15 seems to keep coming earlier and earlier in the morning, but it’s great to know that we’re using up all of our energy to carry God’s Name to Brazil.

One of my favorite things about Brazil has been the food! Mangoes, maracuja (passion fruit), other fruits that I don’t know the names of, amazing smoked meats, and rice and beans with every meal. We got a special treat for lunch today because Andre and some of the other Brazilian guys set up shop at camp and grilled/smoked sausage and beef for us… it was absolutely amazing!

The Brazilian sun finally showed its face from behind the clouds today, so we were super happy that today was water day! In Rec, the meninos got to compete in a water balloon toss and then played Drip, Drip, Drop (duck, duck, goose with a full sponge). In Arts and Crafts, the kids decorated cardboard guitars with Joey while I just sat there air-guitaring on one and looking stupid. In Man Land, we had a blast playing tail-tag and the boys had fun terrorizing Kevin and Daniel when they blindfolded themselves for Marco Polo. And in Gurl World, the meninas bonitas made bracelets with Adrianne and Stephanie.

But not only was today super fun, it was an incredibly important day here at camp, because the Gospel was presented – most likely the first time the majority of these kids have heard it. It’s nerve-wracking to have to sit back and let the Brazilian volunteers lead the Gospel presentation, but when we see the passion and the joy on their faces while talking about their Savior it is the biggest reassurance you can imagine! God is truly at work in this place! I love it!

-Nate

Team Update...

Adrianne – I have experienced what it looks like to have a mustache thanks to Daniel and Stephen. (Photos and video to follow.)

Alison – Today she found out that Alison is a boy’s name when you’re in Brazil!

Daniel – I thought I was pretty athletic…but I keep getting my dragon tail pulled by all the little Brazilian boys. Also, I am still hoping to meet a Beautiful Brazilian woman, even if she is bearded.

Jana – I’m in love with the children of Brazil!! I also have a connection with all the owls here.

Jimmy – Loved watching the kids’ faces light up when they held a water balloon for the first time.

Joey – Absolutely loves dancing on stage and seeing the campers in the audience doing “The Joey” (shout out to C3 YELLOW!), and teaching the campers the “Round up” (preparing them for you, Will Marshall!) also…I have something growing on my toe, and that is not ok.

Juliana – Wishes more of my team spoke Portuguese!!! J

Marcus- Balao de aguas (water balloons) are flying in Brazil today!

Nate – I fed a monkey yesterday! A wild monkey! How’s your spring break going?

Stephanie – Hello, all you people from the other America!

Stephen – In America, I can normally talk people into getting what I want, but in Brazil, they have figured me out and I have to find a new way…

Whitney – Camp twice a day is fun! …but I’m really sore…

Kevin- Has discovered that wearing a hat and sunscreen makes my trip more enjoyable. Playing Marco Polo while blindfolded with Brazilian boys is not always fun or safe…

Gabe- was overwhelmed with the plethora of meat at lunch today. He’s also really excited about the Brazilian BBQ to come.

John- is speaking Chinese! (你好)

Maurice- Loves tonic water!

Mauricio- Oi!!

Marney- Is so proud of her nephews being at camp.

Melodie- Enjoyed her first passion fruit yesterday! wooo... and is loving taking photos of all the beautiful Brazilian kids today! J

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Team 1 | Video Update | Day 2

Check out our latest Video Update from team 1.  The week is flying by... But after all, they do say that "Time Flies When You're Having Fun!"

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Day 2 | To Na Fita

One of my prayers has been that our time here would pass by slowly so that we may soak up every moment with these wonderful brothers and sisters of Christ. The Lord has been faithful however; I still cannot believe that it is already our fourth day in Brazil. Our morning began with breakfast and was soon followed by a trip to the church where Marney led us in camp songs as we drove along the dirt roads surrounded by the Brazilian countryside. It seemed as if the campers came immediately upon our arrival. They were so excited to see us and acted as if we had all been friends for years. One of my favorite things about the Brazilian culture is how relational people are. Yesterday in crafts, the meninos made bolsas (bags) to put all of their artes (crafts) for the entire week. They were able to decorate them with fabric markers coloring anything that they wanted to. Sweet children from chime amarello (the yellow team) immediately looked at my nametag and began copying my name to their bag. Whitney was surrounded with hearts on multiple children’s bags. We are told to have a childlike faith and these precious campers have been the utmost example as they love immediately and show no partiality. It was a sweet reminder and encouragement to me that I need to do the same and show the same love to all who I encounter.

Camp in Brazil has been fun for so many reasons but I think that our opportunity to observe and build relationships so intentionally has been my favorite. Our volunteers are absolutely incredible. They are doing such an incredible job of facilitating camp that we have been able to sit back and act as a volunteer at a C3 camp.

I have also had the privilege to be the photographer today. I have been able to freely roam around camp watching every oficina and activity. Crafts made tie-dye bandanas, Man Land made and flew airplanes, recreation played dragon tails and hot dog tag, and Club de la luzinas (Gurl World) made bubble wands that they dipped in a pan of water and blew gigantic bubbles. All of the kids loved everything. In the States we always struggle to have the full engagement of every child. That is not a problem here- they are amazed by everything and are excited to just spend time with people who love them.

Today I have also been able to see the children really begin to grasp some of the Bible stories and connections to the theme. It is the first time for them to hear some of the stories and I am so excited to see what God has in store for the rest of this week. We have great expectations of what is yet to be done here.

God has been so faithful this week during camp but let’s not exclude the funny stories and fun times that we have also had away from the meninos:

Praise the Lord that Gabe is alive. He has survived malaria and a nasty fall from a chair that collapsed onto the floor. Head and back on the ground and arms flailing in the air- we all got a good laugh. Joey has shared what he thinks a perfect woman would be and she may or may not be here with us! We were able to see monkeys- 5 to be exact; They are the Brazilian version of squirrels. One of team members has been suggested to become our ritual sacrifice. Marney is missing her ginger bell (Ginger Ale), Chime 2 make sure not to forget it when you join us on Saturday! We are having so much fun and we can’t wait for what is to come tomorrow!

-Whitney

News from the Team:

Jimmy: It took two years and two trips to Brazil but I finally poked Juliana in both of her eyes.

Melodie: Enjoyed listening to Joey expressing his undying love for Jana, the blue-eyed girl sitting next to him!

Juliana: Is like a plastic bag floating through the air. I get to go everywhere! The beauty of being a translator!!!

Alison: Was knighted the new camp nurse.

Whitney (me): Good thing I’m single because I’ve sure kissed a lot of people today!

Gabe: Led recreation with monkeys.

Adrianne: Loves giving thumbs up and smiles, but really wants to learn Portuguese!

John: Inspired by our passionate, well-trained, talented, blessed, capable Brazilian volunteers.

Maurice: If you’re tired of cold weather, think of Brazil.

Nate: Jumping up and down making a fool of yourself tells kids you’re excited to see them no matter what language you speak! I love my yellow team guys!

Kevin: Thoroughly enjoyed making and decorating airplanes with meninos.

Stephen: I invented the Cupid Shuffle…now I have all of Brazil following my swift feet.

Marcus: Loves playing cachorro quente (Hot Dog Man) with the kids.

Stephanie: Loves Brazil but is really missing American toilets.

Daniel: Loves the Brazilian children, but REALLY misses Cullum a lot- feel free to occupy my office while I am gone.

Jana: Blue is the color of the sky, blue is the color of the ocean, and blue is also the color of the team that is going to win. AZUL!

Marney: “Can I please get my ginger bell?”

Joey: Loves being back in the camp atmosphere, and thinks I’ve found my perfect woman… ;)

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