Cunningham Chronicles

New Chapter in Our Lives

2011-02-14T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well, as most of you know, we came back to this area because it was "home" as we knew it and Paul needed to finish school. A strange thing happened after arriving "home".....it never felt like home. A year and a half later and it still doesn't feel like home. We feel that this is just God's provision in keeping us ready to GO wherever He wants us to go. And now Paul is at the end of his school days (for now), he has 5 weeks left and could not possibly be more excited. So, we are preparing to end this chapter in our lives and move on to wherever the Lord wants us. We all know that we are moving, sometime soon, but have no idea where. This seems to be a recurring theme for about the past 4 years. But we are just going to keep trusting in the ONE that is trustworthy and go where He leads.

With that said, Paul has had contact with a company in North Carolina and has completed 3 parts to a 4 part interview process. Things look promising and we are getting excited, not about North Carolina, but just excited that the Lord is revealing little by little. If we move to North Carolina, we will love it and we can give you so many positives that you will want to move with us! He also has an interview with the same company but different area this Wednesday and this position would put us in East Texas. Again, we are excited and will be ecstatic with either, we just want to know without a shadow of a doubt that we are doing the Lord's will for our lives. We are desperate to do His will and NOT ours!

Please pray for the Lord to open doors that He wants opened and to close doors that need to be closed and don't allow us to try and pry them back open. We are hungry for the Lord and desire above all else to serve and glorify Him in ALL that we do! Lord, let it be so!

Peyton & Pierce turn 3

2010-04-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

That's right....Peyton and Pierce turned 3 today! It just doesn't seem possible that it has been 3 years already. Time flies whether you are having fun or not, so you might as well enjoy the ride and that is what we are trying to do.

This was their first birthday in the United States and we tried to make it a special birthday with just family and one other couple and their two children that are like our family. It was going to be small but we wanted it that way for this first one anyway. So we were only having Nana and Pawpaw, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Curtis, and Dustin, Tia (my sister), Uncle Scott, Ethan, and Chloe, and Kevin, Krissy, Kody, and Kaleb. We wanted to spend this time with our family that didn't get to share those birthdays with the boys while we were in Brazil. We wanted it to be a time of celebrating and building memories, we were not worried about the presents. The gift was their presence!

Well, we had a great time and even though everyone didn't show up, it was definitely their lose and not ours. We had great bar-b-q, slaw, and beans courtesy of Nana and cake by Mom and Mrs. Stephanie. Had lots of fun in the middle of a deadly line of storms that produced tornadoes through Mississippi. But absolutely we made some memories!

Happy Birthday Peyton & Pierce! We love you big as a pickle!

Proof of Kingdom Life

2010-04-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to talk a little about our salvation in Jesus Christ. The other day I was talking to my 15 year old daughter, Kati. We were discussing salvation and what it means. The reason we were talking about this subject is because she was just wanting some confirmation about her salvation. Kati was saved at a young age and really doesn't remember a lot about it. I say that to also say this, we have taught our children about God and Jesus since they were born, not to make a decision for them but to teach them just as God said in Dueteronomy 6. We talked about a few things but one thing really stood out and we went to Matthew 7:13-23. In this chapter Jesus is talking about entering through the narrow gate to life because the wide gate leads to destruction. That means the majority of the world is going through the wide gate.

When we skipped down to verse 22, Kati and I talked about how Jesus said "not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven but he who does the will of My Father who is in Heaven will enter." He went on to tell what these people were doing, they were prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles in His name. But yet they still did not get into Heaven. Why? Jesus said "I never knew you." Because they didn't have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ. It wasn't because they didn't say a prayer at one time or another or someone lead them in the "sinner's prayer" and it certainly wasn't because they weren't doing for the Lord or the church. It was because they didn't spend time with the Lord, they didn't get to know Him. I know you have heard this a million times, but you can't have a best friend unless you get to know that person. You can't have a good marriage until you spend time with your spouse.

I said all of that to say. It's all about the relationship. I told Kati that I saw fruit in her life. It's not all about remembering when she said a prayer of forgiveness. I see in her a follower of Christ. When she puts down the computer, cell phone and TV for 40 days to spend time in the word, I see fruit and Proof of Kingdom Life.

I challenge you to show fruit in your life. Remember its not about what you do at church, work, what T-shirt you where, or whats on your license plate. DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?

Clothing Ourselves

2010-04-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

Today I want to shift gears a little and not talk about me or my family. I want to talk to you about what God's Word says to you and to me. Recently I was reading in the book of Colossians and a couple of verses really stood out to me.

Colossians 3:12 & 13 says, Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

First off, we must realize that we are a chosen people, we are to be holy and we are dearly loved by the Creator of the universe. Next, we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. It says to clothe ourselves, not put on your socks of compassion, or your lapel pin of humility, but clothe ourselves. Cover up with all of these things. I used the NIV here because I like the way it reads. Just a few short weeks ago we were in the dead of winter. When my children would go outside I would tell them you can go but you must put on a bunch of clothes to stay warm. Put on long pants, thermal shirts, thick socks, and a heavy coat. Wrap up! They needed to wrap up to face the cold. That's what the apostle Paul is saying here. Put on these clothes that Jesus has given you. Wrap yourself in these attributes so that people will know that you belong to Jesus. When we clothe ourselves in these attributes we will see people just as Jesus saw them and we will have compassion for them just as Jesus did for the multitudes.

Also, we are to bear with each other and forgive whatever we may have against another person. That is a hard one because we are in a sinful human body, but when you read the last sentence of verse 13, it should make it easier. Read it and think about what that means to you.....Forgive as the Lord forgave you. How much have you been forgiven? And in this sense of the word forgiven means removed as far as the east is from the west, never to be brought up again! Wow, never to be brought up again. (now that's complete forgiveness)

Hope this gives you something to think about and ponder. Hope you remember to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience....and don't forget to forgive as the Lord has forgiven you!

Paul

Challenging Times with Two Two-Year Olds!!!

2010-04-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

We have always heard that the Lord will not give you more than you can handle; we claimed that as a promise when we found out that we were going to have twins. I can say that right now as we approach Peyton and Pierce's third birthday, we are begging God not to trust us so much because we think we are at the limit.

Keri and I both hate to label things, so we really don't like the term "terrible twos", but we are really wondering if that is what we are in the midst of. These two boys are testing every bit of patience that either of us have ever had and every bit that we have prayed for. We are at our wits end and feel that with two of them we are getting a double whammy. Every time we turn around, we are having to correct one and sometimes both. It just doesn't seem that we went through this with the other two, but maybe it is because we had one at a time. Either way, we would covet your prayers to help us make it through this season of life with these two little guys. Don't forget to pray for Kati and Preston also, they have to live within our organized chaos. Everyday is a new challenge with these 2.

Preston and Kati can bring in their share of frustrations also but at least it's not a daily battle. They are really good kids and we are very proud of them and their accomplishments and adjustments over the past 3 years.

In all things remember that children are a blessing from God.
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Psalm 127:3

Paul

Finally Finishing

2010-04-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Along with a new business, I decided to finish my bachelor's degree. I started right out of high school at Mississippi State, but didn't finish and now the time seems right to finally finish. I started back in October at Union University in Germantown and will finish up in March 2011. Wow just 11 months away! Sounds like a long time but it is really not long at all.

This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time but I just didn't know how I would do it. When we returned from Brazil, Keri and I talked about it and felt like this was as good a time as any to finish and get my college diploma which is needed in today' economy. It has really been a blessing to go to Union. The classes have been relevant with a constant emphasis on the work place.

After Union I really don't know what God has in store next. We are open to what God has for
us. We are praying about several things and one of them is possibly getting my masters from Mid America. A lot will have to happen in order for that to take place but we are open and praying for God's guidance in our life.

Here are some things you can pray for:

Our finances
Our new business (Honey-Dew Lawn Care) We need yards to cut!!!
Our children

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 & 7

Paul

Work is Picking Up

2010-04-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

When we returned to the US after our time in Brazil, we had no job, no home, nothing to come back to. We weren't sure what we would do or where we would end up. In looking for a job, we wanted to keep ourselves "liquid" in an effort to be ready to go wherever God wants us to go. So, as of October 1st, we bought a lawn care company. As you know the end of the year isn't the best time to think that you will have work to do when lawn care is your job, but springtime is and it is definitely picking up!

Right now my crew is mainly myself, and occasionally Keri, Kati, or Preston. I have a few others that I can call on, but haven't really had the freedom to hire anyone since we haven't had enough work, but things are looking up. My hope is that I can get busy enough to pick up a young college student or even high school student for the summer but I am not there yet.

This has so far been a real learning experience just as any new business venture. God is teaching me many things through all of this and the biggest thing is that He is in control of my life and this business. I have to tell myself this every night before I go to bed!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Paul

Memories with Preston

2010-04-02T09:26:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite time of year.....SPRING! Life is all around us! God's creation is in full bloom! I love the colors, smells, and temperatures of spring. We have taken full advantage of being outdoors and enjoying this time of year. We have been on a small hike in the woods, we have been walking everyday it isn't raining, and as for me (Keri) I have starting running 3 days a week and am up to 3 miles. It has been a great time for all of us to be able to get outside and run and play, but for me, my time alone running or walking has been a time of quiet reflection. Some days, it is the only time that I have complete quiet and it has been nice. I have tried to fall in love with running before and it just never worked, but right now I need quiet more than ever and I think it is helping me really like running. I can't say love it because I don't love it...yet. Last night was a waking night and my sweet little Preston decided to join me. I didn't think he would make it very far before he was saying he was ready to go back, but surprisingly he made it a mile and a half. I was pleasantly surprised and did enjoy some one on one time with him. He didn't understand why I wouldn't put my arm around him though. He is so skinny that he just doesn't understand the concept of exercise or the need for it! Wish I had his problem! He pretended the entire time that we were cars in a race. I was a Corvette and he was a Lamborghini. He was also the commentator, so he kept me laughing with his constant reporting on how well the old Corvette was keeping up. He even mentioned that she might be able to pick up some speed if her trunk wasn't so weighted down! In the end though, the old Corvette won maybe she was allowed to win, but either way, she won!

Fun memories with one of my sweethearts!

Snow Day

2010-02-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Monday morning we woke up with about 4 or so inches covering everything. It was the most beautiful surprise that God could have given us that morning. It was beautiful. We had a great time playing in the snow and building my biggest snowman ever and the kids first real one. It was wonderful to see everyone out and playing in the snow: sledding, building snowmen, building igloos, and competing to make the largest snowball. It was just a great day that brought out the joy in people. Preston and Kati even got a snow day with the schools and Preston said he was glad he saved his snow day for the "good" snow!

New family picture

2010-02-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

I added our latest family picture just so you could see how the kids are growing. I would like to say just Peyton and Pierce are growing, but it is all of them! Kati is now two inches taller than me and Preston is fast approaching my height. If you notice the blue cast on the arm of one of the little guys, that is Peyton. The Saturday before Christmas we were in Aberdeen at Paul's parent's house and Peyton fell off of a bar stool. When he started to fall he reached up to try and catch himself and grabbed a casserole dish that came down with him and broke. It cut his pinky finger severely and severed the two tendons on the back of the hand that work that finger. That night they just sewed him up but we had an appointment at Campbell Clinic on Monday morning. Tuesday morning we had outpatient surgery to reattach at least one of the two tendons. Everything went off without a hitch, but mom was a little nervous about her little guy being put to sleep. Lots of prayer got me through that two hours! He had to wear the cast for three weeks and it never seemed to bother him. We never even had to give him any pain medication. He was a real trooper. The doctor says that he will do his own physical therapy so for us not to worry. He is using it some, but not as much as he should. I guess time will tell. We go back to the doctor on February 10 so hopefully by then, he will have fully recovered and nothing else will need to be done. We thought it was going to leave a nasty scar, but even that is not too bad. We now have a fail proof way to tell them apart!

Settling in nicely

2010-02-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

Well, we have been "home" for 7 months now and FINALLY it is feeling "normal". We have all felt like fish out of water for so long now, that to finally be into somewhat of a normal routing we are starting to settle into life here. It has been the strangest feeling to not be able to do the simplest tasks when I had no problems doing them in my pre-Brazil days. Even ordering pizza on the phone, I just don't want to do and that has only been since we have gotten back. I don't know what the problem is but I do remember having to speak in Portuguese over the phone and it was hard not being able to read the body language and motions that go along with speaking it. So, I guess that was so traumatic for me that it has carried over.

We are all different since our time in Brazil that is for sure. We view the world differently. We view people differently. We view ourselves differently. We miss it! I wish I could have a do over and go back now with two almost three year olds instead of two almost one year olds. Having two babies held me back, well held all of us back, from doing things that we would normally just do. Anyway, my prayer is that the Lord will use the change in my family for His Kingdom and that we will not waste the opportunity that was given to us.

Tenho saudades para Brasil!

Being "home"

2009-11-01T08:59:00.000-08:00

We have been "home" or at least this side of the equator for the past few months and things are finally starting to feel ok. I can only say ok, not normal, but one of our prayers is that we will not go back to normal. It has taken time to get used to life here, and that seems very weird to say since this is basically where we grew up. We were not completely prepared for the readjustment that would be required to fit in. We were completely prepared for the fact that people can't always relate to us. For most people, there is no real point of reference for them to be able to understand where we are coming from when we say that we aren't sure that we are glad to be back. Also, most people don't won't to hear all the stories that we have to tell. So, these things were no surprise to us. The things that did surprise us was the simple things being so overwhelming. What I mean by this is having so many choices when going to the grocery store for example. We got used to the fact that we only had about 5 different choices of potato chips and certainly didn't have two flavors in one bag. Seems like a not big deal, just pick one, but it wasn't. It was overwhelming! There are too many choices in almost every category in the grocery store from diapers and wipes to lunch meat and everything in between. It was 9 weeks before I was able to go to the grocery store without crying! Sounds ridiculous to even admit that.

Last week, we had the opportunity to go to Virginia for a debriefing conference and it really helped us understand the readjustment issues that we are going through. Also, we had the chance to talk to many others going through the same exact thing. We came home yesterday with refreshed spirits and a more clear understanding of what to expect. We still don't know exactly what our future holds, but for now....Paul is finishing his degree and has recently bought a lawn care company. We are praying that the Lord will open doors and once he has finished his schooling that the Lord will show where we are to go. We do not feel that we will be staying in the Memphis area, but don't know where we will be going either. Paul purchased the lawn care business in hopes that wherever we go, that can go with us and he will have the ability to earn some quick money even if he doesn't have a traditional job.

The Lord has been gracious to us and more merciful than we will ever deserve. He has proven himself trustworthy over and over again in our lives, so moving forward we have decided that we are going to begin this journey and new chapter of life just trusting Him. We may not know much else, but we know that our God is a good God and all things work together for good for those who love Him. So, we are going to keep on loving and trusting the One who is worthy. Please be in prayer for us as we continue to seek His direction and guidance for our lives. We are asking for wisdom and need as much as we can get.

New Food Finds

2009-04-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it isn't really NEW food, but we continue to amaze ourselves at the things that we have been able to make ourselves. By make, I mean, from scratch, no boxed meals or mixes that you just add soup to. This is no big deal to a lot of people, but it has taken some getting use to for us. We didn't think that we used as much Campbell's soup and Hamburger Helper as we did, but we quickly found out that we not only used it, but we didn't know how to cook without it. So, I just want to share some of our recent successes that have been like a little slice of home. We made our very own flour tortillas and when tortillas actually became available in the grocery store here, the kids didn't like the store bought ones....they wanted moms! It did my heart good. Of course it is more trouble, but not that much more and it was fun making them. I think I have mentioned it before, but we have been making our own barbecue sauce and maple syrup. These have been favorites too. I made some drop biscuits that I added a type of cheese to (since we don't have cheddar in Brazil) and garlic. They tasted just like the garlic cheese biscuits from Red Lobster, which Paul and I have always loved. But the latest creation was Rotel chicken spaghetti without the Rotel. I got a taste for it and wanted it, but there is no Rotel or Velveeta in Brazil. I found a processed cheese spread that I thought I could make work and boy did it work. As far as Rotel, well, I got tomatoes and jalapenos and made my own. We haven't had chicken spaghetti in probably a year and a half and this was mouth-watering good. We are not only getting used to cooking in Brazil, we are actually liking cooking in Brazil.

Botanical Gardens

2009-03-28T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day at the botanical gardens here in PoA. We took a picnic lunch, spread out our blanket under the trees, and had a great day. This was the first picnic for the little boys and they did great. They sat on the blanket and ate their lunch and once they were done, they did get up, but they stayed right with us and came back when we called. It was a nice change being in the open spaces. There are days when the bars on the windows and the gate around the property seem to close in on us, so to be able to roam free and have plenty of space to walk was just a nice change. We even walked through their natural science museum and all the kids enjoyed that. We ended the day with some ice cream to cool off with. This is the day that the Lord has made! And we rejoiced and were glad in it!

Coming to an end!

2009-03-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

We are wrapping up our two month long family visit from Pawpaw and Nana. I can honestly say that it has been a great time just having family close again. It has been a lot of fun showing them the town, taking them to some of our favorite restaurants and my personal favorite...showing them the mountains and the beautiful city of Gramado. It was neat for us to see them experience all the firsts of a new culture. There have been many things that we have gotten used to in our year in Brazil, and they have reminded us that they are not what we experience from where we are from. I think one of the biggest things has been the overwhelming size of the city we live in. Coming from Olive Branch, Mississippi, which is growing by leaps and bounds but only has a population of about 35,000 to PoA with its surrounding area it is somewhere around 3 to 4 million. So this has been overwhelming for them to say the least. They never got used to the driving or just riding in their case. Nana was constantly gasping for breath as another motorist cut us off in traffic or a motorcyclist buzzed in between cars with barely enough room to fit. We have gotten used to, but they never did.

The babies have especially gotten used to them being here. They wake up in the mornings or from their naps and at least one of them starts looking for Pawpaw. Every night before they go to bed, they have to give Pawpaw and Nana kisses. I'm sure that the babies will notice their absence, and I am even more sure that the grandparents will feel some separation anxiety.

So, as our time comes to an end with them here with us, I would like to ask for you all to pray for us, we will miss them terribly, but also pray for traveling mercies for them. It is a long trip traveling from here to there. They will leave PoA at 7:30 Monday evening and not arrive in Memphis until 12:40 Tuesday afternoon. Please keep them in your prayers!

Thank you for your partnership in prayer with us. We cherish you all!

Updates coming soon!

2009-02-18T10:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I am floored! I truly had no idea that so many of you actually followed our blog. I have heard from countless people asking me when are we going to update. So, I promise updates will be coming soon! We have spent the last month with Paul's parents and it has been wonderful. They will be here until March 16th, and we will be so sad to see them go. It has been wonderful just having them here to share meals with, to show them around town, and just to visit. We have always enjoyed their wise Godly counsel and now is no exception. This has been a great time to just unwind and enjoy them since it has been so long since we have seen them face to face. I will work to get some updates on what we have been doing along with some pictures soon, I promise!

Thanks for your interest in us and the work that is going on down here in Southern Brazil! By the way, it is HOT down here!

Spring Cleaning

2008-12-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Spring is almost over so we have to rush and get all that spring cleaning finished. Kati and I scrubbed the backyard today. Does that sound strange? Well, a year ago it would have sounded strange to me too, but not today. Our backyard, which we prefer to call a "courtyard", sounds more formal, is all tile. We do have grass, but it is in our front and side yard. The tile has not been scrubbed and really cleaned since we have lived here this 3 months and before that the house was empty for over a year, so I am sure it has been awhile since the tile was scrubbed. Well, it was scrubbed today and Kati and I took turns making it happen. We washed it all off with the water hose and a broom and then we literally scrubbed on our hands and knees. See the picture below....I'm not kidding. It was hard work, but we did it and were able to sit back, relax and enjoy our pretty, clean tile. I do think the caption on this pictures needs to be something like Cinder-relly, or something like that.

From Christmas Cookies to Emergency Rooms

2008-12-18T02:54:00.000-08:00

Preston and I decided today was the day for Christmas cookies. I had Grandmother's recipe for sugar cookies, but was a little nervous that I just wasn't going to be able to make it work. So, it was just our practice batch, but it turned out great. We will be making more to give to our neighbors this weekend. So, let the baking begin! One funny note about the cookies was that we don't have cookie cutters, which is fine so don't send us any. What we did was cut out shapes out of paper like a snowman, candy cane and gingerbread man just to start with. We laid the paper shapes on the dough and used a knife to cut around it. (see picture of Preston in action below) It worked rather nicely. Once we figured out that it would work, we then did a cross, a manger, smiley faces and bells. We had a lot of fun. In addition to the cookies, we made a Brazilian sweet treat, brigadeiros, and a new found recipe from Susan Clements, cake balls. All of these turned out great and Preston was so excited that he was the only one that helped me. He is always excited about Mama/Preston time. Kati wants me to explain however that she had a friend from Campinas here spending the night and that is why she wasn't helping us......The flour all over everything and us was Preston's doing. He thought we needed it for the pictures.

We barely got the sweets finished when Kati came in the kitchen and said she was starting to itch all over her body. I gave her a benadryl and told her to go take a shower. Well, nothing seemed to help and it was getting worse. It started out as just red places but they were everywhere on her body. Then those red places began to swell and developed welts. She said her clothes touching her skin only made everything sting and it was obvious that she was very uncomfortable. She then thought she was having trouble breathing and that is when I got nervous. I went ahead and called for a taxi to take us to the ER. Paul and I didn't want to take a chance on her throat swelling shut. So, Kati and I were off to the ER with my Portuguese dictionary in hand. And just for the record that dictionary was never needed!!! Woo-Hoo!!! I was nervous though being by ourselves and having to rely on our language skills, but we did it. I got the paperwork filled out and she was checked in. That was task number 1. It may not be a big deal, but we are counting it as a major accomplishment. Then we were called back and the doctor spoke no English whatsoever. She had to examine Kati and explain to us what she was going to do; she did, and we understood! Accomplishment #2! So, she told us that they were going to give her medication to stop the itching and hopefully it would in turn stop the swelling. By this time, Kati's eyes, lips and ears were all swollen, but her breathing was okay. After they gave her the medication, they just wanted us to sit and wait to make sure that it was doing what they hoped it would do. It worked and Kati was feeling much better within 15 minutes. The swelling went down and the redness was gone, so Kati and I had a little time just to sit and talk. Once we knew she was going to be alright, it was a nice time together. So, it may have come about in a strange way, but I was able to spend some good one on one time with both Kati and Preston today. And on top of all that really felt like we had a major victory in the language being able to manage the ER with no help. I have already said many little prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord for seeing us through this and giving us this victory.

Brazilian 1st Birthday Party

2008-12-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

I told you it would be nothing exciting, but here goes with my first "journal entry". In Brazil, the 1st birthday is a big one, along with the 15th birthday for girls. Well, we got to go to our first Brazilian 1 aninho aniversario festa and it didn't disappoint. We knew when we received all 6 invitations that it would be something spectacular. The picture below shows the invitation. It was adorable! It was just this cute little box and we all six got one.
When we took the top off of the box, it popped open with this cute green with white polka dot inside with little ladybugs all over it. The center ladybug is even a 3D type bug. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it was so cute.The inside of course just gave the details of when and where the party was. Fofinho, neh? We waited after getting these cute little invitations for 3 weeks for party time. So, we were ready and excited to practice some Portuguese. Let me tell you a little about the party and then I will add some pictures. When we arrived they had red and white balloons everywhere and ladybugs on the sidewalk all the way up to the door, through the house and to the backyard where the festivities would actually take place. Everything was red, white and black with the ladybug theme - the cake, the treats, the sweets, the napkins, the tables, everything fit the theme of the party. Too cute! We first got there and sat down to be greeted by the waiters wanting our drink order. Remember I said that this was a 1 YEAR OLD birthday party! Waiters! Ok, then they brought around a little tray for every table with all kinds of little salty snacks. And when we ran out, they brought more. Then they brought around these cute little hot dogs, and even the wrapper for the hot dog had a ladybug on it. See below:Preston ate about 5 hot dogs and this was after all the little salty snacks which he ate way too many of. Not to mention all the guarana that he had already drank. Then there was lots of talking and mingling and chasing babies. We were there for almost 4 hours and no English was spoken. I felt that from a language point of view, it was good. We talked plenty, we didn't just sit there. We found a great couple that was so kind and so patient with us, Luciano and Marlise. We are supposed to have dinner with them after the holidays are over. We are looking forward to this! Ok, in this backyard the family has a pool and a beautifully shaded area that was just decorated to the tee. As I was enjoying the tropical trees in the yard, I noticed one of them was a pomegranate tree. They told me to come back and get as many as I want when they are ripe.
I was fascinated by the pomegranate. You know there are just some things that this Mississippi girl is not used to seeing and this was my thing for the day! The babies loved the pool and this dolphin that spit water. I was afraid that one of them was going to fall in, but Preston was the only one that got wet that day and I was the one that pushed him in. He liked it so don't feel sorry for him!Then we sang to the birthday girl, ate cake, ate chocolate covered strawberries, ate more treats and talked a lot more. It was fun and a great experience. We had heard that the first birthday was sometimes as big as a wedding reception and this one could have been a wedding reception. A neat little side note to this party was that there were 3 sets of twins there. Ok enough already, I know, I will quit boring you now, but here is a picture of the birthday girl, Bruna, and her cake.Isn't she precious? Her family speaks no English whatsoever and they are so sweet to us and are so very patient with us as we struggle to make our Portuguese words make sense. We are thankful for our new Brazilian friends and ask that you pray with us that the Lord will nurture these friendships and show us how to be a light to them even if we can't speak as fluently as we would like.

New Way of Posting

2008-12-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, my kids have informed me that I keep forgetting details of things that we have done or things that have happened since arriving in Brazil 10 months ago. And I can't seem to be consistent enough to actually put pen to paper and write it down, but I am on this computer enough that I think I can type it out. So, with that in mind, I am going to start blogging as if this were my journal in a kind of sort of way. If it gets to a point that it is just not your kind of blog, then feel free to stop reading, but I have to do something to help my memory. Hopefully this will be just what my mind needs to help jog my memory. And if not, that's ok at least I will have a written record. I will start this new blog style tomorrow, so I will see you then.

Kati's Meeting

2008-11-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

Just a note and something for you guys to be praying about....Kati has gotten the opportunity to speak to a high school English class in a local public school. The professor wants Kati to just encourage the students about learning a new language and answer some of their questions about her life and life in the States. If she is asked why she is living here, it is our understanding that she is free to share whatever she wants about her faith. So, please be in prayer for this situation. If we are able to get the Branded group from CHC down here, this could be our foot in the door at this particular school. God is up to something down here and we just want to be obedient to every opportunity that He gives us.

One week of school down!

2008-11-02T06:41:00.001-08:00

We have completed one whole week of school now and life is completely hectic, but in a good way. It was a wonderful week and everything worked very smoothly. I thank you for your continued prayers for us in this area. Preston really likes the DVD's, but won't admit it out loud! Our schedule that we seem to be establishing is wake up at 7:00 and get breakfast ready. Wake everyone up at 8:00, eat breakfast and then have our family Bible time. We start school at 9:00. Kati has a rhythm of her own and doesn't need me as much as she used to. Preston and I start with his Bible class and then Math. These are the two that take the most time. Once we finish with these which has been around 11:00, we take a break and get a snack with Kati, Peyton and Pierce. Then the babies go down for their nap and Preston and I try to get through language class before lunch and before the little guys wake up. We then stop for lunch and then get right back to it. We have been finishing up by 2:30 or 3:00, so things are moving along nicely. Kati is normally finished by 1:00 or so and she takes the babies so Preston and I can finish the rest of his day in quiet. We are still fine tuning things, but are very encouraged that everyone is doing so well. Thank you again for praying for us as we work through this process.

Funny Portuguese Confusion

2008-11-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

This is Keri and I have a funny Portuguese story. When we arrived in PoA two months ago, we had wonderful missionary friends that made this house feel like our home. Larry and Marla Green worked to have our house completely set up and ready for us when we arrived. They did such a great job and we are so thankful to them. Well, Marla left me what I thought was body lotion. I didn't really pay much attention to the bottle except that it said, in Portuguese of course, intensive hydration creme. So, I didn't think anything else other than lotion. I started using it that day and it was wonderful. I felt soft and smooth and it smelled wonderful. Ok, so I've been using this stuff for 2 months now and last night I was putting it on my feet before bed and when I was done I put the bottle on my night stand. I then went and tucked kiddos into their beds and when I got back to my room, I sat on the edge of the bed and that bottle caught my eye. I saw on the back that it said, "After you wash your hair....". I thought what in the world does this stuff have to do with your hair. So, as I read more I figured out that I have been putting a hair conditioner all over my body for two months. I sat there and laughed and laughed and couldn't believe that I hadn't noticed that before now. But Paul told me that the hair on my arms is really soft!

School books have arrived!

2008-10-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

We did not expect a delivery on Saturday, but that is what we got. The school books have arrived and we want to thank you all for praying. We are so thankful to finally be able to get started with this school year. Well, Kati has already started and is already loaded down with lots of homework. Preston said that he will wait until Monday. Monday is his birthday and he has already asked me if he could have the day off! That boy is crazy!

School books oh school books....where art thou?

2008-10-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Please continue to pray for our school books. It is now the end of October and we still haven't been able to start school. I am starting to feel pressure to catch up but we haven't even started yet, so that is just a little bit crazy. Kati has been working on health, PE and home economics. Preston has been working on a history curriculum also, but if the books would just get here......
Anyway, I just wanted to enlist your help in praying that they arrive soon. They shipped on September 19, so it could be any day now that they arrive or they could never show up. But we aren't giving up hope. Thanks for praying with us!

The best food ever!

2008-10-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

It always seems that the thing I want to talk about most is food. Well, the fact of the matter is that is one of the favorite past times of this family. Last night we had the best churrasco and Paul made it. It was his first time to try it here in PoA and it was wonderful. We can't wait to try it again and expand our cuts of meat. If any of you would like to come down and have a cookout, let us know and we will be waiting on you. The picture here is the grill master at work preparing his fire.

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!!!

2008-10-05T16:38:00.001-07:00

Well, in Porto Alegre anyway! We finally made here here and so far, so good. We took our time driving down here and spend several days in beautiful Florianopolis. The only problem with our stay there was that the babies were awful. We even took Peyton to the doctor because he just seemed like something was wrong. Both of them screamed almost the entire time we were there, but Peyton's scream seemed a little more painful. It did turn out that he had a little bit of an ear infection, so that does explain some of it. We were not able to do anything while we were there, because they just would not stop screaming. We tried to go to the mall and walk around, which they always love, but not then. They screamed and made not just us but everyone around us miserable. They also would not sleep through the night. At least one of them would wake up at least once per night while we there. Ok, now on with the great part of this story...once we arrived here at what is to be our house for the next year or so, both babies were completely "fixed"! It was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed. The 7 hour drive from Florianopolis to Porto Alegre was fine. The babies did great and didn't fuss too much and took naps and it was ok. Once we walked into this house, they immediately ran in and began playing with toys and acted as though they had been here before and knew exactly where they were --- "HOME". Isn't that awesome? Since we have been here, the babies have slept through the night every night and have been just great. They have been going to bed around 7:30ish and we have been able to just lay them down and they may cry a bit, but they go to sleep fairly quickly. They have been sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00 each morning and they had been waking up between 5:30 & 6:00 like clockwork. I can't tell you how amazed we are, but we are praising the Lord for sure!

We had wonderful missionary friends that prepared the house for us and made it feel like a home. In Campinas, Paul always said that our house was like a concrete cave and that is kind of what it felt like, but here it just feels warmer. As soon as we walked in the house, our first words were things like, "beautiful" & "I love it". Kati and Preston got their own rooms and Preston was so excited about not having to share a room with sister or the babies. It has just been wonderful.

The only thing that has surprised me is the little bit of what we are calling cultural stress. I just wasn't expecting to have a hard time; we were just moving from one city to another. We had already done the new country thing, so this was supposed to be no big deal, right? Well, it has been just a little bit of a big deal. The newness of such a large, confusing city has been overwhelming at times, so we would appreciate your prayers as we learn this new city. We have to learn "our route" around our neighborhood, to the store, to church and trust me when I say it is confusing. Each day and especially each week it gets a little bit better than the one before, but adjusting is difficult. It is nothing like what we went through when we first arrived in Brazil, but please remember us in your prayers. We want to be effective for the Kingdom, but when we feel like we are living in a permanent state of confusion, it is just challenging.

We are currently still waiting on the kid's home school material to arrive so we can start the 3rd and 9th grades. This will help us develop our daily routine and we need to get started, so that can be another prayer request.

Thank you to everyone that has sent emails checking on us, we love to hear from you. I have attached a few pictures of us shortly after our arrival in PoA and will post more soon.

A beautiful site right outside our door!

2008-10-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

We wanted to share with you some of our local wildlife. We have these green parrots that fly over all the time and they are loud, so you know they are coming. But we have never had any stop and visit until the day we took these pictures. These pictures were taking while we were still living in Campinas. Every morning when we would leave for school the last thing the babies wanted to do before getting in the car was look at the birds. There was always some kind of bird in the tree or on the power lines, so we would take a few minutes for them to look at the "pewpews". This was one of our last mornings in Campinas and we were running a little bit late. Well, Kati and I were just going to put the babies in the car without looking at the birds and Pierce would not have it. He was insistent that we look at the birds and I could hear a loud one, but was ignoring it. Pierce and Peyton were not ignoring it. So, I decided to step out from under the carport and let him look for just a minute and when I did what a wonderful surprise. These beautiful green parrots where there squawking at us. They stayed there long enough for us to snap these pictures and then off they flew.

Our Encouragement from the Lord Today

2008-08-27T12:41:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that we have been struggling with illness after illness lately and it is to say the least wearing on us at times. But today we had two things happen that encouraged our hearts so much that we just had to stop and thank the Lord for sending us here. We have been in language school here in Campinas for 6 months now and have really felt like our "work" that the Lord has sent us to do is only going to start when we get to Porto Alegre. We found out today that we were flat out wrong! The first was from one of our Portuguese teachers. He is a Christian but struggles with some issues that we feel Jesus has already put to rest. So, we have just tried to encourage him to seek the truth and run hard after God. Well, today he told us that if the Lord sends us back to the states today that we have to know that we have made a difference in one life. He went on to say that we have challenged him in ways that he can't even explain and have changed his heart for the better. He has been going through a hard time in life lately and believes that the Lord sent us to him to help him through this time. We had no idea that we were making any difference; we were just living our lives. We truly serve an amazing God who can take our ashes and exchange them for a crown of beauty.

The second thing that happened today was our meeting with Preston's teacher, Professora Rose. She has been a wonderful teacher full of patience, grace and love for our little 8 year old, who can be a challenge sometimes. The way the schools handle parent-teacher meeting is with a whole day of meetings and the kids are out of school. They tell you when your meeting is and you show up for you time slot and meet with the teacher. It is kind of a cool set up. So, we get there today and were blown away by the kind words that she said about Preston. She said that he has made an impact at that school and all the kids love Preston. She said when he misses class even the cleaning ladies ask about him. She said when he arrives at school he says "Bom dia, tudo bem?" to everyone he meets from the front door all the way back to his classroom. This has made a difference with people. She also said that many of the kids have grown to love Preston and during her meetings today many of the parents have asked, "Who is this Preston that I keep hearing about?" So, he has made an impression. But the final thing that she said that caused us to sit in our own little puddle of tears was this....She said he came into class one day and told her that he had something he wanted to talk to the class about, but only after she was done teaching. So, she finished and he took over the class that day. She said that he asked everyone, "Quem e Jesus pra voce?", which means Who is Jesus for you. She said he stood at the front of the classroom and went around the room asking each student for an answer. She said he encouraged everyone no matter what their answer was. He would tell them, "parabens" (congratulations) or "muito bom" (very good) and then he asked her the same questions. She said that it was on a day that she was really having a hard day and needed to hear this. She said when she walked home, she cried the whole way and continued crying even after she got home. She said she couldn't believe how God used Preston to teach her that day and all of this she was saying to us with tears in her eyes. She went on to say that we have changed her view of Americans even. She said her idea of Americans was that we were all cold, distant and unloving and now because of Preston she said she doesn't view Americans that way anymore. She also said that she thinks we are different because we have Jesus in our lives and she can see it. Once again, it is a case of us just living our lives, and letting the light of our savior shine through us and we really didn't know we were doing it.

We hope you can see that the Lord is making a way for us to communicate with the Brazilian people even though we can't have deep conversations in their heart language. He is showing us that sometimes we need to just shut up and live for Him and he will take care of the details.
So many times I have ask myself "Why am I here" and today God showed us why we are here at this time. It is to show the love of Christ, not just in words but always in our actions. Did Preston present the full blown Gospel to his class? No, not in words, but He did in his actions throughout the time he has been here and then he said a few words to plant a seed in the hearts of those children in the 2nd grade and to that teacher that needed to hear from God that day. And she heard from Him through a child. WOW, do I have a lot to learn.

So I want to say this to you, show the love of Christ in your actions. You don't have to go out of your way to do something really big. We just have to live our lives and show people that Jesus makes a difference. We are different because Christ makes us different.

Time to Pack

2008-08-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe that it is time to pack things up once again. It has been 6 months already that we have been in Brazil and in language school. Time really does fly.....and that is whether you are having fun OR NOT!!! It is just amazing. We are all doing well currently, but please keep praying. Paul and I have 5 days of official classes left and then a week of preparing for and taking our language evaluations. This is one of those things that we aren't going to fail, but it is a matter of how well we will do. So, it is just a little nerve rattling. I can do fine in just casual conversation and then the teacher turns on the tape recorder and suddenly things are different. I freeze up and can't think of my verb conjugations and start speaking like a "cave woman". Anyway, we will make it through and are excited to see how the Lord is going to use what we have learned and how He will expand it once we get to PoA. I have no doubt that our language skills will grow once we are thrust into real live situations with no help from a teacher. Yesterday, for the first time, we had a doctor's visit without a language helper. Pierce had a rash that Paul just felt like we needed to have checked out and no one could go with him. So, Paul and Kati went and they said that it wasn't pretty, but they walked away with a prescription so all was not lost. I was so impressed and so was our language teacher.

Anyway, we have started the packing process and are getting more excited by the day. We are going to drive to PoA and all of our "stuff" is going to be shipped down. We don't understand all the logistics of how this is going to happen, but they assure us that we aren't the first ones to have stuff shipped. So, we are trusting that the people in charge know what they are doing. I can't wait to post pictures of our trip through Southern Brazil. We have heard that the drive is gorgeous so we are looking forward to it. Please remember to pray for us though because we are a little bit nervous to be on the road with children and not understand the language enough. It is just human nature to worry that something might happen, even if it is just a flat tire, it is more of a big deal here than in the states. Everything here is a bigger deal than in the states. Have I said that a time or two already. If not, I meant to.

We will keep you posted on our whereabouts, but in the meantime, please keep praying. We love you all and miss you terribly, but are enjoying our time here.

In His Hands,
Keri (& family)

More Evangelism!

2008-07-27T10:39:00.001-07:00

Yeah, that's right, MORE evangelism. This has been great. Two weeks in a row I had the opportunity to go out with a volunteer group from the states, Brazilian church members, and translators from around Brazil and share Christ with Brazilian families in their homes. I will attach three pictures. The first is a family that all accepted the message of Christ. The father accepted first and then the rest of the family followed suit. The second is another family that accepted Christ. And the third is the same family along with members of Philadelphia Igreja Batista. Please join with us as we pray that the Lord will continue to speak to their hearts and move in their lives. We told of the one true God and made sure that they understood to the best of our abilities, so please pray that those seeds have fallen on fertile soil and will take deep root. The members of Philadelphia Igreja Batista will be following up with both families and trying to get Bible studies started in these homes.

Evangelism

2008-07-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Well, this is Paul, and I want to share with you how Kati and I got to share in Brazilian homes on Friday. We went out with a volunteer team that was in a nearby city. They were working alongside a couple of churches and the team got double booked, so they recruited us for help. There were appointments already set up and our job was to go into these homes and share (through a translator) the gospel through a tract. The very first home we were in resulted in a lady making a profession of faith. We were with the team from around noon until 10 that night. It was an exhausting day and we spent most of the weekend recovering, but it was good. It was good for us to get out and talk to the Brazilians and be in their homes. And it was good to be with my daughter and allow her to experience this type of ministry on a whole different level than what she is used to. Kati and I along with our group saw a total of 4 professions of faith. The entire team saw 42 professions made. Only the Lord knows their hearts for sure, but we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the true Gospel has been presented. Please pray with us that these truths will penetrate their hearts and resonate in their minds. Also, please pray for the churches as they follow up with these decisions.

7 Weeks and Counting

2008-07-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

We have 7 weeks left in formal language study. Can you believe that? We can't. We are so excited about heading to PoA, but at the same time there is so much more that needs to be accomplished in that 7 weeks. Yikes! We are just going to keep plugging away and doing all that we know to do to help us acquire this beautiful language. All the while, we are asking God to work in us and help us to understand and be understood. God is doing a wonderful work in us and I think I can safely say "ALL" of us. We are facing some tough opposition but God continues to show us his faithfulness and grace toward us. We are so thankful that we serve the one true God of the universe who knows all and is all we need. We recognize that without him, we have no ministry and we are willing to do whatever it takes to make his name known among the Brazilians. Please pray that we will be found faithful in doing what he has called us to do. Seven weeks is such a short period of time in the scheme of life and we must take advantage of every opportunity, so please pray also that we will be good stewards with our time and energy.

Thank you all for continuing to lift us up before our Father's throne. We know that he hears the prayers of his people and we have felt his hand upon us.

American Food

2008-07-11T13:09:00.001-07:00

I am certain that we have said that we are really enjoying the food here in Brazil. We haven't tried anything that was bad so far and in fact, we eat rice and beans with almost every meal. Ok, with that said, we have been missing some of our comfort food from the States. One of our favorite meals was baked pork tenderloin, Grandmother's homemade mac-and-cheese, skillet fried green beans & yeast rolls. Needless to say, we haven't eaten this meal in about 5 months. One of the problems is that we don't have a lot of pork products in the grocery stores, but I found a grocery store that had a pork tenderloin (that isn't what it was called, but that's what it was). So, I began my quest to make our favorite American meal. The mac-and-cheese was going to be the challenge because Grandmother uses a can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup and a can of Campbell's tomato soup. Campbell's soup is hard to come by here and if you find it, you will pay 6 or 7 dollars for it. So, we haven't had Campbell's soup since we have been here, and that has been ok with us. I knew I was going to have to be creative, so I found some individual serving instant soups. I found a 4 cheese soup and a tomato with a little bit of macaroni. I prepared these two soups and we pretended that it was Campbell's. I mixed everything up and put it in the oven and we all watched and waited. 20 minutes later when I pulled it from the oven, we were all exstatic. It wasn't exact, but it was very close and very good. The green beans would be no problem, but we haven't made them like we did at home since we have been here. Finally the yeast rolls, well they don't have Sister Schubert's here as you guessed, but we have a bread store on every corner. I knew I could find a soft yeast roll somewhere and do you believe that I found them at the same market that I found the tenderloin. We were so excited. So, Paul did the tenderloin just like he did back home, and I took care of the rest. When we sat down to eat dinner tonight, you would have thought that we hadn't eaten in months. We didn't realize how much we missed our home cooking until we had a taste of something that we haven't tasted in a while. So, I just wanted to share with you that tonight we had a little piece of home right in the middle of Brazil.

Soccer (Futebol) at the park

2008-07-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Well, we are still enjoying our time off. Today all 6 of us went to the park and played soccer. Well, the babies were there, but they just watched us. Kati and I went Brazilian and played barefoot soccer on a sand field. The park here is the coolest. It has basketball courts, volleyball courts, soccer fields (sand and dirt), bike trail with jumps and all, skateboard park, go-cart track, and then the walking path. It is a huge park and always full of activity. We had a fun and exhausting time. By the way, it was Preston and I against Kati and Paul and we ended with a 2 - 2 tie. It is better for family relations that way! :) After soccer, we went for sorvette (ice cream) and we all tried something new. We had a great day as a family today. Praise God!

I have to tell you a little bit about the pizza in Brazil. It is different than what we have in the US, but very good. They don't use as much tomato sauce and they have lots of different toppings. Tonight for example we had normal pepperoni just like we know it and that is the first time we have had that just because we have wanted to try different kinds. So, along with our pepperoni, we had broccoli, bacon & sun-dried tomatoes. It may sound strange, but it was wonderful. We will be having that again. It is a cheap meal for the 6 of us. We can get one large and pay about $12 US dollars and that feeds all of us and even leaves enough for one of us to have it for lunch the next day. Some of the other toppings that we have tried are corn, chicken, zucchini, filet mignon, bacon, french fry, chocolate, caramel, & banana. There are many more but I can't think of all of the ones we have tried right now. I can't wait for some of you guys to come visit us and we will take you out for a special treat of Brazilian-style pizza! Come on down!

Kati's AGM video

2008-07-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

Time off of Language School

2008-07-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we have enjoyed our time off of school. Last week we got to spend 6 days with our fellow missionaries at a very nice resort in Atibaia about 45 minutes from here. We enjoyed the time of fellowship with other missionaries as well as getting to know the volunteers that came to minister to us and our kids. The volunteer team was from First Baptist Church in Oveido, FL. They were amazing and our hearts were ministered to. They did VBS with the younger kids, they led music for the adults every morning and they led small groups for the youth. There were 30 something people that came with that group and they were a blessing. We met some dear friends that we will be keeping in contact with. The time away was refreshing and tiring all at the same time. There just never seems to be enough sleep for Paul and I. I guess sick babies could have something to do with that. They are both better now, by the way.

Preston had a great time playing with all the MK's from around Brazil and one in particular he made a special bond with, Marcus Heil. (the picture is Preston and Marcus the day we went on the zip line) Preston and Marcus are like kindred spirits. Our last night, I went looking for Preston to get him in the shower and ready for bed. When I found him, he and Marcus were crying and hugging each other and neither wanted to leave. It was the sweetest thing. Marcus even asked his dad if he could write a job for Paul so that we could move to Bahia where they live. The funny thing is that he lived in Olive Branch about 5 minutes from us for about 2 years while his dad was in seminary. It was the same time Paul was in seminary and he worked with Marcus' dad. The whole 2 years that we lived so close we never got together and the boys never even saw one another. Now we live in the same country but about 15 hours apart and they would love to see each other. What a shame! Now for Kati.....she has a new focus for her ministry in Brazil. It was great for her to get to meet with other MK's that have gone through some of the same identity struggles that she is going through. In their small group sessions and even worship sessions, she was able to share and talk about some of the struggles and just be open and honest with people that truly understood. It did her soul a world of good. We came home with a different Kati and it has been a joy to be around her sweet spirit. She is absolutely renewed and we thank God for this transformation!
For Paul and I, we got to talk with people who have been through language school and experienced some of the same stresses and anxieties that we are going through. They all made it through so we have decided to relax and know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We are fairly certain that it isn't an oncoming train! It was nice to hear the stories that now are funny, but at the time just like with us, it wasn't funny at all. Hopefully, we will be able to look back on this time and laugh at ourselves just like we heard so many do.

We are excited to finish up our formal language studies even though we know without a doubt that our language learning will continue for as long as we live in this country. We are off of school until next Monday and we start off with a language evaluation exam that morning. So, the rest of this week we will relax but at the same time be studying and getting ready for the big test. We both feel better about this one than we did the first one and we did okay the first time around.

This past weekend we got to go to the beach. We went to Guaraja to visit with a missionary family that now lives there. It was a nice 3 days to get away and relax by the ocean. They live in a beautiful apartment that overlooks the ocean, so all night we could hear the waves crashing against the shore and it was wonderful. They were so gracious to the 6 of us and let us invade their home and they would have let us stay as long as we wanted. We didn't want to overstay our welcome, but we may return before we leave Campinas for one more visit to the beach.
Please continue to pray for us as we wrap up our time of formal language study. It is a short time, but we have so much that we need to learn. Please continue to pray for our health, all 6 of us. We want to finish strong and do the best that we can possibly do and being healthy will only help that process. Thank you for continuing to lift us up in prayer, that is the greatest thing that you can do for us right now.

Time flies when your having fun

2008-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

We can hardly believe that we have been here for 4 months now. In some regards, it doesn't feel like that long, but then when I think about all the "stuff" that we have been through, it seems like 4 years! We actually have 10 weeks left in Campinas before we head down south to Porto Alegre. We are looking forward to joining the team that is already down there and moving forward in the call that the Lord has placed on our hearts. We have talked about the different aspects of leaving Campinas and even though we are ready, we will miss this place that we have called home. We have met some great friends here. Preston and I have befriended several elderly neighbors and they just love him. He still hasn't gotten used to all the Brazilians wanting to kiss him! We have grown close to one couple in particular at church that has blessed our hearts they way they pray for us and care for us. I (Keri) might just cry when I have to leave the Tia's from Peyton and Pierce's daycare and Preston's teacher, Professora Rose (as seen in the photo). She has been a true answer to our prayers.

Life here has been tough at times, but as always, the Lord has proven and continues to prove Himself faithful. And His faithfulness has nothing to do with me or my faithfulness to Him. My brain has a hard time understanding that, but I am so thankful for it. This has been such a rich time in our lives and I can't wait to see what the rest of the journey holds. I have much more rolling through my brain, but I will stop the rambling for now. Thanks for listening.

Please continue to pray for Paul and I we have our second language evaluation test this Thursday. We both feel more confident than we did the first go around, but it still gets our stomachs all in knots. Please pray that no matter what we do we will glorify the One that has sent us here.

Please remember to pray for the Isbelle's

2008-06-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

Please remember to pray for Jon and Rachel Isbelle. They are our friends that have served the Lord in Rio for the last two years. They are with the Network of International Christian Schools. They are leaving Brazil tomorrow. Their time in Rio has been a great time of growth both for them and the teenagers that they touched. The Lord is leading them back the States, so please join us in praying for their transition back into that culture.

To Jon & Rachel: Thank you for being obedient to God's call. You are a true inspiration to us all!

16th Wedding Anniversary in Brazil

2008-06-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write this short blog to share with you how neat it was for Keri and I to spend our 16th anniversary in Brazil. It has been a hard 3 months since arriving in Brazil, but the times of refreshing that the Lord sends our way are just as exciting as the hard times are hard. Am I making any sense? It seems that every time we go through a difficult period either in language learning or with the health of one of the 6 of us or whatever else, the Lord is always faithful to turn around and give us a sweet time of refreshing. Well, that is what we got on our anniversary. We didn't necessarily do anything spectacular, but it refreshed us. Our "date" started at noon. I had another missionary couple, Paul and Toni Dillard, lined up to take Kati and Preston to lunch and a movie. The babies were taken care of by my language teacher. So, with all the kids taken care of, we could just relax and enjoy our day. We went for a walk, just the two of us! Something that never happens. Then we went to a movie and dinner at a very nice restaurant, all of this by ourselves. Something that never happens. Like I said, it wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a nice, relaxing afternoon and evening with my bride of 16 years. We needed this down time desperately and the Lord blessed our time together. While we were out, we talked about all the Lord is revealing to us and just how special it is that we are here following His direction. We have had some of the hardest times of our lives since we have been here, but there is no place that we would rather be right now. I asked myself and Keri this question, "Would you do it all over again if you knew it would be this hard?" We both had the same response without hesitation, "Yes!" We are learning just how faithful our God is and we are learning first hand what it means to trust Him and totally rely on His power and His power alone to get us through. Ok, that is all of my short blog. More later. Thanks for reading.

Passion Conference

2008-05-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that I (Paul) got to go to the Passion Conference World Tour in Sao Paulo Brazil? I can't believe it either. I have always wanted to go and never got a chance in the States, but the weekend of May 23 & 24 I finally got to go see Louie, Frances, David & Chris live and in person. I have seen the Passion videos so I had an idea of what it would be like, but I was not prepared for what I saw right in the middle of Brazil. There were about 2200 students there and it was amazing. Louie & Frances had translators on stage with them and that worked well and got the message across. But one of the things that blew me away was the music. It was all in English and the words were on the screen. The words were in English and then under that were the words in Portuguese. I don't know exactly what it was that I was expecting, but to hear 2000+ college students that were not all English speakers singing in English was not it. But that is what I got. It was the most amazing thing to just sit back and watch and listen. And they worshipped! It was a true God moment and it took me by surprise. When Louie called on them to pray for each other, we witnessed a group of young people crying out to God on each others behalf and I can't even find the words to describe it. It was just so exciting for me to be in a foreign country that I will be calling home for awhile and see true God worship. It is the kind of thing that people say doesn't happen, but I saw it with my own two eyes and heard it with my own two ears. God used this weekend in my life to refresh me and show me that I am not alone here. We serve an awesome, mighty God and He is the God of entire world, including Brazil!

It was even a special treat that I got to have my picture taken with my good friend David Crowder! He may look a little different, but he is a nice guy!

Please don't stop praying!!!

2008-05-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

We still need your prayers, so please don't stop praying. Our language studies continue to go well and we are seeing signs that we are slowly, very slowly, getting it. We are making progress, but have so very far to go. We covet your prayers!

Please also pray for our stress levels to stay low. We are extremely stressed out and that isn't getting any better. They keep telling us that language school brings out the worst in people. That just thrilled my soul to hear! This would be hard with no children, but juggling all 4 of ours is proving to be more of a challenge than I originally thought it would be. Our schedules have been changed once again and we think this will be our schedule until the end. Today was the first day on this new schedule and it has already helped Paul tremendously. So, please don't stop praying for us!

Also, so many of you have asked how Kati is doing and I would like to announce that she is doing fantastic. She has been with her Portuguese tutor for 2 weeks now and it is already paying off. She learns something new everyday and she is even teaching us. They are teaching her some of the slang words that the kids use and she is loving it. She has however been a little bit under the weather with some kind of stomach bug that she can't seem to shake. So, please continue to pray for her also.

Preston is still doing great and so are the babies.

Blooms of Fall

2008-05-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

One of the things that we have found fascinating in Brazil is the flowers and flowering trees. It is beautiful here and it seems to be this way all year 'round. Remember it is fall here and a whole new set of blooms are emerging. We don't have this kind of color in the fall where we come from. So, we wanted to share some of the beauty with you.

Preston and I (Keri) went walking yesterday with the sole purpose of taking pictures of flowers. We just walked down our street and these are the pictures we took. Some of them are breathtaking and they are even prettier in person.

The best part of our walk came as we were heading home. We stopped at a gate that had all kinds of plants and flowers and we were talking about them and taking pictures, when we noticed there was someone in that garden. She was staring at us and she scared me to death. When she realized that we were talking about her flowers, she came out to greet us. I told her that we were admiring her beautiful garden and taking pictures of the flowers and she was so thrilled. I'm not sure if it was our interest in her garden or just someone to talk to, but either way she was excited to see us. She invited us into her fence to get a closer look and took us all through the garden. She spoke only Portuguese so Preston and I didn't understand much and she knew that, but it didn't slow her down any! Once we went all through the garden and Preston took all the pictures he could, she then invited us in to see the plants on the inside. So, Preston took pictures of everything. It was nice to see the inside of a Brazilian home and see that they really are nice and warm and cozy, not hard and cold like ours. She said that when we came back we would have coffee, so I think we need to go back to visit. Well, before we left, I asked her if I could have a picture of me and her and she got even more excited. She couldn't believe that I wanted a picture of her! See the picture below...her expression says it all, doesn't it?

We think that Ms. Julietta lives by herself and I'm not sure that she gets too many visitors. So, Preston and I will go back to visit her again very soon. It was a nice visit even if we didn't understand much of what she said, it was nice to think that we may have been the bright spot in her day.

We can show the love of Christ even if we don't speak the same language!

Prayer Request for Team Gaucho

2008-05-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

Pray for Jeff Dunson of Porto Alegre’s Team Gaúcho as he leads a team of Brazilian evangelists to minister in the city of General Câmera on June 7. The pastor of the small church in this city has a vision to see 17 new churches started in the city and the surrounding region, and this impact will serve as part of the kick-off for this new church planting and evangelism push. Pray that God will raise up workers for the harvest in the area, and that God will bless with an abundance of first fruits that will be just a small part of a great move of God to come in the following months and years.

Pray for the preparations that are underway for the September Month of Prayer for Urban Gaúchos. Four videos which will highlight various spiritual strongholds which interfere with the spread of the gospel in Porto Alegre are in the initial stages of production. Pray for the video production process, that it will go quickly and easily, (without any more computer problems), and that the Holy Spirit would guide in what is presented. Also pray for the production and distribution of other materials such as bookmarks and refrigerator magnets which will be used as prayer reminders for prayer partners in the U.S.A.

Verse for the day

2008-05-09T04:22:00.000-07:00

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:1-4 NIV

Mom & Dad need to share!

2008-05-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, Paul and I had parent-teacher meetings with Preston's teacher and Kati's teachers. We met with Preston's teacher, Professor Rose, first. Remember that this is Preston's first real experience in a school setting because he has been home schooled up until now. So, with that in mind, we prayed that he would do what he was supposed to do and wouldn't be a distraction to the class. Well, the teacher starts off talking about how wonderful Preston is. She said that he has completely embraced his classmates and wants to be just one of the kids. He does not want to be singled out in anyway and wants to be treated the same as the other kids. This is a challenge for the teacher because she knows that he doesn't understand the language the way the other kids do, but she said she is trying. She said it is obvious that he is picking up the language and he is not afraid to use it. She said that he uses as much Portuguese as he can while he is in class. She just went on and on about how he has taken to the kids so quickly. She asked when we would be leaving here to go to Porto Alegre and when we told her September, she teared up. She said that she would miss Preston tremendously. She said that he is a very special child and he has challenged her in many ways and stretched her beyond her comfort zone. She said that she talks about him to her family all the time and they even hope to get to meet Preston. Keep in mind all of this is being translated to us and Paul and I are sitting in our own little puddle of tears. We were blown away. We had an idea that he was doing well, but didn't know the whole story, so we were so very proud of him for doing so well. The next day we went to speak with the principal and she told us that Preston has become a Brazilian boy. He plays like a Brazilian boy, he jokes like a Brazilian boy, she said he has taken on the identity of a Brazilian child. She went on to say that this was a unique quality and one that shows his acceptance of a different culture. This too, was so wonderful for us to hear. Even though we know that God has sent us here, we have still prayed for our children as they make the cultural adjustments. Well, God has shown up in a mighty way for Preston and we are still praising Him for ALL of His goodness toward us.

Now, when we met with Kati's teachers, we were really not sure what we get. Kati has been struggling and we knew this but didn't know how the teachers were perceiving it. Well, we got to talk to the Science, History and Art teachers and they all said the same thing. They can tell that Kati is really trying to understand. She is paying attention and trying to keep up with where the class is. She has a great attitude and always has a smile on her face. Well, again Paul and I both cried. She had gotten to the point that she cried almost every night because it was so challenging and she didn't want to go to school. I asked her to commit to pray with us for 6 weeks just to see what would come of it. I told her that she would have to give it 100% and not slack off at school. No matter what she was going to have to try and try harder each day. We had no idea if she was doing it or not other than her telling us she was. Well, the teachers confirmed that she was doing exactly what we were asking her to do. I can't express in words how my heart felt at that moment. She continued to struggle and cry, but according to the teachers she was doing great and was a ray of sunshine for them. They said that she was trying to communicate with the kids even though they knew that she couldn't speak the language. When we told them that she was very frustrated, they were surprised because she didn't indicate any frustration to them. We spoke with them about our plan for an abbreviated school schedule for her along with some outside Portuguese instruction and they thought that was a great idea. They assured us that Kati is the kind of girl that will surpass all our expectations once she finds where she fits and gets into a routine that works for her. So, once again, we were so proud of our child who was so extremely frustrated, but kept plugging away and trying to do what we asked her to do. She didn't give up and we are certain that God will bless her perseverance.

So, this week she began her abbreviated schedule. She is going to school on Monday, Wednesday & Thursday for Science, History, PE and Art. This is all in the mornings and she doesn't do all subjects everyday. Then everyday in the afternoons, she goes to a language school for one on one tutoring in Portuguese. It has only been two days now and we can already see a huge difference in her. It is giving her a confidence that she hasn't had since we have been in Brazil. This is an answer to our prayers. A direct answer and we are so thankful.

I can't wait to report all the Lord does in the lives of these children. Please pray that we will all continue on the path that He has for us and we flourish because of it.

In His Hands,
Paul & Keri

Birthday Boys turn 1

2008-04-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

Peyton and Pierce turned 1 on April 25th. I am having a hard time believing that it has been a year already. This time last year they were still in the hospital weighing only 6 pounds each. Wow, how time flies when you're having fun! We did have a party for them and we had a blast and I guess they did too. No, I'm kidding, they did, but they were not sure what to think about all the people, balloons, presents and the CAKES. Yes, that is plural, cakeS. We actually got 3 different cakes. One for the guests and it was so delicious. It was 5 layers of chocolate cake, creme and some sort of pudding stuff. It was one of the best cakes I have ever eaten and everyone else said the same thing. Then we got 2 small chocolate cakes with chocolate icing...one for each birthday boy! They did not know what to do with the cake, the flaming candle or all the people singing to them. It was very funny to watch their reaction.

We let them do what they wanted to do with these little cakes. They had fun, but it took them just a minute to get the hang of it. At first they both touched the cake, then we showed them that they could put their hand in it, then we gave them a bite and that is all it took. They figured it out after that and they loved it. It is the most sugar they have had in one sitting that is for sure and they were only up until 9:00 that night.

It was so much fun watching their reactions. After we bathed them, then we opened presents and they did just like most kids, they played with the boxes. I am please to report that they have been playing with the toys, but their first choice always seems to be a box. They got some cool toys and books. It is nice to have some new toys and toys for their age instead of just baby rattles and little things like that. They had plenty of help opening presents from Preston, Kati and two friends, Maggie and Laura. Everyone seemed to really have fun. We even had some Brazilian drinks or maybe it would be called punch, but anyway our language teacher made the punch for us and it was a big hit. It was made with passion fruit and very light, but very tasty.

It was fun birthday! These guys are growing into such sweet and fun little boys. They are beginning to really bloom individually and their own personalities are starting to shine through. It has been neat to see how God has provided for these babies and how He has provided for us through these babies, but it is only going to get better. I can't wait to see what God has in store for these guys. Please join us in praying for them that they will be a vital part of what God has called our family to and they will be a light in the darkness. We have already seen the doors that can be opened just because there are two of them, so I know He has a plan for them to be used in a might way.

Lagoa Taqural (Our neighborhood park)

2008-04-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

The babies enjoyed the sunshine and just strolling around the park. Kati and Preston couldn't resist pretending that Kati was being attacked by the huge snake and Preston was saving her.

We just wanted to share with you about the park here in our neighborhood. It is really a neat place. It is huge with a huge lake and walking trail all the way around it. It also has unique birds in cages that you can look at and enjoy as well as plenty of birds in the wild that if you get lucky you can catch a glimpse of those as well. We have seen all kinds of parrots and even toucans. It is really neat and like nothing we have seen in Mississippi. There is a train that runs on Saturday mornings and takes you on a tour of the park. There is a big ship that you can tour and it is supposed to be a replica of the ship that brought the first explorers to Brazil. There are also many different food and beverage vendors. You can get coconut water and drink it right out of the coconut if you want, you can get pastels, fresh juices, ice cream (corn flavored if you want) and many other things. There are also swan boats and that is way cool. So, yesterday we went to the park and wanted to just be there and walk and enjoy the beautiful day. We were going to do the swan boats but walked around the lake first and by the time we got back the boats were closed. We are going back next weekend for the babies 1st birthday, so we will get pictures posted of our family in the swan boats. Preston made me promise!

Oh I almost forgot the craziest thing of all that you can find at the park and that is the capybaras. They are just loose in the park and not hard to find at all. They are huge and it seems so strange when we run into one on our path. They are not aggressive and they will run away if you get too close, but we have been told that if you corner one that are not afraid to use their big teeth. Yesterday, we were within 15 feet of one and he just laid there and didn't seem to mind that we were there and taking pictures of him.

So there you have it. It may not be much, but it's what's in our neck of the woods. Thanks for reading.

Keri....Cooking?

2008-04-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right....Keri has been cooking and Brazilian style at that! One of our language teachers, Priscilla, has come over a few times and taught me how to cook some things. We have done a dessert, passion fruit mousse, which was very good. Then we did a cheese bread, pao de queijo, and Preston likes that one so much that he no longer wants it from the bread store, he only wants mine! :) Then she taught me how to do lasanga, rice and beans, and stroganoff. I am no longer afraid to use the pressure cooker. That is how we cook beans and other veggies and I can do it now, yea me! It has been a challenge to come up with meals in Brazil. Everything is different! We can't find some of the things that are in the States and then we can't figure out what other things are. It is still a challenge, but thanks to Priscilla it is now much easier. The family has been very eager to try new dishes and I must say that everything so far has been delicious. My mama would be so proud.

Language School is in Full Swing

2008-04-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

Paul and I are now in the middle of week 4 of language school. We are a LONG way from being able to speak the way we need to, but the good news is that we are understanding a good bit. There are even times that I am shocked that I actually understood something. Preston and I were able to talk to two of the college guys next door, Nelson and Alfredo. We carried on a conversation even though it was short, but it was a conversation none the less. I was able to make complete sentences. Again, they were short, but they were complete! Praise God! We even took some homemade chocolate chip cookies to them. These are just small victories and may seem so insignificant to most of you, but they are HUGE in our book. Thank you Jesus!

I for one still feel very much like a child, but with every word that I understand, or sentence that I understand or even conversation that I understand, I feel so empowered. We are still taking baby steps and will be for a long time, but God is showing Himself to be faithful as always. He is making our ears to not just hear but understand and believe it or not, He is making our tongues to speak where people can understand us. We thank God every step of the way for walking with us through this journey.

Please continue to pray for us that we will grow in language and meet more and more new Brazilian friends.

Would you guess that this was in Brazil?

2008-04-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

I never thought that I would see this in Brazil…..

Your eyes are not deceiving you, they are in Southern Belle dresses and Confederate uniforms. They are dancing a dance that was supposed to have been popular in the 1800’s. I don’t think you can tell, but they are dancing on a confederate flag painted on the floor. This was a confederate festival that we went to in Santa Barbara which is about an hour outside of Campinas. This is to celebrate their history! Yes, THEIR history. After the civil war in the USA, there were Southern families who moved to Brazil. They were offered land in Brazil for $.22 per acre and slavery was still legal. So, many families came here and began to raise sugar cane, corn, watermelons and other crops. It was the funniest thing to stand there and here songs like Dixie, Yellow Rose of Texas and Yankee Doodle Dandy (all in English), but all the language spoken around us was Portuguese. There is a group of Confederate Sons and Daughters that take yearly trips back to the South to show kids and grandkids where their ancestors came from. They are also trying to keep the Southern English alive and teach that to their children as well. We didn’t meet any of those people, but I wish we could have. I was interested in hearing the Southern English that they would speak, but maybe next time.

There is a cemetery here where the original group is buried and to be buried in this cemetery you must be a descendant of one of them. It was very interesting to walk around the cemetery and read the tombstones. Preston found it very interesting and we had to pull him away.

They served some Southern food such as fried chicken and biscuits, but no sweet tea and Kati said that should be a sin.

All in all, it was a very neat time. Even though we really don’t have much in common, it was just neat to think about the heritage that they were celebrating and the fact that it is the same heritage that we have.

Interesting, huh?

Language Learning

2008-04-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

We have officially started language learning. We thought we started two weeks ago but were informed that it was only preliminary stuff we were learning. So, we officially started the official language school this past week. We have class 2 hours a day and then 1 hour out on our route and then 2 hours of homework. The class starts with review from the day before and then we learn something new. The second hour of class is a review from the day before and a review from the hour before and then we learn something new. Then we go on our routes. Our route is just a small street that has a mechanic, tv repair shop, small market, gym, bread store, pharmacy, and a small shopping center. We have been introduced to all of the workers along this route and they are aware that we are learning Portuguese. We thought we would be a bother to people trying to work, but they are so excited about helping us. It has been really neat to see how people react to us. It will be nice when we can carry on an actual conversation instead of just asking our simple basic questions. We try to ask everyone at least two questions and then get them to ask us those same two questions. So far, it has ended up being way more than just two questions that have been asked. Some of what has been said to us we can understand but most we can't catch. I am going to take my dictionary next week and maybe I can look up words that I don't know. I have a feeling that they will be more than eager to help us with that too. We have already had two ladies tell us to bring pictures of the kids next week because they want to see who we are talking about. Our experience so far is that the Brazilian people are very kind and loving. They keep telling us that the real conversations with people will happen. We don't see it right now, but we will keep you posted on our progress.

Please keep us in your prayers because this is not easy for our old brains to take in. Kati has made it her goal to be understanding her teachers by the end of April. It is a very ambitious goal, but she seem to be headed that direction. She is listening intently and asking lots of questions. Of course, Preston is picking up on words left and right and we fully expect him to be our interpretor in just a short time.

Also keep the babies in your prayers, they continue to fight one bug or another. We can't seem to completely get rid of anything and one of them seems to always be running a fever.

Please send us any questions that you may have about our life in Brazil. We welcome them and would love to hear from you. Our email address is cunninghamsinbrazil@gmail.com, so just email them to us.

Love to you all,
Keri

Life in a foreign land

2008-03-13T08:09:00.001-07:00

I'm sad to say that it has been 10 days since my last post, but we have been under the weather to say the least. The babies have been running fever or playing fever tennis as I call it since it seems to go back and forth, back and forth! We also have had 5 out of 6 of us with a terrible stomach bug. And before you ask, we don't think it was the food. I never got what the rest of them had and I ate the same thing that Paul and Kati ate. Preston did not eat what they ate and neither did the babies but all 3 boys were sick as well. So, we don't think it was the food, just a bug. A nasty bug at that! We had to have fellow missionaries come over just to sit with the babies so I could get some sleep. Since all of the sick ones were up all night long, so was I and we were all exhausted. This time of transition has been tough but add sickness like this on top of it and it only makes small issues seem really, really big.

Please pray for us as we try to acquire some language because the communication barrier is hard on us Southerners who really want to be hospitable, but feel very rude when we can't say anything. The people are so friendly that they just come up and start talking to us, mainly about the twins (or gemeo in Portuguese), and all we can do is smile, nod our heads, and say Obrigada (thank you). We want to speak to them but can't and it has given us a feeling that we have never had to deal with before. We ask that you please pray for us.

Let me tell you a little bit about what Preston has done. There are all kinds of pet stores here and he wants to visit every single one of them. Well, we went to a big pet store on Satuday and there was a lady from a Humane Society, I think. She had several dogs that she was trying to find homes for. There was a sign on the cages that said, "Please don't touch the animals", at least we are fairly certain that is what it said. Preston was deteremined he was going to figure out how to get to pet the dogs, so he stepped up to the Brazilian lady who spoke only Portuguese and was going to try to communicate. In the meantime, Paul was about to panic and wanted Preston to stop. I convinced him to see what would happen and if Preston would be able to get his point across. Paul was a nervous wreck and had to walk away. He missed what God showed me clearly!!! As he stepped up to the lady she was speaking with another lady and they both looked at Preston and said something. He shrugged his shoulders and just looked at me. They turned to me and asked if we spoke Portuguese, I think. I told them, no Portuguese. Well, the lady obvious saw his little heart because she grabbed his hand in hers and they began to pet the dogs. He got to pet every single dog for a long time and never understood a single word that was said. I feel that God clearly showed me that this child has the faith that I am supposed to have. I fear not being able to understand or speak and he doesn't fear at all. He wants to understand, but he doesn't fear. By the way, he is doing great in school. Not necessarily the academic part of it, but just in making friends and communicating in some way, he has nailed it. Praise God! He was our biggest prayer concern and we now believe that he will be our translator soon. GRACE.

Now Kati, she has struggled in school because she can't understand what is going on and she just doesn't understand how being there and listening to the language is going to help her. We keep telling her that it is going to click but it will take time. We as Americans aren't used to waiting on much and the Cunningham's aren't immune to that, so giving it time is hard. Well, we have found that she is picking up on little tid bits and she isn't even aware of it. Paul got an email that had a Portuguese phrase in it, "Tudo legal." We didn't know what it meant so I got the dictionary. As I was looking it up, she looked over Paul's shoulder and said, "Oh, that means everything's cool." When we asked how do you know this. Her reply was, "The kids say it at school all the time." We just had to sit back and laugh and thank God for his faithfulness. She is getting it even when she doesn't know she is getting it. This is all a God thing and we give him all the glory for what he is doing. By the time we leave Campinas in mid-September, I can't wait to write to you all and tell you how the kids have blossomed and have adapted to this foreign culture that God has sent us to. GRACE.

Please pray that Paul and I will have the same story of blossoming because right now it is hard and we can't see how it will happen. We need all the grace we can get. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and we will keep you posted on how we are getting along.

We love you all and look forward to hearing from you soon.

In His Loving Arms,
Keri

McDonald's in Campinas

2008-03-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

For anyone who knows me, you know that I dislike McDonald's greatly. Well, we have a McDonald's in Campinas and we were curious if it tasted the same as in the states. So, for dinner tonight we went to McDonald's. We were able to use a little bit of Portuguese which amounted to telling the cashier 2 number 7's with a coke, a number 1 with a coke and a kid's meal with a cheeseburger and an orange fanta. I know it doesn't sound like much, but we were so proud of ourselves. By the way, it tastes just like in the states.

I drove tonight, so remember to pray for me and the family as it has been a long time since I have driven a stick shift. I have never driven in Latin America and they make up their own driving rules - as they go!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer. Please continue to pray for us as we continue to adjust and acclimate to things. We are starting to feel excitement about being here. Paul has been sitting here with his Portuguese dictionary trying to figure out words. He really wants to understand and be able to pick the language up as quickly as possible. He has made friends with the pastors son, Rodolfo and Rodolfo keeps sending emails with Portuguese phrases that Paul has to figure out. It is funny and I can't wait to hear this Mississippi boy start speaking Portuguese.

Just a few pictures

2008-03-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

This is Mom and kids in front of our house.

This is a small part of the city of Campinas from our house.

My 3 sons!

Paul calls our vehicle "Air Force 2". It is kind of cool becuase it take gas or alcohol. It is small but it holds 6 people fairly comfortably.

This is our outdoor laundry room.

We are finally here!!!

2008-02-29T08:31:00.000-08:00

This week has been a blur to say the least, but we are finally here. We arrived early, early Tuesday morning. The clock here said that it was 7:30, but our bodies said it was 4:30. Pierce slept almost the entire 9 hour plane trip and Peyton slept almost none. We were some tired travelers by the time we got here. It is a 2 hour trip from Sao Paulo to Campinas and the babies did sleep almost that whole time as well as the rest of us.

When we got to our house we didn't know what to expect, but we have grown to like the neat little qualities about it that are very different from anything that we have ever known before. Everyone in Brazil lives behind a wall and a gate. The first day this was overwhelming for us. We felt like caged animals and weren't sure if we were supposed to be afraid of what was on the other side of the wall. We were exhausted, the kids were all exhausted, we had no one to communicate with except each other and we were too tired to do that and then to be closed off from the Brazilians around us was just too much. So, our house has an 8 foot stucco wall all the way around our property with 2 feet of electric fence on top of that. We are extremely close to the neighbors on both sides of us, so we can hear them, but can't see over the wall. The roof is all terra cotta tile. We are right on the street. There is a side walk, our gate, about 10 feet of tile up to the house and then the house. (I will try to post pictures later) Our living room is in the front of the house and that is were we spend most of our time. As you go back through the house, we have a big dining room that has a table that seats 8 people. To the right of the dining room is the kitchen, it is fairly small but not too small. Our stove is a gas stove and it is tiny. I haven't gotten used to it yet, so Paul will probably be cooking for awhile. Nothing has changed in our house! We have all the normal stuff except for a dishwasher and disposal. Our fridge is like one at home. All of the cabinets are so high that I can barely reach the plates and glasses. So, Paul and Kati have had a good time making fun of how short I am. The entire house is marble tile, beautiful marble tile. The kitchen and bathrooms have real granite counter tops and they are very pretty. As you go on back to the back of the house, we have a big guest bath with a shower. The tile in the bathrooms goes all the way up the wall until it meets the ceiling. Alot of tile and we like it. Our hot water heaters are on the wall in the bathrooms. It heats the water as we use it, it doesn't hold water, so that is different, but kind of neat. Ok, as you go down the hallway, Kati and Preston are sharing a room to the right and the babies to the left, just normal bedrooms. The closets are all built in with shelves and drawers, so there isn't a need for dresser because everything can be contained in the closet. A pretty neat feature, but we are having a hard time getting unpacked. We have been juggling babies and that has been our main focus. So, we are living our of suitcases and we will unpack when we can. Anyway, at the end of the hallway is the master bedroom and bathroom. The bedroom is huge. We have a desk in there and we will set up Paul's office as soon as we can get unpacked and get the suitcases off the desk. We have two sets of built in closets. We have had the doors open on all of them since we have been here to let them air out. They smell a little musty. Kati wants some Febreeze and I brought a small bottle, but she said she is going to find someone in the states to send her some big bottles. :) We have no air or heat and right now is summer time here so it is pretty warm, but nothing like Memphis. Since the house is built out of concrete blocks it actually stays pretty cool. We keep windows open all day and all night and we have fans running. It has been in the 80's during the day but we have gotten cold a time or two in the middle of the night and needed a blanket. I think it is dipping down into the upper 50's or lower 60's in the evenings. We have screens on all the windows to help keep bugs out, but the house is not air tight and they don't like them that way. We have been closing the front window in the evenings, but everything else is staying open. We have shutters on the outside that we can close in the evening for a little privacy and it does block some of the sound, but not all of it. The noise has not bothered any of us not even the babies. Our neighbors on the side of the house were the babies sleep are college guys, two of them and they play music all the time, but it isn't too loud and we kind of like it. I can't wait to be able to talk to them more than just hello and how are you. Everytime I say hello to them, they just smile and say hello back and really seem like neat boys.

We do have a car that fits all 6 of us and Paul has actually been driving some. We have had bilingual helpers so far that have taken us to the grocery store, pharmacy, bakery, pet store, and unfortunately even the emergency room. Last night we all got out and drove around for the first time with no helper. We didn't go anywhere in particular, we just drove. We are trying to take the baby steps. So far, so good!

Today, we went to the school were Kati and Preston will be and they will be one block from where we will be in language school. We met their classmates and they were treated like movie stars. Everyone wanted them to talk. They are interested in learning English, but we had to tell them that they are going to be there to learn Portugese. They all agreed to help and were very excited to have Americans coming to school there. They will be starting next Friday. They also pair the students up for learning. They don't work alone. They try to pair a weak student up with a strong student and that is what they will do for Kati and Preston. They will be paired with someone that is strong in the subject that they will be learning so they can help out and help them keep up with what is going on. They are both very excited and after getting the reception that they did they can't wait to get started. The principal of the school even speaks some English so if worse comes to worse they will be able to communicate with someone, but I don't think there is anyone else that speaks English.

We have decided to put the babies in a day care. We were going to have a house keeper that would keep them, but we are afraid that one person couldn't handle two babies. We will still have a house keeper eventually, but we have to unpack before anyone could come close to keeping this house!

One more thing about the house that I forgot was that off the kitchen is our back door and when you go to the backyard, which is no yard at all, it is all tile, we have a maid's quarters. By law here, every house has to have a maid's quarters. So, we have a bedroom and full bath in our backyard. That is also where the laundry room is. We only have a washer, no dryer. Today was the first day I did laundry and we are getting ready to go out and hang clothes on the line. We will get pictures so you can see how we will be doing laundry. Once we get the house keeper, she will do it for us, but I'm not sure how I feel about my "skivies" hanging on a line for all to see. One of those things I'm probably going to have to get used to.

Ok, the babies are sleeping and the kids are itching to get outside, so I will go for now, but promise to keep you posted.

Thank you so much for praying for us through this time of transition. Especially for little Pierce. The night Paul sent the email out and everyone began to pray, he never ran anymore fever. We have not stopped thanking God for listening to the prayers of his people. We have felt so lifted up by all of your prayers that you will never know the impact that you are making in Brazil. Thank you to you and to our great God!

In His Hands,
Keri (& family)

Short timers

2008-02-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

Well, we are short timers now. We only have 11 days left in the States. It is so bitter sweet. We can't wait to get to Brazil, but we are going to miss our friends and family. Today we were able to chat for a long time with Jeff and Cam Dunson who are currently in Porto Alegre (PoA). They were able to fill us in on so many different things about life in PoA and it only got us more anxious. We have 6 months before we will reach our ultimate destination of PoA, and that seems like forever away. They are going to take some pictures of our house and email them to us so as soon as we get those, I will try to post them so you can see where we will live.

We have the packing process well under way. We will be taking 10 suitcases, 2 Rubbermaid tubs, 6 carry-on bags, 2 car seats, and 1 double stroller and most of that is already packed. We are going to finalize everything next week and by next weekend be able to kick back and relax. We have alot going on over the next 11 days since next week we have the Festival of Continents at church, but it is going to be a great time. I believe that we will feel like we are leaving on a big wave of excitement and maybe in the middle of it we can recruit members of our church family to commit to a mission trip to PoA.

Our Departure Date is Set

2008-01-29T10:42:00.000-08:00

We finally have a departure date. We will be leaving here on February 25th and will arrive in Brazil at 7:00am on February 26th. To say that we are excited is an understatement. We have so much to do that we don't know where to begin. We have some loose ends as far as paperwork that we need to get tied up. We also have some final items that we need to purchase and then we will be free to start the packing process. We will probably have to pack and repack, but that's ok. We can only take 2 suitcases per person and if they are over 50 pounds we will have to pay extra. So, we are going to try to stay within the 50 pound mark as closely as we can. The scary part is, 50 pounds and 12 suitcases is not that much for a family of 6. We are nervous that we are going to take things that we really don't need or leave things that we really should have taken. It will all work out, but it is a little crazy around here right now.

Visa update

2008-01-17T11:36:00.001-08:00

Well, last night Paul and I got back from a whirlwind trip to Miami. We went to file for our visas and thought that we would come home and wait for them to be sent to us. God had different plans and we came home with visas in hand. Instead of a 4 - 6 week wait, we had a 24 hour wait.

We asked God to go before us and that we would find favor with the person accepting our paperwork. He answered those prayers and in a way that we never dreamed of. We arrived Tuesday morning 45 minutes early and were the first ones in line. We had heard horror stories of people waiting all day just to be able to turn in paperwork, so we didn't know what to expect but were planning on the worst. When we finally were allowed in the office at 9:00, we stepped up to the window and they had to get someone to handle the missionary visa. Antoneata stepped to the window with her checklist of items that we must have. She said several times that most people think they have the correct paperwork, but don't have all of it or have the wrong things. I told her that we had checked off everything that the internet said we would need and she said, "Well, we'll see." By the time she got to number 4 on the list and we had been able to hand everything she asked for to her, she said, "I'm impressed, but we will see." She couldn't believe that we had everything authenticated and legalized and everything seemed in order. We thought we would have to have Paul's diploma and transcripts legalized, but she didn't make us do that. As we went down the list, her face began to soften and she said many more times how impressed she was. It was apparent that we had found favor with her - no mistaking this answer to prayer! God is so good! So, we get to the end of her checklist and we had it all. She even took a couple of documents that we had but she didn't ask for. She seemed amazed, but we were still nervous, we weren't finished yet. When she got to the fees, she began to write out exactly what we owed her and it looked like she was trying to shock us. She wrote visa $130, processing fee $70 for a total of $200. When I said we have that, she then went on and said that is times 6 for everyone in the family. We said, yes, we have 6 postal money orders for $200 each. At this, she smiled and said once again that she was impressed.

This is when our mouths fell open. She asked how long we would be in Miami and we told her we were leaving that night. She said, "You mean you aren't coming back tomorrow to pick up your visas?" We stuttered and fumbled over our words and said, "Huh?" We didn't think this was an option for our kind of visa, but she said they would be ready the next day between 12:00 & 1:00. So, we made arrangements and stayed one more night. We again arrived 45 minutes early and were the first ones in line. We received all 6 visas in a matter of 10 minutes. We are just blown away and amazed at how good the Lord is. It really has nothing to do with what He does for us, but it is all about who He is and when He has a calling for you he will provide the WAY all in His timing not ours. We are so thankful that His ways are not our ways.

God is so good!

Double Trouble

2008-01-09T14:05:00.001-08:00

Visa Update

2008-01-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

We received all of our paperwork today and spent several hours filling out visa applications (2 per person in our family). We have everything in order and have purchased our airline tickets for Miami. We leave out from here on Monday, January 15 and plan to be at the consulate first thing Tuesday morning to file. We come back late Tuesday night.

Please pray for our safe travel, for the kids as we are away, for whoever keeps them, and for us to find favor with the people at the consulate. We pray that the Lord goes before us and prepares the way.

New Year - New Chapter

2008-01-04T15:01:00.001-08:00

Well, we have finally figured out how to at least get into our blog, so maybe we can keep you updated on our progress in our journey to Brazil.

All of our paperwork is in and ready to take to the consulate in Miami. We have finally gotten all 45 pieces of paper authenticated by the MS Secretary of State, TN Secretary of State and the US Secretary of State. They have also all been legalized by the Brazilian Consulate. It has taken since September to complete this process and we have been working on it consistently. Thankfully the regional office at the IMB helped us out while we were at FPO. That helped us more than I can tell you. So, all of this said to say that Paul and I should be going to Miami next week to actually file for our visa's. Please join us in praying for this process to go smoothly and everything to be in order.