Videos

So even though I am not currently at Nepo, I thought I would write a brief update on what I am doing for the time being.  I am presently back in PA and absolutely loving the time home with family and friends J  I am cherishing this time as I know January will come all too quickly and again I will find myself saying goodbye to the ones I love in this hemisphere.  Lord-willing, I hope to be back down in Nepo by January, but before that can happen I need to get my volunteer visa.  I am in the process of getting together all of the documents that have to be submitted by both myself and the orphanage before I can officially apply for the visa.  During this process of obtaining my visa, I am also back to working at my brother’s chiropractic office.   Along with working, I am attempting to become fluent in Portuguese over the next few months.  However, the more I study the Portuguese language, the more I realize just how far from fluency I am, but hopefully I’ll be able to speak at least a bit better by the time I return J  Lastly, I am desperately trying to get my knee back to regular working order…the process has been much slower than I anticipated and my progress is not nearly what I hoped it would be by now, but at least it’s been a great lesson in patience J

Finally, the real reason I decided to write the preceding update is because I wanted to upload the following videos and felt I had to write a few words first instead of simply posting the videos J  I gave a presentation in my church this past Sunday about Nepo and my time there and used the first video at the beginning and the second video at the end of my presentation.  The first video shows a glimpse into life at the home with video clips shot by Viktoria, myself, and some of the boys.  The second video is just a sampling of the 9,700+ pictures I took during my time in Brasil J 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Well, after all of that, I can’t figure out how to attach them below….instead, I’ve linked them to my Shutterfly share site.  Unfortunately, the quality of the videos and pictures suffered greatly in the uploading process and I can’t figure out how to fix it, sorry about that...I hope you enjoy anyway!
P.S.- Make sure your sound is turned up J



A glimpse into life at Nepo....video clips taken by Viktoria, myself, and some of the boys. 

Click here to view this video

A sampling of the 9,700+ pictures taken during my time in Brasil J   

Click here to view this video

July 17

Today is Tuesday, July 17.  In exactly one week, I will be arriving back in the United States and be reunited with family and friends that I have not seen in 6 months.  But, in exactly six days, I will be leaving Brasil and saying goodbye to the people who have become my family and friends for the past 6 months.  And to be honest, I have never felt such conflicting emotions at the same time.  I am beyond excited to see my family, hold my nieces and nephews, and spend time with my friends again.  I lie awake at night bubbling over with joy knowing that soon we will be reunited.  But at the very same time, I can’t sleep for the tears that run down my face at the thought of having to say goodbye to these boys that have captured my heart, this home that I love, and this life that has become my new normal. 

------------------------------------

Thursday, July 17, 2008….it was on this day that I had my first interview ever at Wattsburg Area Middle School.  That afternoon I was called back to schedule an interview with the superintendent the next day.  By the end of that next day, I had a contract in hand and was celebrating my first teaching job.  That night I was also celebrating the wedding of my dear friend Bethany and dreaming about when I might get married.  I never would have imagined that 4 years later I would be living life in Brasil, no longer teaching, still single, but more content and blessed than I’ve ever been.  I’m so thankful that God’s ways are not my own and that as the heavens are higher than the earth so His thoughts are higher than mine.  I don’t know what life will be like 4 years from now, but based on my past experience, I’m excited to see what will happen between now and Sunday, July 17, 2016, because I know that God can do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine. 

 ------------------------------------

Please pray for me as I finish out my last week here.  Pray that all of God’s purposes for me in these last few days will be fulfilled for His glory.  Please also pray for my travels….I had a knee injury a week and a half ago.  I’m still in a lot of pain and am unable to bend my knee, so traveling on a bus for 7 hours and then on an airplane for 12 should be somewhat interesting J  Thank you for your prayers….as always they are so needed and appreciated!

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

Neither are your ways my ways,”

declares the LORD.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

My three 3-year olds came to bring me get well cards for my knee :)

Jaimes

First it was Jackson who left, then it was Tata who was taken from here, today it was Jaimes.  After the departures of Jackson and Tata, I learned to cherish every day with the boys here because I never quite know when it will be my last and they will be gone.  After the events of this afternoon, I know that I am a long way from learning this lesson completely.  I’m also learning that even when I attempt to treasure each moment I have with these boys, it doesn’t make it any easier when they leave, in fact, it makes it that much harder.  When Jaimes first left the orphanage back in February, he had run away after breaking into our house and stealing our things and we were left feeling shocked and sad.  Today, Jaimes is gone again, except this time he left under much different circumstances, but we are still left feeling shocked and sad. 

This afternoon was like any other, I was helping Marcela in the office when we saw three ladies arrive at the orphanage.  I assumed they were social workers, but something about their mannerisms gave me a bad feeling about the purpose of their visit.  They came into the office and started talking with Marcela as I listened intently desperately wishing I understood Portuguese better.  Even with my limited Portuguese, I understood that they were here to take Jaimes and when I heard this, I desperately hoped I had misunderstood what they were saying.  However, I did indeed interpret it correctly and I found myself walking with Marcela up to Jaimes’ room, gathering his things, putting them in a bag, and returning in a daze to the three social workers all the while trying to remind myself to breathe.  While we were gathering Jaimes’ belongings, Gerson had gone to pick him up from school.  Once he came back from school, hugs were exchanged, goodbyes were said, tears were shed and just like that, in less than an hour, Jaimes was ripped from our lives and taken to live with an aunt in Tres Pontas who all of a sudden is interested in having him live with her. 

While it is hard to see Jaimes go and I still can’t quite comprehend the fact that he is gone for good, I have so very many reasons to be thankful for the time that I had with Jaimes both before he ran away in February and after he was returned in April.  One of those reasons far surpasses all the others though and to explain why let me take you back to the night of May 7^th.  That evening I was helping Marcela in the homework room like usual.  There were four boys left in the room, Jaimes, Alan, Bruno, and Reinaldo.  All of the boys had finished their homework except for Jaimes who was working on his Algebra with the help of everyone else.  They were all chatting with Marcela and I wasn’t understanding much of the conversation (which is pretty typical J) when I realized that the conversation had gone in a more serious direction.  Even though I didn’t understand most of the words that were being said, I knew that they were talking about God and when Marcela started drawing a cross on the paper, I realized that she was explaining the message of salvation to these boys.  I began to pray, watch, and listen carefully.  What I saw unfold before me could be described as nothing less than a miracle as I had the absolute privilege and blessing of witnessing these four boys, who have come from every walk of life imaginable, ask Christ to be their personal Lord and Savior. 

My prayer when Jaimes returned in April was that he would know he was forgiven and loved by us, but more than that, I prayed that the forgiveness and love he saw from us could be used to help him understand the forgiveness and love that is found in Christ.  On the night of May 7^th, that prayer was answered.  So while it was really tough to say goodbye and it is really sad to know that Jaimes is now gone for good, I praise God for and rejoice in the fact that while I will probably never see him again in my lifetime, I will spend all of eternity with him J

But as for me, it is good to be near God.

 I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;

I will tell of all Your deeds.

Psalms 73:28

Mother's Day

Today I received my first mother’s day card.  (Just to set the record straight, no, I have not had any biological children since I’ve been gone.)  Words can’t sufficiently express what my heart felt when Wagner and Antonio gave me the mother’s day cards they made for me or when the other boys ran over to say “Feliz Dia Das Mães!” and covered me with hugs and kisses as I came out of our house this morning. 

Today was not the first time though that I have been called “mom.”  While there have been numerous occasions where I have been referred to as “mom,” I vividly remember the first time this word that has so much significance was used by one of the boys here in relation to me.  I was helping Alifer with his homework and as he was working and we were talking together, he looked up to tell me something and called me “mãe.”  He realized what he said and quickly uttered “tia” which means “aunt” and is what most of the boys call the women who work here.  But when this sweet little six year old with big brown eyes looked at me and called me “mom,” my heart became a little more attached and a little more convinced of my purpose here. 

Soon after coming to Brasil, I knew it wasn’t a matter of if I would return but more a question of when and for how long.  That being said, I have been praying about the when and the how long and seeking God’s will for my future.  I believe that God has been revealing His plan to me for some time now, but I have been unwilling to completely surrender and this past week I was faced with the ultimate test.  Before I explain, let me share with you a quote from Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest: 

 

“Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted.  But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives.  This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges.  He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate.  He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide- for or against.  That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives.  If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.”

During my time so far in Brasil, I believe that God has been gently nudging me towards returning and as Chambers describes, I have begun to debate where He is leading me.  Meaning, in my mind, I’ve been thinking about doing a 6 months here, 6 months back in the States for the next couple of years, justifying this rationale with the fact that I already have my tourist visa and it’s good for the next ten years so I might as well just use it.  However, I know that this option so appeals to me because then I can have the best of both worlds, I can live this life I love so much in Brasil and yet still see my family and enjoy the comforts of home for half a year.  I know that this plan would be my choosing and not God’s desire for me.  And just like Chambers states, “He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide- for or against.”  This past week, God provided this crossroads, this crisis where a decision had to be made.  On Tuesday, I received an email from one of the teachers that I used to work with.  She shared with me that the teacher who took over my position is moving up to 7^th grade next year which means that they will need a 6^th grade science teacher for this coming school year.  She then went on to say that they want me to come back and take over my former position.  Talk about a crisis….I love teaching, specifically I loved teaching 6^th grade science, but I especially loved the middle school where I worked at- the kids, my fellow teachers, everything about it.  So this was where I found myself this past week- faced with the ultimate test.  I could choose to go back to the life I loved…a secure, profitable job in a position I loved, a life close to my family and friends, a chance to have my summers off to enjoy going to Western Camp and Belize, the opportunity to see my nieces and nephews grow up and be their favorite aunt J, the comfort of a life I am familiar with, the list could go on and on.  And while none of these things are bad, in fact they are all very good and I know that if I choose this life, I could still glorify God and be used by Him, but while all of this is true, I am convinced that if I choose this life, I would not be following where I know God is leading me, I would not be fulfilling His plans for me and what He has called me to do.  And so I recognize this truth from Jeremiah 10:23, “I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps” and I am trying not to direct my steps but instead relinquish my will in complete surrender to where God is leading me.

Here’s My Life

Lyrics by BarlowGirl

Once again I said my goodbyes to those I love most

My heart feels that familiar pain as I long for home

‘Cause this road is hard when I feel so far

God I’m crying out tonight cause I’ve given You my life

But I’m tired and I’m missing what’s behind

So once more, here’s my life

On the day that You called my name

All that I knew changed

I found when I said “yes” that I would never be the same

Though the call is hard, You are worth it all

God I’m crying out tonight cause I’ve given You my life

But I’m tired and I’m missing what’s behind

So once more

Even when the tears are falling

When I find I fear the calling

You remind me

Words You’ve spoken over my life

Promises I’ve yet to see

You comfort me

God I’m crying out tonight cause I’ve given You my life

But I’m tired and I’m missing what’s behind

So once more, here’s my life

Here’s my life

Nepo Newsletter

The following is another update I wrote for the Nepo Newsletter and am posting here for those of you who do not receive the newsletter:

Dear Friends,

Hello again!  Well the month of May has already arrived and with it the cold weather has come.  It amazes me how it can be so freezing in the mornings and evenings and yet hot enough in the afternoons that you can still get a sunburn.  J   Along with the cooler temperatures, the beginning of May also brought a change to our typical routine for a few days.  The boys did not have school for the first two days in May because of a Brasilian holiday and we were able to enjoy having a relaxed schedule and special activities with them.  One of these was a five day event in the town of Nepomuceno.  Several of the churches in town organized a soccer tournament which began on Friday and ended on Tuesday.  The tournament was held in the center of town and along with enjoying watching and playing soccer, there were trampolines, games, snacks, and a variety of other activities the boys enjoyed participating in.  Because it was organized by the churches, the event also had several worship services after the games which included singing and sermons.  It was such a blessing to see so many people from so many different churches gathering to corporately worship our God and fellowship together.  Along with this, it was also really neat to see the boys interacting with their friends outside of the orphanage and to see them in a different context.  As I watched their interactions, I realized that these boys who have so many heart-breaking background stories of abuse and neglect and the scars and emotions they deal with because of that are also just like other “typical” teenage boys who have to deal with peer pressure from friends in regards to girls, looking cool, fitting in, etc.  And as I came to this realization, I was again reminded of the absolute need to cover these boys in prayer.  Pray that they will make wise choices and not give in to peer pressure.  Pray that they will realize that ultimately nothing will satisfy them the way only the presence of Christ in their life can.  Thank you for your prayers and support! 

In Him,

Katy Pavkov

Nepo Newsletter Update

The following was written for the Nepo Newsletter, but I thought I would also post it here for those of you who do not receive the newsletter emails. 

Dear Friends,

Hello from Nepo!  Monday marks the half-way point of my time in Brasil and as of last week, I am officially allowed to stay for another 3 months.  Thank God for the successful renewal of my visa last Wednesday!  The whole process was far easier than I anticipated and went so smoothly.  Once again, I was reminded that our great God will supply every need of ours, praise His glorious Name! 

At the beginning of the month, Jessica returned home to Canada.  She is greatly missed here by everyone, but especially by me!  It was such an absolute joy to have another short-termer to share this experience with and I thank the Lord for the blessing of her friendship and help during her time at Nepo.  Viktoria also left with Jessica at the beginning of the month.  She has been staying in Sao Paulo visiting friends and undergoing some necessary eye exams.  Viktoria is also greatly missed here and we are so thankful that she will be returning at the end of the month.  On the night that they left, Jessica had an ice cream sundae party for the boys which also served as a going-away party for her.  The boys seemed to really enjoy being able to go up for seconds and thirds and in a couple of cases fifths and sixths J  After they had eaten to their hearts’ content, the boys each took a turn saying goodbye to Jessica and sharing why they were thankful that she was here.  It was so sweet and was such an encouragement to see that even though we can’t speak the same language as these boys and communicate with them like we want to, God can still use us to impact their lives. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to Webster’s dictionary, a “surprise” is defined as the following:  “To strike with wonder or amazement especially because unexpected.”   After this past week, I now have a greater appreciation for this definition as God has most certainly given us a fair share of surprises including two in one day  J  Last Tuesday seemed like any other typical day, I had watched the little ones in the morning and was starting to head over to the kitchen to help serve lunch when I saw that a police car was parked out front.  Naturally, the boys were curious and I overheard them asking the police why they were here.  I only understood one word in the officer’s response, “Jaimes,” but that one name was definitely enough to fully surprise me and I was completely struck with “wonder and amazement especially because unexpected.”  So, why would one name cause such a response?  Well, let me explain by taking you back two months to February 26.  It was on this Sunday night, that we had returned home from church to find that our house had been broken into and many of our belongings were stolen including a lot of my support money, cell phones, flashlights, knives, food, etc.   We soon realized that two of the boys from the orphanage had broken into our home and ran away and one of those boys was Jaimes.  At the time, it was so difficult to process the fact that this boy who I had just been playing games with the night before could possibly do such a thing.  I felt violated, but more than that, I felt utterly sad realizing that he was now living life on the streets and had chosen this option.  My prayer then was that Jaimes would be safe and could be brought back here where we could show him that he is forgiven and still loved by us.  And now, two months later, God has answered that prayer.  My prayer now is still that Jaimes will know he is forgiven and loved by us, but more than that, I pray that this can be used to help him understand the forgiveness and love that can be found in Christ. 

So that was Tuesday morning and little did I know that I would be in for yet another surprise that day, but unfortunately this equally unexpected event was not as enjoyable as the return of Jaimes.  On Tuesday afternoon as we gathered for snack, a number of boys came running up to me and told me that Tata was gone.  Thinking that I couldn’t possibly have understood this correctly, I asked them to repeat what they had said and unfortunately, I had understood them and Tata really had left.  It was all so sudden and so unexpected that I could not quite comprehend that this boy, who was just showing me a magic trick not even 30 minutes before, was now gone for good.  I came to find out later in the week that Tata was taken to another orphanage in the town where he is from since the city won’t have to pay for him there.  It is still hard to come to grips with the fact that Tata is gone.  I miss his smile, his hugs, his friendliness, his magic tricks, the list goes on and on, but I have to trust in God’s sovereignty.  I know that His ways are not mine and so I pray that Tata is adjusting well at the other orphanage and I entrust him to the care of the One who loves him so much more than I ever could, cares for him far greater than I do, and knows the plans He has for him.    

Well, as if that wasn’t enough surprises for one week, Friday held one more unexpected experience, but this one was a completely joyful event.  As I was helping Marcela sort the boys’ clothes, I overheard someone say something about Jackson’s arrival.  To say that I was surprised to hear this would be a very great understatement indeed and again I thought that I had misunderstood what I heard, but this time, I hoped that I had heard correctly.  So, why would this be a surprise?  Let’s go back once more to the end of February.  Thursday, February 23 seemed like a pretty typical day, we watched the little kids in the morning and on my lunch break, I did some puzzles with Jackson, Bruno, and Tulio.  I helped Marcela in the afternoon, and in the evening, I played Trouble with Jackson, Fabricio, Alan, and Jessica.  Little did I know that it would be my last day with Jackson.  The next day at lunch, Viktoria mentioned something about Jackson’s departure and I asked her what she was talking about.  She then went on to explain that Jackson’s mother had called a few days earlier and after 7 years of him living here, his mom decided that she wanted him back.  So, that morning she had come and picked him up.  I had no clue he was leaving and initially was quite shocked to realize that he was gone for good.  Jackson was one of the first boys that I met here at the orphanage. Unlike a lot of the teenage boys that I used to work with in the middle school where I taught, Jackson was an absolute sweetheart.  Always the first to smile and offer a great big thumbs up every time I walked passed him, he spread joy wherever he went.  When Jackson left back in February, I assumed that I would never see him again.  Yet, God in His goodness did indeed bless us with Jackson’s return this weekend.  It was so good to be able to see him again and watch his interactions with the boys and the workers here.  With my limited Portuguese, I was able to have only very simple conversations with him, but it was great to be able to learn from those talks that he is doing well, going to church still, and liking his life in Lavras.  When Jackson originally left in February, his departure taught me to expect anything and be grateful for everything, especially every single day that I have with these boys, because I just never quite know when it will be my last and they will be gone.  I am still learning this lesson and have been reminded of it again with the departure of Tata this past week.  While there have been many surprises this past week for me, I know that none of these things were a surprise to the Lord.  As He says in Isaiah 14:24, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.”  So in both the good and bad surprises, I praise God and trust in His sovereignty.  Please continue to keep these boys, the workers, and this ministry in your prayers. 

In Him,

Katy Pavkov



Jefferson and Jaimes

Jaimes, Caio, Tata (who is asking me if he can take the next picture) and Bruno

Tata and Alisson



Jackson with Marcela and Gerson (the couple that I am living with here)

Amor

I wish that I could fully express just how much I love my life here in Nepo.  I love that when I enter the director’s house in the morning to pick up the little boys, three three-year olds attack me with hugs and kisses.  I love that at lunch when I serve the boys their food and greet them with a smile, I now receive great big smiles in return in place of the leery looks I used to get in the beginning.  I love helping Marcela in the afternoons and watching her interactions with the boys and seeing her passion for this ministry.  I love helping the boys with their homework at night, learning along with them, and attempting to help to the best of my ability, and while sometimes I don’t always understand what they need to do or how to explain it to them, I love being able to offer a smile and encouraging word which at times makes all the difference.   I love watching movies with them on Friday nights and having special lunches for them on Saturdays.  I love that today after our special “American” lunch of cheeseburgers and potato chips; I finally had the opportunity to give out the gifts that I brought for the boys and the workers.  I love watching 14 and 15 year olds play with the tops, mini Frisbees, and bouncy balls that they received as though they are the greatest things in the world.  I love going to youth group on Saturday nights with the older boys and to church on Sunday with all 40 of us packed into the minibus.  I love watching the boys interact with each other, especially how the older boys who seem so “tough” and “hard” on the outside are always the first to kiss the baby and help the little ones.  I just simply love every little thing about my new life here….yes, even the hard and challenging moments because they make me appreciate the good ones all the more and they make me realize just how much I need to rely on the One who has brought me to this place and filled me with His love to pour out on those who so desperately need it here. 

And while I do truly love my life here, it is not always easy and it is not always fine and dandy.  I think the best way to describe what I mean is by borrowing the following description from the book I am currently reading (it’s called Kisses from Katie and it has been beyond encouraging to me ….to briefly summarize, it’s a true story about a girl named Katie who went to Uganda on a short term missions trip and now lives there, has adopted 13 children, and started an organization that helps thousands of people there).  Anyway, as I read this book, I find myself being able to relate on so many levels and with some exceptions (like the boyfriend part  J ) I feel as if I could have written the following….it is definitely a pretty accurate description of my time so far in Brasil:

“If I had to summarize in one word my first weeks and months in Uganda, it would be contradiction….  My life- especially my emotions- hung in the balance between absolutely loving my new life in Uganda and battling severe loneliness….  Most of the people around me didn’t speak my language, nor did I speak theirs.  This communication vacuum left me feeling isolated and forced to work much harder to build meaningful relationships….During my early days here, I was learning so much- everything from how to eat foods I’d never seen before to how to communicate through hand signals and facial expressions with people whose language I did not know.  My horizons were being expanded in the most amazing ways; my perspectives were changing every day; and my faith was being challenged and stretched.  All of this was so exciting to me.  I didn’t want to admit that, in the midst of such a wonderful and invigorating experience, I sometimes felt tangible pangs of loneliness when I thought about how many miles away I was from the people I loved.  I spent many hours curled up in a ball on my lumpy twin bed, sweltering, often in the dark, and crying- partly because I was overwhelmed and feeling inadequate and partly because I missed my family or boyfriend.  Sometimes, I cried because I was simply exhausted….The contradiction comes when I realize that all these experiences and emotions were real.  The happiness that gave me chill bumps was as deep as my loneliness.  My sense of certainty about being exactly where God wanted me was solid, but just as firm was the fact that I wondered at times what on earth I was doing here.  The frustration that threatened to overtake me on some occasions was just as deep and true as the unbounded joy I felt at other times.  I loved my new life; I truly loved it.  But compared to the life I had been living, it was hard.”

Every day I thank the Lord for bringing me to Nepo….I praise Him for the good days and the bad days, the challenges and the triumphs, and for pouring out His love on me and granting me the privilege of sharing that love here.

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  -Romans 5:3-5

Jackson

Before I came to Nepo, I was told by more than one person, “Go with no expectations.”  While I tried not to come down with many expectations, I did have some preconceived ideas about what my time would be like down here.  Some of those ideas have been close to reality and some couldn’t be further from the truth.  But, one of the things that I never expected (in retrospect, I’m not sure why I never considered this) is the reality of boys coming and going in this place.  While I did give some thought to the fact that we would probably get new boys during my time here, I never once thought about having boys leave and how very difficult that would be.  Such is the case with a boy named Jackson.

Jackson was one of the first boys that I met here at the orphanage.  Unlike a lot of 15 year old boys that I used to work with at the middle school, Jackson was an absolute sweetheart.  Always the first to smile and offer a great big thumbs up every time you walked passed him, he spread joy wherever he went.   Jackson was very eager to learn English and always wanted to know how to say things in English.  Conversely, he was just as willing to teach me Portuguese and his lessons were extremely helpful.  On one of my first days here, it was Jackson who asked me in Portuguese if I wanted to stay here forever.  During my second week here, it was Jackson who came to my window and asked me in English to come here please.  I went to the front door and when I opened it, I was greeted with a large living fish flopping around in my face along with Jackson’s smiling face.  Jackson quickly learned the phrase “Kaych (how they pronounce my name in Portuguese) come here please” and I knew that whenever I heard that phrase some type of adventure and laughter would soon follow.  J 

Thursday, February 23 seemed like a pretty typical day….we watched the little kids in the morning and on my lunch break, I did some puzzles with Jackson, Bruno, and Tulio.  I helped Marcela in the afternoon, and in the evening, I played Trouble with Jackson, Fabricio, Alan, and Jessica.  Little did I know that it would be my last day with Jackson…..on Friday at lunch, Viktoria mentioned something about Jackson’s departure and I asked her what she was talking about.  She then went on to explain that Jackson’s mother had called a few days earlier and after 7 years of him living here, his mom decided that she wanted him back.  So, that morning she had come and picked him up.  I had no clue he was leaving and initially was quite shocked to realize that he was gone for good.  I would love to have had a chance to say goodbye and to thank him for how welcome he made me feel here (although with my limited Portuguese I probably wouldn’t have been able to say even that  J ).  While I do miss Jackson…his smile and helpfulness, the way he would randomly take off his flipflop on the sidewalk to start a game of flipflop soccer…I am so thankful for the two weeks that I had the pleasure of knowing him and the lessons I learned from him.  Along with the Portuguese he taught me, I have learned to expect anything and be grateful for everything, especially every single day that I have with these boys, because you never know when it will be your last and they will be gone. 

Playing Trouble with Jackson on what ended up being his last night
at the orphanage.
(The photo quality is not the best because it was taken by one of the
boys and they don't quite know how to properly use a camera...
meaning they often put their fingers in front of the flash and
sometimes even the lens itself )  :)

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and while I definitely have a thousand words I would love to share with you all, finding the time to do so has been somewhat difficult.  So today I thought I would let my pictures do the talking.....

This is the Freemans' home where I stayed when I was in Recife.

Me with Leticia Freeman.  One of the 20+ kids they have adopted,
she is quite a goofball and brings lots of laughter to the house :)

Andy Freeman, another one of the children, he is very loving
and always greeted me with a hug and his adorable smile.....
I love how he is totally missing the plants he is supposed to be watering :)

 

Esther, Rebekah, and Rachael Freeman (daughters of the
first Freeman son) and Kuaun Freeman (the 24th and
youngest of the children).  Kuaun loves to play with "the nieces"
and they love their uncle :)

On my last afternoon with the Freemans, they put on a
rodeo for me.  In this picture, the kids are lined up and
ready for their turn in the rodeo as Stephanie welcomed
everyone to the show. 
This picture also shows the horse arena where we played soccer.
It's hard to see, but try and notice the gravel, sticks, large pointy
objects, etc. and you will somewhat understand why my feet got so
torn up while playing :)

Leticia doing a trick on the horse during the rodeo.  After I
saw what they did during the show, I wondered why
I was so scared to simply ride a saddled, walking horse :)

If you recall from my first post, there were a lot of bugs in
Recife.  This picture shows just one of the many
lovely creatures I had to get used to :)

Just like the sunsets there, my time with the Freemans was
so marvelous......

And just like the beauty of my new home in Nepo, my time
here is proving to be every bit as wonderful  :)

Me with some of my boys from the orphanage and some
visitors from São Paulo.

Our short term missions team...me, Jessica, and Viktoria.
After they leave in the beginning of April, it will be just me and
therefore, I cling all the more to the promise of Joshua 1:9  :)

Some of the cuties that I get to take care of in the morning  :)

And some of the older boys....I just love how they pose for photos :)

So I've discovered that if you have a camera with you there will instantly
be a handful of boys that surround you and want to take pictures.  They
especially like taking pictures of themselves as is the case here with Alexandro. 
You will notice in this picture that he took the lovely little fly that
is crawling on the food he is eating.  This is also completely normal as the
flies here are probably as bad as the plague was in Egypt....I have
definitely gotten used to them not only swarming all around you all the
time, but also all over your food even on the bite you are about to take....
thankfully, I have not swallowed one yet  :)

And this is the reason for the flies (the cows, not Alan)  :) 

The pigs are also a reason for the flies, but I really included this one for
you Beth....notice how cute the three little piglets are  :)



We went for a walk and the boys were picking goyabas
and really wanted me to eat one....needless to say, after my experience in Recife
with goyabas, I was a little hesitant to try it again.  But, thankfully, this time
I did not chip my tooth, thoroughly enjoyed the goyaba, and realized that I
most certainly did not have a ripe one in Recife...hence the chipped tooth  :)

A typical Sunday morning ride to church....all 40+ of us pile into a tiny
bus....car seats and seat belts are definitely not used or even heard of here  :)

Reginaldo and Alison....these two brothers and their other brother (see the
picture below) have absolutely stolen my heart  :)

Me and my buddy Alifer.....such a sweetheart  :)

Along with falling in love with the kids here, I also love the town of
Nepomuceno where I am living.  Here you find beautiful flowers, grand churches, and.....

.....random cows in the middle of the main street  :)

And to end this first picture tour, I thought I´d leave you with the view
from my back porch where our hammock hangs and our
view is always this glorious :)