The theme song that comes to me is silly,  it’s “Back in the Saddle Again”. I didn’t know the words until I looked it up and think it fits my feelings!
Since leaving our hometown of Grants Pass June 20th, it has been a long journey and emotionally more draining.  I guess in staying as long as we did, we may have put some roots down, but I don’t think it is a bad thing.

This past 6 months in Grants Pass, I understood an old concept from the Bible.  In James 4:14 and many other passages throughout the Bible it says “our life is as a morning fog” or a vapor. I’ve thought it was pretty poetic until we lived it. One day our family and friends are with us, then suddenly a tragedy happens or an illness comes knocking at our door and “poof” they’re gone. I felt this more than once as we lost a dear friend in less than a month from cancer, several around us are fighting cancer and trying all they can to win through their faith, prayer and diet control and other treatments and one young man lost his life from complications of pneumonia. Poof, they are gone from us. And we never got to say good bye to either one of them.
I felt that I  needed to take saying “good bye” with family and friends way more seriously. So, saying good-bye was much harder with each one. Especially our grandparents. They are in their mid to late 80’s and one is 90 and living out the hospice phase.
On the lighter side, with Jesus in our lives, we have hope and confidence that eternity is forever and not that vapor or morning fog that disappears. We’ll have forever to be together when we have decided to accept Jesus as our master and savior! If you have not decided, please consider it so my forever can be spent with you as well! You will NOT regret it! I promise!!! Check it out for your self!

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
Romans 10: 9-10 ” That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” verse :10 “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Good news people!!!!! 

And this is why we are returning to Brazil…

We left for LAX Friday night at 10pm. We got there with plenty of time to unload our 12 totes, carry-ons and 2 little sleepers(Nate and Hannah), 2 tired girls and 2 already tired parents. The airlines didn’t have a problem with our totes, but had problems with our carry on’s. We were forced to pay for an extra tote by leaving the airport at midnight to find something that would fit 3 of our carryon’s(which for the record were the right size???) So the total paid was $175 and we weren’t sure why exactly, but we got on the plane on time. (Thank you Dad for your willingness and flexibility at such a crazy hour to look for a bin…it ended up being a Brawny cardboard box from CVS Pharmacy=-)
Our flights were good. Copa Airlines added a new feature to their planes!! An iPad kind of deal on the back of every seat loaded with entertainment for everyone. Games, movies, TV series and documentaries and even the map of our flight and how long it would take to get there!

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Excited about the media in front of them and the journey back home they didn’t sleep until 4am LAX to Panama City

Leaving Panama City for Manaus…a bit tired but ready to get there!

After 4 hours of good sleep, they were ready for the last flight from Manaus to Altamira

Sunrise over the Amazon Basin

First Guarana after 8 months! Even at 6:30am!!

First Brazilian Coffee!!! So needing it about now!

Nate, so amped to get back to Altamira!

We traveled to Manaus that night and our sweet friends, Jim and Julie Benson and their neighbor, Grant had us for a short night and served us by getting us at the airport with our now 13 bins and carry on’s, taking us to their house and getting up at 4am to take us back to the airport! We were so grateful for their sacrifices to help us!

When they dropped us off at the airport in Manaus at 5am, the airlines looked at all our bins and pretty much told us that the plane wouldn’t hold that much! They wanted us to go another direction with our totes. Cargo with another airport next door or a line boat that would take 5 or so days. We were a bit taken back, but began to pray and trust the Lord for a solution so that we wouldn’t miss our flight.
After some persistence and talking to the clerks at the check in desk for the airlines, they were willing to try it. We were so blessed and pleased when they got all the totes on and we weren’t charged anything for the extra weight. We were speechless!

We arrived on time in Altamira and our friends Steve and Joao came to get us and all our stuff with our truck and Steve’s truck! Nate was so excited to see “Smokey” our Ranger. It was a bit fast for us to already function in Brazil, but God is faithful to prepare us for every moment!
All our things were in tact when we got to the mission apartment. AMAZING!!!

We’ll stay in Altamira til Friday. Then off to Uruara’ to see the church there and Poli and Nega, who we church planted with last year. Monday we’ll be looking to head out to Maribel.

Thank you for all your prayers. I know many of you have been praying daily for us and we just couldn’t expect better results without you guys praying for us!

We’ll be getting our friend Nathan Chavaria, from Grants Pass, July 20th or so and bringing him back to Maribel with us. He’ll be staying with us til December. He’ll be learning the language, teaching guitar to some of the guys and traveling with us. He feels called to missions in Brazil and is praying about Xingu Mission as a good fit for more full time missions.
We appreciate your prayers for his transition to Maribel and with our family!

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