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Greetings from Pombos, Brasil! We finally made it and have many praises and adventures to share with you about how we got here to what we are doing. So sit back and get comfy for an exciting saga that is taking place in the country of Brazil.

VISA:
We arrived in Pombos on February 7th late in the afternoon after a long and adventurous trip. We still had not heard anything about Stephanie's visa. Finally we heard that it could be picked up in New York City, exactly one week before we left! A friend from the Ranch took us back to Ohio so we could leave the car with him that we had been borrowing from him. That little car was a huge blessing to us as we traveled over 17,000 miles! While we were borrowing that car, my car was sold.

THE TRIP DOWN:
When we got back to Ohio to pack, we had 4 1/2 days. We finished packing on Sunday and were all set, when we received a phone call from Mrs. Fruend that Byron's box that he was taking for us was TOO BIG! So, we spent that night repacking into new cardboard boxes that would be the correct size. Monday arrives, time for check in. We put our 6 boxes to be checked and discovered that 3 or 4 were overweight by 2-3 lbs. There were also several additional fees that we were unaware of and the total was going to be over $700.00. Benjamin & I began discussing what our options would be since we couldn't afford that.

Friends in unexpected places:
The agent checking us in asked if we were missionaries, and we replied yes. He then told us that he would make sure that our boxes would get through, but he needed to keep his job. He asked us if we could afford $350.00 and we said yes. He went on to tell us that this would be his tithe to the Lord! He is a believer and took care of the extra expense personally! Praise God for His people that believe in helping the body of Christ in need! I cried when he told us what he was doing. It was a huge blessing that both of us felt humbled to receive.

After a long 10 hour flight to Sao Paulo, we got off to stand in line for 45 minutes to register and get our passports stamped, and after a little delay, we were through and could claim our luggage and it was off to customs. She asked Ben a couple of questions and waved us through. We checked in again and got to our gate with 10 minutes to spare! (we only had a 2 hour delay) We arrived in Recife and were delayed yet another hour as they wanted to x-ray our luggage since it wasn't inspected in customs! SO that was the short and sweet version of our trip.

CULTURE SHOCK:
Benjamin finally feels like he is "home," and I am learning what that word is in Portuguese. There are so many things to learn! (besides the language) The following are a few things to get used to: the heat, (average is 110 F), the food, (beans & rice), the smell, sunburns, mosquitoes, and a host of other things that crawl. Understanding the Brazilian Culture is going to take some time. Good things to adjust to are the fresh fruit and vegetables. Fruit like mango, pineapple, papaya, a variety of bananas and much, much more. This area of Brazil is one of the poorest in the nation. When you drive down the street, your heart breaks to see the living conditions, and lifestyles of so many. There are many that are illiterate, and most of the women peel a root called manioc, for $2-$3.00 a day for their income.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
When we arrived, Byron Fruend had arrived the day before to help Benjamin install flush bathrooms for the school that Ben's parents oversee and teach in. He was a tremendous help and blessing. Byron, Benjamin, Stephanie, and Kezia went to the beach for a day of fun in the sun before Byron flew back. The result? Amazing sights snorkeling, and a sun burn that is still peeling! The sun in much stronger when it is only 5 degrees south of the equator, no matter how strong the sunscreen!

CURRENT EVENTS:
Right now we are staying with Ben's family. There are many small projects that need to be completed before school can begin, and one major project that has to be finished in order to comply with the registration of the school. The restrooms are to be converted from (very nice) pit toilets to handicapped accessible flush toilets. This is not an easy task in an area that has to bring in all of its water from other sources!

Once this is completed and school begins we will move out to Labenshaus to begin work on our house and developing the discipleship ministry. There are 2 couples that Benjamin is friends with that have expressed excited interest in being discipled. We are anxious to begin working with them as well. In addition to those responsibilities, we will be traveling back and forth through out the week as Ben will be teaching a Science class once a week and working with 3 young men that will be in the afternoon tutorial classes. I am studying Portuguese much of the day, helping his sisters where I can, taking care of Ben, and asking many questions.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• Wisdom as we begin the actual development of Labenshaus
• That we would be wise stewards of what the Lord has given us to work with as the value of the American dollar is dropping
• The continued adjustments for Stephanie
• uidance as we look for a vehicle. (most vehicles cost the equivalent of $10,000-$15,000.00 US) and begin setting up our own home. (we are starting from scratch as far as furniture is concerned)
• Safety in everyday work with machines and animals, and driving

"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; for His loving-kindness is everlasting".
Psalm 136:1

Thank you so much for your love, encouragement and support as we embark on this exciting adventure for the Lord. Though it is new and scary, God has provided time and again, and shown us His love and kindness in many unexpected ways. We look forward to seeing what He is going to do in this area of Brasil. The believers here are hungry and anxious to grow.

The harvest is rich as well as the time to plant.