My summer break is over here in Brasil and I'm back to teaching after spending lots of time this past month with Richard and our four youngest. Some wonderful friends let us use their apartment at the beach just before Christmas and then Richard's brother David, his wife Maureen, and daughter Hope arrived the day after Christmas for a three month visit (check out Maureen's blog: "Dispatches from Brazil"). We had a good time with them here in Campinas and then they traveled with us to Belo Horizonte where we spent three weeks at a restoration house for ex-street boys with our MC team.
We missed Randi, Ari and Sadye so much this Christmas season! We did survive and are so grateful for all of the ways that God has blessed us through this transition. I wrote all about Randi, Ari and Sadye in my last blog, so now I'll give you some updates on our four who are with us:
Rebekah graduates from Escola Americana de Campinas - The American School of Campinas (where I work) in June - three weeks after Ari graduates from Point Loma Nazarene University in May and one week before Randi at the University of Illinois. She has jumped right into the many activities of the international school experience - she was elected Senior class vice-president on the first day of school and played varsity basketball and soccer. She has been in the frenzy of college testing and application deadlines and has applied to colleges in California (including Point Loma), New York and Washington D.C. with plans to major in Film and Media Communications. Please pray with us for her to land exactly where she needs to be. Right now, she is working on a mini-documentary about the drastically different lives of youth in Brazil called "One Country – Two Worlds" based on her experiences of having former street kids from the favelas as some of her best friends and going to school with kids who have maids, drivers, and beach houses - but have never ridden a public bus. You can watch her trailer for it on Youtube – just type in the title. I am going to miss our Bubba and all of her projects (which are often evidenced throughout the house)!
Adriana celebrated her fifteenth birthday this year - very important for girls in Brazil - so we had a surprise party for her (inspired by Debora and the other "Brasileiras" on our team) to make sure that she got the royal treatment. It was extra-special to have Rob, Alison, Demetri and Jasmine Cranshaw here with us, too. Now in 10th grade - Ana played soccer this year and was on the cheerleading squad. She also participated in a Model United Nations convention in Sao Paulo representing the country of Ghana. But - to hear about Ana, directly from Ana, check out her blog "Hearing it Straight" - adrianainbrazil.blogspot.com.
Sean and Chris – who turned 14 this week, have grown more than six inches, slimmed out, sound like men and are – yes – secretly shaving. Some of my students have crushes on them and I don't think they mind the attention – pray for us! As they had been going to an International school, they are speaking the best Portuguese in the family and have been mistaken for our interpreters more than once. They are both playing the guitar pretty well and even working on composing their own songs. Last week, they spent a week camping with the boys from the Restoration House. The ex-street boys have some amazing stories – maybe Sean and Chris shared how they were stopped by the Federal Police and frisked a few weeks ago (you don't want to know). Right now we are trying to find a school to enroll them in (as I only get two scholarships at the American school where I work and the scholarships they had at the school they have been attending for the last year expired). School tuition is expensive and as we are trying to do everything we can to make it possible to bring the whole family for a visit to the U.S. during June and July, they are being homeschooled again for a season while we work on the best situation for them.
I am so thankful to our Lord for the wonderful attitudes our children have for serving, their flexibility during change and their openness to understand the part they can play.
Thanks for letting me catch you up, Beijos (kisses), Jocelyn
Adriana celebrated her fifteenth birthday this year - very important for girls in Brazil - so we had a surprise party for her (inspired by Debora and the other "Brasileiras" on our team) to make sure that she got the royal treatment. It was extra-special to have Rob, Alison, Demetri and Jasmine Cranshaw here with us, too. Now in 10th grade - Ana played soccer this year and was on the cheerleading squad. She also participated in a Model United Nations convention in Sao Paulo representing the country of Ghana. But - to hear about Ana, directly from Ana, check out her blog "Hearing it Straight" - adrianainbrazil.blogspot.com.
Sean and Chris – who turned 14 this week, have grown more than six inches, slimmed out, sound like men and are – yes – secretly shaving. Some of my students have crushes on them and I don't think they mind the attention – pray for us! As they had been going to an International school, they are speaking the best Portuguese in the family and have been mistaken for our interpreters more than once. They are both playing the guitar pretty well and even working on composing their own songs. Last week, they spent a week camping with the boys from the Restoration House. The ex-street boys have some amazing stories – maybe Sean and Chris shared how they were stopped by the Federal Police and frisked a few weeks ago (you don't want to know). Right now we are trying to find a school to enroll them in (as I only get two scholarships at the American school where I work and the scholarships they had at the school they have been attending for the last year expired). School tuition is expensive and as we are trying to do everything we can to make it possible to bring the whole family for a visit to the U.S. during June and July, they are being homeschooled again for a season while we work on the best situation for them.
I am so thankful to our Lord for the wonderful attitudes our children have for serving, their flexibility during change and their openness to understand the part they can play.
Thanks for letting me catch you up, Beijos (kisses), Jocelyn
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