Why... hello there :)

Hello dear readers!

Wow, it has certainly been a while.  I apologize for the lack of posts!  Life has sort of whizzed by, leaving me winded and desperate to catch up.  I promise I will try to post more often!  This should be especially easy in the next couple of days because... I have something super exciting to share with you all :)

If you've been reading this blog since its conception, you'll know that last November, I had an incredible opportunity to go to Brasil for a mission trip with a small team from Princeton Alliance Church.  If you'd like a report on what we did, just scroll down all the way to the bottom of my blog -- don't worry, there's not very many posts ;]

I was blessed above and beyond what I could have ever imagined.  The stories of restored lives, the smiles of hope, the hands raised in worship…  These kids experience God in a way that is life-changing.  And it changed my life.

Tomorrow, I will step into a plane headed towards -- you guessed it -- Brasil!  This time, our small team from Church will have some field days with the kids, organize a talent show [which has become a tradition for every mission group after we did it for the first time last November], and spend lots of time with the kids.  One of the biggest projects we’ll be undertaking is rebuilding a home for the mother of an active member of the graduate church.  She underwent a radical transformation from a drug addict and loveless mother with no hope… to a woman who loves Jesus, is yearning for a second chance at being a mother, and wants her house to be a house of worship.  Her life is a powerful story of rescue and love.  We’ll be rebuilding her tattering bits of a shack in the middle of a favela [slum], so you can imagine how nervous my parents are!  Okay, I’m a bit anxious as well… but I know God will be with us every step of the way and I’m excited to see what He’ll do through us :]

I have some bits of prayer requests for you all.  As I said before, we leave tomorrow.  But, this past week, the hurricane Sandy has hit many of my team members pretty hard.  We also have a few issues with funds, possible visa pick-up delays, and schoolwork to finish before we leave...  If you could pray for God to come through in every detail, that would be so great :)

Ahh!  I'm beyond excited to see what God has in store for us these two weeks!  And I'll be sure to update you all as much as I can =]

Blessings! 

Esther

“Missions start where you want and ends where God takes you.” ~Dayane Mendes, a wonderful lady who continues to dedicate her life to the kids in Hope Unlimited.

hope is the thing with feathers {Dickinson}

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.


~Emily Dickinson

merry post-christmas:)

[those christmas lights light up the street

down where the sea and city meet

may all your troubles soon be gone

oh, christmas lights, keep shinin' on]

Legacy.

I can't get Brasil out of my mind.  And I think writing about it helps me miss it less.  So, in this post I'll be talking about certain people who made the trip so amazing.  Some are the people in my mission team, some are the staff at Hope Unlimited, and some are the kids.

[Of course there are so many other people who touched me during the trip.  But, if I started writing about all of them, it'd go on forever.  These are just the ones that popped into my mind as I was writing this.]

I want to start with someone quite obvious.  Without him, the trip would not have been the same.  His name is Steve Mayer, also known as Stevie, Mr. Mayer, and Stive.  He is a pastor at my church and a principal at a high school.  He is big, funny, and full of smiles.  Maybe that's what drew me to him in the first place.  From the very first meeting, I noticed his amazing smile.  He is very open and very real.  He isn't an extremely emotional person, yet he's not afraid to cry.  He'll always have a word of wisdom and a piece of encouragement for you.  He doesn't know much Portuguese, yet he is fluent in the language of love.  He can captivate the hearts of the kids with his eyes and laughter.  He taught me that God is there in the little things and that's what matters.

Someone else who really got to me was Barb.  Barbara was another leader of the trip.  She is originally from Brasil, but her family moved to the US and went through many hardships.  Yet, you would never know that from being with her.  Barb is so sweet and gorgeous and patient; you'd never think she had some hard times.  She knows Portuguese and the kids absolutely adore her.  From the very first moment, the girls flocked to her, giving her hugs and kisses.  She's the kind of person that makes you comfortable enough to put your guard down.  She showed me that you shouldn't be afraid to open up your heart and pour love into anyone you meet.  

For one of the relays, we had to fill up water balloons from the water spouts at the girls ranch.  One of the girls who helped my sister and I do this was Gabbie.  She is one of the sweetest, prettiest girls you'll ever meet.  After we filled all the balloons up [and got a ton of water on us], she asked if I could be her best friend.  It touched me so much that I just hugged her and said si.  During the talent show, I sat next to her and she wanted to take pictures with my camera.  She probably took half of the photos during the show.  It gave her so much joy just to be able to capture a moment and I learned that sometimes joy comes in the little things.

We spent at least three days working on house seven in the boy's ranch.  The house parents of that house had this little boy who I fell in love with.  His name was Jonathan and he was around two years old.  I kept playing football toss with him and I'd randomly come up to him, hug him, and swing himself into the air.  I loved him a lot, but I know that his mom loved him even more.  She was always checking on him and seeing if he was okay.  Also, she loved the kids in her house so incredibly much.  She and her husband gave up their lives to take care of the kids in their house.  Also, I know that having thirteen people painting in and out of your house isn't easy.  In fact, sometimes, the house mom might have gotten tired of us.  But, she never expressed that.  She showed me real patience and sweetness.

On the first day at the City of Youth, we got to have a meeting with Ellie and Sydney.  They are a bright, young couple, and they know at least three languages.  They could be earning a ton of money in a corporate business, yet they choose to stay and help at the Hope Unlimited program.  They don't think of it as a job, they think of it as a mission.  They taught me to use my talents and gifts for God.  The only purpose in life is to do something bigger than yourself: giving yourself to God.

While we were painting the living room of house eight, we had to push all the furniture in the middle of the room.  There were two sofa's in the center and two guys took a nap on it.  They used the plastic wrap as a blanket -- it was so cute!  Well, I was painting the living room and whenever I'd look around, I'd see one of the guys watching me.  After a little bit, he asked me what my name was and I told him.  He then told me his name... Renan.  After that, every time I'd see him, I'd say "bom dia!" [good morning]  He would always light up when he saw me and he was always gentle and sweet with his friends.  He taught me that you should always treasure the people you care about.

The last person I'd like to share about is Dayane.  When it was her time for the encouragement chair, almost everyone was crying.  I told her that I always thought she was super cool: sweet and pretty.  From the very first time I saw her at the airport, I noticed that she and Barb had a close friendship and I knew I could trust her.  I told her that when I die and go to heaven, if Jesus asks me who I looked up to, I'd say, "Well, you, of course.  But, there's another person.  You know the girl who had a rough life, yet found your grace sufficient?  The girl who can't use her car because she doesn't have enough money to fix it, yet she goes everyday to be there for the kids in Hope Unlimited?  You know, Dayane.  Yeah, I looked up to her.  And I thank you, God, for letting me be able to witness her selflessness and great love."  [Well, actually, I couldn't say all that--I was crying too much.  But I meant every word.]

This kinda leads me to a question.  All these people left me something special.  Even if I never see them again, I'll remember their story and their example.  My question and challenge for you is this: What legacy are you leaving for the people around you?  Will it be something that others will never forget?  Will it be something that points others to God?

And to be quite honest, this isn't something you need to go to a different country to find out.  It's something you need to start doing.  Right now.

Brasil Missions 2011 - a quick summary

For the last ten days, my family went on a missions trip to Brasil with a team from my church.  The weather was hot and sunny - a nice contrast from the chill in New Jersey.  We stayed at a hotel in Campinas and drove half an hour every day to where the program was located.  The program we were sent to serve was Hope Unlimited.  They rescue street children and enroll them through their program which gives them an education, a safe society, a Christian learning, and career pursuit opportunities.  They divide their campus into two groups for kids aged approximately 9 to 16: the city of youth (which includes the boy's ranch) and the girl's ranch.  They also have a graduate program for those who have gone through Hope Unlimited and are aged 17 or 18.


We cleaned and painted six disgusting bathrooms, painted two houses in the boy's ranch, had a field day for the girls, had a talent show for girls and guys, and zip-lined with the graduates.  We got to see selflessness and love portrayed beautifully in the house parents and leaders at the program.  Also, those kids taught, loved, and served me more than I feel I could ever do for them.


My missions team had a recap every night and it was amazing.  We shared God-moments – the specific times we felt/saw God throughout the day – and we put someone in the chair of encouragement.  Pretty self-explanatory.  We’d make a circle and place a chair in the middle.  Steve Mayer would choose someone to sit in the chair, everyone would take turns encouraging that person, and someone else would pray for the person.


I learned that:

The stuff that matters in the end isn’t your cellphone or the makeup you wear or the clothes you have.  It’s about serving others and God.

Love is a universal language.

Little things matter for God.

Everyone has a story.

Hope can transform a life.

Music is essential for the most efficient painting.
Prayer is powerful.

A smile is worth a thousand words. [cue blog title] 
God's love is a symphony and his grace is sufficient.

Hugs are something amazing.

As a girl in my mission team said, the Brasil trip can be summed up in "Happiness through simplicity. Hope through love.”

For me, I met God through smiles of hope.

God is incredible.


Now, you might be thinking, "How could you have spoken to the kids?  Don't they speak Portuguese?"  We spoke through smiles, laughs, and the little words that we knew.  Language is never a barrier for God's work.


The experience was awesome and I miss the kids and Brasil so much.  I'm touched at the dedication and love shown by the staff: the directors, the bus drivers, the house parents.  They give their lives to give, rather than to receive.  They are a blessing to the kids and they are blessed by God.  I'm also touched by the sincere hope radiating out of a kid's smile and gorgeous eyes.


I want to go back to serve soon.


If this is not the time, then when is?

[if you wish to check out a few of the original 1502 pictures i took, check it out here: Brasil Missions 2011 ]