Morey Family Comes to Brazil!

HAPPY belated THANKSGIVING!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I had a different, but really amazing Thanksgiving as well! My family (my mom, dad, Josh and Brittany) were all down here last week, so we got to spend some quality time together for the first time in a long while. It was such a blast showing them around São Paulo and Marília, as well as introducing them to the family and friends I've made down here. I feel so blessed to have had them here!

Here are some pictures from my family's visit:

Feira (The open market in Marília)

Walking around downtown Marília with the family

Welcome to my classroom!!

Kitchen of the Churrascaria (BBQ restaurant in São Paulo)

Josh and Britt at the Mercado Municipal in São Paulo.

Catedral da Sé in São Paulo

Liberdade (The Japanese neighborhood) in São Paulo

PASTEL... Deep-fried deliciousness. (Josh's official favorite Brazilian food)

I can't believe it, but I leave Brazil in 9 days... wow. Although I'm so excited to come home, I'm definitely not ready to say goodbye to Brazil. It's going to be SO hard!!

Common Cold

With symptoms of a persistent headache, sore throat, loss of voice, stuffy nose, and an achy body, I can't deny it any more. It's official... I have a cold. For those of you who know me well, you know how hard it is for me to admit to this fact. However, it's undeniable, and Nyquill has become my best friend.

Aside from the common cold, things are going alright. I'm a little bit nervous because I have to preach tomorrow for the Japanese congregation in the church. I'll speak in English, the pastor will translate to Portuguese, and someone else will translate to Japanese... ha please pray that nothing important gets lost in translation! Please also pray for me today, as I have no idea what I'm going to preach about. I have faith that God will provide something!

November??!!

Another month has come and gone. Is it really November already? As it is Spring time here in Brazil, I can't help but feel I have missed out on the usual Fall festivities. Apple picking, pumpkin carving, and watching the leaves turn are just a few of the things I miss about home. However, I am finding ways to infuse some "fall traditions" into my English classes. Just last week, I made apple crisp with my class for women over 50. I have also planned some fall/Halloween activities in my class for children. I am enjoying sharing "American" traditions with the people here, as well as learning more about the Brazilian traditions and culture.

Anyway, things are good. I just moved to the pastor's house after staying with a different family for 2 weeks. I am really learning the meaning of couch surfing, and although it's so much fun staying with different families, I am absolutely exhausted. I think I'm also coming down with a cold (although I'm in denial about it for the time being).

There are only 2 1/2 more weeks until my family comes to visit, which also means I only have 2 1/2 more weeks of English classes. Please pray that these last couple weeks of class would be good, and that God would just be working in the lives of each of my students.

Life Update

The moment I feel as tho I am establishing some kind of routine here in Marília, something seems to always change, and I am forced to find my bearings all over again. In a sense, it's a good thing. It keeps me on my toes, and it definitely forces me to have faith! And, throughout all the activities, changes and responsibilities, I can literally feel myself grow. I have never been in a situation where I have experienced the constant presence of God in such a concentrated amount of time!

The biggest change I've experienced recently is that I moved homestays again last weekend. I am now at the Pastors house, and I have my own little room above the garage. It's really nice, quiet, and ....drum roll please.... I FINALLY have access to the internet!! SO, I can now respond to your e-mails and update my blog a lot more often :)

Recently I have been struggling a bit with my English classes. At times, only one person will show up to a class (if any). At other times, I just can't tell if my students are understanding what I'm teaching. This has been somewhat difficult for me because I am so used to focusing on "results." How many students showed up? Was my lesson good? Are the students understanding? This whole experience has forced me to reevaluate my purposes and values. After all, some of my most effective classes were when only one student showed up, and we had the opportunity to talk one-on-one. God always seems to have a way of turning our expectations upside-down!

Anyway, thanks for your prayers. I will try to post more frequently!

God Bless

Soccer Pictures! ...Finally!

Here are a few pictures from my soccer classes. The guy in the third picture's name is Paulinho, and he's helping out with my classes, which has been SO great. All of my English and soccer classes are going well! I'm working hard, and having fun.

For those of your who Prayed for my sermon, thank you! It went really well, and I think there was a good response. God's provision never ceases to amaze me, and I am certain that He is doing a wonderful work both in this church and in my heart.

I am really bummed, because somehow I have managed to lose my memory card for my camera, which had all of my pictures from Brazil on it. I'm praying it'll show up somewhere, because if it doesn't I'll be absolutely devastated! If you think of it, please pray for the recover of my memory card!!!

Also, please pray for rain. I think it's only rained once in the past 3 months, and there's at least one fire every day. The dry weather is making everyone really sick too!

My first sermon

I have moved houses, and am now living in a more remote place. This means it's a lot more quiet (away from the "city noise"), but it also means no internet connection. Therefore, it's been somewhat difficult to communicate with you all! I'm doing very well, and am currently preparing to give my first sermon tonight at church. I'm SO nervous, but I think God has given me a word to share with the church. If you think of me before tonight, I'd appreciate your prayers! Thanks so much, and I'll let you all know how it goes :)

Sao Paulo, Pompeia, & English Classes!

Well, these past couple of weeks have been just a whirlwind of events. I returned from Sao Paulo about 2 weeks ago, I spent all last week in Pompeia (a small city about 20 minutes from Marilia), and my English/soccer classes have officially begun as of this week. Needless to say, my ministry responsibilities have kicked into full gear!

My time in Sao Paulo was absolutely amazing. It was such a change of pace, and it was really cool to see the “Big City” side of Brazil. My eyes were opened to a lot of harsh realities, but in the midst of it all I know that my heart and passion for Brazil was even further deepened by what I saw and experienced.

Last week, a JEMS basketball team from the states came to Pompeia. Pompeia is a really tiny city about 20 minutes from Marilia, so of course I went to visit the team. I went on Wednesday, and ended up staying until Saturday evening with a family there. The love and hospitality of the Brazilian people never ceases to amaze me!

During my time in Pompeia, I watched some basketball games, and had the opportunity to partner in ministry with the team. We visited some local schools, a program for kids at risk, and really got to know the community and people. I was so encouraged by the team, and it was truly amazing to see the impact they had on the community of Pompeia. There is something to be said about doing Kingdom work with fellow members of the body of Christ, and I was truly blessed by each and every one of their lives and testimonies. I also look forward to continuing to strengthen the connections I made in Pompeia over these next few months! The team left on Sunday, and I’m not going to lie- saying goodbye was really hard!

As for my English classes, they are going alright. I’m still a little bit insecure about teaching adults, and sometimes they ask some really hard grammar questions (I’m horrible with grammar)!! Also, this first week has been difficult, as I haven’t know how many people will show up, or how much English they will know. Please continue to pray that God would give me peace and direction in my classes. Please also pray that these classes would be effective not only in teaching English, but also in communicating the love and gospel of Christ.

I would also appreciate your prayers as I’m traveling to a city near Sao Paulo this weekend to watch a Futsal tournament. It’s a tournament for all the Free Methodist Churches in Brazil. Please pray for safe travels, and that this would be a good opportunity for me to make connections with other Free Methodist churches down here.

One final prayer request is for me this Sunday, as I am moving to another homestay. Please pray for a smooth transition, and that this family and I would be able to bond over these next 2 months.

I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed... OK REALLY overwhelmed... with everything going on, but I am finding peace in the fact that God is SO good. How amazing is that simple fact?