It has taken a while to get back to a computer to finish uploading pictures and blogging. The last three days of the trip were a blur of activity. We started the morning Thursday at Monica's School singing songs, sharing gifts, and preparing for a Thanksgiving feast at lunch. The children ranged from scary little 1 year olds that cried when we sang (okay they were cute to everyone else just scary to me) to kindergarteners that jumped around like crazy people while Thomas taught them the Banana song.

Parents joined their children for the lunchtime feast and one of the grandmothers brought the most beautiful hand-made candies I've ever seen. It was fun to see Melody in her element. She has obviously had a deep impact at Monica's School and the children really love her.

Thursday evening was a big Thanksgiving dinner at the Julian's home. The afternoon was spent preparing. Thomas and I had a chance to meet with the Julians and dream together about what comes next in our partnership with Zoe Marajoara. It has been ineresting to me to move from simply a mission trip to a partnership with this new church plant. I have been on mission trips all around the world and what we have begun building with Zoe Marajoara is extremely different. Our goal was not simply to have a productive week. We were investigating the ways that how the unique ethos of our 2 churches can partner together to accomplish something bigger that honors God. There are countless ways that our 2 churches in partnership will be able to assist and encourage one another. Those dreams have only begun to surface.

The dinner was a great time of bridge-building. Some McKenzie folks as well as some new friends from the Forward Language school joined us. There was no program for the evening. We simply "did life together!" We learned about each other. We were vulnerable with one another. We asked big questions and little ones. We enjoyed silly conversations about sports and weather and stirring conversations about lonliness, hope, and faith.

Melody worked hard to clean up while the rest of us enjoyed conversations with our new Brazilian friends.

Friday morning we checked out of our hotel and loaded into the bus for a day of experiencing Brazil. We drove an hour or so to a village called Embu for shopping, eating, and bridge-building with our new friends Luiz and Junior who joined us for the day. By mid-afternoon we were back on the bus and headed into the heart of Sao Paulo for a final dinner and shopping experience. It was during this time at Shopping Eldorado that Luiz finally decided to follow Jesus. We were talking about surrender, trying to understand what it means to really surrender control to God. Earlier in the Luiz heard me asking the waitress for some water. My Portuguese is limited enough that instead of speaking in sentences I would just aim for key words and hope my inflection and hand gestures make sense of the rest. He said the way I said "agua" reminded him of little kids wrestling. Instead of saying, "mercy" like American kids might, Brazilian children call out, "agua." It's there way of saying, "I've had enough. I can't take this anymore." Friday evening, on a bench in the middle of Shopping Eldorado, Luiz finally called out "agua" to God. "I surrender." It will be a long road for Luiz to understand what it looks like to follow Jesus in his own context. Fortunately he has good friends in a new church to help him walk through these difficult first days as a Christ-follower.

After dinner at the mall, Chris, Rachel, and Luiz took us to the airport and we started the long slow journey home. We were scattered all over the plane. I had an uneventful trip home in the exit row. Lindsey had a 4 AM adventure with alarm clocks, flight attendants, and a Brazilian sleeping beauty. All the while in the tail section, the rest of the crew made new friends in Mariana and Danilo, two students on their way to a work exchange program in the states.

Thomas strapped his drum to his body and sprinted through the Miami airport to help Danilo get through security and find his flight. (There's always time for one more adventure!). It was great to have a crew of smiling faces and warm hugs when we arrived at the airport in Nashville.

we have already begun making plans for a February return trip. That's coming awfully quick and it may not be feasible but we will walk through the door if it opens in front of us. Thanks for all of the prayer and encouragement we received from all of you along the way. We certainly felt the affects of your focussed praying.

Peace and Obrigado,
James