More pics of 2010

Our four little munchkins: L-R: Johann, Joshua, Dominique and Israel

While we were living on the 3rd floor of the church building - what a treat! A beautiful rainbow!!

"Say NO to crack!" --Johann on the beach. :-)

With two of the girls from church: Kimberly and Adriely

A taste of Japan, while in Brazil!

The entrance of Camboriú, visible from the 3rd floor veranda of the church building where we lived for 3 months:

Three of the children, with Fabio's mom, Vovó Tomiko:

Johann, in about May? Hard to believe how much he has grown and changed since then! He isn't a baby anymore!! Waaaahhh!

Joshua and a little boy in Santos, whose family we were reaching out to:


Cable cars, in Santos. We have that here in Balneário Camboriú too! (We have not ridden either one, though. Yet.)
Dominique in Santos, about April 2010. She has grown a lot too, since then!

This was just a couple weeks ago, in Santos. Our children with their cousin Leonardo:

Johann. :)

December 2010. Fabio preaching at one of the churches in Santos:

A rare event: a picture of all six of us!! This was Israel's birthday (Dec 17). He wanted to have chocolate-filled churros instead of a cake, so we took a birthday candle to the beach, got us all churros, and put the candle in the top of it and sang to him there! Why be traditional? :) Maybe you can see the candle at the top of his churro in the picture?

Israel on his birthday, December 17. Can you believe he is FOUR years old now???

This was before the beach, the morning of Israel's birthday. I always decorate a "throne" for the birthday king/queen after they go to bed the night before, so they wake up to something special in the morning. And the breakfast of their choice. (He chose bread with peanut butter, a special treat anymore, that we happened to have on hand thanks to our pastor's visit in November!)

For Christmas, I got Andressa some paints and a canvas. I like productive activities for young people. At the group home, they basically watch TV all day every day....

This is the group of people that delivered the gifts to the children in the favela (slum) on Children's Day:

Take Two:

At one of the schools in the favela, where we gave out gifts on Children's Day:

We also gave out cheese bread:

And hugs:

And smiles:

Our sweethearts at the praça (plaza?) in Camboriu, in an ancient fig tree. The center here in Camboriú has many such fig trees that are fantastic for climbing.

Outreach in the favela:

Fabio's brother Fernando, wife Carol, and children Leonardo (Léo) and Ana Beatriz (Bia). We so enjoyed our time with them! After just a couple of years of knowing the Lord, they are so firm in their walk with them, and are actively ministering to others as well! What joy to have seen this transformation!

Fabio refinishing our refridgerator. He did such an awesome job! It just looked BEAUTIFUL when he was done. Unfortunately, it quit working right after he finished! We had it fixed a second time, and it held out a bit longer, but bit the dust for good a few weeks ago. :-( We have ordered a new one, and are holding out on an old borrowed one (with no freezer) until then. It does not work well, especially in this heat. Things go bad on the second day, at the latest. Pray that the new one would be delivered SOON!!!!!

Fabio and some guys at church repaired the roof of a widow in the church:

Johann getting his summer haircut:

Our neighborhood at night:

And in the daytime:

The prevalence of prostitution can be easily seen everywhere:

Remember Guilherme from posts back in April? His family moved to another state, but we pray that the seed we had the privilege of planting will bloom and grow.

Our children have learned to be very flexible about sleeping arrangements and such! Here Joshua is reading them the Bible before bed:

Diego and Dodo, two brothers. Diego (left) is back and forth from the Lord and needs much prayer to continue standing firm. Dodo is just "forth" and has not come "back" for some time now. He needs much prayer as well. These young boys have been involved in so much and it is not an easy hole to dig out of, but the POWER of the Lord is able!!

Brotherly love: