WinShape Camps International Project

The Ripple Effect

noreply@blogger.com (Juliana) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:47:00 +0000

WinShape Camps has now served in Brazil for four years…each year different from the one before. With new teams, a new church, and new challenges, God showed up and showed off like He always does. With this post, the fourth chapter (year) of WinShape Camps International Project has come to a close, but the impact of what happened in Brazil will continue on forever. Team 1 and Team 2, both having worked in different communities, served with excellence to train up Brazilian volunteers in the church and to love on the kids who so desperately needed to know of the love of Christ.

I knew many people back at home who were praying for team unity…I never imagined how God would answer their prayers so completely! It all started with Team 1 when they met in the US to prepare for their trip. God began to create a tight bond between them that only comes to those who are seeking the Lord and doing His will. This bond that stuck like glue spread to the Brazilian volunteers as we all formed an inseparable group. There was one Brazilian who didn’t seem too excited to be with us, though. He was not thrilled at the idea of hanging out with some Americans for a week and had hardened his heart towards us. However, God heard the prayers for unity and answered them in a big way. God worked in this man’s heart and revealed to him that we were all there for the same purpose…to glorify God. God had gathered missionaries from America and missionaries from Brazil, to reach the community for Christ. From then on, he constantly referred to our group as God’s Team. This changed Brazilian volunteer even came back the next week to help out Team 2. When Team 2 arrived, God once again glued us all together with a unity that only comes from above. We worked at a new location with a lot of unknown situations at hand, yet we worked together like a well-oiled machine. God is so good!

We set out with three God glorifying goals:

· To spread the love of Christ to campers (which will then impact families, friends, communities and then the world)

· To train up leaders in the church to be able to work more effectively with children (to reach their community for Christ)

· To have fun (while serving our Savior)

Looking back over both weeks and knowing what our purpose and goals were for going, I am blessed to see that we did what we set out to do and that we were used beyond our imagination. Praise the Lord!

From the children like Pedro and Davi who recognized me from previous years at Sao Sebatiao, to the pastor in tears over how many people flooded the church on the last night of camp at Riacho Fundo, my heart soars thinking back to what God did in Brazil. I know I can speak for myself and the rest of “God’s Team” when I say that we have each been truly blessed to have been a part of God’s plan for Brazil. Brent reminded us that just like when you throw a rock into a pond and you see the ripples spread across the water, so it was for us, when each of us landed in Brazil, God used us together to cause ripples throughout the land that will impact His Kingdom. Even though we have left, the work continues on…both for those still in Brazil and for us back at home. Our responsibility now is to pray for the children, the churches, and the communities as God continues to work in and among them. We got to witness firsthand how awesome and powerful our God is…and that was in just 2 weeks. I can’t wait to see what He does over the next days, weeks, months, and years to come in the communities of Sao Sebastiao and Riacho Fundo.

Grace & peace,

Juliana Anderson

Satisfied...

noreply@blogger.com (Juliana) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:29:00 +0000

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While sampling chicken hearts and drinking pineapple mint juice tonight at an authentic Brazilian barbecue, I learned that it is somewhat rude in Brazil to describe oneself as “full” after a meal. The proper response is “I am satisfied.” Reflecting on our day replete with extra sleep, delectable Brazilian cuisine, intentional conversation, more delicious traditional Brazilian food, and the relaxed time of fellowship and fun that we have enjoyed as a team, I can think of no more apt word than “full” to describe how I feel in the wake of our week here.

We’ve spent a full week coming “olho no olho” with God and His plan for our lives, having the privilege to teach this truth to Campers and to learn it ourselves from our Volunteers, but in my excitement—and, albeit, selfishness—I cannot help but wish for a few weeks more here in Brasilia. I would love to stay longer, helping our partner church, reveling in the Volunteers’ joy of the gospel, and learning from their compassionate hearts’ great burden for the children of their community. But there are plane tickets with our names on them for a flight tomorrow night back to Atlanta, and as full and finally prepared as I feel to continue the work God is doing here, I know we must be instead satisfied and secure in the knowledge that God’s plans are far higher, more intricate, and more beautiful than any I could scheme. He has given us short moments to peer behind the curtain, little glimpses of His eternal picture and plan; we must now hold tightly to His promise that everything happens for His purpose.

God has held the Brazilian rain at bay most of the week, but today He’s opened wide the floodgates, and we’ve been washed by the rainwater.

Father God, rain down your love; rain down mercy on this city. On this country. Bring your blessings, both those apparent and those in disguise to teach our precious brothers and sisters to how to love you even more and how to continue to minister to the people of their community. Deus, let this rain wash clean our hearts as we return to busy lives back home where cell phones ring, emails buzz, and the distractions come far too easily. Nudge us, show us, remind us through each situation of Your plan, that we may see each person we encounter, each action and word that we make as an intentional moment to overflow with Your grace to tell Your story. Obrigada, Pai, for the opportunities You bring to our lives to fashion and mold us, to discipline us as Your beloved. Thank you for hearing all our prayers through Jesus’ powerful name.

Highlights from the day:

-Sleeping in…

-Visiting a Brazilian water park full of interesting bathing suit choices and incredible food

-The Dutra family generously opening their home to us tonight

-Mark and Matt teaching our translators country slang (i.e. “That’s stranger than a bow-legged woman hemmin’ up a hog over a ditch” and “I ain’t seen you in a coon’s age”)

-Already missing speaking Portuguese, especially with little Campers who simply repeat loudly and slowly the same phrase over and over when I say that I don’t understand Portuguese

-One more night to spend being rocking in a hammock on the porch with the cicadas singing me to sleep and the birds waking me with morning songs

-KRM

Statuses:

Kylie- Wow! So much fun at the water park and talk about some serious eating today! So much for all of the calories I worked off during Round Up. Happy 30^th to my love!

Reese & Wheeler- LOVED the slides and pools of the water park and already are planning when they can come back to Brazil.

Stephen – It’s not everyday you get to swim in a waterfall and play bingo in the living room of a house overlooking the lights of Brasilia. A day well spent.

Rubenacker- A week in Brazil feels like a month and also like a day… our time has gone by so quickly, but it feels like we have been together here for so long at the same time. Wonderful day of celebrating!

Nicole- Adventure. If I had to describe today in one word that would be it. Climbing to the top of a waterfall was so epic. I also had a lot of fun on the slides and “wipeout” zone at the water park. The food we had today rocked my world.

Wilson – Sleeping in a hammock outside of Aqua Viva, Water fall and water slides, Dinner at the Dutras, Experiencing “Romeo and Juliet”, Making John and Trudy think we were stalking them: Priceless. What a great way to wrap up one of our last days in Brazil.

Mark – To conclude today’s activities I had the opportunity to drive back to Agua Viva!!! Brazilian roads ain’t got nothing on me! So blessed to have had the opportunity to serve in this beautiful country and experience a bit of the culture today #waterpark #churrasco. Very thankful for this opportunity.

Grant- The water park and cookout today were incredible. I’ve made some really great Brazilian friends this week and I’m going to miss them a lot. I’m really blessed to have had this experience, Brazil is awesome!

Juliana – I want to be Brazilian. Maybe one day they’ll let me…

Larissa- Can’t believe it’s almost over! I’m blessed to be working with amazing people and serve an incredible God! WinShape Camps IP 2012, to God be the glory!

Danielle –Not ready to come home…plain and simple.

Matt Brown – Thanks to Larissa and her family for the blessing of hospitality. Great day!

Mary Ann – This country and its people continue to leave me in awe of the Lord, and challenge my way of thinking…

A Day Marked in Infamy

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Closing day. A day marked in infamy. A lot of emotions are marked on these days, and it is never easy. Leaving new friends, brothers, and sisters behind. I know I speak for everyone when I say it feels like we just got here, but now we must leave. Yes, I know that was a little cheesy, but I’m okay with that.

I thought I had my highlight when laughs, but the real highlight was, of course, tonight. All week we have sung We All Fall Down, but tonight as the verse started the kids were kind of quiet, and muddled, but as soon as chorus was played; a blast of voices blew me away and I froze. I was broken by God’s promises as they all flooded into my heart and mind. I’ll admit I shed some tears as I tried to help lead hand motions. So being the typical American guy I hid my face to the ground so no one would see. I have played guitar in worship bands for a few years now, and I can’t think of a more powerful reaction from a group of individuals, and they were kids. Not saying I’ve never had a meaningful worship experience before, but a lot of times I forget that children are so unique and unpredictable. No, I don’t know if the kids fully understand what they were singing, but the way they were shouting and the way the Brazilian teachers taught made it hard not to believe.

One of the pastors said we were like the disciples, and that we were the answer to his prayer. Another pastor I got to chat with personally…with the help of Estela translating… among countless other people thanking God and us for coming from so far away to be disciples and teaching others so they could teach the children.

Next, after the cleaning was finished, the Brazilian portion of Team 2 ran in singing: “Don’t Stop Believing” with a sign that also said don’t stop believing. They also sang a Christian good-bye song, which basically stated that we were all one with Christ.

This morning, while sitting in with yellow group, the teachers told Danielle and myself, they are glad for and proud of us for being there. I was amazed at love they have for our team.

I know this is a random blog, but I’m not a blogger, and my head is still spinning from the love and support I received from a group of people who has no idea what words came out of my mouth. I know I’ll never fully fathom the impact that my team, team 2 has planted this week and what team 1 planted last week. I just wanted to share some of the things that impacted me in one single day that I’ll remember for a lifetime! I thank God for the opportunity to be here and serve Him and the people of Brazil!

-Matt Brown

Nicole-The people of Brazil are amazing, loving, and so cheerful. I’ve made so many new friends and I will miss them all. The kids have been so much fun and have learned so much about Christ. Duck, I miss you! Two more days in Brazil! I’m going to make the most of them.

Stephen- I will never forget Maira’s story about her coming to faith in Jesus and Heirson calling me his big buddy. Luke 5:17-26.

KatieRose- Floored by the tears, hugs, and sweet words of our new Brazilian friends. Enjoying each moment left in Brazil.

Haley- Hearing all the creenzas sing “Vim Para Adorare Te” tonight was something I will never forget.

Mary Ann – Tears are a reflection of impact.

Wilson – My heart is heavy for the people we’ve met. Lots of Hugs, Lots of Tears, Can’t wait for the chance to be back here. Our time in Riacho Fundo II was truly short and sweet. Carpe Diem.

Rubenacker- How about the church being packed out into the streets to celebrate the week and all God has accomplished? How about praying with a camper that he wouldn’t wake up every morning with headaches as we stood in line for camp to start? How about praying with one of our Brazilian volunteers that her husband will come to accept the gift of salvation through Christ?

Juliana – Got egged and was given about a thousand hugs for my birthday. Last day of camp reminds me how much I love this place and how my heart desires for these people to know the Lord.

Starting with a Blank Page

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Starring at a blank page with nothing blank about what is in the minds fueling the fingers of today’s blog post. Team 2 is sitting in Brasilia traffic sandwiched between bumper-to-bumper lanes on either side. We have patches of dark clouds overhead with splashes of sunlight peering through them. This was one of two immediate reminders on Day 3 of God’s faithfulness once again during Olho no Olho. The other reminder came packaged as three jumping campers. As we drove away from Riacho Fundo just a few blocks from the church these meninos from Team Amarelo were awaiting our departure. As if they were sending farewell waves for the day with joyful anticipation that surely matched ours that we will have the opportunity to reunite tomorrow. Brent said it well today in our debrief… “I’ve got exciting new and I have sad news. We have one more day of camp and we have one more day of camp!”

During devotion last night, Stephen challenged us from the book of Luke 5. We took a few minutes to consider pride and selfishness verses faith and boldness. Jesus healed a man from a life confined to a mat by the faith of his friends. They knocked out ceiling tiles with believing hearts that despite obstacles, Jesus had power to bring life to legs that did not have the power to carry their friend independent of them. Not only had He been healing bodies, but hearts in the many chapts/year prior, but many had missed the Messiah amidst the miracles. The ones who had been attending religious services and had been memorizing Scripture (Pharisees and teachers of the law), missed Him! Have we been and are we willing to knock out ceiling tiles with and for the community of Riacho Fundo?

The day started a little later than our previous two. Our orders were to be ready to drive out at 6:28AM. We were ready, but our drivers were not… they were nowhere to be found. As we started to strategize alternate options to get to the church, we heard the sound of four wheels rolling on the red clay gravel drive. Today the sunrise greeted us before we left instead of us watching Brasila wake up en route. That extra 15 minutes of sleep goes a long way when you get to do the Round Up four times in one day!

Campers seemed to arrive earlier today which worked well as we had pallets of verde, azul and amarelo paint ready to prepare campers for Wacky Wild Wednesday! Standing outside for prolonged periods turned out to not only be fun, but provided incredible opportunities to have intentional conversations with campers. We are appreciating our translators minute by minute.

Lessons are being clearly communicated. Our campers are clinging to Christ-centered 3AMs. Our Brazilian volunteers are knocking it out of the ballpark… although they don’t really have ballparks here, but the meninos will understand that more after experiencing American baseball in Man Land tomorrow. It has been exciting to see the adjudantes (jovens = older teenagers) serve so selflessly. God is using them and growing them along with the campers (and the Team)!

Thanks for the prayers. Big day tomorrow! Expectant.

Grant- Singing “Here I am to Worship” in Portuguese with a room full of Brazilian kids is incredible. Also listening to Mark have a two hour conversation with an 8 year old Brazilian on the way back to Agua Viva is really entertaining. Love you Mom, Dad, and Jared!

Matt Brown- I have no words to express the way I feel about this place and opportunity, therefore I’m forced to make one up……..scrumtralecent! but seriously, I wish it wasn’t our last day.

Reese White- too tired to go to camp today so she played at the farm with Angela; swimming, coloring, and and getting her feet stained with the red dirt of Brazil. She really wants to go for the last day even though it’s a 5:30am-12:30 am day!

Wheeler- Couldn’t even wake this guy up for camp this morning, tried twice. He also enjoyed a day at the farm. His favorites were the vacas (cows) and swimming and eating TONS of rice and beans every meal.

Kylie- A fun story from small group, a girl says she cries every night going to bed, but last night she prayed to Jesus and he took away her fear!

Mary Ann – Being recognized for her integrity brought tears to Odine’s eyes. After a comical communication struggle, Weverson gave me the “awkward turtle’ hand signal. Haha.

John IV- he is currently doing pushups but rocking it out at Man-Land and enjoying translating and acting crazy today at Wacky Wednesday.

Stephen – Having an incredible time with Weverson and Herison, two volunteers with us at Rec. They also think I am a famous American basketball star, so I’m trying to keep that going.

John e Trudy –We have now attracted quite a few onlookers from across the street…today the workers from the local bakery came over to see what was happening and even the two men from the bar across the street watch us everyday. Pray for little Abraao (Abraham) – he is one of our campers and his dad runs the local bar across the street. It’s a joy to serve our Lord in this beautiful country!!

Juliana – We got a surprise visit from some volunteers from Team 1 (Diógenes, Alvaro & Jessica). What a joy to see them one last time. J

Nicole – I had a great time today. Debora’s like my new best friend. I messed up my Portuguese today and had all of Artes laughing. Can’t wait to see tomorrow.

Danielle – Sad tomorrow is the last day, but excited to see what God has in store.

Angela Rubenacker – I’ve been holding out to mention that my legs got really sunburned on day two. Good news is, they don’t hurt anymore. Never underestimate the power of SPF everywhere.

Brent: Thanks for all of the birthday wishes! Had another great meeting today with a future potential partner here in Brazil. A lot of potential for us here! Praying for big things!

Angela F: Well, I have officially gotten all of my Brazilin documents up to date. You think the DMV is bad in the states….

Terrific Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:14:00 +0000

“The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” James 5:16. We were reminded of this truth as one of our Brazilian volunteers, Odine, told us we needed to pray for more campers. God answered her prayer in a big way. Today we had over 110 campers that came despite the early morning rain. The energy in the room was electric as we taught the song “Hands up” and sang yet another amazing “Round Up”.

Today the theme was “Vida ao Maximo” or Life to the Max. Our brave members Stephen and Mark ate the BOMBA, Brazil’s version of the Big Mac as Maíra explained that Jesus doesn’t just want us to live a “bread and cheese” life, but life to the fullest in him. It was amazing to hear their little voices shouting in Portuguese “I live because Christ Jesus lives in me”.

There was no rest for the weary in between sessions as we all brought out our inner rock stars as we filmed for our music video (final product to come, you will not want to miss). Cars, dogs, and passing walkers all stared at us interestingly as we danced and lip sang our best in the streets of Riacho Fundo.

The afternoon session was almost at capacity as we packed our room full of excited campers. We made parachuting dinosaurs, the girls went to the nail salon and made their own barrettes, we played doghouse and lifeguard and jellyfish at rec, and made maracas at art.

At the end of each session we were reminded why we are really here. Beyond brightening someone’s day, just having fun, playing games or singing songs…. We exist to be a light to these kids who may be in dark situations. As we discussed today what steals our joy from having life to the max in our small groups, the campers wrote out these joy-stealers on paper. Our hearts broke as we prayed over these requests. Kids that are hungry, with no fathers at home, family members using drugs, parents who constantly call them bad names, who experience bullying at school, kids who are sick, who wish their family members could become Christ-followers. It is a beautiful thing to hear audible prayers rising to our father in both languages as we prayed for these kids’ situations. Please join us in praying for the kids of Riacho Fundo.

Today also had several moments of fun celebration for Brent for his birthday! Banging pots and pans at 5:45 am, the entire camp singing “Parabens Pra Voce” to him and all 60 something of them giving him a hug, while the kids in the back of the room shout “look how red he is turning!” And, word on the street is Dona Gon Gon (our amazingly talented, sweet, tender cook) is preparing some amazing surprises for him tonight.

As I ride back on the bus in the pouring Brazilian rain, I am beyond thankful of the opportunity God has given us. This is not just a “mission trip”. I am praying that no one will just return to life as normal when we hit US soil. I am asking big things of God that he move mightily in our team and give us a clear direction of what we are to do during and with this experience. This may be some of our first experiences of fatherless children, children facing hunger, abuse and extreme poverty. Like Proverbs 24:12 says, Once our eyes are opened we cannot pretend we do not know what to do. The Lord holds us responsible to act.

After another bumpy hour on this Brazilian road, we will be back at the farm to partake in the amazing dinners we have had. We ended camp today at a sorvete (ice cream) shop and we all tried interesting flavors of popsicles. The boys have been doing over 100 push-ups at nights to work off the pounds Dona Gon Gon is trying to pack on them!

Ate Lago from “Chee-me dois”!

-Kylie

Reese- She loved getting wet in the rain at rec time and playing hand games with the Brazilian girls. She also loved painting nails in Girls Club.

Wheeler- (3 ½ years old) is thankful to have Papa with him on this trip who takes him to the snack shops near the church for Cheetos and popsicles. He loves playing soccer with the little boys.

Kylie- favorite moment of the day was with a camper Karoline. I loved holding hands with her and speaking broken Portuguese as I told her that she was a Princess of God and loved extravagantly by him as I painted her nails.

Juliana – I was mistaken for a native Brazilian twice today! Oh, and I loved the way God held off the rain for camp, but used the clouds to keep the day a little bit cooler for us.

KatieRose- Loving the moments where God taps me on the shoulder and reminds me that every situation is a purposeful slice of His big picture.

Stephen- Today I bonded with some high school Brazilian guys over the moonwalk and Michael Jackson. Their moves were impressive.

Wilson – favorite moment of the day: Hernando coming up to me with his friends saying Jackie Chan and having one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen. Shout out to family and friends!

Haley- dancing through four rounds of the Roundup, playing with beautiful Brazilian children, and finishing off camp with an ice cream stop…what a great day! Love and miss you Caleb!

Mary Ann – growing closer to the Brazilian volunteers and enjoying being outdoors helping with Rec each day. Shout out to family and friends back home!

Danielle – Enjoying every moment with amarelo!!

John e Trudy – thankful to be serving the Lord in this wonderful country together…we left in the rain this morning and drove home in the rain but in between during camp there was no rain. God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Mark – many language endeavors today with the Brazilian children. Attempted to lead a class with Matt B. with no translators or Brazilian; also spoke with a camper for one hour who knows as much English as I do Portuguese. So blessed to be here and thankful for the opportunity.

Larissa- SO HAPPY to see what God is doing this week.

Rubenacker – my heart is swollen for the children and community God has planted us in this week! Please keep the prayers and praises uplifted on our behalf – God is bending His ear to both.

Grant- I am having an awesome time! It was hilarious today to hear kids call Wilson Jackie Chan and Matt Harry Potter. Thanks for the prayers, Love you Mom, Dad and Jared!

Matt Brown- “Hey little girls, EL Bean-0 goes in paper-plate-O! “ Yes, I know my Portuguese is a little rusty. Connecting with and making kids laugh when you can’t even speak their language is incredible!

Angela- I had a crazy day with the Blue Team. Had to “lay the smack down” with the morning group as Mark would say.

Brent- Had a great Brazilian birthday. It was an adventure being hugged by all the campers at one time for a HUGE Birthday gift!

Nicole – Had a blast today. Adoleta! I had fun singing with the girls and making maracas. I very much enjoyed my coco picola! God is doing great things in Riacho Fundo. J Missing everyone. Love you Mom! Kelly you da best!!

Speechless...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:50:00 +0000

There’s something you must know…this is my first time in Brazil. The one word I would use to describe my experience so far is ‘speechless.’

It’s my response to seeing the land and the people. It’s the expression on my face when I’m trying to understand Portuguese. It’s the cry of my heart as I watch and listen to my brothers and sisters singing to the same God. Speechless.

Well, here’s what’s happened since the last update. Sunday night we were able to be a part of the church body in Brasilia at Memorial Baptist Church. The people welcomed us, and the pastor shared with the church why we were in Brasilia. It’s very encouraging to know that our brothers and sisters are lifting us up in prayer as we lift up another part of the body in Brasilia.

After the service, we went to dinner at a local pizza place. There are several unique experiences to note from the pizza place.

· People eat dinner late – it was after 9pm

· Various pizzas are brought to the table – buffet comes to you

· Dessert pizza has cheese on it

The most notable experience from this pizza place was when the servers started distributing these metal saucers shaped like cymbals to everyone in the restaurant. Then an Italian song came over the speakers, and everyone started beating the metal cymbals together! Hahaha! It was so loud…and fun! And, it happened twice.

Sunday was a late night followed by an early Monday morning to begin our first day of camp at a new church in Riacho Fundo II. Dressed, fed, and ready to experience our first day with campers, we arrived at the church and began setting up. The Brazilian volunteers arrived excited and ready for the day, too! Before you knew it, the campers were lining up at the gates, registering, getting their nametags and wristbands, and entering the main room where they were greeted by friendly faces.

The morning and the afternoon sessions were a blast! From dancing to cheers to learning new songs, to hearing Maíra share the message to skills, the Lord was at work amongst us. Even though I could not understand everything being said, I knew the message being shared. It brought joy to my heart just to see the volunteers get excited and communicate the Good News to these children, to engage in conversations with the campers throughout the day, and to really pray with and for these children in their community.

Flavia, a volunteer, shared a story at the end of the day about going to pick up children from the nearby housing area. In this particular area, families are trying to put a roof over their heads and live very simply. The parents work and are unable to bring the children to the church. When the bus pulled up, lots of children came running out wanting to go to camp. They ran out of room on the bus and had to turn some of the children away, crying. This is hard to hear. But, I find peace and hope in the Lord knowing that these children are not left behind. They have the opportunity to hear the Good News from their friends that did come. The volunteers at this church can begin to build relationships with the families in this area. I pray Ephesians 3:14-21 over my friends at the local church, that they may live in the truth that He is able to do immeasurably more than they can think, ask or imagine.

Thank you Father for this opportunity to see You in the lives of my Brazilian brothers and sisters.

-Mary Ann

Nicole- Well I found out girls love to talk in any country. I had three girls trying to talk to me in Portuguese. They would talk so fast and I would say “No Intendes” , with a big smile on my face. Thankfully Angela started to translate for me and help me understand. They were so sweet and we learned a lot from each other. Shout out to my first graders. Stanley is enjoying Brazil. Love you mom!

Stephen – I will never forget the sound of Brazilian children singing “Here I Am To Worship” at the top of their lungs in Portuguese.

Danielle – Grateful for my new Brazilian friend Odine. So glad the round up is back in my everyday routine!!

Wilson – Apparently, the kids think I’m Jackie Chan. I’m okay with that… Day 1 was a blast. Thankful for what God’s doing here in Brazilia.

Mark – 1. So apparently some of my campers said I look like a Brazilian; much to their dismay my Portuguese is way below par. 2. Currently teaching Wilson Yang how to become more gangsta #challenging 3. We showed up today and the Lord absolutely showed off. I pray that we continually show up and remove ourselves from the picture so that He may be all that is present.

Rubenacker – “Chegou, chegou, chegou para ficar. O verde e’ a cor, que veio pra ganhar!” Proudly chanting Time Verde’s new cheer all day– thanks Brazilian partners.

Juliana – The Round Up never fails to bring a smile to my face. Today was a great first day, well done for the glory of God!

Haley- Today I tried to speak Portuguese to a camper. She started laughing so hard that she cried. True story.

Grant- Today was Awesome! The Brazilian kids said I had a funny accent and my Portuguese sounded funny, and Brazilian Pizzerias are the best! I love you Mom, Dad, and Jared, thanks for the prayers!

John White III – Saved the day by running to the papelaria for page protectors. :)

Matt Brown- Grant: “When are we going monkey huntin’?” It was absolutely amazed to watch our Brazilian teachers teach the children about Christ, even though I cannot speak Portuguese! It was truly a blessing! P.S. Jimmy, Mark is safe for now……………. :)

Brent – Great first day of camp in Riacho Fundo II. Had a great time practicing some of my Portuguese today with the campers. Can’t wait to see what is in store for our team this week.

Angela- It is very fun to be with a new group of campers. These kids are excited about camp and I can’t wait to see how they change throughout the week.

Trudy – Girl World…it’s the bomb! Just to see these precious little girls, their smiles and hear their cute conversation- is refreshing to see and hear. Please continue to pray for transformation as each days goes by.

John IV- Favorite quote.. Brazilian volunteer “Do you guys like the Americans that have come to help us” little Brazilian boy “Yes we like them all… even the Chinese guy”

Kylie- LOVED today. Awesome how God answered prayers of a sweet volunteer for more children to come this afternoon and how she praised him for answering her. Fun day with the girls in girl world talking about being on Jesus’ team.

Reese- “my favorite thing was getting wet by the sponge at rec. I also liked the croco-gee-lho song and playing tic tac toe and hangman with my new Brazilian friend.”

Wheeler- loved his new friend Luiz, getting pushed on the skateboard in the streets of Riachofundo, and getting taught on the guitar by Jonas.

KatieRose- After a hilarious language lesson from Time Azul’s Mariane y Alice in Girl World today, I now consider my Portuguese proficiency to have moved up to the level of an 18 month old. Also loving spending time outside of Camp with our incredible translators.

Nothing like a Sunday in Brazil!

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:06:00 +0000

Teaching the Brazilian Volunteers to engage the senses of children

Gurl World Training - Team 2

Man Land Training - Team 2

An Italian surprise at dinner... May one of the most fun dinner many of us have ever had!

Blog for Sunday, March 12, 2012

Oi! I am writing this as we are traveling down a dirt road on our way to Church in downtown Brasilia. I’m constantly amazed at the beauty of this country. We are surrounded by farmlands of rolling hills and clear blue skies.

We spent the day today training the Brazilian volunteers and preparing them for the upcoming week of camp. The people here are extremely kind and are excited about the opportunity to reach out to the kids in the community this week. Trudy shared with me that the Church we will be running camp from has been praying for a way to reach the kids in their community. It was soon after that WinShape contacted them asking to run a camp for the kids in their area. God is Awesome!

One thing I have greatly enjoyed is getting to know the Brazilian volunteers. I am sure the translators are tired of me asking them how to say certain words, but I am thankful for their kindness and patience. We had the opportunity to worship with the Brazilian volunteers in Portuguese last night and today. It was a powerful experience that left us in awe of God’s power and grace. We can’t wait to see what God has in store for this week and we pray that he will use us to reach out to these kids and their families.

Thank you for all the prayers back home in the states. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for the first day of camp tomorrow, and pray for the kids, that they would come with an open heart and leave changed at the end of the week.

Deus e maravilhoso! Tchau!

We were not able to get the "status" for everyone as they all wrote them down and we left them at the farm (where we have no internet access). We will post everyone's tomorrow! We are working on getting in the grove of things...

Haley- loved playing with Play-doh with Amanda and can’t wait to meet the kids at camp tomorrow!

Mary Ann – Brazil is a wonderful country. It’s been great spending time with the people and preparing for the first day of camp.

KatieRose- very encouraged to be picking up bits and pieces of Portuguese and to see how smiles and hugs transcend language barriers. Looking forward to Camp!

Stephen – In two days, I have played baseball with Brazilians, played guitar while others sang in Portuguese, and learned a few phrases of my own. I am also reminded every time I stand up of the spacious accommodations from the flight over.

Kylie- What an amazing time its been! Our kids have been loving it here. What a sweet time with the volunteers we have had before camp begins!

John IV- What a great joy being back to Brazil, this was home for me for ten years and each time I’m back the Brazilians remind me what it is like to be truly thankful and joyful in all we do!

Rubenacker – Giddy about linking arms with our Brazilian teammates to be a part of what God is doing in a community I am confident is going to steal our hearts… starting tomorrow!

Brent - Really excited about Team 2 being here, although I find myself missing team 1 as well. Hope you guys got some rest upon returning to the states!

I’m SO CRUCHY (eu sou crente) aka I’m a Christian!

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:45:00 +0000

This post is from Saturday - The arrival of team 2. We have just now gotten to internet. We will post Sunday's post tomorrow morning. Thanks for your prayers!

_____________

Oi Family and Friends!

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog! As I write this blog Team 2 is currently sitting in a van traveling to Igreja Memorial Baptist Church of Brazil. But I wanted to catch you up on our experience at state-side training. Everyone arrived on Thursday night and we had great time playing some awesome ice breaker games – human knot and 3 in a hat/fish bowl. After our info session, we had some down time to get to know each other through, casual conversations and a couple rounds of ping pong. Before you know it, it was Friday morning, and we were back to our green passports (handbooks), working on our skits, the Brazilian songs (which sound so great with our southern accents), and practicing our oficinas. (Shout out to MAN LAND HUH!) I think we’re ready :) ! After our training we took some time to pack, and freshen up for the ride to the airport.

This is when I realized, “We’re actually going to be in Brazil in less than 10 hours.” It hit me so fast. Soon we were at the airport and on a plane – Delta 221 departing Atlanta to Brazil. Oh my Lord! Long story short, I was among a few who didn’t get more than a few hours of sleep, and believe me, I tried. We landed around 5AM U.S. time and was met by Jonas, the drivers, and John White III. We’ve got a long day ahead of us…. Tune in for more in Brazil. Tchau!

My prayer for this trip comes from a song I often sang growing up – “Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord” I have been praying that my heart would be open to the opportunities I have to impact the lives of the people we will be working with. That my eyes would align with Christ’s. Pray for us as we continue our training with the Brazilian volunteers! Pray for the campers in Riacho Fundo II as they come!

-Wilson

It's Cachorro Quente (Hot Dog) Thursday Family FunNight!

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:52:00 +0000

I can’t believe that it’s our last day of camp. Working \manl Land has been an awesome experience. Every time we say “clube de Bolhino” all the little boys flex like weightlifters. We got to learn about a few of the young boys’ home lives yesterday and it breaks my heart. Many of these kids don’t have a strong male figure in their lives. I think I can speak for the other guys as well as myself in saying that we are beyond blessed to be someone to look up to. That these kids can see the way we follow and love Jesus and want to do the same things in their lives. I have been working more closely with the Amarello (yellow) team this week and they are exactly the same as 5^th and 6^th graders in the states. You have got your kids that jump into it right away, and you have the ones that think they are too cool for school, sitting with their arms crossed against a wall. It’s been incredible seeing them embrace camp but it’s also sad because camp ends today. :\

The smiles on these kids’ faces could change your life. It’s like all the problems that they have at home kind of disappear for a little while and they know that they are ok. They understand that Jesus has control, gives them power, and wants them to share the gospel. Their parents are coming to see us tonight and see what we have done tonight. So basically we are having terrific Chick-fil-a Thursday minus the CFA but adding many Brazilians. Our group is going to sing How great is our God in Portuguese for the parents tonight, but they don’t know that yet so keep it between us. ;)

One thing I have learned is that praising God is the same in any culture, language, country, or setting. Instead of taking naps today during lunch we sat in the sanctuary and sang praise songs with our Brazilian volunteers. They sang in Portuguese while we sand in English. God of this city, How He Loves, and Now is the time to worship (just to name a few) completely blew my mind and gave me goose bumps the entire time. Being in Brazil may have changed our group from the states as much as the campers. I’m gonna miss these kids and especially the little ones who have a full conversation with me when all I do is nod my head because Nao Entende, I don’t understand. We are praying for you team 2 and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday but first I’ve got to head outside because the kids from the afternoon camp are here!!! Have a safe flight tomorrow night guys!!

One more thing, Hi O! I love you.

-Alex

Kelly – I’ve been trying not to think about how this is the last day of camp….because I know I’m going to cry!!! It’s amazing how God has used so many children to change my life in just one week. Now I can’t wait till Camp 2012!!!! Go Purple!!!!

Juliana – So blessed to be a witness to the work God is doing in Brazil. Prayers for team unity and for God to be glorified in all we do are being answered. How great is our God!

Whitney- Praying fervently for the community of Sao Sebastiao and trusting that the Lord will continue to shape His children. He is faithful to be working in their hearts far after our return. Also still laughing at sweet Pedro and all of his funny faces!

Joey- Sad for camp to be over, but so blessed to have had this experience! Brent almost broke my finger, but the nice ladies in Brazil made me a cool little stint. Gotta love those Brazilian home remedies- anyone remember the hot wax from last year?!

Karin- today is bittersweet. Loving the last day of camp being the team VERDE leader, but very sad to say goodbyes. I´ll probably be a crybaby tonight having to say farewell to these sweet people. Oh and because Speedy accidentally spiked the volleyball in my face very hard earlier.

Dakota – Today was just as awesome as the first but with much more energy so that we could so that we could go out in a bang. Sad it was the last day of camp. I´m going to miss these kids and our awesome volunteers!! Also I´m very excited for the next two days touring Brasilia.

Speedy – another camp session is coming to an end. The Lord has truly blessed us with great campers and volunteers. Hopefully we will end camp with a big BoBo! May God continue to bless our Brazilian campers!

Julie - is glad that this session has come to a successful close! What a privilege to serve on a team dedicated to excellence and servant leadership. Leaving a Brazilian farm, Aqua Viva, and looking forward to hooking up with the Red Hills Farm crew!

Sean: Last day of camp. I am so blessed by my campers and my incredible team. Thank you friends and family for all your prayers. I will see you after Sunday!

Claire: Yep momma, got wet today! I have a feeling that this last evening with campers will be an emotional one, just alike at Girls Camps. Thank you Jesus for touching my heart with your sweet children!

Brent: Had a great week at camp and I am excited to see team 2. Praying for you guys at training and for safe travels.

Tricia: Sad to have the last day with campers but thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. And... I got to eat Brazilian hot dogs today!

Wacky Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Wednesday morning broke earlier it seems. We are over halfway through camp now and our bodies are showing it. It took an alarm to wake more of us up this Wacky Wednesday morning. Last night Trudy announced that today was the day to wear our crazy outfits. We tried just dressing the part, but the power of suggestion was pretty strong because I overheard two comments as we boarded the vans at 6:30 that confirmed this. Tory said, “I’m loopy,” and Angela commented, “I must really be wacky today.” The campers have noticed, too. They absolutely adore Claire’s fairy wings, everyone wanted a photo with Adam and his Looney Tunes tie and oversized sunglasses, then with a blue handprint painted across his face and a blue bandana on his head, blue socks and blue shorts, campers asked Joey if he liked blue. The campers enjoyed painting their faces as well.

We are having a ball. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Although it sounds like we are playing with and teaching children all day and having the nerve to call it work, it really is legit work. Our days start early and it is HOT here in the tropics! So, continue to pray for our strength and energy.

Our team has come together well. Listening to them ask about friends they know at each other’s schools, recall memories from camps past, and compare programming notes from boys to girls to community camps, it is hard to believe that some of us have only known each other in person for a few days. We have so much more in common with each other than we thought.

It is amazing to see these college students get out of their comfort zones and be put in stretching situations. We are all a little stretched with the language situation. The translators flit around like butterflies in a garden helping with so many situations and conversations. We are all in awe of their gift. When we are tired we speak in shorter, simpler sentences, with long pauses as if waiting on a translator. In our evening meetings and devos, we have to remind ourselves to listen because someone is speaking English.

We are stretched individually as well. Alex, Sean, and Speedy want to share more games, but explaining them is too hard (imagine teaching baseball to someone who has never seen the game. There are a lot of little things to teach, like leave the bat at home plate). Angela has come into her own as a translator and choir director. Sean, a confessed non-dancer, is confidently leading dances. Claire is doing a fantastic job teaching “If You’re Happy and You Know It” although she thinks she would rather be in the background than the spotlight.

The two people with the most experience in being around children are Trudy and Speedy. They comment every day that the Brazilian campers are like our American WinShape campers in one way or another. As usual, they are right. These kids know Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, are into trendy clothes, music and books and they are as cool as my Berry students (who need to leave a comment, I miss them so, I can’t wait to tell you about the pond where we are staying).

Four days until we are back with you or connected to the internet again. Thank you again for your support and encouragement in getting us here and your thoughts and prayers (and comments),

Julie-Enjoying camp. The funniest thing is that some people think that I am organized. Would love to hear from AG and D.

Speedy-Camp is F-U-N!!!!! Loving every moment. Hi AG, Darrell and Ryker and Connor.

Karin-being on Chime Verde is my absolute favorite. I love all the kisses on the cheek from little girls and running around playing some sort of Brazilian duck, duck, goose. I’m pretty awkward with speaking Portuguese, but all the campers help me and I love them for it. I love Brazil. And I love rice and beans.

Kelly- Shout out to Nicole!!!! I cant wait to see you and Stephen on Saturday!!! The laughter and hugs of greeting kids is the best!!!! Today in Girl’s World we talked about how we are made in the image of God and these girls are truly beautiful!!!!

Tory- Brazilian lasagna is the BOMB! It’s so fun to teach the campers English words and have them teach me Portuguese is return. They think my accent is hilarious. Probably is. Miss you Mom and Dad!

Joey- Decked out in blue, and it feels so good! Great friends, great food, great conversations, and LOTS of great laughs-some at the expense of my Southern accent- I’m in heaven, y’all!

Claire- Played the most intense game of spider tag EVER with the AZUL team! Those kids have no fear! No water today, Mama, but you can count on it tomorrow! So sad that we only have one more day of camp…I don’t want to leave! Megan, you’re right, Brazil is gorgeous!

Adam- The paint is painted on and the wacky clothes are being worn! I hope that everyone back in the states is having a good Wednesday as we are here in Brazil! Oh, and Megan your comment was the first one read! Thanks!

Brandon- Enjoying Brazil more and more everyday. Maybe team one could just magically disappear one day, and legends will be written that team one is doing camp somewhere in the rainforest… Just kidding!!! (Kind of) Today I was called Chio (Uncle) for the first time, it made my day! I’m very sad tomorrow is the last day of camp, but excited to see what God is going to do!

Alex-

Sean- Only one more day of camp :\ I wish we were down here for the summer! Mama, you wouldn’t want to ride in a car down here, just trust me.

Angela- Rockin’ the piggy tails and feelin’ like a two-year-old!

Brent- What a fun week so far. Cannot wait for tomorrow night with the families coming to camp.

Trudy- Not having a “plastic watch” has been a challenge to keep up with the schedule.

John- Spent the day realizing how difficult it can be to get things done around town.

Whitney- Speaking more Portuguese by the hour and LOVING it. Hoping to have MUITOS (many) conversations tomorrow. Love love love the Verde meninos in the tarde.

Juliana- translated some great conversations during snack time and lunch… MAN, I love being a translator.

Dakota- I have enjoyed being able to have in-depth conversations with our Brazilian friends (with help of a translator.) It’s nice to hear their stories and find out more about Brazil while I get to tell them about the U.S.

Tricia- I am really enjoying becoming friends with our Brazilian teammates – I love watching them “shine” and I have fallen for digerogians’ tricks too many times.

Waking up in Brazil may be One of my Favorite things...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Day two of camp! Waking up in Brazil may be one of my favorite things for many reasons. One of them being the delicious Brazilian coffee that the lovely Gona ,who prepares our food, makes for us each morning. There is something amazing about that coffee. It is good for my soul. Waking up at 6:00 never seemed so easy.

Tuesday began with a crisp chill in the air, a beautiful cloudy sky, and an excitement in all our hearts to begin another day of camp. We all woke with tired bodies. Yesterday was a full day of shouting cheers with the Brazilian children, running around playing soccer, painting flags, and jumping around singing songs (singing and dancing to “Round Up” up to 4 times a day is probably the equivalent to running a full marathon. It’s definitely a work out) but that did not stop us from going strong and giving it everything we have for the children.

As we arrived at the church this morning the Brazilian volunteers had already began preparation for the day. The music was playing, registration set up, and smiles on their faces. They were ready for camp, and it was very special to see such joy. Joy is contagious!

At camp today our thought for the day was “I am alive because Christ lives inside.” The Brazilian children learned about living life to the max. The campers were asked to write down their fears and difficult things they are faced with in life. Many wrote answers like violence, drugs, and sickness in their family. Some, more specific than others, but all had very hard situations in they are facing in their lives. Maira, and the small group leaders did a wonderful job of teaching the message to the kids. Maira asked our team today to pray specifically for these children facing things a lot of us can’t even imagine dealing with at such a young age.

I could probably write for pages and pages about all the things I have been learning this week but I will save you all the pain of staring at the screen for hours reading. I want to leave you all lovely blog readers with a prayer request and a challenge. As it says in Ephesians 5:15, “make the most of every opportunity.” In every conversation you have. In every smile you give. In every breath you breathe.

The other night I got chills hearing Niel pray in Portuguese. I was touched by his honesty and passion for Jesus even though I could not understand a word he prayed. God uses us in all kinds of areas and uses us to impact others in big ways through small things.

Pray that we make the most out of very opportunity here in Brazil.

And for each of you reading, remember you can show the love of Christ in you to all you come in contact with—even if you don’t realize it.

-Karin

Oh and PARABENS WHITNEY!!!!!! Brazil birthdays are the best.

Joey- Bonjour! The azul team is seriously the best. Making so many new friends and memories…feeling very blessed!

Sean – A history of how pizza came to Brazil: A Brazilian traveled to Italy. When he got home, all he remembered is that it was round and had cheese. Every other ingredient is fair game, even chocolate.

Tory- When you give a group of people a ball, it doesn’t matter what language you speak, the one who can’t keep it in the air always gets a disdainful “OHHHH”.

Alex- Just got to sing “How He Loves” with two Brazilians and a guitar. A chill ran up and down my spine. Portuguese or English, Praising God is Praising God. Lives are definitely being changed.

Angela- Having fun with the blue team. Even though I speak Portuguese I still can’t get the cheer down; maybe by this afternoon.

Claire – Loving the one-on-one time with campers today! God’s love is so good, and I amazed to witness how it transcends language barriers here with campers.

Speedy-Another wonderful day at camp! Love our Brazilian friends.

Julie- Watermelon and chocolate birthday cake for breakfast, I am definitely bringing some Brazilian customs back home with me! Even though I mention food a lot, I am working with children and missing my own. Kids are kids and everyone loves being part of a big art project like we are part of God’s plan.

Adam- What another amazing day it has been in Brazil! The best team (amarelo) was very loud this morning and it made me extremely happy! I also got hugs from the kids when they left. It will definitely be a sad day when they leave. Tchau!

Brandon – Still loving every second of being here! God has been amazing! It is beyond beautiful seeing the sun rise and set here everyday. Today the kids talked about the “Thieves” that try to steal their joy and it was heart breaking to hear, so I would ask all the prayer warriors back home reading this to pray for comfort and healing in the kids and their family’s lives. Love you all!!!

David – Leavin’ on a jet plane!

Kelly –Today I had a boy named Nathan give me one of his wristbands that says Passion on it. I was humbled because I know that it was very important to him. Then I received another wristband from a boy named Carlos but had to go to Trudy to translate it and translated it means Happy J Also I ate cooked pumpkin for lunch….kinda tasted like squash.

Dakota – Today I heard the lady’s that cook our lunch singing “Softly and Tenderly” to themselves in Portuguese. It was so beautiful the way that they were putting so much feeling into this song while cooking. It was such a blessing to hear that today.

Juliana – I’m loving my role in Brazil this year! How blessed I am to be here planning, organizing, training, praying and watching God do His thing. J

John & Trudy – What a great day full of surprises…plenty of happy children, fresh morning rain and we got to talk to our daughter, Joy, who is celebrating her 32^nd birthday. We have lots of memories of celebrating her birthday while living in Brazil. And Joy got to speak with her very best friend from Brazil (Andreia) who is now leading our program at our church this week….Pray for a young mother I met across the street – her name is Jessica and her son is here is camp in the afternoon.

Tricia – Despite having been “stuck in sin” during the skit today, I have been able to connect more than ever with the campers.

Whitney – This has been the best birthday ever! There have been so many blessings and sweet memories- including a fur cat given to me by one of the campers Maira.

Brent – Had his favorite dessert two meals in a row!

"The Campers are Coming"

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Hello people from the other America!

As I (Joey) sit here typing, half of our team is sprawled throughout the church taking naps in between the morning and afternoon camps. Needless to say, we had a great first morning of camp! Before I get ahead of myself, I will tell you all more about what happened last night.

Last night we attended one of our Brazilian contact’s church located in the city. It was a great experience, and we got to listen to a newly translated hymn in Portuguese. Brandon liked it so much that he clapped even when no one else in the entire church decided to clap…ha “silly Americans….”. After church we ate a late dinner at a local Pizza place. Not only was the pizza great, but the conversation and fellowship were also great. Personally, I loved sharing all of my corny jokes and asking so many questions to get to know both our Brazilian friends as well as others from the WinShape group. And my consensus is: everyone is great!! After dinner, we headed back to Agua Viva, and then bed to get ready for camp!

5:45am breakfast came really early after a late night, but that didn’t stop our team from smiling, laughing, and discussing pre-camp jitters. As soon as we got to the church we were given a quick tour, and we began setting up for our different oficinas. Then…the next thing we knew… THE CAMPERS ARE COMING!! They started pouring in! Everyone switched into “camp mode” and started playing four square, soccer, and chalking sidewalk. As the campers arrive, they are placed into one of three “chimes”- azul, verde, and amarelo. Verde is the youngest, then azul, and then amarelo. I am the team leader for the azul team, which is perfect if you know anything about me (Ocean rules! Oh, yeah..can’t forget- go Mighty Mohawk!!)

After all of the campers arrived we immediately started getting our grove on with the Janie Bird dances. I don’t know who had more fun- our team or the campers! Throughout the rest of the day we listened to Maíra, one of our Brazilian friends and volunteers, teach the campers about how to come “olho no olho”, or “eye to eye”, with God. It is an amazing experience to sit and listen to so much truth being spoken to fresh, hungry, Portuguese ears! After Groupo Grande everyone headed to the different oficinas- Man Land, Gurl World, Crafts, and Recreation. Despite the language barrier, we all made so many new friends and learned so much Portuguese, too! One of my new friends, Adrianna, has been to camp here in the past, and during Crafts she drew a picture of her and her American friend, Lauren Bennett (a previous WinShape staffer who has been to this church several times). It was so awesome to see and hear the impact that Lauren has had in Adrianna’s life. It was also such an encouragement to me, personally, to know that despite the language barrier, we are still making such an impact in these kids’ lives. So shout out to LB! Miss you, but know that you are still at work here in Brazil even if not here physically!

With all that being said, we have had a GREAT day here at camp. It feels so good to be back with fellow staff and to be surrounded by kids again. It is almost time for me to wake everyone up from their naps so that we can prepare for round two of afternoon camp! We miss you all, and know that we appreciate your prayers so much!

Special shout to those who have been able to serve on this trip in the past- thank you so much for paving the way for so many of us! Know that I am eating lots of Pão de Queijo and drinking lots of Mango juice for you all!

Joey- LOVED meeting a native German last night and practicing my German in real life. Yes, I understood everything, and she understood me! WSCIP to Germany, anybody?!?!

Whitney- Enjoyed taking pictures today and traveling to all of the oficinas. Especially enjoyed talking with Pedro (6 years old). He always has tons to say or sing even if I can’t understand anything.

Brandon- Having a great time!!! Just woke up from a power nap ready for round two of camp! Excited to get wet again! Miss you and love you mom!

Speedy- Off to a great start at camp, and loving our teammates. Hi AG and D!

Sean- Man Land! Had a great first day of camp. I love leading the Hamster Dance. Muito bom!

Tory- It’s go time! Camp in Brazil might be more fun than camp in the States. Don’t tell the 1 weekers that.

Claire- Got my first taste of Brazilian dessert pizza last night…excellent. Lunch today…also excellent. Good thing I’m balancing all this eating out with regular aerobic and water workouts, aka. Round Up and getting doused with a sponge in Rec…WOO HOO!!!

Karin-Oh my. I love Brazil. These kids smiles melt my heart and make me want to smile all day long.

Julie- It was watermelon, and not everybody wanted their slice which left more for me! Great first day of camp! Hey AG and D and Connor! J I’ll see you this weekend, Ryker!

Tricia- Has enjoyed seeing many familiar faces from my last visit in Brazil- some even remembered my name!

Adam- Today was amazing! We have Campers! I didn’t think that my team was having fun until I asked them in Portuguese and they all shouted seen and one even said Adomo is cool! It’s amazing how we can all have fun and not know the same language (I am learning!)

Juliana- Loving seeing all of the returning campers and their smiling faces!

Alex- Brazil is encredible. Nao entende (don’t understand most things but I have learned to get by and learning quickly. I have eaten so much cheese!!! Looking forward to 3 more AWESOME days of camp. Boa Tarde.

Dakota- First day with campers was great, nice to see all there smiling faces. So many reminders from camp. Making great friends with the Brazilian volunteers and I’m slowly figuring out how to converse with out words.

Kelly – Oh the past couple of days have been amazing! Doing the fishbowl brought back so many memories – Love you ORANGE!!!! Today talking with the kids was the best because all they would do is laugh at my accent, but Im learning more and more!!!

Angela- Great start this morning and I am looking forward to another group this afternoon. Funny watching our group use soccer ball like a volleyball and the campers not sure what to do with that.

Michael- He is playing with Angela (new sitter) at the Farm. Loves having his shirt off when it’s warm.

Brent- Loved today. Had a great time! Loved seeing some old friends at El Shaddai today! Mark – Marcus says hey. Caleb – Joan Victor says hey!

John – Where was Pastor John today???????????? (traveling the city trying to get Brazilian documents in order and up-to-date. )

Trudy- I’m ending the day with a smile on my face , oh yeah and “glitter” on my face….yipee for Girl World!!!

David- I will be flying back tomorrow night. Can’t believe my time here is almost done. I have learned so much from being here and seeing the WSC team in action. They have done an amazing job!

Bring on the Fish Bowl!

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:11:00 +0000

This morning we were lead in devotion by John and Trudy and were reminded to stay moldable so that God can use us. We then divided up into our “oficinias” (activity times). There are 4 different ones that the children will participate in everyday: Recreation, Man Land/ Girl World, and Crafts. One of our goals is to train and equip the Brazilian group to be able to teach the kids. So our American team taught all the activities they would be doing for the next 4 days for each of the oficinias.

I got to help and translate the game of baseball in Man Land. If you have never tried to explain that to someone who has never seen or played baseball, it is a very complicated game with lots of rules. But Alex and Sean did a great job of explaining and showing the two Brazilian Volunteers about baseball. We had to cut some of the rules so it wouldn’t be as complicated for the kids. It has been fun to watch our group and their interaction with the Brazilians. The entire team has enjoyed trying to learn new words; Brazilians learning new English words and Americans learning new Portuguese words.

After lunch we “Fish Bowled” (had a drawing) for which of the Brazilians would teach their Oficinias to us first and which day of camp they would teach us. After all had been drawn, we took turns going to each ofincina and they taught us as if we were the campers. It was great practice for them and fun for us to see how well they had applied what they had been taught. Then Julie led us all in the “Janie Bird Dances” that we are going to do with the kids. It was fun to see how fast they picked up the moves.

We then recognized the Brazilian volunteers with a paper plate award congratulating them on finishing the training. We also gave them camp T-shirts that they will be wearing each day. In Brazil the main church service is at night. So we are on our way to church and then to eat Pizza afterwards. It has been a full day but I know the team is excited about getting to see the church that we are going to be working with and meeting the kids. Pray for us tomorrow as we leave the farm early to begin camp for about 65 campers in the morning and afternoon.

-Angela Fielder

Sejam Bem Vindo

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 15:08:00 +0000

I woke this morning to a blanket of white clouds so dense below me that I couldn’t tell if our plane was flying over land or sea. In the horizon, the sun penetrated from below, lighting the sky with brushes of purple, orange and pink. If I had any control, I would wake to this majestic scene every day.

The Lord was faithful to watch over us during our eight-hour flight into Brasilia. Upon arrival, the entire team moved quickly and smoothly through customs and baggage claim until we reached the sun shiny 84+ degree weather. Juliana and our new friends Jonas, Estela and Angela met us to guide us to our new home for the week- Aqua Viva. This beautiful place never ceases to make my jaw drop; walking out the front door you are instantly met by a wall of rolling hills covered in green with grazing livestock- again, if I had any control, I would be surrounded by this everyday.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with the group from Sao Sebastiao singing songs and reviewing our theme for the upcoming week- Olho no Olho (i2i). We will spend our time teaching from Exodus 33:11 where scripture tells us that Moses used to speak face to face with God as a man speaks to his friend. Our team is extremely excited for what is to come and there is an undeniable presence of the Lord among us. Tears filled the living room tonight as both groups from Sao Sabastiao and WinShape Camps lifted voices high to our King singing praises in two languages. We are looking forward to practicing Oficinas (skills) and Rec tomorrow and going to Memorial Baptfor church. I encourage you to read the psalm from David below and pray specifically for our team in several ways:

I will extol you, my God and King,

And bless your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless you

And praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,

And his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,

And shall declare your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your works I will meditate.

They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,

And I will declare your greatness.

They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

Psalm 145:1-7

Much of the team is nervous about not speaking Portuguese. Thankfully though, it is not us who goes before to declare His might acts, but it is the Spirit inside of us. Please pray that as we bless and praise our Father’s name and that we would confidently speak of His awesome deeds and trust the power of the Lord’s love to break through a language barrier.

Tchau-

Whitney

Joey- Haven’t slept in 36 hours, but that’s ok… it only makes everything funnier! Still laughing at the leaf that attacked Adam earlier- Tao bem!

David – Missing some IMPACT 360 students… but glad to be back in this city! Psalm 67:1-2.

Adam- I had a great first flight to the beautiful Brazil. What wasn’t so beautiful was me yelling fogo (fire in Portuguese) across the plane to Speedy. Looks weren’t polite but the plane was smooth! Ate Logo!

Juliana – Was so excited to greet Team 1 at the airport and has absolutely loved spending the past week in Brazil preparing for camp. The campers are coming!!!

Estela Beatriz - It was awesome to finally meet Team 1, I`m so excited to serve GOD with them, it has already been really fun. GOD help us to shine Your light teaching the children and together we will worship the name of CHRIST! Matthew 5:16

Larissa- Really excited to see what God is going to do this next week. It`s going to be awesome!!!

Angela Christina – I’m so glad GOD allowed me to be a part of all this. My prayer is for Him to continue His good work in me helping me to be a CHRIST-like impact on people around me and making me more like JESUS and less like Angela Christina.

Alex- it has been a super long day. I maybe got two hours of sleep but this place is incredible. Worship tonight was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. Hi Mom, I’m safe. I love you O. Boa Noite!

Kelly – It is so beautiful here….and yes the food is DELICIOUS!!!!! Everything is going great!!! I spent most of my day relaxing in a hammock. Which Im pretty convinced that I will be coming home with one!!! Love yall!!!

Dakota- I got to see the sunrise over Brazil this morning, it was amazing! It’s been a long day but great getting to see Agua Viva and the beauty around it. I have made many Brazilian friends and I’m SLOWLY picking up words in Portuguese. So awesome to see what God’s doing and anticipating so much more! Love yall! Boa Noite!

Tricia – Is real glad to be here, was encouraged and blessed to worship the Lord in Portuguese and English tonight and plans to enjoy sleeping outside in a hammock tonight.

Sean – So excited to finally be here at Agua Viva! I am very thankful for our hosts and Brazilian teammates, highlight of the night was worshiping together in English and Portuguese. Note to self: 2 hours of playing Uno will improve your Portuguese. Love you all at home and thank you for your prayers!

Brandon – It still feels surreal being here, but it is so exciting to see all the months of training come together. Worshipping our God tonight to the same songs, in two different languages, with my Brazilian brothers and sisters was absolutely incredible! Even thousands of miles away worship is still a universal language. Oi, mom and anyone else back home who is reading this! I love you and miss you!

Claire – Profoundly thankful for good sleep!! I’ve already fallen in love with Brazil and the people here, and I can’t WAIT to meet the kids we’ll be working with!

Speedy- Happy to be back in Brazil and looking forward to training with volunteers today.

Julie - is happy to be back in a familiar place, enjoying making new friends, and saw a watermelon vine….

Angela Fielder- Made it through the flight, Michael slept well. Enjoying all of the foods we have had so far.

Brent – Is excited to have our son Michael in one of his two countries of nationality for the first time.

John – Got great reception on the climbing tower.

Trudy – It’s great to be “home” again.

Karin – I love how the Brazilians play UNO. It is way more entertaining.

Whitney – So excited to be back in Brazil. Struggling to speak Portuguese as opposed to Spanish.

Tory - I love this country. I love these people. I’ll be fluent in Portuguese by the end of the week. Just wait.

We've Landed!

noreply@blogger.com (WinShape Camps International Project) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:48:00 +0000

Friends and Family:

We have landed in Brazil and getting all settled in! The weather is nice and have enjoyed exploring the city for the first day. Check in with us for a full blog tomorrow morning when we get Internet access. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts!

Ate Lago!

TEAM 1

We've Made it this Far

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Over the past 24 hours, Team 1 for the 2012 WinShape Camps International Project has come to Atlanta, trained for our upcoming week, traveled to the airport and now settled in for a night of sleeping horizontal sleeping on our Delta flight.

Thanks to the great technology of GoGo in flight, we are able to give you a bit of an update to at least let you all know we have all made it through security on the US side of things, on the plane and are on our way.

Over the course of the next week our team will be working with the community of Sao Sebastio as we take campers through a WinShape Camps experience with the sole purpose of impacting their community with the message of Jesus Christ. We covent you prayers over the next week.

We will try our hardest to post a blog once a day to give you an update on what is going on. Also, if you leave any comments we will read these out loud at night during our daily recaps. Please have patience as we get up and started as we may not be able to post for the first 2 days. Where we are staying is not close to the city and makes getting an internet connection a challenge.

Thank you all for your prayers - We trust God will do great things this week in the lives of the campers, the community, and our team!

2012 WinShape Camps International Project

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:55:00 +0000

We are so excited that in just a few days our first team will be headed down to Brasilia, Brazil for the 4th year of the WinShape Camps International Project. This year will mark our 1,000th camper in Brazil, so we enter into these 2 weeks with a lot to celebrate.

We will continue to partner with local churches in the Brasilia area to bring a one-week day camp experience to the children of Brasilia. The campers will have time each day in a large group setting (Groupo Grande), small groups, and in some skill times (oficinas). All campers will go through a Rec Skill, an Arts and Crafts Skill, and a Skill split to focus on "Girl World" and "Man Land" each day.

During the time in brazil partner with 2 churches. During the first week of camp we will be partnering with El Shaddai Baptist Church in a community called São Sebastião, which is right outside of Brasilia. During the second week, we will be in Riacho Fundo II, which is a new host community for WinShape Camps.

Our teams are made up of previous WinShape Camps Summer Staff who have served at least one summer with WinShape Camps and are committing to come and serve with WinShape Camps again this coming summer. We are excited to be able to take some of our collegiate staff to give them an opportunity to serve in another country, to be able to truly realize how big that God is, and to help train and equip leaders in the Brasilia area.

On Thursday (3.1.12 and 3.8.12) the teams will head to Atlanta to do some state-side training and then will be flying through Friday night to arrive in Brazil on Saturday morning. Camp will be hosted Monday through Thursday each week and our teams will celebrate by touring the city and area on Friday and Saturday morning.

We ask that you join us in praying for the teams in the following ways:

Pray for traveling safety for both teams to and from Brazil
Pray as we go through customs in both countries that things will go very smoothly for our teams
Pray for the volunteers from Brazil that we will be partnering with during camp -Pray that they have a great experience, learn a lot of effective ways to do children's ministry, and pray that they build relationships with the campers that will last much longer than our week-long trip.
Pray for our the campers - Over the course of the 2 weeks we will host 300 campers at a WinShape Camps program in Brazil. Pray that they will be impacted in their faith, character, and relationships. Pray that they will grow deeper in/or enter into their relationship with Christ.
Pray for our Team of staff. Pray they will not loose sight on why we are there. Pray that they will teach and equip the Brazilian leaders, that they will love and encourage our camper, and pray that they are intentional with every moment they are in Brazil.

Below you will see the photos of our two teams. You can click on the photos to see a larger image - Feel free to print these off and use them to pray for our teams over the next couple of weeks:

All GREAT things must come to an end - Loving our last day of Camp...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:15:00 +0000

We have been blessed again this year to have campers attend camp who live in a community called Bella Vista. To help us better understand some of the challenges they face, we drove through their community after camp. It was an eye-opening experience for many of us. The living conditions are much different from anything many of our team members had ever seen. There is no indoor plumbing, no heat or air condition, very simple constructed houses, no glass in the windows, no grass in the yards – just dirt yards and dirt roads. The community suffers from high crime rates and alcohol and drug abuse.

Despite these challenges, the children show up at camp everyday (early) with smiles on their faces ready to have fun and learn about Jesus. They have certainly taught us more than we could have every taught them in 4 short days. Their hugs, smiles, laughter, and kisses (sometimes) have showed us that true happiness truly is not found in the possessions we have – but in a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tonight we are excited to celebrate with the campers and their families at the evening worship celebration. Please pray that the message of Christ will penetrate the hearts of moms and dads as they hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for your continued prayers for our team as we wrap up our mission here this week but please continue to pray for this awesome church as they follow-up with campers and their families – that is where the real work and battle will take place.

Ice Cream is Good No Matter Where You Are...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:53:00 +0000

Oi from Brazil! We are having so much fun here and can’t believe it is already Wednesday! The afternoon session of camp yesterday (Tuesday) was so much fun. The kids were crazy excited about everything we did and had a great time. The Brazilian volunteers are doing an incredible job of leading all the activities at camp. The kids love them and really listen to what they have to say. We are praying that the relationships they are building with these kids will continue in the days and years to come.

After camp last night we had a surprise stop at a local store where we got to try all different kinds of Brazilian ice cream and popsicles. The store just happened to be across the street from a playground, so of course we all had to climb the jungle gym, slide down the slide and play on the seesaw. Everyone knows camp counselors are just a bunch of big kids J

After ice cream we headed back down the bumpy dirt roads to Agua Viva where Brent presented Mark with his very own massive bowl full of pao de queijo. We think Mark has found his new favorite food. As I type this, he has currently eaten 28 pieces of pao de queijo! KT believes Mark may now be suffering from “pao de chitis”, a condition that affects all aspects of your life after consuming large amount of cheese bread.

Camp this morning went by so quickly, and the kids were more excited than ever. During the Roundup, there was a smile on every face, and kids were jumping and dancing everywhere! In Crafts, the kids got to color and design their own guitars. It was water day in Recreation, so they played Balloon Toss and Drip, Drip, Drop. In Man Land the meninos played tag games, and in Girl World the meninas made button bracelets.

Today is the day at camp when the gospel is presented to the kids. Please pray with us as we expect God to work in the lives of these kids and their families. Tomorrow night we will have a service where the parents are invited to come and see what we have been doing at camp. Pray that the families will be excited to come, that God would speak to them and that they would become involved in this church.

Ate lago!

-Haley

Caleb- loves being called “Chio Calebey”

Marney- When life gives you limes, make lemonade.

Haley- thinks the sky has to be more beautiful in Brazil than anywhere else in the world. Shout out to Mrs. Kitty and the Lincoln Monkeys!

Will- Happy birthday Daniel!

Born- ate “street food” for the first time ever and it was probably the best thing he has ever eaten. Alison, the cups are still a tease J

Kayla- thinks Brazilian mango ice cream is fantastic and loves doing the Cupid Shuffle with the meninas and meninos. ILY!

Ashlyn- “Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the church.”

KT- believes Mark ate so much pao de queijo because he misses McCall. Camp is going great!

Norma- The kids are so precious, even the one who bit KT in the stomach and played with his belly button

Brent- Oi Angela e Michael. Eu amo tanto de você e sinto saudades. O Programa de WinShape está indo muito bem - você gostaria de estar aqui! Deixe-me saber se você precisa de alguma coisa do Brasil

Kari- is enjoying the Brazilian food very much!

Mark- must be sweating pao de queijo because a kid chewed on his knuckle.

LB- Has a new favorite phrase…“Se esta na chuva, e para se molhar.” or “When it rains, get wet.”

Katie- is amazed at the differences but even more amazed by the similarities. Mardi Gras beads are everywhere!

Keenan- loves how God uses little things to remind him how great God is.

Nicole- enjoyed playing guitars with the kids in Art today!

Juliana- had a great birthday yesterday and is having an even greater birthday today!

Danielle- 1 John 4:4

Stephanie- enjoyed learning how to samba yesterday and loved taking pictures of the meninos and meninas today! Shout out to the family…love you guys!

Megan- It’s Wacky Wild Wednesday! Loves watching the campers try to do the Roundup J (CHIPPEWWWWWWWWAAAAAAA) James 1:27

And it goes on and on and on...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:01:00 +0000

Camp yesterday afternoon was just as good as camp in the morning. After a two-hour break the campers began to show up. We played soccer (fuitball) and four-square with them. Communicating has been very easy. The campers love to teach us words in Portuguese and we in turn teach them the English word. Our Brazilian volunteers are doing a fantastic job teaching the campers in oficinas and small group time. There has been a lot of campers return from last year. Marcos came last year and wore his Demais shirt. He was called onto stage and recited the memory verse from last summer. It was an incredible moment to see that the children remember what they learned.

After camp we drove back to Aqua Viva and ate an amazing dinner. Dona Gon Gon was back to cook for us. We were all extremely tired and went to bed early to get ready for the next day.

Breakfast was a great surprise. When we woke up Dona Gon Gon had prepared her special pão de queijo, a cheesy bread Brazilians eat for breakfast and a morning snack. It has been the best food I have had here, and that is saying something.

This morning we had twice as many campers as yesterday come. It was great to see the old and new faces. The Bible story today is about Jesus healing the blind man and the campers learned that God has an adventure for them. In Man Land we made kool aid icees, rec played every kind of tag game you can think of, arts and crafts tie-died bandanas, and Girl World was filled with bubbles.

We now have a break for lunch while we wait for the second group of campers. I am sure this afternoon will be incredible just like the morning.

Born – Woke up to a pink sky after sleeping in a hammock last night.

Keenan – With all of Janie Byrd dancing, doing the round up, and helping with rec I think I’ve developed a new workout routine that I call C.A.M.P90X

Will – Pão de queijo!

Mark is being rocked by Brazilian people and culture and fattened by its foods.

Nicole has yellow hands for tie-dyeing today with children.

Katie – Bernie (Bruno) made a lot of friends today.

Megan is teaching English.

Kari loves being called Tia by the little ninas.

Mauricio – Peace up. A town down.

Norma and Ken busted a move.

Juliana could round up all day long.

Danielle is jealous of Neil and Grabirel’s dance moves and hey Ruby.

Stephanie – round up is my new favorite dance and I like playing bubbles with the meninas.

LB – I like dancing. Dancing’s my favorite.

Caleb – Will misses Katie. It’s obvious.

Brent – Grateful for my time with Maurice G. yesterday. Feels like I know him on a much deeper level.

Ashlyn – Kayla just got laughed at for saying butt in Portuguese.

Kayla loves being called tia! Currently being taught how to somba.

KT – Will is very grumpy today. I think it might have something to do with Katie. Please pray for him.

Haley is jealous that Caleb serenaded Will instead of her but understands because Will really misses Katie.

“Yellow, Yellow, Amarello..."

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:55:00 +0000

Chime dois started the day bright and early this morning, ready for camp. We of course began our day with a declicioso breakfast, which included a new drink made of avocados. We packed up and loaded the bus ready for the bumpy, rollercoaster ride to Sao Sebastio.

We got to the church and prepared to meet the wonderful children coming to camp today. As the children came this morning we greeted them with nametags bracelets of the color of their teams. We enjoyed bonding over four square, Brazilian hand/foot games, and some futbol before starting grande grupo. Our friends Elena, Marnie, Mauricio, and Niel did a fabulous job getting the campers excited for the bible story and lesson for the day: “

As we lined up to head to oficinas cheers for our teams echoed in the church: “Azul e cor to seu, azul e cor to mar, azul e cor du chime que vai a ganar”, “Yellow, Yellow, Amarello”, “Un avion escrita que verde e campeon!”. We were excited to see the children getting into the spirit of camp. During oficinas our Brazilian teammates did a fantastico job!!! Jaiane got the campers creative minds going for arts and crafts, Andrea made Octopus and Hot Dog tag the funnest games around, SuSu made the meninas feel beautiful as the made their headbands, and Niel had the boys making popcorn with a parachute. We are so blessed to be working with such wonderful friends.

The children were excited to end the day with one final round up before heading to school. Their rock and roll silly bands made their way to their arms quickly, and they were so excited to see the different shapes. We are so excited to see them again in the morning!

Well, the children are beginning to arrive for the afternoon camp, so we better get up and ready for another fun camp session!

A te lago,

Nicole Riley

LB- enjoyed delivering presents to two children from last year. Valeria and Pedro say hi Jessica and Jon.

Kayla- another beautiful day in Brazil! She is enjoying giving her silly bands to the meninos and meninas. And to her family “te quiero mucho!”

Ashlyn- is excited about doing her secret handshake with Carlos again in the morning!

Born- drank the wrong water today.

Haley- didn’t realize how much she missed doing the round up!

Danielle- is in love with Marnie’s Brazilian sky.

Stephanie- Chime Verde, Chime Verde! She also liked making headbands with the meninas.

Megan- really liked hearing John Bieber’s performance last night (Marnie). THE CAMPERS ARE HERE!

Kari- thinks she loves the Brazilian mountains more than the Irish hills.

Caleb- thinks even on another continent camp is awesome!

KT- it was awesome seeing the campers from last year and to hear that they were still connected to this church a year later.

Norma- Brazil still makes her hair flip out.

Katie- trying to learn her colors in Portuguese, but the kids just laugh.

Mark- is deeply grateful.

Will- all the children laugh when I speak Portuguese.

Keenan- loved doing rec with some fun Brazilians this morning.

Nicole (me)- loved meeting the children this morning and can’t wait to learn some more fun hand games from the girls.

Larissa- likes Round up.

Marnie- Round up Rocks!

Brent – I have a hard time speaking with a translator… Rosetta Stone… Why have I abandoned you?

SunDay FunDay

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:47:00 +0000

So today we trained. After a great breakfast of Brazilian fruits and bread, we started training for the “oficinas” or workshops that would happen during camp similar to “skills” or “tracks” at other WinShape Camps. We broke out into our different oficinas to learn the activities and teach the Brazilian volunteers how to lead them. For lunch we had pork and beef ribs, rice and beans, Brazilian slaw, and a very special desert…

Today we commemorated the birthday of a great American leader and patriot. He needs no introduction but I will give him one anyway. He was elected SGA treasurer two terms in a row at Valdosta State University without submitting his name for the running. His vocal stylings have been compared to contemporary stalwarts such as Justin Timberlake and Aaron Carter. He is tied for the most social media accounts in the state of Georgia (he is winning in Brazil). His son is already predicted to win the Presidential election of 2040 (They are planning to change the age limit just for him). He is a one-man-band, a venture capitalist, and an accomplished ventriloquist. Everybody’s favorite intellectual… Brent Fielder. To commemorate this day Chime Dois enjoyed a delicious chocolate and coconut cake after lunch.

After lunch the Brazilian volunteers took turns leading the different oficinas. Although we couldn’t understand anything, we all had a blast. They are going to do a great job. At the end of training LB presented our volunteers with diplomas signifying their graduation from “Oficina University.” With just a few minutes left before we needed to head to church at El Shaddai, our team practiced singing “God of this City” in Portuguese so that we could sing it in front of the congregation.

Church was a great experience. It made me remember what it was like to be a kid in big church. Because I couldn’t understand the sermon I was just sitting there twiddling my thumbs and making faces at the other counselors and kids next to me. Being with the Brazilians at church made me so excited about Monday and the first day of camp. After church we headed to Pizzarte, a Brazilian pizzeria. They brought us out tons of pizza to try, even dessert pizza like chocolate and banana. I have figured out I love Guarana and passion fruit juice, two traditional Brazilian drinks. After another crazy drive back to Agua Viva, it’s bedtime.

One more night’s rest until camp and we all definitely need it.

Caleb

Blurbs…

Keenan – Mark Lamb hit me in the face twice…with a ball at close range.

Haley – Loves chocolate pizza. Also, me and LB just found surprise letters from a really thoughtful friend, you know who you are. Thanks for the encouragement.

Born – Thinks Kayla is going to kill him by the end of this week.

LB – Loved presenting all the Brazilian volunteers with their first ever paper plate awards, seeing familiar faces at church tonight and is glad iPod Idol has made its way back into WSCIP Nation. ILU.

Stephanie – Got “chocolate and flowers,” ate Brazilian pizza, and doesn’t know all the words to Bieber’s “Baby.”

Kayla – Definitely got hit in the face by Caleb during Rec… with a ball. He was in no way trying to cause me physical harm. But it’s all on camera. Ready for día 1 of camp. Familia y friends: Te quiero mucho!

Megan – Loved seeing old friends at church tonight and might never be hungry again.

Ashlyn – Can’t wait to meet John Bieber, Justin Bieber’s dad.

Danielle – Ashley, I ate the heart of palm stuff and loved it, and is now a professional Portuguese singer.

Marney – Fill up my cup…Macintosh

Kari – Snuggled in a hammock while looking at the mountains and shout out to Pastor Frank and Sherri.

Lamb – Is only sunburned on the top of his feet and is enjoying the digital peace.

Marshall – Ate 6 different pizzas, all of which he’s never had.

Nicole – Looking forward to a good night’s sleep and waking up in the morning to meet the kiddos.

Katie – It’s a small world…I met a good friend of one of my favorite professors.

Brent – Hoping next year he and Michael can both celebrate their birthdays in Brazil (his fourth Brazilian Birthday and Michael’s first)

Larissa – Is glad Brent had a birthday today because she got to eat some really good cake.

Juliana – Proud to see her protégé, Mauricio, translate for Recreation training today.

KT - Looking forward to seeing campers from last summer.

Norma – Crafts are ready to go and I am ready for camp.

John White - U.S. bound

We made it - and (NOW) finally have internet

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:39:00 +0000

Hello from Brasilia! Team 2 has made it safe and sound to Agua Viva. We had a smooth flight (Friday night) where several team members were able to get a decent amount of sleep or enjoy wonderful entertainment like “The King’s Speech” and The E! Taylor Swift Documentary. After an interesting trip through customs and immigration, we were reunited with Andre (leader of WinShape Brazil and husband of Marney) and Fufa (our bus driver from previous projects who will be driving our team this coming week). After a forty-five minute ride through the city, we arrived at Agua Viva, our home for the week. As we pulled in front of the house, we heard cheers from our friends on Team 1 who were about to head out to tour the city and catch their return flight to the states. Our time with them was short but so encouraging. Kind words, notes, advice, funny stories and hugs were shared between new and old friends. As Team 1 loaded up and headed out, we met our Brazilian team of volunteers who will be serving with us this coming week at camp. There are several familiar faces of friends who served on last year’s project, including Niel (our guitar playing worship leader) and Sandra. Of course, Marney, Mauricio and Elena were here to greet us along with many new friends. After a delicious lunch, we hit the ground running with this year’s curriculum for To Na Fita (Studio U).

We spent the late afternoon relaxing and getting to know our Brazilian friends better. Some people read and napped in the hammocks, while others enjoyed a tour of the farm with Brent. Some people enjoyed chatting (which tends to be an adventure in and of itself down here) while some played volleyball on the beach volleyball court. However, the highlight of the afternoon was a bilingual, competitive, barefoot game of soccer. I don’t know who had more fun… the players or the bystanders. Needless to say, dinner was well deserved and much enjoyed. Another highlight to the day was the bonfire that followed dinner. Niel lead us in several worship songs (ones that both cultures know like Shout to the Lord and Come, Now is the Time to Worship). We spent time praying in English and Portuguese and ended the night with Grandes Coisas (God of the City). It was a powerful time that will not soon be forgotten. Currently, I (LB) am sitting in the living room with a happy and full heart. There is a group outside keeping the worship going and there are people having meaningful conversations inside, but across the board people are thoroughly enjoying their time here. We have a lot to be thankful for as we end our first day in Brazil.

Thank you for your prayers and support… we can surely feel them all the way in the Southern Hemisphere. You can specifically pray for our volunteers as we train them tomorrow on how to step up and lead the campers this upcoming week. This is an integral part of our project. We love you and miss you, but are so blessed to have such a strong support system back home.

Now, here is a status update on each member of Team 2:

Mark is popping ibuprofen from the “hat trick” he scored in soccer and is well on his way to the “Brazil 10” (10 lbs. you can easily gain from the amazing food in Brazil).

Danielle is working on her “Super Hero powers” of tongue clicking and eye blinking.

Kayla is saying “Mai e Pai, I’m ok!” and loving her new Brazilian friends.

Born is glad he still has a travel buddy… even if he has 5 snores.

KT scored 3 goals in his Brazilian soccer debut. How’s that for some strategery?

Norma is excited to be sleeping horizontally after a restless night on the plane between KT and Brent who slept like babies.

Caleb is glad to be here after a long detainment in immigration this morning. “It’s been a really weird day.”

Nicole has stained feet from a fun game of barefoot soccer.

Kari is never going back to America.

Katie thinks music and the love of God is greater than words.

Ashlyn is currently asleep in a hammock on the porch.

Keenan hasn’t even been here 24 hours and has already consumed each variety of coffee that the Agua Viva coffee machine has to offer (7 to be exact).

Will wants to take a monkey back to America with him.

Megan is also glad to be free from detainment in immigration (thanks Google). Love you family!

Haley considers today to be a great day. Caleb made it through interrogation, she did not lose to Will Marshall in soccer, and she has the best travel buddy ever (LB).

John W is tired from an extended stay at the President’s mansion with Team 1 today.

Stephanie had an awesome first day as a 20 year old! Shout out to the family! Love you guys!

Juliana is keeping the worship service going outside… now on to hymns.

Mauricio is “fur hur sure”.

Brent is really excited to be in a place that feels like a second home and reuniting with great friends – although missing Angela and Michael.

LB is thanking Team 1 for the encouraging letters they passed my way before they left and is no longer watch-less (thanks Mel)! Basically today was “uh, pri-ty cool”!

Greater things have yet to come…

Team 2 (c/o LB)

Day 1 | Off to a Great Start

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Fielder) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:35:00 +0000

Last night the team was able to attend church wheere they are serving this week. During the service they were asked to sing "God of this City" in Portuguese. The team did a great job!

Day 1 of camp has gotten off to a great start. The team is currently having Internet troubles, so they are not able to give a full update. They hope to have this problem fixed soon; but as we have learned from international travel...learn to expect the unexpected and remember to be flexible. Continue to pray for the team as they minister to the kids and community of Sao Sebastiao.

Team 1 | Final Update

noreply@blogger.com (melodie) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:28:00 +0000

Team 1 arrived home safely early Sunday morning but we wanted you to have the opportunity to read about our experiences on Thursday night and Friday! Thanks for your prayers and support. We saw the Lord at work in so many ways this past week!

Oi! Thank you for all your prayers and support. Last night was an unforgettable time for our team. We traveled to the neighborhood where all the kids were from and met at 2nd Baptist Church of Paranoa. It was the end of week celebration and all the kid’s families and people of the church were there. The neighborhood was very poor and it was a very humbling experience. When we arrived, there were people everywhere that greeted us and everyone was excited for us to be there. The sanctuary was on the 2nd floor of the building and we made our way through the crowds of people and up the stairs. I will never forget the moment when I walked into the room. All of the kids were there and the whole place was completely full. The kids were yelling our names and running to hug us. They were overjoyed with excitement and it took probably 10 minutes to get through them to the front of the room. Since there were not enough seats for everyone, we all sat in the front on the ground and there were many people standing throughout the room. We sang songs and shared testimonies. All of the families were so nice and grateful for us to be there. After the celebration, we had to say our goodbyes to the kids and for most of us it was the saddest moment of our lives. Many kids were crying and would not let go of us. It was an overwhelming time and we will never forget these wonderful people.

Today we headed to the church where team 2 will be hosting camp. It is in a town called Sao Sabastion. This town is very poor and most of the kids will be from the town. We did some setting up and prayer walked the church. After this, we drove around 2 hours to a beautiful park. This was in the middle of nowhere and had hiking trails and waterfalls. We hiked about 20 minutes through the forest to the first waterfall. Everyone took a swim in the cold water and it was the first time some of us had ever been to one. After this, we hiked back and had a delicious lunch at the park. We then hiked to a huge waterfall and we couldn’t swim because it was dangerous. It was one of the most beautiful things we had ever seen. It was a wonderful day seeing God’s creation. Many pictures were taken so I am sure you will see these soon.

Please pray for the kids that will be coming to camp next week. Pray for their families and for the situations they are in. Pray that the kids will see the love of God this week and that they will find a heavenly father in God. We thank you for all of the prayers. We are sad that we have to leave this beautiful place and are excited to share what we have seen and learned this week.

Marcus

A word from the team:

Stephanie – Tia Stephanie misses all her sweet meninas and meninos already.

Maurice – Had a great time with John and Gabe today!

Alison – Thankful for such an incredible week of camp! God definitely showed up and showed off this week! Even greater things are yet to been done in the lives of these campers and volunteers!! Team 2, I’m praying for you!

Juliana – Praises God for allowing her to be a part of His great work in Brazil this past week and is so looking forward to staying another week serving with Team 2. I’m gonna miss you, Team 1!
Adrianne – Has been reminded in many ways this week that our God is the God of many nations, tribes, and tongues…what a joy to serve alongside a people that delights in bringing Him glory!

Whitney – Absolutely loved spending the day in the Lord’s beautiful creation. Seeing waterfalls and hiking was completely in my element.

Jana – This experience will always have a special place in my heart! I am thankful for the laughter and joy of the beautiful children of Brazil! It was such a blessing to be able to see the Lord move in the hearts of His children from America and Brazil.

Melodie – carry the name... JESUS!

Gabe – Being unable to speak the language of the locals was both frightening and freeing all at the same time. Brazil taught me Sabbath in a way that I had never experienced. I may squeeze my family so tightly they pop.

Joey – So much to say! Overwhelmed by the fact that God’s love knows no language. Going to miss this place sooo much. Loved experiencing McDonalds in Brasil, getting my Indian name (Persistent Penguin), and writing Catawba cheers. Bom dia!!

Daniel – Thankful for the way God worked this week. I am especially excited about the hearts of the Brazilian volunteers who have hearts for these children, and that they see how they can continue to do camp even without us.

Kevin – Ask me about mitosis and meiosis. I had a blast hiking to see two waterfalls and getting the chance to swim underneath one of them! I am gonna miss this country!

Stephen – I will never forget this trip. Seeing the joy of the camper’s faces and hearing the stories from the volunteers from the church showed me how much God doesn’t need me but how I need God.

Nate – A piece of my heart will always be in Brazil. So many memories. I can’t wait until I get a chance to come back!

Marcus – These Brazilian people have humbled me in many ways this week. I love Brazil!

Jimmy – These past two weeks have really opened my eyes to how faithful God is. Knowing that He went before us to prepare our way and then allowed us to be apart of His plan was absolutely amazing. Eph. 3:20,21