In September, Alley began to train some of the older children to work as assistants in the children's class. We have had up to 23 kids at the same time in our little classroom since we moved in, which is a great challenge. The older kids have really stepped up to help, and take pride in wearing their name tags and getting supplies for the younger ones.
These children are one of the most important ministries of the congregation, and a tremendous opportunity to teach about God's love. In a neighborhood characterized by adolescent drug use and the crime that accompanies it, the church is their only chance to see a different future for themselves.
Each assistant received a diploma and was recognized before the congregation after Alley's training session
The older assistants teaching the younger kids
Alley and I were required to travel to Rio de Janeiro to submit her application to the consulate for her US resident visa. While we were there we spent an afternoon walking around the city near the consulate, and enjoyed it immensely. Rio was the capital of the Portuguese empire during the Napoleonic wars, when the royal house of Portugal came to the new world. It is about 400 years old, and contains many historical buildings as well as the national library. Alley was thrilled to see this part of her history. Later, her visa and passport arrived by mail.
We were blessed with an invitation by the Gibbs, who are currently working in Itu, to come to their home so they could review some materials on culture shock and reverse culture shock with us. We had a wonderful visit with these dedicated servants, and we were encouraged and uplifted as they helped prepare us for what lies ahead in our transition back to the US. Thanks, Bryan and Becky, for your hard work and dedication to serving those who belong to the Lord!
