A Week of Selfies

Since there is no such thing as a "typical" week for me, this is just a random week that I thought would go one way and went completely differently... which does in that sense make it completely typical and normal. Unfortunately, there's no way to give you a complete look at my life through selfies. A lot of my work in ministry and discipleship is in contexts where it would be inappropriate to take a picture. Many of the pictures from this week are more "life" stuff and I'll try to fill you in on some of the ministry things that happened during the week as we go.

Thank you for being here, for your interest, support, curiosity, and love. I do need to just quickly say that I am in a situation where I am doing fundraising online instead of in person like I would usually do. It's been a few years since I've done fundraising and I need new donors to partner with me by donating monthly. I need 9 new donors to commit to giving any amount monthly for the next year. Normally I would sit down with you in person and have a conversation, which I would love to do through skype or text and answer any of your questions. If you have any interest in becoming a monthly donor, even if you're still just praying about the possibility, I would love to talk and pray with you. You can message me on Facebook or Instagram or email me at brookelynmthomas@gmail.com 

Monday: Ok, let's dive in! 

Monday started with a lovely blood test where I got an adorable fox band-aid. This was my first blood test in months because I finally got new health insurance. I'm really happy with my new doctor and so far all my tests are coming back normal or at least close to normal. My white blood cell levels are normal, which is the best news.  

The next stop of the morning was at Jad Salomao High School. We've been praying and planning about teaching conversational English in our new church building. I met with the principal about offering classes to their students and teachers. We would love to do some classes in the next few weeks before I go to the States in November and offer more classes for more age groups next year and make more connections with the people in our neighborhood. 

Aline's mom, Dete, has been visiting us for two weeks, and today her cousin's daughter, Ionara, came to spend the day with us. Aline usually eats lunch at work, but today she raced home to eat with us and see her cousin. Ionara is a Catholic nun and it was interesting to compare our experiences in missions. 

Since it was Dete's last night with us, the pastors' family came over for dinner. Dete brought pork ribs from her own pig farm and prepared them for us along with black-eyed peas from her garden, rice, fried yuca root, and salad. I don't love pork, but it was sooo good. It was also so sweet to have so many people hanging out in our apartment. 

Tuesday

Dete and I went downtown to do some last minute shopping before her bus left in the afternoon. Since she is used to farm life, she wasn't really sure what to do with herself for two weeks in our apartment. I taught her a couple new crochet stitches and she crocheted a whole rug. She also taught me how to hem this tablecloth by hand, which I still have not finished. 

September is also the month when I rarely see my parents. The beginning of the school year is always crazy for them. You might not see much of them either if it weren't for all the weddings they've been attending and officiating this year. We did squeeze in this FaceTime session, and if you see them soon you can say hi for me. 

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I had an ultrasound of my abdomen and my thyroid, which included filling my bladder before going back to do the ultrasound. My spleen is still enlarged, which who knows, maybe it's always been like that. My thyroid has several small nodules, but after meeting with a specialist he said they are nothing to worry about. Problematic thyroids often develop nodules and mine are not near large enough to cause concern. 

This was probably the hottest week of the year and this cooling towel was my best friend. We typically have moderate winter weather for a few weeks in June and July and then the temperatures slowly increase during the dry season until they are completely unbearable in September and we've forgotten what rain is and it feels like it will never end until the rains finally come at the end of September or beginning of October. This year, the low winter temps continued through August, we had this one week of a heat wave, and then the rain started right after. It was surprising, but much more pleasant than other years. 

This is on the way to the grocery store and eating a Brazilian tapioca roll-up. We had a prayer service Wednesday night, but the only picture I took was of empty chairs before it started... because after that I was praying. Since then, this has become a prayer and fasting service and a highlight of every week. 

Thursday

On Thursday, I went back and presented the English class sign-ups to the students and staff of Jad Salomao high school. The presentation went really well and the teachers were really excited about the opportunity. Unfortunately, as the weeks went by, communication with the school got very difficult. We've had to push back the English classes until next year because I'm going to the States in November. We are praying that God connects us with the right students for these classes. 

This is kind of a weird selfie, but it's of me hanging up laundry to dry. Most homes in Brazil don't have a dryer. Unfortunately, our apartment also doesn't have any patio or roof access to hang clothes in the sun. During the dry season, clothes dry really fast inside and sometimes we don't even need a fan. During the rainy season it can take a lot longer just because the air is so humid. 

In the afternoon, I went and talked with some women that work on this street near our apartment. There are a lot of clothing stores with female owners and workers. I've been talking with them about our church and about the possibility of starting a prayer group or Bible study together. It's been an interesting experience that's given me lots of opportunities to talk with these women about God and faith. Some of them have lots of different ideas, but they have all been really positive conversations. One of the women has started attending our church. Overall it's been good to form more connections and friendships. 

In the evening we had worship team practice. This group has been really courageous working together and learning new musical skills to be able to lead worship on Sundays. We have also dedicated a lot of time in our practices to Bible study and conversation about our own relationships with God. It's been a place of real struggle, honesty, and encouragement. 

After practice, I counted the offering from Sunday and organized the church finances. This is what Brazilian money looks like. 

Friday

Friday morning I walked to the farmer's market. Anapolis has a system of markets where farmers can sell their products all over town on different days. Most of the products are fruits and vegetables, but some tables sell different types of flour and dairy products. The market nearest our apartment is just a half block from our new church building. It is only open on Friday mornings, and then they go to a different market to sell in the afternoon. The rest of the week the empty market space is the home base for two different driving schools. So sometimes walking to the church during the day involves some careful dodging. 

This week I was getting ready to take my final in Intro to Sociology in Portuguese and on week 3 of Living Ethical Lives through NNU (in English). Living Ethical Lives is my last class with NNU and then I will be ready for ordination next year!

Friday evening we played volleyball with some friends from church. It was so fun and I completely regretted it the next day. And I'm also looking forward to playing again, but maybe with a little less intensity next time. 

The pastors and their daughters were visiting family on Friday and Saturday for Ericleia's niece's first birthday party. I stayed at their house so that Marcos's niece, Brenda, wouldn't be their alone. Brenda is studying orthodontics and has this cool, creepy gum mat to practice sutures on. Aline and I got the church space set up for Sunday service, and that is the end of my selfies! Thanks for following along and feel free to send me a message any time!