Week 3: Finally some workouts, the Marcha pra Jesus, and sweet little old grandmas (:

This last week was a busy one, full of a lot of things I have never done before… Agita in the rain, some amazing home visits, CRAZY bus rides, actually training in Capoeira and Muay Thai (which I absolutely loved, though I got knocked on my rear very unexpectedly, MARCELO!), Marcha pra Jesus (March for Jesus), more crazy bus rides, a home church service, music and dancing at 1am in a park, sharing part of my testimony at the teens event Saturday night, more dancing, having my first teenage girls Bible study, the list could go on and on.

Pictures of our walk through for
 some home visits last week. 

{Disclaimer: Know that none of the listed above is in any specific order…Just as it came to mind what I did this last week, I jotted it down.}

This week during one special home visit in Vila Rosa with a Grandma by the name of Josepha, was the first time I felt so homesick that I cried. She spoke of her loneliness, the heartache  she felt from her family not wanting to take care of her, yet how much the ministry has done for her, how much Pastor William has helped her through love and time. She reminded me of my grandma, who lives with her 37 year old daughter who doesn’t care for her, treats her poorly, uses her. How my grandma’s best friend passed away a couple years ago. My grandma does not go out to see anyone but her doctors and her grandkids.

I am so used to calling my grandma whenever I walk to and from class or work, just to check in. I have been here for 3 weeks tomorrow, and have not talked to her at all. I miss you, Grandma!

Now, those of you reading this, I OBVIOUSLY MISS YOU TOO! And those of you not reading this, you should be so you can see that I miss you. DUH.

The next big highlight of my week was  finally getting some exercise in! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!! Sweating and being sore, How I Have Missed You! I was really hesitant to try Capoeira, just because it is SO COOL and most of the guys there knew what they were doing. Pastor Antonio, the lead instructor, took my aside though and started teaching me step by step. I felt more confident, but still did not want to participate in the actual fight. One of the guys, Marcelo, beckoned me that way and I had to go in. I think maybe they were a tiny bit impressed with the tall cartwheel I did to start it off. This time I didn’t kick anyone in the face (: haha!  ((Pastor Antonio has some pictures from that night, so when he gets them to me I will definitely be posting them on here!!))

That was Thursday night, on Friday we had a couple of the guys from the church come teach a Muay Thai class . In this one there was another woman who didn’t know what she was doing, and a few younger guys who had never done it before either, so I felt right at home. I can say that it was a GREAT workout! I am thoroughly sore from it, and ready to do it some more!!

 Saturday we took on a big adventure, about 25 of us taking public transportation together to go down to the Marcha pra Jesus! We went from one bus, to the subway/metro, there taking two different trains. Then we walked for over an hour, actually marched for over an hour, with crazy loud worship music being played from trucks bigger than anything I had ever seen.

 Thousands of people around us, cheering, walking slowly, and filling the place with so much God! Once we made it to the main stage we found a spot to kinda set up camp. We listened to the different artist, wandered off to find food, which was not as easy as it should have been so we ate a lot of frozen yogurt and chips…then made it back for more music and took off for the metro at about 4. It was a long and hot day! 

About to get on the Metro!

We brought Capoeira instruments and in the middle of the streets had people participating.

Our Group!

On our way home...

PACKED bus!!

WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY HOME WITHOUT DAMAGE, THEFT, OR LOSS OF ANYONE!!!!!! 

{Watch a slide show with "live" video footage from our adventure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUN_SWNaRpY&feature=youtu.be here (:  }

Then we had our teens service, which I spoke at. We circled up, sang worship, Ireni spoke about growing closer to God in our desires, Erika (one of the teens) spoke on John 4:14, about Our God filling us up rather than the worldly desires that we all have.

I then gave my testimony on accountability with my eating disorder. This last year, God blessed me with another young woman with the same issues, struggling to resist the desire to fit into the “perfect” image, being scared to get “fat”, scared to be alone forever based on our looks, and then just the stress of everyday life. I would call or text her when feeling this urge to purge the food I had just eaten, and even coming down here terrified me that I would fall back into my weakness of feeling a lack of self-worth based on what I look like.

Fellowship and accountability. Relationships centered on God. Courage. Love.
The Word as your encouragement.

I shared 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you me tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”  Incredible inspiration. And I hope that as you read that, you feel the same inspiration and encouragement that I have.

I have very much enjoyed getting to know the teens and young adults my age! I have spent a few late nights out with them, worshipping in the park, being serenaded by their beautiful Brazilian music, and learning how to dance all Brazilian like! They LOVE to dance, and I don’t think I am too terrible. I guess that makes random dance parties a lot of fun! (:  

Below are a few pictures from Agitas this last week with the team from Gordon College. Some amazing people on that team!!

I have tons more to share on this last week, as this post was supposed to go up over the weekend. I will try to get up more stories from the beach with the Gordon College team soon! 

Off to work on this next week's Bible Study material!! Prayer that God would open my heart to know what He desires these young women (and myself) to learn in the coming weekend and week!