couples` meeting! May 24th

Hi, Our couples ministry is doing well! Again I didn't take any pictures cause I forgot to take my camera! :( Two dear friends opened their new house for Christ, Joao and Clarice Spencer! We had 6 couples, and two non-Christians husbands. We talked about finances, one of the topics that cause arguements in the marriage life. We finished the night with hamburgers made by our brother Lauro, and soft drinks and with a good surprise, one of the non-Christian husbands offered to open his house for the next meeting! I hope it is a good sign! Love, Waleska

Game night

One of my projects as a missionary's wife is to use my acquaintances at work to introduce Matt, and get to know my students better. On Friday, May 23, we had a game night at home in English. As you can see we played Scrable, it is not a very common game in Brazil, so my students can learn more about the American culture, I also made some American cookies to complete the night! We hope to have events like this once a month with my advanced students!

Ah! I was sooo involved in the game that I forgot to take a picture of the group! ;)

Rotary meeting with my students

On May 20, I had lunch with my students at the Rotary Club in Cachoeirinha, a city near Porto Alegre. The one in the picture above on the left wearing glasses is my student, he is the current president of the Rotary Club. So he needs English.
That week, he and his wife received a group from the USA, and invited me to cooperate. They are professionals who come to Brazil to exchange experiences about culture, so I could help with that. Since most of them were Spanish, English and Portuguese teachers, I just had to tell them how I work here in Brazil.
This is me and Mara, she is also my student, with the ladies from the US. We had a great time, and I could know my students better. Little by little I get to know my students. I just wait for the right time!
Tha's my personality! I love meeting new people, knowing about other cultures, I love to learn other languages, right now, I am in the second semester of studying Spanish at CLEP, the school where I used to teach. I am enjoying it a lot!
I hope I can use my gift to reach more and more people!
Please, pray for this couple, Mara and Luis! They are very hardworking and a very nice couple!
May God bless this work!

Couples' retreat!

On May 10th we had a couples' retreat with the team in Viamao. As I had said before I love this Team we are always keeping in contact and helping each other whenever we can. We went to this retreat to learn from them, and have a retreat with our couples in the future!

Rui and Nadia leading the study group! I think they`re great!

Afterwards we had a lovely and romantic boat ride through the famous "Lagoa dos Patos" (Ducks' lagoon) the biggest lagoon in Brazil!

On the left we had a morning meeting by the river where we could have a word and share our thoughts about God and Nature!

My birthday girl!

On Monday we celebrated my niece's second birthday! Tomorrow we are going to the countryside to visit her! I hope that in the near future I can have a daughter as beautiful as she is! Ah! She is also our Goddaughter! :)

Happy birthday for my mom!

This last Sunday ( May 25) was my mom`s birthday. She is a great example of a mother should be! We had difficult times together as a family, we had our losses, she became a widow at a very young age, and had to raise us all alone, she continued to have faith in the future, and she always took us to the church! She is a woman who follows her dreams! Right now she is studying English in the USA (one of her dreams of 30 years ago) and will be back in a few months! I can't imagine my life without her strength! God bless her! :)

Developing Friendships!

This is Raquel! She has gone to our church for 4 years. She was there in the beginning of my relationship with Matt. She is going to our house church with her mom, she is in her 20s, the only young lady in our house besides me! We have always had a friendly relationship, but now, I think I'm touching her heart somehow; she's very nice, but difficult to open up and share about herself. Now we are spending more time together, I can understand her heart better! We have very funny and good moments as sisters! Please pray for this relationship! :)