"Sneaking" with the Seniors, what a fantastic PQQ tradition!  Adding the element of surprise to a senior trip seems to make it that much more anticipated, both by the seniors themselves and the other students who keep trying to guess when the seniors will sneak and where they will go.  One of my favorite stories was of a recent class that planned a skit night and when everyone was in the chapel read for the skit to start, the seniors silently snuck into the night.  

The 2014 seniors class wasn't quite so audacious, we did successfully get off campus without being caught.  Brin and I enjoyed the 5 days away, as we visited a Brazilian border town with days trips to a Venezuelan waterfall and shopping in a town across the border in British Guyana.  I suppose in the end it didn't really matter what we did, as long as the class was together they found enjoyment in about anything.  We will certainly be sad to see this group leave after graduation, but we are excited to see what God has in store for them in the future.

iron(y) sharpening

 post by~  Brin

In my 5/6th grade science class I taught them that the expression "set in stone" is rather ironic. Because, as they were about to learn, rocks go through cycles and can change from one type to another.  The irony was lost on them as they didn't understand irony nor had many of the ESL students ever heard the expression. But I love it. Like when a spider crawled across my window...while I was prepping a biology lesson on arachnids.  

And this scene..  

 Gabriella's first home was situated just across from the elementary school, so during lunch Ellabug and I would peek out the windows and try to spot my nephew Stephen on the playground.  I looked forward to peeking in on Gabriella when she would some day go to school. Then we moved before kindergarten. But here I am again, peaking in on her gym class taking place right in front of my house. Exactly how it was supposed to happen.

With a race to the finish with school, leaks in the airplane floats, and a countdown to furlough the pace can leave little space for anyone else but me. Let me tell you about this one.... I got a wisp of an image some days ago of a lesson Gabriella had done with the Aleixo (slum area) kids. I saw a man in the day of Jesus' earthly days with worries; his daughter had a festering infection, his wife is losing her eyesight and let's say he just heard that his brother is on trial for a crime he didn't commit.  He is neck-deep in fallen Eden.  He had a need list to show Jesus and as it turn out Jesus was in town that day. He should definately go. And unload his list on Jesus.  He goes, but instead he brings his paralytic friend and 3 other guys to help and that is what he unloads.  This week I was inspired by teammates, who in the midst of busy (we all say we are busy...they were especially) they dashed their own dreams, gave up what was rightfully theirs and took a need off someone else's list even when their own was plenty long. I was so struck by it because I am in the same position and I didn't do anything of the sort. Convicting. God is always teaching, inviting us to see the sacred in the mundane and the silent profound in the roaring rush. And another teammate who literally had reason to "kick back and put her feet up" because of an ugly infection, but she wouldn't. Because a little pain, a little delayed healing, well, that is sacrifice and that is why she is working in the Amazon. Trusting God to take care of us while we take care of His other children. Those are just daily occurrences that spoke to me, sharpened me.

And now a yearly occurrence... Ava gains another year of life!  12! She celebrated with the entire 5th and 6th grades at PQQ.  Which is 12 students.  They went night-swimming with glowsticks and ate their cake and ice cream shivering at the waters edge.

Countdown to furlough for Gabriella:  9 days
Countdown for the rest of us: 18 days

a schedule peppered with anticipation

Apparently our "canary in a coal mine" is indicating that it is time for us to go on furlough.  Our highend pepper grinder, purchased on our last furlough, is nearly out of pepper.  While we normally don't plan our life around condiments, sometimes you just can't ignore the handwriting on the wall.  

So with the last remnants of ground pepper stuck in the deep recesses of our teeth, we are beginning to plan our time back in the States.  We are arriving June 11th and stay through the end of December.  This will allow for our girls to be enrolled in school for an entire semester, and will give me (Josh) a chance to get some advanced training on the Cessna 206, which our mission operates.  Brin is getting  some medical training as well, but mostly is trying to figure out how she is going to make it through an IL winter. 

So far, here is our itinerary (with plenty of holes to be filled by you all!):

June

11th - 13th - St. Louis

14th - 20th - Tremont, IL

*Monday, 16th - Open House at The Cabin in Tremont

21st - 29th - With Josh's family in St. Louis

July 

1st - 24th - Tremont, IL

25th - 8/3 - Midwest Camp and Bike Trip with NCF Youth Group

August

5th - 15th - San Antonio, TX

18th - School starts for the girls 

Sep/Oct

9/1 - 10/5 - Josh training at JAARS (aviation) in NC

Nov

6th - 8th - Brin Global Med. Missions Conference in Louisville, KY

23rd - 29th - NC with Brin's family 

Dec

30th - Return to Brazil

We would love the opportunity to get together with as many of you as possible to share about what God is doing in Brazil and learn about your ministries and lives as well.  We are open to share at small groups, Sunday School classes, or pretty much anywhere where people sit in a circle.  Please contact us if you want to plan an event, a meal, or even just a trip to a coffee house.  We really look forward to reconnecting!

Current Needs

• We are looking for a furnished house or apartment in Tremont to use starting in August through our departure in December.
• We love staying with people in their homes and are still looking for a few willing hosts in July.