Things have been hectic this summer.  I came to camp trying to at least be prepared for cabin devos every night.  I had an idea in my head but I could never seem to get it down on paper.  I like to have things at least planned out, whether I stick with that plan or not.  Not having a plan totally scares me, and the first week of camp I did not have a plan for devotions and I was getting worried on that first night.  Everything I wanted to talk about was blown to the wind as the Lord laid something totally different on my heart each night. Every night I pulled everything together about 5-10 minutes before I shared with the girls, I really had to trust in the Lord and depend on Him to give me the words to say (literally!!).  I have never been so stretched in my life! I guess I was kind of being prunned, God took away good things (in this case the devos I wanted to share) so that I could not depend on myself and He gave me something better--what He wanted me to say to the girls that would better minister to their needs.

Thank You Lord for stretching me, it was not pleasant at the time but now I can see Your hand in it and that the girls really needed to hear what You laid on my heart. I love You Lord, please accomplish in me what You said You would do.

Hey y'all!

Its been a long time since I last wrote.  A lot has transpired in my life.  Some great, others I'm still wondering about(boys for instance).

I went to Brasil for Christmas! yeah! It was so hot when I first got there I thought I was going to die.  I didn't remember it raining so much in Brasil.

It was great to see my family(on my dad's side) again, I had not seen them in three years. It was crazy-fun when all the girl cousins got together!! I got to meet my cousin Amanda's fiancee Welio and they are getting married in Feb.  I also met my cousin Miriam's boyfriend and my cousin Thamiris' boyfriend (but I can't remember their names). We had a birthday party for my grandma and my cousin Isabela ended up accidentally sitting on the cake! It was hilarious and of course I took a picture of that!

I got to go to the beach, that was so much fun!!! I put sunscreen on so I didn't burn but my mom didn't and you may as well forget the tan-she crisped! lol (she also lost her glasses in the ocean-so guess what she got for Christmas?).  I drank water from a coconut(fresh coconut has a kind of water inside it).  I picked seashells and we went to a fish market where they sold fresh fish.  They had just caught the ones we bought. It was delicious! 

We stayed at hotel and my 9yr. old cousin was giving my grandma a hard time saying that she had a crush on the owner.  I think my grandma (she is widowed) did some looking but it was so funny because she denied it all!! lol

I got to see my best friend and meet her new husband (I missed their wedding by about two weeks ). I was excited to hear they are both going to Bible College and they want to serve the Lord as missionaries to the Indians.  I spent Christmas at her parents house, we had a Brasilian BBQ.

I did some shopping and got me some earrings carved from coconut shells. They are so cute!

I also visited my moms parents and I go to help with the church work a little bit.  I taught Sunday school one Sunday, and I participated in the Christmas program. 

I made it back safe and sound but it was crazy at the Sao Paulo airport when it was time for me to leave. Is it just me or did Brasilians suddenly become more rude?! Maybe they all were just having a bad hair day or something :)

One day we ate at this little restaurant and there was a pharmacy across the street and this particular day there was a guy dressed as elvis singing "Elvis songs" (some weren't Elvis songs which made it all the more funny!)  There were some girls walking by and he was singing to them and flirting, it was so funny!