February in Brasil

Well, a few weeks have gone by since my last update and I apologize. Life here in Brasil has been very very busy. Since coming home from the project, we have been working non stop on preparing for the Carnival Retreat that we had here at the camp. We were re roofing the bunkhouse where us girls have been staying, as well as making stairs, feeding all the hungry workers and hosting a teams from Swift Current Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and a few from the states.
Life is very much the same here in Brasil. Us girls are in the kitchen preparing the meals and washing and cleaning. The boys work very hard outside. I am so impressed by there servant attitude. Always ready to work hard. Chelsea and Renee and so great to have here. Us girls get along so well. They are always there to talk to and to get a hug from when I really miss home.
We held a carnival camp at the camp this past week. We had about 30 young adults come and it was so much fun! We played games, ate great food, had devotion time and had campfires. We held a very Canadian camp, one that was very new to the Brasillians. We roasted our own hotdogs over the fire one night, the Brasillians had never done this before; it was a lot of fun! We did got one and a half days with out electricity thought which was a struggle. And when you don’t have electricity you don’t have a pump to pump the water into the holding tank. So with 30 campers we had no water and electricity for a while. But that didn’t stop us. The boys just had to hall water from the river uphill but no biggy!
The one thing that has kind of been the bummer over this past week is that I have been sick. I had a really bad cough a while ago and it just kept on getting worse. I went to the doctor and found out that I have a sinus infection. I did keep me from a lot of things during the camp, but I am slowly getting better.
Would you please keep this in your prayers. I would love to get back to 100%. I am always told to rest, but its so hard just to rest when there is so much to be done and I don’t just want to sit and let other do all the work.

Lately, God has been showing and teaching me what a servant looks like and how to serve like Jesus did. Jesus did not grumble, he did not ask why or ask to have a lighter load. No, Jesus took the hardest route. He served the broken and helped the weak. I am really leaning that when I am serving people, I truly and serving God. He has called me here, to serve him in anyway. I want to change my whole mind set of how I serve. I’m still figuring it out, but I feel like I am getting a glimpse of it. In Acts, Paul served God with such beauty. I long to serve like that. I know it might sound silly, learning how to serve. I really believe that in order to Serve God with a humble heart, you need seek what that looks like. Anyways, that is just what I have been learning.

Its almost half way and I cannot believe it. Time seems to fly by and I really don’t know how to take it. I guess all I can do it make the most of everyday.

I have some more interesting facts for you about Brasil:

-Brasillians eat Halls as candy, there not just for when you’re sick
- You pay for Motels by the hour, and a Hotel is what you bring your family to.
- Now I thought that the Kornelson side of my family was loud, but you have not heard anything until you hear Brasillians play a card game. They get VERY competitive.
-At the end of e mails, Brasillians say kisses instead of goodbye (I’m still trying to figure out why)
-Brasillians brush their teeth at least 3 times a day if not more. They love to brush their teeth!

Thank you again for all your prayers. It is so encouraging to have you all behind me.
With much love