Faith

CURA was more than I could have ever imagined. God touched my heart in so many ways. I am going to share stories soon, I promise.

A lot has happened since I landed in the States. One of my close family friends lost their daughter in a boating accident. I found out as I logged onto my Facebook in Mexico City. I was shocked and panicked as I was out of the country and unable to speak to anyone. I was graciously blessed to use a man's phone who was sitting next to me. He asked me as I was having an emotional breakdown if there was anything he could do. I explained that a close friend had lost her daughter and I had just found out. He offered to let me use his phone and he said it was his pleasure since I had just returned from doing good deeds. I know it was God thing. I called Jeanna and she told me what was going on. Karah had been killed in a boating accident in Austin. I was a mess all the way home from that moment on. I couldn't stop thinking about Karah, what a beautiful child she had always been. So full of life, sweet and kind to everyone. She had the most beautiful spirit. She had grown up to be a wonderful wife and mother. She loved her family more than anything. She loved God and I know that she is with Jesus, sitting at the feet of the Father. It is just so difficult to see those you love hurting so much. I have such wonderful memories of the fun we had, the years of seeing her grow up and sharing her life. We will miss her but I know I will see her again and then we will celebrate and worship our Father, forever in eternity!

Needless to say, the flight home from Brazil was long and I was already exhausted from the week of CURA. I arrived home and immediately headed to Midland to see the Northcutt family. Tears just continued to flow as we mourned the loss of Karah. Her memorial service was beautiful and a special celebration of her life. She blessed so many lives. I cry tears of joy for Karah but tears of sorrow for our loss, especially for her family. They will grieve for a long time to come. It hurts to see them broken hearted. I pray that God, as only He can will comfort them in this time. He is the only source of strength in times like these.

I also found that as I opened my suitcases, mine and Robyn's computers had been stolen. I should have known better than to put it in my suitcase, but I did and can't change that now. I am not concerned about the computer but more than that, I have been writing my story for about 8 months and the rough draft was only saved on my computer and nowhere else. I know, I know....I should have backed it up somewhere but I didn't even think about it. I just pray that who ever has my computer will be touched by the spirit of God, maybe they will read my story and find Jesus. My prayer is that God will bring the words back to me as I start over!

I'm exhausted physically, mentally and extremely drained emotionally. Just the experience of CURA is an emotional journey. I am going to start to share the CURA stories in the next few days. I am so anxious to tell all of the great things God has done but I need rest. I'm praying that God will give me rest and that He will renew my strength. The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy and especially after an experience like CURA where God has been glorified, the enemy is hot on my tail. He's been after me for years and I'm not afraid! I claim that no weapon formed against me shall prosper! Satan has no power in my life, not today or ever! God WINS!!!!!!

God bless!

Shirl

Day 4

First of all, I apologize for not blogging much this week but there has been NO time! We have been up at 5:30 and not in bed until midnight after a long day of seeing patients. We've seen almost 800 patient's and only one more day to go. Our goal is to see 1000 and I know God will bring it to pass. The day's have been so blessed. The people that we are ministering to are the most grateful, appreciative people I have ever seen. They are amazed and shocked that we would come here to serve and provide medical care for free and all of them say that we treat them like kings and queens. The socialized medicine system here seems to be one that just herds them through like cattle according to the stories they tell. They "are just a number" and are not respected or genuinely cared for. Some patients wait 6-8 months for an appointment for a problem and just have to suffer. It breaks my heart. I will be blogging about individual stories later as I get time and rest up from the week. I am sorry but my brain is overwhelmed...mostly because I am hearing two languages all day and one that I can't even speak...by the end of the day, my brain is mush...I can't even speak English! I am blonde, remember!!! ha ha

I want to thank all of my friends and family for their prayer support and for lifting up the team during this campaign. God has blown us all away with His amazing miracles. I look forward to sharing the stories so that you can hear what mighty things He has done!

There is not much more I can share except BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD, FOR HE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS!

Tomorrow is our last day of CURA, please pray that as things wrap up, God will continue His work. We will have a celebration party tomorrow night with all of the team and Brazilian volunteer's! I can't wait to celebrate with our brother's and sister's as we end this amazing adventure!

Robyn and I will be traveling alone on saturday and have a 10 hr layover in Mexico City. We also will have a 7 hr layover in Los Angeles. Please pray for safety as we make this journey together, unable to speak Spanish and that we make it home safely to see our families. By the way, I miss my girls sooooooooo much. I've gotten to SKYPE otherwise, I could'nt have been away from them for so long....I LOVE YOU, NAY, KARLEE AND KOURTZ!

Home soon, love to all of you,

Fique Com Deus (God bless)

Shirl

Fique com Deus!

God's presence was so obvious in the church Ignacio De Cristo as they celebrated the first anniversary of the new building. They welcomed us with open arms, hugs, kisses and warm smiles. Worship was amazing. Hearing the sound of just voices singing to the Lord in such beautiful harmony and in Portuguese, touched the deepest part of my soul. I felt the angels and saints singing with us as we lifted our praises to the King of Kings with kindred spirits even though I didn't understand the language, i felt the amazing presence of the Living God. The church members prayed over us in the service for CURA Brazil and we felt honored as they lifted us up to the Father. Brazilian people are so affectionate and loving. They greet you with a kiss on the cheek and a hug. They have been so kind to us.

After church, Robyn, Kent, Jean and I went home with Phyllis and Antenor for a wonderful meal along with a few couples from the church. It was fun visiting and trying to get to know them. A few of them didn't speak English so it was a challenge but we figured out that smiles are universal. I've tried to learn some Portuguese words so that I am able to communicate at some level but it is difficult. Thankfully alot of Brazilian's also speak English. We had a wonderful meal as always. Brazilian's believe in feeding their guests ALOT! Seems like all we've done here is eat! I am going to gain so much weight...UGH! They serve desert with every meal and of course I can't resist, especially with a cup of coffee. Robyn's favorite part of breakfast is CAKE!!! She loves eating it every morning! I'm just enjoying the super fantastic hospitality. The people of Itu have graciously welcomed us to their city and made us feel so comfortable.

Tonight we set up the clinic in Ciudad de Jova and had lots of kiddo's volunteering to help. We set up a triage area, gynecology, ultrasound/sonogram, dentistry, opthamology, a lab, and a room for EKG's. It is all coming together. I am looking so forward to seeing the people who need this medical care that we have come to offer. I beleive they will be willing to receive care in a way that they may have never seen. We are going to LOVE them with our hands and allow the healing to come from God. It's so exciting....can't wait to get to share in this amazing work that God is allowing us to do...it is HIS love that we are called to show to them. He has commanded us to love others. That is our goal in this campaign. We are praying that God will go before us and that we will be His hands and feet to the world. He has called us to this mission and now, it is our responsibility to respond to that call..

Here am I Lord, it is I Lord, i have heard you calling in the night, i will Go Lord, If you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart.

Please pray for CURA Brazil....the work begans in less than 7 hours, pray that the people come, that the team can bless them and that they will encounter Christ.

Fique com Deus (God bless you)!

Blink of an Eye

I was spending some time alone praying and listening to my Zune and immediately after I turned it on...MercyMe's song "In the Blink of an Eye" began to play. The word's were perfect for the way I'm feeling as we prepare for this medical campaign. "You put me here for a reason...You have a mission for me....you knew my name and You called it, long before I learned to breathe..."

My heart is open. I am willing to do whatever He calls me to do here in Brasil and anywhere else He leads...we are only here for a blink of an eye, that's the reason we're alive and what we do big or small could change the eternity of others. In the big scheme of life, all that matter's is the way we've spent our time loving other's and furthering the Kingdom of God. I just pray that my life will be me, giving the best of me to His purpose. That is why I was created, to bring Him glory and Honor.

Today was a fun day. We had breakfast at the hotel and then loaded a bus for Campinas to the open "Hippie Fair" which was just an open flea market with booths of anything you can imagine. It was fun walking around shopping and seeing the native people of Brazil. They are so friendly and warm. The language barrier is a struggle for me because if you know me, I'm a talker. I never meet a stranger and not being able to commnicate with people is really bothersome. I want to visit!!! Portuguese is such a beautiful language and I love to hear the people speaking it. I am going to do my best to try to pick up some of it. I have learned a few words and it's fun to use them! It really is a struggle for me to be unable to communicate.

We had lunch at a really nice restaurant called "Baby Beef". We tasted some new things but my favorite was desert! Warm, sweet bananas and vanilla ice cream! Yummy! I think I can make that at home and I'm sure my girls will love it as well. They served us ALOT of beef....must be why they named it that, right? No diet dr. pepper here so I'm having to suck it up and drink Coca-Cola Light(zero). The water is carbonated so you have to specifically ask for "sem gas" which means no carbonation. The fruit is so delicious and they serve alot of fresh lettuces and vegetables. I do miss my Ranch dressing but so far, the salad dressing has been tasty!

Now, we are having some quiet time to do whatever we want. Robyn and I are just enjoying some time in our room. A few of the others have gone to see if they can find some chocolate...can't wait for them to bring some back to us. I've enjoyed Brazilian coffee. It is VERY strong! They boil it and strain it through what appears to be a knee high panty hose.Funny, but it works! It is probably the strongest coffee I've ever tasted...even more stout than espresso or my dad's famous Navy coffee but, if you put enough creamer (I brought my sugar free french vanilla from home) it tastes pretty good. Who needs Starbucks?

Tonight we will be having dinner with Phyllis and Antenor at their home. They are the pastor and his wife (missionaries)of the church here in Itu. This church will celebrate their 1st anniversary in their new building tomorrow morning. They held a kids camp last week and all of the volunteers are here also. They will be heading home tomorrow evening. They came from many different places including several students from ACU in Abilene as well as lots of Brazilians. It's been fun being with all of the younger ones. I'm excited about church. The service will be in Portuguese so I'm not sure how much I will understand. However, I know God will speak to me regardless if I understand the words. His spirit moves. I'm looking forward to the blessings He will bring to us...

The medical campaign set up will be tomorrow evening. I'm ready to see the building and get an idea of what my job is going to be. The reality of what we've been called to do is coming to life. I can't wait! The work begins soon.....more later!

Blessings to all

Wonderfully and Beautifully knit together.....

Oh, my! What an adventure! Robyn, and I got checked in to the airport in Dallas and the only issue I had was that they confiscated my jar of peanut butter from my carry on----UGH!

The flight from Dallas to Mexico City was good and we got a little bit of a nap. When we arrived, however, I realized that I had left my boarding pass on the plane and they wouldn't allow me to go back on to retrieve it. So, the circus began. They sent me on a wild goose chase and after consulting with several associates, I finally got to immigration. However, none of the others had their passports and immigration forms with them so they had to leave me there and go back to the group to get them. I was alone, in Mexico City in immigration with no real ability to communicate with the agents. Note to self: LEARN SPANISH!! I tried to stay calm but I will admit, I was a little nervous. However, after about 30 minutes, the others showed up and we got through all of the red tape. Finally, I had a new boarding pass in hand!

We met up with several others who had flown in from Colorado and Abilene. Amazing to see how God has orchestrated this team. We all have a kindred spirit about us and it feels like we have all known each other forever! Isn't our God amazing? He knit this team together so delicately considering how many invitations were sent out over a year ago. He hand picked the exact ones He wanted here at this designated time. I love to see how His hand is at work!

The flight to Sao Paulo was about 12 hours. I tried to sleep as much as possible but the chairs were not too comfortable and I will say, I got a little grumpy. I tried to remind myself of the reason that I am here.

We arrived safely and Dr. Dunham greeted us with open arms at the airport. We traveled from Sau Paulo to Itu in a bus that was donated by the government. It was great! It had air conditioning and we all got to have 2 seats to ourselves!!! I took alot of pictures and tried to take in all of the sights along the road. The drive took about an hour and a half. I was just humbled by some of the sights. I saw homeless people under bridges along the canal. I saw children flying paper kites, a farmer tending to his crop with a hoe, and homes that look like shanty's on the sides of the hills. I thought about how lucky I am to have been born in a country that is so blessed.

We arrived at our hotel and were greeted by Phyllis (the pastor's wife) and several others. They had lunch ready for us and after getting my tummy full, I was ready for a shower and nap. The hotel is very comfortable and we have hot water!!! The shower felt amazing! I rested for a bit and then we all met in the lobby and walked to the bank to get some Brazilian cash. Of course, my card wouldn't work. I have American money but I am going to have to wait until Monday for the bank to open to try to exchange it. Don't worry, the team will take care of me until then! Seem's like there is always an obstacle thrown at me....sorry, enemy....you shold figure out....I'm not falling for it!

We walked around the plaza and saw some of the city. We had dinner at "Toni Lius" and it was very strange trying to read a menu with no ability to understand the language. Trying to communicate with the waiter was very difficult! Thankfully, Dr. Dunham can speak pretty good Portuguese. I didn't like the feeling...I was definately out of my comfort zone! The food was pretty good. I was safe with a burger and fries but some of the other's ventured out and got other things. Everything was very tasty!

After dinner, we wandered around a little bit and onto a group of men and children doing Brazilian fighting. It involves music made with bamboo sticks, string, drums and shakers. The players sing together and the rythm was unbelieveable. It made us want to move our feet! The dance/fighting was also awesome. They were in a big circle and two of them would go into the middle and do their dance/fight. Families were all around. It was cool to see a little bit of the culture.

We had a meeting after we returned to the hotel where we shared and talked about the next few days. We prayed as a group and some shared their thoughts on how God has brought us all together as a team. It was a very sweet time.

We are prepared to do what God has called us to do. Now, it is just a matter of time until His hands and feet are at work showing love to the people of Brazil. May God be glorified and His name be honored as we love on His people.....

off to bed....long day ahead, more to come! Continue to lift Cura Brazil in prayer, please!

I've waited a year for this!

Wow, I'm sort of in shock that the time is really here.....I've planned to go to Brazil for a year now, and in a little more than 24 hours, I will be boarding the plane. I'm a little nervous, anxious and extremely excited! I am frantically packing last minute things and praying that I haven't forgotten anything.

My heart is full because of all of the well wishes and gifts of love that friends and family have given. THANK YOU, SO MUCH! The awesome thing about giving is that God will bless you for your generosity. It's His work, and He will give back pressed down and shaken together, more than we can ever ask or imagine! He will prove His faithfulness. So many people have given financial gifts, medical equipment, supplies, donated transportation in Brazil, food, and so much more. It's amazing to see God's people come together for the furthering of the Kingdom. God will be honored and glorified. We are His hands and feet.....

Please pray for safety as the team travels, for the hearts of the team to be open and ready for service, and that the people that we will care for will be blessed and their eyes open to the love of Christ. May God's family be added to greatly in the next 11 days....

His will, not ours be done!
God bless,

Shirl