Brazil Bean Brewed

Moving Blogs

2010-09-21T18:38:00.002-04:00

Well it's officially over! This will be my last blog on Brazil Bean Brewed! We have enjoyed our time in Brazil and will miss it a lot but God is definitely calling us to something new. We are now in the process of moving our family to Cuenca, Ecuador. To keep in contact with our family, you can check out our new blog "A Family on a Mission" at http://www.travisaliciasass.blogspot.com

Saying Goodbye

2010-05-04T18:06:00.002-04:00

As many people know by now our family has moved on from Brazil. It was a tough decision but we feel God is calling us to do something different. We feel confidant with the work that we did in Brazil and the relationships that we made with the Brazilians. We know that God will continue to grow those people we had an influence on and help them to begin reaching out to their friends and families. We know that God is working in Salvador and has many people to continue where we left off. Of course there is still three families from our team that will remain for many more years and will continue to work and encourage the church there. Please continue to pray for the people of Salvador, Brazil. Please also be in prayer for our family as we look to our future and what God has in store for us. We have now been in Canada since mid March and are enjoying our time with friends and family. It is good to have a break and re-energize for our future endeavors. This weekend we will be meeting with our sponsoring church and some of our supporters to talk about this future ministry. Please be praying for this time and for all that God will do through our family in the future.

Cestas Basicas and Gifts from Canada

2010-01-05T14:03:00.001-04:00

Cestas Basicas and Gifts from Canada 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This year for Christmas we were able to get 16 hampers of food for the poor with the help from many people in Canada, especially the Shelbourne Street Church of Christ. My sister, Mikaela, my sister Naomi and my Mom, Janice made stockings full of great things for the kids of the church and also my sister, Mikaela brought a bunch of extra things and used stuff as gifts for other church members. Everyone loved their gifts and were so excited to have received something from people back home and that someone thought of them during this time of year. The kids were so excited to receive toothbrushes, toys, little candies and so much more. Thank you to all who donated things and my family who made it possible for so many people to be blessed this Christmas. Also it was amazing to see how many families that we were able to bless with food hampers this year. Look on our flickr site for pictures of these families as our small group handed out these food hampers.

Mikaela Comes To Visit

2010-01-05T13:43:00.001-04:00

Christmas at Shopping Piedade 11
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Mikaela came to Brazil to visit us again. This time she came for Christmas so it was great to celebrate the holiday that we usually end up doing alone. It was great too as she brought tons of presents for the kids. She is helping us around the house as we get ready to pack up and leave Brazil. This week she is helping babysit for the missionary conference that is being held here. We are excited to have her here and to have her help as we get ready to leave.

Christmas Picnic

2010-01-01T17:43:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year we have had a church barbecue in celebration of Christmas and the birth of Christ. This year we held the party at the house of one of our members, Gabriels. It was great to meet in a new location, have a great place to eat lunch, swim and cook the meat. It is also is a great way to invite friends and family who don't know God to something a little more informal to get to know the members of our church. Please pray for those informal times that we have and that God will bless those relationships and that seeds will continue to grow in those peoples hearts. Thank you God for sending your son and letting us be able to celebrate His birth in this special way her in Salvador.

Children's Christmas Pageant

2010-01-01T17:37:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

The past two years the kids have presented to the church a little story about the birth of Christ during Christmas holidays. This year we had a look at the birth through the eyes of the Inn Keeper and his family. The kids did a great work sharing the words of God through skit and songs. I even got to paint a few backgrounds and sew some of the costumes, it's fun for me to get a little creative once in awhile for something like the story of Christ's birth. We pray that you were able to see Christ's birth in a different light this year as we did through the children in the church. Merry Christmas!

English Christmas Pary

2010-01-01T17:27:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This was our last English party for the year 2009. In fact this may even be the last one for awhile as starting in the new year the missionaries will not be offering English. With our departure and new roles for the rest of the missionaries, they are taking a hold on this outreach. We pray though that this will continue again after a little break. It has been a great outreach for our church here. Travis will continue his class until we leave as the students want to continue. In fact, two of his students want to continue having the class to practice even without a native speaker. It is exciting to see how we can affect peoples lives in such a simple way. The party was great though as it was a chance to get together again and share in our lives. We even had one of the students dress up like Santa and let the kids ask for their gifts. It was great fun! Please pray for these students and for all the seeds that we have planted through this outreach, that God will continue to work through these people.

Lourdes is Baptized!

2010-01-01T17:12:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

After returning from our survey trip to Ecuador, we were surprised to find out that our friend, Lourdes had decided to dedicate her life to Christ. We have been having our small group study at her house every other week for about two years now. It was great to see the fruit of God's work in her life and know that this decision will be a great stepping stone for her in other aspects of her life as well. Please pray for her and for her family as she begins walking the life that God always intended for her. Praise God for her new birth and the friendship that we have with her.

Survey Trip to Cuenca, Ecuador

2010-01-01T16:47:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

As we are coming to the end of our time here in Brazil we look toward the future plans that God has for our family. We of course still want to be doing missions and have been called to spread the Good News to more people then the ones here in Salvador so we have been looking for new places in which we feel that we can be used. One of the places that we have decided to look was Cuenca, Ecuador. Travis worked as a missionary apprentice there 12 years ago, loved his time and still has a special place in his heart for the people he met there. We had been asked to return there before we made our decision to move to Brazil but at that time it wasn't really the best place for us to go. At this time though we felt that this could be a possible next place to serve God. So we decided to take a survey trip there. We had a great time! I finally got to meet some of the people that I had heard about and to see where Travis had spent some of his life. Things have changed in the 12 years since Travis lived there but the people were the same, open to hear God's word. Travis even had the opportunity to study and baptize a man named Don Vitor. We were able to visit the church in the city as well as a few churches in the surrounding area. It was great to see what kind of work we would be able to do if we go there. We haven't made a decision as of yet but are open to God's calling to Ecuador if that is best for our family. We also have other options for mission work and are looking at those possibilities as well. Please be in prayer for us as we make this life changing decision again to serve God on a foreign field, whether that will be in Ecuador or another location.

Ceara Turns Three

2010-01-01T16:13:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

It's hard to believe how quickly time passes for kids but October has already come and gone leaving us behind a three year old. Was it only three years ago that we had a crying little baby in our arms. Wow has a lot changed with this little girl. She no longer is that tiny baby in our arms but a beautiful little girl with so much heart, lots of talent, many insights on life and soooooo much energy! She has an infectious laugh, wears her heart on her sleeve, cares so much for her brother and is our blessing from God. Praise God for the little girl that he has placed in our lives. Please pray for us as we continue to guide and love our first born little girl Ceara and that the next three plus years will be as great as the first three.

Rain Rain Go Away!

2010-01-01T16:06:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year we get a bad rain storm that ends up taking the homes of many Brazilians. It's hard to imagine this type of damage as we live in an apartment but this last rain we were able to see what this could be really like. As you walk down from our apartment there is a cement wall that surrounds a lot of land. This is what occurred to this cement wall after the rain. Now imagine what could happen if you happened to live in a small wooden shack or a house built out of someone else's garbage. Makes you think a little about how blessed we are that we live in nice stable houses. Next time you walk by a cement wall like this or have a nice little rain fall say a little prayer for the people that live in a home that may not be there the next day! I know that is what I will do.

Kids Day

2010-01-01T15:47:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

In Brazil every October they have a special day to celebrate all the children. Our church has celebrated this for many years now. This year we did it again, held it on a Saturday and went out an invited all the neighborhood kids. It was a great success. As we waited for more of the kids to come we played with a great big parachute. It was great fun with hot dogs, face painting, trampolines, ball pits and so much more. In the end we handed out a little gift of school supplies in a pencil box with a symbol of ICOS. Everyone had a great time and we hope that many of the kids from the neighborhood with want to be a part of the things we do for kids within our church.

Calen Turns One!

2009-09-29T09:17:00.001-04:00

Calen and Ceara's 1st-3rd BDay Party 57
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

It's hard to believe that time has past so quickly and to find August 27th roll around again marking Calen's first birthday. He is such a character, he's so funny, quiet (not at home), and full of joy. He is such a blessing to us, it's hard to believe he's one. He so smart and follows his sister everywhere. We are thankful to God for blessing us with our sweet little boy. To celebrate his birthday we decided to throw a big bash. To save on doing two separate parties we decided to throw two birthday's in one. So we celebrated Ceara's third birthday a few months early as well. We invited everyone that we knew and rented out our party room that they have in our apartment building. We decorated half of the room in a sport's theme for Calen and the other half in a princess theme for Ceara. All the boys got sweat bands to wear and the girls received crowns and wands. We also rented a trampoline (which was never empty) and played a few games where the players could win a prize. Everyone had a great time and loved the cakes that I especially made for them. Calen had three cakes in the shape of a soccer ball, basketball and football. Ceara had a two layer cake with princess figurines. It was good to have them all as every last piece was eaten, the leftovers were taken home by the boys who ran the trampoline. It was great to celebrate our kids births with all of our friends and Nana who came in time to celebrate too. It was a successful joint party and lots of fun. Please pray for our kids as they continue to grow and mature into children of God. And pray for us as parents as we continue to help our kids come to know God.

Nana Comes To Visit

2009-09-29T09:04:00.001-04:00

Taissa's 7 th Bday 7
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We were happy to have Travis' mom, Carol come to visit us in the month of August. She came to help us celebrate Calen's first birthday as well as to just come and spend time with her grandchildren. It was a great time to spend with her and the kids loved every minute. It was nice as parents too, to be able to go out alone a few times and to have extra hands to help. This is one of the many things we miss being missionaries. We don't always have family around to help and to spend that special time with the kids. So we are thankful for Nana's visit and to spend some time with family again. We also look forward to my sister, Mikaela's visit at the end of the year. She will be around for about three months so we will have lots of help and lots of special time with her. We are so thankful for our families.

Exporural

2009-09-29T08:53:00.001-04:00

Exporural 26
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the fun things that we get to do as missionaries is use special events around the city as a way to invite people out to share God's love with them. As we continue to share our lives with Fernando and Taisa and their daughter, Fernanda, we invited them to head to the Exporural. This was an expo for people who buy and sell farm animals and products. We thought it would be a good place to take the kids to see all sorts of farm animals and to spend some more quality time with our friends. The kids had a blast looking at the horses, sheep, pigs, chickens and so much more. They even had some puppy's which of course was Calen's favorite thing. It was neat to see different types of cows and the kind of sheep that the girls are standing by. It was also a special time to spend with our friends. Recently, Taisa got a new job so we do not get to spend as much time with them as they both work pretty late. Please pray for Taisa as she has expressed that this job is not very good and the people are hard to work with. Please pray that this job will be an opening for another better job, one that she really was hoping for when she applied. Continue to keep this family in your prayers as we continue to work here and share our lives with them.

Team Retreat

2009-08-05T14:34:00.001-04:00

Team Retreat 2009 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We spent three days as a team at the beach outside of the city. A time of relaxation for our family, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the work with the church. This year has been quite different then past years as we have many more walking kids then in years past so some of the others thought it would be a good idea to hire two ladies to come and help us keep and eye on our kids. Mostly to help us keep the kids out of the pool in the yard and to give us adults a few moments to play games and not have to worry where the kids were. Here are all the kids with the ladies that came to help us. It was quite funny that even though we were around, the kids really loved the ladies and loved playing with them. It was a great time to relax and not think about the to-do lists that work brings to our lives.

VBS

2009-08-05T14:22:00.001-04:00

VBS 2009 47
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

For five days in the beginning of July, Heather and I had planned a VBS for our church kids and the neighborhood. We did the VBS on the theme of creation and had 22 kids come throughout the week. We didn't get as big of a turnout as we hoped to but the volunteers we got from our church family was great. It was amazing to see these volunteers teach a lesson, help prepare the snacks, help with the crafts and so much more. Thank you for the prayers for this time and continue in prayer for the kids that did come, that they will want to continue to come on Sundays and learn more about God. And a special thanks to Heather who made most of the VBS happen.

Building Painter

2009-08-05T14:05:00.001-04:00

Building Painter 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Starting in January our apartment started some renovations, including painting the outside of the building. At the end of July they finally finished the painting. This is one of the many times the painter went by our balcony. He almost always would stop to talk with the kids. It was fun watching the kids marvel at how he hung there. Unfortunately, the renovations aren't complete but our apartment is starting to look a lot better.

Canada-July 4th Day

2009-08-05T13:44:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

As a team tradition and because of the many nationalities we share as a team we gather together to celebrate three different holidays. Canada Day, July 4th and Bahian Independence Day. Really it's just an excuse to get together for burgers and all our fun foods that we miss. We just enjoy going for a swim, playing games and hanging out. It was a great time together just for fun.

Brumado

2009-08-05T13:38:00.001-04:00

Brumado Sao Joao 2009 75
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This year for a week holiday we decided to make a trip with our Brazilian friends, Taisa and Fernando to her hometown of Brumado. We spent a week at Taisa's grandmother's house. She is 93 years old and taken care of by a maid. She is quite spirited still and had lots to tell us and sang a lot too. She just loved having our kids there and they loved entertaining her. We met many of Taisa's family that still live in the town, many lunches and dinners at their homes. As well as a few parties because of the holiday. Ceara loved throwing the firecrackers that are sort of like 'caps' back home. Our kids loved the house we were staying at and all the space they had to run around to play. It was hard coming back to our small two bedroom apartment after a week of freedom for the kids. It was nice to get out of the city though to the quiet streets and small town feeling after so long in a huge, noisy city. While we were there we had the chance to visit a little farm on the outskirts of the town. This picture is Ceara, Fernanda and a little girl that was visiting her family on the same farm. We got to see many fruits and vegetables growing on the farm. Saw a huge gourd that they use to make berimbaus, the musical instrument used during the capoeira dance. We also saw some cows, a horse and their little puppy which got great reviews from both of the kids. It was a great week with our friends and to get out of town for a bit.

Paisley Diana Mabery

2009-08-05T13:05:00.001-04:00

Paisley Mabery 7
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Matt and Mary's second baby, Paisley Diana Mabery has arrived. Born at 11:16 Salvador time on June 18th the day before Matt and Mary's 5th Anniversary. Weighing in at 8 lb. 6.5 oz. She is 19 2/3 inches. She is such a cute little girl and much like her big sister Aubry, who loves her a lot. Every time Ceara sees her she wants to hold her too. I think Ceara is good with babies, Calen loves Paisley as well. We call him her boyfriend as he is the closest to her in age. Calen would hold her if he could but I think we will stick to the baby dolls for right now. Please pray for the Mabery family as they adjust as a family of four.

Culto Unico

2009-08-05T12:50:00.001-04:00

Culto Unico 2009 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year the Churches of Christ in the city of Salvador get together for a Sunday service. This year we met in a school gymnasium. We gathered together for breakfast and then had a service with everyone that came. It was a great turn out as you can see. It was also good to see the people that we had become friends with during our first year here. We do not get to see them as often because we are busy working with our own church family now. So it is good to get together and see how our own congregations have changed and grown. Please continue to pray for all the churches here in the city and especially our own congregation as we reach out to those who have yet to know God.

Sao Joao

2009-08-05T10:51:00.001-04:00

Sao Joao Family Photo 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every June, Bahia celebrates Sao Joao. It is a holiday that gives everyone in the city an excuse to fire off firecrackers, play loud country style music and stay up till late in the night. This year we were invited to a party outside of the city with Taisa and Fernando. Everyone dresses up in cowboy type clothing, this dress Ceara is wearing was one of the traditional girls dresses. We got to try all types of country dishes and throw firecrackers, watch Taisa and Fernando dance the forro (a square dancing type dance) and visit with some other friends. Another great time to spend with our friends and to see a bit of real Bahian culture.

Nanda's 6th Birthday Party

2009-08-05T10:41:00.001-04:00

Nanda's 6th Birthday Party 11
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our former neighbors, Taisa and Fernando have been a very important part of our life since moving into our new apartment building last year. We were again invited to their daughter's, Fernanda's 6th birthday party. Birthday's in Brazil are usually a big event meant for the whole family and many friends. This years theme for Fernanda was Barbie, everything gets decorated in the Barbie theme. This time Taisa and Fernando had the party at their new apartment. They hired a clown (who kept all the kids entertained) and a trampoline to get rid of the excess energy that all kids have. Ceara had a blast and Calen thought he could do everything the big kids did. It was a great time to hang out with Taisa and Fernando and to meet some more of their friends who have also become contacts for our church activities. Please pray for this family, their friendship and for all the friends we have made through this family.

LST - NHL Playoffs

2009-08-05T10:34:00.001-04:00

LST - NHL Playoffs 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the fun things that happened while the LST group was here were the times they all came over to watch the NHL playoffs. Travis' parents let us watch the games on their t.v. via the internet. So the guys were able to keep in touch with what was happening. Sarah of course was a great blessing to us. She stayed with us and our kids loved her. Here she is reading to both the kids. The best thing of course was watching the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup...at least it was Travis' highlight of the whole thing. So thanks LSTer's for some great times chatting and watching the NHL playoffs.

LST - Birthday Party

2009-08-05T10:28:00.001-04:00

LST - Birthday Party 13
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every week the LST group has a party for the readers and for our church members to be able to help our church family make connections and friendships with the readers. This is so that once the LST group is gone there will be other connections made with the readers and hopefully gain some way of keeping in contact with these people. This party was all about birthdays...here they were playing the knot game. Where everyone grabs a hand of someone else and then they have to untangle themselves to form a circle. You can see Taisa (our former neighbor) next to Sarah who she read with. Please pray for the contacts we have made through the LST this year.

International Cake

2009-08-05T10:17:00.001-04:00

International Cake
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Sorry that I am so behind on blogs but with being busy with LST and getting ready for VBS and a holiday, I have not had a lot of time to sit down and post my pictures and blog. I hope to be better at this now that I don't have as many things to do. This cake was my first attempt at a fondant icing that I found here in Brazil. My excuse to make a cake was for our small group party. We had it at the building where everyone from the small groups around the city got together to eat international foods. Hence my international looking cake. I think I did pretty good for the first time using fondant...plus everyone at the party seemed to like eating it. It was a great time of fellowship for all our small group members.

Two Tunics

2009-08-05T09:42:00.001-04:00

Two Tunics 10
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our church had a special giveaway after a Sunday service. We called this 'Two Tunics' from the passage in the Bible that tells us to give away our other tunic. Well sometimes when you are looking around your house, you begin to realize that at times you have stuff that you never use or have too many of. So we had a giveaway where everyone in our church brought the things that they don't use anymore or have too many of. Then after service everyone was able to go look and find something that they needed or would use. We did word of mouth advertising as we wanted this to be something for our church family. To bless each other with the things that God has blessed us with. Of course we had more then our church family show up to receive a new (used) thing but it was great to get rid of our things and bless others with them. I am sure this will be something we do again but not for awhile.

LST has Arrived

2009-05-20T16:05:00.001-04:00

LST Arrives 12
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our Canadian LST team arrived this past week, the day after their arrival they hosted an information meeting. By the end of the night everyone had about 5 readers each. During this past week they have now gotten 50 plus readers and have been enjoying their time. I know there will be lots of more things to write about but please keep the team in your prayers as they study with people and for the people that they will be with, that God will open their hearts.

Mother's Day

2009-05-20T16:02:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day 17
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Andreia (also our new secretary) is giving her testimony about her mom and grandma and what they mean to her for Mother's Day. As well, Cibele also gave her testimony. It was a great change to have some Brazilians up there to share from their hearts what God has done through their Mother's. We also had a Mother's Day breakfast to celebrate the day.

When it Rains it Floods

2009-05-20T15:58:00.001-04:00

Rain 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Here in Brazil you have one saying, 'When it rains it floods.' And that is no exaggeration in the least. It is amazing what happens when you get rain in the city. This past month we have gotten all the downpours. One of these times we happened to be out doing errands. Let's just say traffic is at a standstill and it's hard to see. But this is what it looks like after the rain goes away. Here is the main street coming into our neighborhood. You can see in the distance the dirty creek that has come all the way to the top and more in just a few minutes of rain. This creek you can't usually see the water from here as there is very little. And all the cars have to drive through the huge puddles. The scary thing is not knowing if there is a pothole or not. With the rain also come potholes, so to make sure that people know they are there, people put in sticks or even huge palm branches. We have to say from experience it is nice to see a big palm branch in the road then to lose a tire from a pothole. The other thing is to hope that the puddle isn't high enough to flood out your engine...we have seen a few cars stuck in a huge puddle of water because of this problem. Of course this is just a small problem in comparison to the lives that are lost or the homes that are destroyed in the city. So many people live in an area of the city where their homes are barely standing on dirt. Every rain those people pray that it won't be the day they lose their home or even a family member. In comparison to our neighborhood river, I can't even imagine the change that happens in those neighborhoods. So please be in prayer for these families as this is the time of rain. And for our church family to be able to serve in times like these for families like these.

Maceio

2009-05-20T15:46:00.001-04:00

Maceio 11
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Russ, Val, Jackson, our family, Heather, Tennyson and Diana, Veronica and Ana Carolina all made a trip to the city of Maceio, Alagoas for a Northern Church of Christ Conference. The trip there took 13 long hours (especially for the kids and drivers) on some really bad roads and some freshly paved roads with no lines in the dark and pouring rain. We finally made it to the camp at 11pm just to find another blip in the trip, men and women sleep seperate. What happens to the three couples that brought sheets to share? Well one gets the top and the other gets the bottom. And then all kids get to sleep with mom. So Val and I had all three kids on a few mattresses on the floor. Overall, that wasn't so bad and the kids cooperated. The theme for the week was "Just like Jesus" and everyone enjoyed hearing a few different speakers tell us more. Our group enjoyed the time we had there, got to know each other better, to know other Christians in the Northern part of Brazil and learn more about God. The trip home only took 8 hours and a much better experience, minus one wrong turn that took us only 20 km out of the way. We hope that this will not be the first trip for conferences like this and that next time we can get more people to go. Maybe though we'd fly and not drive..hahaha.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-05-20T15:31:00.001-04:00

Easter 2009 23
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our team got together on Easter Sunday to dye eggs. The kids enjoyed dying the eggs and of course of few of them tried to drink they dye. Of course we removed all clothing just incase they got the dye on them. After we dyed the eggs we ate Spaghetti and then hid the eggs. As they were already without clothes we decided to allow them to hunt naked. So this marked our first naked Easter egg hunt. They had tons of fun and were quite proud of finding the eggs. Thanks to Matt and Mary who hosted the fun.

ICOS 3rd Year Service

2009-05-20T15:25:00.001-04:00

ICOS 3rd Year Service 18
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

ICOS celebrated it's third year this past April and the children did a little thing for the church to help celebrate. They sang a new song and waved banners that they made in class to celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. As our church celebrated the new location of our building, the new people and the new promises of the future to come, it was great to see the kids bring something fun and new as well. Please pray for the new things that this year will bring to our church family here in Salvador.

ICOS 3rd Year Anniversary Video

2009-04-15T08:50:00.000-04:00

Team Banquet - Fourth Year

2009-03-19T16:18:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our team had our yearly banquet to celebrate four years on the field. The theme this year was St. Patrick's Day, yes that is why we were all dressed in green. It was a great time to get together to remember the past and to dream of the future. Please pray for our team and the work that we will do in the next year here in Salvador.

Tia Leah and Tio Craig Come to Visit

2009-03-19T16:14:00.001-04:00

2009_0316Image0322
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Tia Leah and Tio Craig have been waiting a long time to come and visit us in Brazil. They have finally made it to the south and are enjoying the time that they get to be with our family. But most of all the time that they get to spend with our kids. We look forward to showing them the sites of Salvador and getting to spend some quality time with them.

Six Months and Ready to Walk

2009-03-19T16:10:00.001-04:00

Standing 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Well our boy is six months old. It is hard to believe that six months have gone by so quickly and how much our boy has grown. Calen has surprised us a lot these past few months with how quickly he is developing. In December he learned to sit alone and by January he was crawling. Then just before he turned 6 months old he discovered how to pull up on furniture, this is one of the first times he pulled up, he even knows how to crawl up that step on his own. Now he is walking along the furniture and walks with help. In fact last night he took two steps alone with Leandro's and Travis' help. We imagine that it won't be too long from now when he decides to walk alone. Just as fast, maybe even faster then Ceara when she was his age. God has blessed us so much with this little boy and we look forward to the next six months with him.

Jackson's 1st Birthday Party and Samuel's 1st Birthday!

2009-03-19T15:48:00.001-04:00

Jackson's 1st Birthday 12
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Jackson turned one! It's hard to believe but it's true, Jackson is one. Russ and Val threw a great party for him, a farm party, with animal tattoos, farm scenes, great food and so much more. Happy Birthday Jackson.

As well, Samuel turned one on March 12th so a great happy birthday to him too. We know that there will be a party later this month so we look forward to going to that as well. Happy Birthday Samuel.

Painting Children's Classroom

2009-03-19T15:38:00.001-04:00

2009_0212Image0131
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

For the past two months we have been painting the children's classroom. We have painted a jail, a temple, a house and a market scene. (We had a friend, Diana paint the country side awhile back) We plan to use all of these scenes to help us tell the stories of the Bible and make them come alive for the kids. It has been fun creating and painting these scenes and watching the kids each new Sunday look at them with pride that it is their room. Please be praying for the times that we spend in this classroom and for the things that they will learn using these scenes.

Festival de Iemanja

2009-03-19T15:25:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

February is the month in Brazil where people worship the Goddess of the sea, Iemanja. Travis decided to take Mikaela to see the festival and to see what people do. It was a great opportunity for Mikaela to see what type of people we work with in this city and the types of religions that we have to deal with as we bring people to Christ. Unfortunately during this trip, Travis' wallet was stolen as he passed through the crowds. So we ended up spending a bit of cash to replace lost cards, ID's and just money that was inside. Just another eye opening experience that Mikaela got to see while she was here and a reminder for us to be careful of what we take with us and where. It is sad to think that people are out there who like to steal but those are the people that we need to continue to reach out to; to show them God's love so that one day they will see that they do not need to resort to stealing. Please pray for people like this in our city and that God can show them the way, through us or other people that influence their lives.

Missionary Conference

2009-03-19T15:06:00.001-04:00

Missionary Conference Pic
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

At the end of December and the beginning of January our family took a trip to the south of Brazil to a city named Itu. It is a smaller city outside of Sao Paulo. Our fmaily spent a week with the Goncalves family just hanging out and getting away from the big city life of Salvador. Travis spent the New Year in the city of Sao Paulo enjoying being a bachelor for the night while I stayed in Itu with the kids and talking to family over the internet. After our week with the Goncalves family we spent a week at the missionary conference which is held in different cities around Brazil every year. It was a good time to meet other missionary families and get fed. It was the first time that Ceara spent a lot of time without us as they had babysitters so that was nice to get that break, and of course she loved being with other kids. She loved it so much that she never cried and was one of the youngest kids there while the others had a little harder time leaving mom and dad. The unfortunate part is that Travis suffered a hurt calf after a rough game of basketball and returned to the hotel needing to use crutches for the rest of the week. Overall it was a great time of refreshing and some fun.

Auntie Mikaela and Lencois

2009-03-19T14:50:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We were glad to have Auntie Mikaela come in January to meet Calen and to stay with us until the beginning of March. She loved her niece and nephew and it was great to have some extra hands around. We were able to show Mikaela many more places this time around as she was here longer and the kids were older then last time when she arrived for Ceara's birth. One of the special things we got to do was make a trip into the interior of Bahia to a little town named Lencois. We got to enjoy a town festival, hiking around the area, seeing the Coke river, and touring a cave. It was great to get out of town for a few days and to see more of the state that we live in. It was a great time to spend with Mikaela and we won't soon forget the huge grasshopper the size of my hand, the monkeys that ate our goldfish crackers or the guy named sydney who carved some stone frames that Mikaela took home with her and so much more. Thank you Mikaela for coming and sharing your time with us. Many great times to remember and hopefully some more in the near future. We love you!

Saying Goodbye

2009-03-19T14:38:00.001-04:00

Goodbye Chilli 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Unfortunately we have had to say goodbye to one of our family members, Chilli the cat. After moving to our new apartment we have had trouble with Chilli who decided it was okay to poop and pee by our front door. After trying all sorts of way to prevent him from doing this, including buying a product that was guaranteed to stop him, nothing worked. With knowing that Calen would soon be crawling we knew that keeping Chilli was not going to happen, and we didn't want to find Calen chewing on something that he shouldn't. So we asked around and finally found a place for him, a home with other cats and where we was more free to roam, something that he wasn't getting in our new place. So we sad our tearful goodbyes to our fun orange cat and gave someone else the chance to love him. Goodbye Chilli!

Cestas Basicas 2008

2009-03-19T14:32:00.001-04:00

Cestas Basicas 2008 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Many people from back home, the Hillmans, Johnson's, Grocott's, Sass' and their small group helped this Christmas to supply cesta's basicas (Hamper's). We were able to hand out more than 12 cestas, with money leftover for times during the year when we hear that people are in need again. Here is one of the families with Ceara, Carmen and her daughter, Juliana. They were so thankful to receive something more this Christmas season. Thank you to all the people who gave this year to provide some of the necessary and basic things to help sustain a family here in Brazil. I know that many of those people were so thankful for your help and love. May God be glorified through your giving. Thank You!

Sleepover

2009-03-19T14:17:00.001-04:00

Sleepover 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the things we did this year to reach out more to the children in our church was to have a sleepover. We invited Estefane, Joice and Vanessa to spend the night with us. We watched movies, played games, colored, and ate popcorn. It was a great time to spend with the girls and show them a little different part of our life besides what they see at church or our small group. Ceara really enjoyed having the girls over to play with but in the end couldn't spend the night with them as she is still a little young. The girls had lots of fun and of course the boys want to have a sleepover as well. We hope to do that in the near future.

Xmas Picnic 2008

2009-03-19T14:11:00.001-04:00

Xmas Picnic 2008 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year we have a church Christmas picnic and this year was no exception. We invited all our friends and families to the Porter's house where we had a bbq, swam and played games. This year we gave out candy canes that told the story of Christ. Everyone enjoyed the little treat as well as the reason that the candy cane was made. If you have never heard the story look it up on the internet, it is a great illustration. We enjoyed the time that we got to spend with our church family and their friends. We missed the year before as we were on furlough so it was great to enjoy the tradition again. Please pray for all the new people that we met that day and for their interest in our church family and the reason why we celebrate Christmas in the beginning.

Christmas Pageant

2009-03-19T13:59:00.001-04:00

Christmas Pageant 7
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This past Christmas we did a Christmas pageant for the kids of our church. We spend many Sunday's practicing songs and learning lines for the pageant that we would preform for our church family. We also practiced twice on a Saturday before the day. The kids loved learning the songs and were proud to dress up and act out the story of Jesus' birth. When we finally presented it to the church you could see how much the children learned and how much the families really loved watching their children perform and sing. I am so proud of the kids and all that they accomplished this past year and to watch them share the story of Christ's birth to their friends and family. Please keep these children in your prayers as they continue to grow and learn more about God's love.

English Christmas Party 2008

2009-03-19T13:53:00.001-04:00

English Christmas Party 2008 6
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

As a year end activity for our English classes we have a Christmas party for all our students. Here are some of Travis' class with Santa Clause (Gisele) at the end of our party. This new year the English classes will be done a little different. The beginner class will be 10 weeks long and then there will be a break then they will do the class again. Travis will follow along with the time frame but will continue to work with his class like normal. We hope that this year will be a good way to reach more of the community and help more people with learning English which in turn may give them more opportunities with jobs.

Travis' Parents Surprise HIm

2009-03-19T13:38:00.001-04:00

Ceara's 2nd BDay Party 13
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Just before Calen was born, Carol emailed me to see if it was alright if her and Len made a surprise visit. It was a tentative plan but as soon as Calen was born it became official. Carol wanted to see her grandson but to also surprise Travis. So the plan was set in motion for them to arrive in November just in time for Ceara's second birthday party (a joint party with Vanessa, 8 from our small group). The trick was to keep the surprise going for as long as possible. After a few messages on facebook and through email were erased or deleted quickly, November appeared without Travis thinking anything. Then there was the dilemma of how to get Travis to the airport without thinking we were picking someone up...after much thought, our intern Heather had headed to a conference in the south of Brazil, so I used her as the excuse to get Travis to the airport. I told Travis that Heather's bag had been misplaced when she arrived to the south and that she was waiting to hear what had happened. A few days later I told him that Heather had called and asked me to pick up her bag that made it back to the airport in Salvador. I told him that the airline wouldn't let anyone come get it without ID so Heather told them about me. So my excuse was to I had to go get her bag and show my ID. So the plan was set, go pick up a bag (or two) with a few added people...hahaha. Once we got to the airport I told Travis that I would take Calen and for him to take Ceara upstairs to watch the airplanes land. Then I waited for his parents to show up. They were a little late so I got worried that I couldn't keep a secret for much longer. Luckily they arrived and we called Travis to come downstairs to help with the bag (as I had Calen). He came down the stairs to find his parents waiting for him. He was so shocked and couldn't believe we had surprised him with the greatest surprise by far. We really enjoyed the time that we got to spend with Len and Carol and the time they got to spend with the grand kids. So thanks for the great surprise.

Year in Review

2008-12-23T21:33:00.001-04:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Enjoy this video of the year in review here in Salvador

Halloween

2008-11-29T18:33:00.001-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Randy and Jenn had a Halloween party at their place and we were invited to go. We had no idea what to go as so Travis' sister Leah had the idea to go as something to do with Travis' favorite football team, The Saskatchewan Rough Riders. So Travis went as a fan, I was a cheerleader and Calen was the football. Ceara couldn't decide what to go as, so she was a butterfly, then she used her other outfit from Leah and Craig (a Korean celebration outfit) to go to the Halloween party that was at our apartment building the next day. It was great fun.

Ceara's 2nd Birthday

2008-11-29T17:13:00.001-04:00

Ceara's 2nd Birthday 7
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Ceara celebrated two years of life this October. It has been a great two years and we are so lucky to have a smart and beautiful little girl. She is so full of energy and so willing to love. Ceara is fluent in both Portuguese and English and amazes us every time she says something new, especially things that we have never taught her. She always is making new friends wherever we go and makes people smile with her spirit. We love our precious girl, thank you God for your blessing on our lives, for our little two year old.

Futebol Americano

2008-11-29T16:28:00.001-04:00

Futebol Americano 8
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

A while back the guys decided that they needed to teach some of our guys from church how to play American football so one Saturday they all come over to our apartment to play as Travis had a football here. It was great and they even had some of the younger guys from our apartment building come and join in. So now every Saturday around 4 to 5 at night our church boys and people from our apartment play a game of football. We hope that through the relationship that they are building with the people from our apartment that hopefully in the future some of those guys will decide to check us out and see who this God is that we always talk about. Another way Travis is reaching out to the community is through a rollerblading hockey league that has been meeting regularly since we moved to the city. This past month Travis parents came down and brought him a hockey stick so he has been able to go play now. So please be in prayer over these two sport activities that may bring others to know God.

Kids Day - Oct 12th, 2008

2008-11-29T16:00:00.001-04:00

Kids Day - Oct 12th, 2008 49
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This Kid's Day we went all out for the kids. The theme was "Let the Children come to Me" so we had the worship time about that, then the kids went upstairs and the kids drew their entire bodies to signify that they are special and unique in God's eyes. After church was over we had hot dogs for the kids, stroganoff for the adults and other types of snacks. We also had a company come and set up a ball pit, air castle and a trampoline all in the building. It was a great success, we had about 50 kids in total come from friends of regulars to kids in the neighborhood. Please pray that the kids and families that came will return to learn more about God.

Play Date at Mabery's

2008-11-29T15:18:00.001-04:00

Play Date at Mabery's 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One day we went over to Matt and Mary's house for our team play date. Aubry's Grandma was there a few weeks before and bought her a great new place place full of slides, swings, and teeter-totters. Ceara and Aubry had a great time together while the boys just hung out as they are still pretty little to just get in there like the girls. The girls even decided to go on the teeter-totter together. We are trying to have play dates more as a team so that our kids can play together more and enjoy a time just in English.

Ana Carolina's House

2008-11-29T15:13:00.001-04:00

Ana Carolina's House 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Ana Carolina started coming to our church and to English just before Calen was born but I hadn't met her till after Calen was born. She knows English really well as she teaches kids in a Kid's Club type of school. She also is studying and has a boyfriend in Switzerland, so she speaks french as well as her native Portuguese. She has really attached onto our family as she loves our kids, she herself wants five. She has invited us twice over to her place where we had different spaghetti's and the second time made pizzas. It was lots of fun to spend time with her and get to know her better.

Fernanda and Ceara

2008-11-29T14:57:00.001-04:00

NandaeCeara3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

After Calen was born we had lots of help with Ceara in the first few weeks. One of those days that we had some help, Ceara went with Fernanda to her school where she was part of a play. As you can see Ceara loved being there at the school, she loved playing on the toys they have and watching Fernanda in her play. Thanks to Fernanda's family who helped us a lot in the weeks after Calen's birth.

Family of Four Photo

2008-09-26T23:13:00.001-04:00

Family of Four Photo 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We made it to church on Sunday and got a good family picture finally. It's hard to get a picture where Ceara is looking at the camera and Calen has his eyes open. Well at least we got one cooperative child on this photo shoot, hahaha. It is great having one of each now and hasn't been too bad adjusting to having two kids and not just one. I know there will be days and times where we struggle but God had blessed us with two kids that are very laid back and easy going. Please continue to pray for our family as our children grow and move into and out of different phases of life and as we learn to adjust to those changes as a family.

Flood

2008-09-26T23:06:00.001-04:00

Flood 14
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We came home one night to find a very large leak in the ceiling of the back bathroom which then had flooded all of our storage room and kitchen. It was not a fun thing to deal with late at night and then try to get fixed while figuring out how to deal with two kids and cleaning it up. Our upstairs neighbors denied that it was their fault and we were left to figure out what to do next. Then we heard they had called only and hour or two before to say they had a clogged toilet, they were told to call a plumber but decided to fix it themselves. This fix caused a huge hole in the tube right above our bathroom and then preceded to leak into our house. They came on Monday to fix the hole in the tube so it no longer leaks but we still have a very large hole in our ceiling that they will hopefully fix in the next three weeks after everything is dry. Luckily nothing got wrecked but it was quite a bit of work to clean up, in fact we were still cleaning up on Tuesday making sure everything was dried and disinfected. Hopefully, nothing like this happens again in the next few weeks as we have enough to do with a newborn and an almost two year old toddler running around the house. Luckily, the neighbors upstairs realized it was their problem and are fixing it for us and that we do not have to worry about that ourselves.

First Family Beach Day

2008-09-26T22:53:00.001-04:00

First Family Beach Day 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We finally made it to the beach as a family and really enjoyed getting out for a bit. Ceara loves the water so it was great to get her out of the house and doing something she loves. Calen did really well, in fact, he slept through the entire time except to eat once and then back to sleep. He doesn't know what kind of fun he will have at the beach when he gets older. Can't wait to buy him a 'sunga' (speedo) and get him in the water. Ceara will love showing him the water I am sure. Anyway, it was a great moment to share as a family and to relax. Hopefully, we will get a few more times like this before we have to jump back in to work and get too busy again.

Brother and Sister

2008-09-26T22:48:00.001-04:00

Calen Xavier Sass 179
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We had wondered for nine months how well Ceara would do in having a brother or sister in her life after 22 months of only Mom and Dad, but have been happy to see how much she loves her new brother, Calen. Ceara always wakes up in the morning and the first thing that she does is say, 'aww, my brother' and comes to give him a kiss. She loves him to pieces and hasn't really gotten too jealous when we pay attention to him more than her at times. We let her touch and hold him and kiss him as much as she is comfortable but watch to make sure she is not mean. She loves to kiss him and call him 'my brother.' She helps bring diapers or throw them away and loves to watch him get a bath. She loves to give him his soother even at the times he doesn't want one but we are glad that she wants to share and help out even though sometimes it doesn't really help. We are so blessed to have a little girl who loves her brother so much, hopefully that love will just continue to grow as they get older and that they will have a very close relationship. Please pray for our kids and that God will bless their relationship as the grow older together.

Doctora Zeilda Alves Bonfim

2008-09-26T22:41:00.001-04:00

Calen Xavier Sass 154
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We finally made it back to my doctor to check and make sure that I was healing well. All is great with me and it gave us an opportunity to take a picture with my doctor who delivered both our kids now. She is such a great women and it was only God who lead me to her when I first was pregnant with Ceara. I definitely wouldn't trade doctors for anything because she loves God, her job and her patients. I have been blessed to know her and to place my life and our kids lives in her hands. Praise to God for the doctor that He brought into our lives and for the job she did in delivering our children.

Travis' 35th Bday Cake

2008-09-26T22:33:00.001-04:00

Travis' 35th Bday 33
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

After we got home from the bbq our neighbors came over to say Happy Birthday to Travis. They had thought we would be home all day and had tried to come over earlier but we had already left for the bbq so they ended up coming over around 10 at night. Fernando and Taisa had bought Travis a cake to celebrate his birthday. It was a huge cake and we had it for a few days even after giving it out to others. It was so nice of our neighbors to buy him a cake and really makes us feel great knowing that we have some good Brazilian friends now, not just connected through our church group. We have enjoyed our friendship with this family, they have helped us with so many things since moving to this apartment and their 5 year old daughter is a great playmate for Ceara. We are so thankful that God has brought this family into our lives, please be in prayer for them and us that we can share our faith with them.

Travis' 35th Bday BBQ

2008-09-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

Travis' 35th Bday 29
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Travis turned 35 this year and it was only 13 days old when he had his birthday and so we hadn't really planned a party or anything big for his birthday. However around 2 pm that day our friend, Leandro called to see if Travis was going to have a bbq for his birthday, he said sure and they started planning for a get together that night. I assumed it would be at our place as Brazilians don't think babies should be out but to have people come we decided to go to our small group area and have the birthday party there. Our small group came and we had great meat and then a cake afterwards. It was the first bbq for Calen and pretty much his first time out of the house basically. He did pretty good but let us know when he had enough of the noise and the smell from the cooking. Travis had a great time and enjoyed still being able to celebrate with friends.

Calen's Visitors

2008-09-26T22:21:00.001-04:00

Calen Xavier Sass 148
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the things in Brazil that happens once you have a child is that you stay home for quite awhile (3 months) to keep the baby healthy. Many different thoughts about having a baby here in comparison to home but we don't follow all the rules. However, after having another csection I have spent a lot of time at home. Even though we have been home more than normal, doesn't mean we haven't had constant visitors. Here are a few of the people that have stopped by to visit our new baby, Calen. Calen of course mostly sleeps through all the visits but it has been good to see how much the Brazilians already love this little boy of ours. We did make it to church finally this past Sunday and everyone was very excited to see Calen, some for the first time enjoying seeing him in person and not just pictures. The thing about Brazil that I love the most is how much they love children and how much they make you feel a part of family. This has been so important this past month as neither of our families have been able to be here to celebrate the birth of Calen so our Brazilian friends have been a great support for us since Calen's arrival.

Aubry's First Bday Party

2008-09-26T15:07:00.001-04:00

Aubry's First Bday Party 13
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

The day before Calen was born we took Ceara to Aubry's First Birthday party. Technically, Aubry was born on the 12th but Matt and Mary decided to postpone it so that Matt's parents would be here for the party. Her themed party was a Luau which included bobbing for apples, the limbo and lots of playing. Ceara had a blast and even got her own hula skirt to keep. So Happy 1st Birthday Aubry!

Children's Mural

2008-09-21T15:34:00.001-04:00

Children's Class 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

In our old building we painted a mural with some of the major stories in the Bible for our kids room. Unfortunately, we couldn't bring the mural with us so we need to create another mural for our new building. This time we decided to do more scenic murals so that we can use them as we tell some of the Bible stories. For example if we talk about the Jordan River we can put characters on the river or Jesus being tempted in the desert we can place a picture of Jesus there. Lucky for us a friend of Matt's came to visit. She was a art major and she agreed to create a mural for us and this is what she did. Thanks Diana for your work. Now we have only four more walls to do...When we had some time...

ICOS Babies

2008-09-21T15:27:00.001-04:00

ICOS babies 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

On our inaugural Sunday we had all of the babies born within this year at the building, minus Calen as he was still hanging out inside. It was a good opportunity to take a photo and have a baby dedication for the two youngest girls. In the photo from the left, Jenn and Samuel (5months), Lidiane and Maria Clara (3months), Val and Jackson (6months) and Regina and Naila (4months). It is fun to see how our church grows just through babies, of course the boy to girl ratio was equal at this photo shoot but the next time with Calen, boys will out number the girls. God is blessing our church family with many kids but we know that their are families in our church who are still trying to get pregnant and still wait. Please pray for these couples that God will bless their lives with children. Especially pray for our small group couple, Diana and Tennyson that God will bless them this next year with a child.

Surprise Baby Shower

2008-09-21T15:09:00.001-04:00

Surprise Baby Shower 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

The girls surprised me one Sunday with a baby shower. This picture was taken in our Nursery at the building. Because we decided not to find out what we were having they decided to have a diaper shower where everyone brings diapers. It was great to not have to pay for diapers in the beginning as we now have two in diapers. I had wondered if they were going to do a shower for me as this was the week before I had Calen and our teammates were all going on vacation or furlough so I was almost surprised enough by the shower. It is hard to keep a surprise from me as I either get told by someone by mistake or I pick up on the little things that I observe. Although I do have to say this was the closet to being a real surprise as I have ever gotten. Thanks for thinking of me and throwing me a shower girls.

Inaugural Service - August 17th

2008-09-21T14:41:00.001-04:00

Inaugural Service - August 17th 27
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

I have missed putting up blogs lately due to a little arrival named Calen, but now that we have had some time to understand each other I am back to the blogging world. One of the things that happened before Calen arrived was our inaugural service to celebrate our new building. We had around 80 people come to celebrate. Many of the people were from the neighborhood and our English classes along with our members. It was a great time to celebrate the move and the building God has blessed us with. It was also great to share our dreams of the future in the new building and within the neighborhood. We pray that this move will be a blessing for our neighbors as well as our members.

Calen Xavier Sass

2008-08-30T12:16:00.002-04:00

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Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Announcing the birth of our new baby....a boy, Calen Xavier Sass!
Born Wednesday, August 27th 2008 9:24pm weighing at 3.210 kilos (7pounds 1 ounce) and a length of 48.5cm (19 inches). The name is in honor of Travis' parents, Carol and Len and the middle name is in honor of the Calen's Latin roots here in Brazil. The way it is pronounced in Portuguese sounds very similar to what the Brazilians call Travis which makes it even a better second name. Ceara loves her 'baby brother' as she loves to refer to him and tries to help out in any way that she can. Of course they are only 22 months and 1 day apart in age so there are times when Ceara needs to be watched carefully the way she wants to touch or kiss her brother. In all though she has adjusted well to having another person in our house and sharing our attention with Calen. A special thanks to Russ and Val who took Ceara to their house for the two nights that we were in the hospital and to the rest of our team who took turns taking Ceara around to play at the zoo and the pool before coming home to be with the family. Thanks everyone for your help. All of us are now at home and adjusting to the life of a family of four. Please be in prayer for our family as we adjust to another child, for Ceara as she shares her life now with a brother and to Calen as he grows. Thank you all for your prayers for his birth and for my recovery. Check out our pictures on our flickr.

Unplanned Work Day

2008-08-14T15:18:00.001-04:00

Unplanned Work Day 12
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Yesterday became a sort of unplanned work day up at the building. This next Sunday will be our church buildings inaugural service to the neighborhood and community so there have been some things that needed to be done to make it more of a workable place to meet the needs of the community. One of those things was painting, not just the main rooms but the other parts of the building, like the nursery, the children's room and what you see Val doing, the sign. We also were painting the sign that we hope to put up at the back door, we were building and sanding shelves to be used throughout the building and had a man working there to fix the back walk way so that there was a better entrance for the neighborhood to the back of the building. Of course we still have some things to do but hopefully this Saturday's work day and the days after our inaugural service, we will have more done so that our building can be better serving our community and our church family. I of course am excited about getting our children's classroom painted to make it a more friendly place for our kids, but that will have to wait for a bit if this baby makes it's presence in the world soon. Of course check out more progress on our flicker photos. Please also be in prayer for this Sunday's inaugural service, that the neighborhood comes and is blessed by our church and that God uses our church family to bring Him glory in this new place.

Leandro's Baptism- Aug 10th

2008-08-14T15:09:00.001-04:00

Leandro's Baptism- Aug 10th 12
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This past Sunday we were so blessed to see a friend of ours baptized. Leandro has been coming to church and the youth activities for awhile now and asked Travis a few months ago to study the Bible with him. Travis started studying our Evangelistic studies with him and could see that he really was searching for something better in his live. He started hanging around our new building helping do odd jobs and especially in the last few months while the LST group was here, hanging out with them even though there was a bit of a language barrier. He got to know them a lot and we think he saw how God had been working in their lives to bring them here. He was very sad to see them go home but continued to study and ask questions the whole time about God and what kinds of things in his life would have to change if he accepted a live with God. The past week he told Travis he wanted to make those changes and live in God's family. We were excited to see the change in him and to watch him this Sunday make that commitment. Please be in prayer for him as he starts his journey with God and as our church family grows with him. Praise God for his new son!

LST - Surprise Party

2008-08-14T14:58:00.001-04:00

LST - Surprise Party 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Well it came time for the LST group to leave and they thought that the last party was already over but the Brazilians had a surprise party planned for them. So one day after all their readers were done for the night, the LST group was surprised with a party. The readers asked all the others to bring treats and decorations and plan a fun night. It was great to see how the Brazilians throw a party and what they had planned as sort of payback for the parties that the LST group had done for them. The Brazilians made them decorate flags, sing the national anthem, where funny things in their hair and do trivia about Brazil. It was great to see how much the LST group had made an impact on the lives of their readers and even the church family.

English Play Date

2008-08-14T14:53:00.001-04:00

Play Date 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our team women have been talking about doing an English play date for some time but have never really gotten around to do it. This past month Jenn and Val decided to plan one and see how it went. We all met up at the church building in the kids class room where our kids got together and played and we enjoyed chatting. Jenn had prepared a few things for the kids to do, reading books and singing songs. Jackson and Samuel just kind of hung out and watched the big girls play. Ceara found it a bit hard at times as now that Aubry can walk, she can get to Ceara and the toys that she wants to play with..so a few times they had their little fights over which toy was the best, but in the end learned to share. It was a good time together and we will most likely do it again.. it may be a little while before we ask other people to come but we will see as time goes by.

Christmas in July

2008-08-14T14:46:00.001-04:00

LST Party - Christmas 8
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Another LST party we had was Christmas in July. The group even brought a Santa outfit that Russ wore for the entire night. We had icing cookies, which for us from North America were the best thing of the night. We played musical chairs and wrapped up people in wrapping paper. It was fun to share some of our Christmas stories from our traditions back home and what Brazilians do here.

Symphony

2008-08-14T14:41:00.001-04:00

Symphony 10
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the things that happens in our city is that the symphony plays throughout the year for free at some of the catholic churches. Before Ceara was born we were able to go to quite a few of them but after she was born we lost track of when and where the symphony was playing. We finally got the information that we needed in order to go back to the symphony and this time took Ceara with us. We didn't know how well she would do but she did really good. She sat for most of the first part of the program and hummed along. Then she got a little bit tired of being there and walked back and forth along the pews till we decided it was time to go. It was great to be able to see the symphony again and hopefully we will be able to go more often this time.

Drying Dishes

2008-08-14T14:32:00.001-04:00

Drying Dishes
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

For many people out there drying dishes doesn't really seem to be a big problem in your household. Many back home have dishwashers that do the drying for them or you have lots of counter space in order to dry dishes. In our house drying dishes and drying clothes becomes a problem as you can see in the picture that we really do not have any counter space at all. And our sink is very small, so you have to come up with clever ways to dry your dishes, such as putting your water bottles on top of the silverware and so on. With our clothes, the biggest problem is that it takes at least two days to dry because we have to hang dry and with the humidity in the city it just takes that long to dry. So you have to learn the tricks of the trade, like putting vinager in the wash so that you clothes don't start to rot/smell hanging up for so long. You also then hang clothes from any space that you can find. In our old house we had a large back area to do laundry but this new place our laundry area is in the the kitchen as well. So we learn to hang our shirts on the chairs of our table, hang sheets from our closet doors and if no one notices even on our balcony at night (this is not allowed-so we try to not do it until late at night and get it off before everyone is up in the morning). Oh the things that you learn to do when you live in a smaller place and have to do the cleaning and drying differently. Oh what I wish to have a dishwasher or a dryer every once in awhile. But in all, you learn to live with the differences and appreciate the times that you do get to use a dishwasher or dryer. So for those who have one or both, be glad to be done your dishes in about an hour and your laundry the same day as you do them....and learn to appreciate the things in your live that sometimes are an inconvenience as I have had to learn in so many ways since living here in Brazil.

Second Baby

2008-08-14T14:13:00.001-04:00

Second Baby Face 6
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but this is the face of our second child, who is due any day. It's great living in Brazil as we get more ultrasounds when we are pregnant then those back home. We can't wait though to see this baby's face in person and not just through ultrasound. So please be in prayers for us and the delivery of our second child and for the adjustment of Ceara to another person in our house.

LST Party - Auburn

2008-08-14T14:03:00.001-04:00

LST Party - Auburn 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the things that we do when LST (Let's Start Talking) is here is have a party where the students they have been working with and our church members get together to know each other and have fun at an English party. One of our first parties that we had was an Auburn party, this is where the LSTers who are from the University of Auburn teach the readers all about the things they do at their university. They had them chanting Auburn cheers and decorating their faces with the Auburn colors. It was a great night where lots of people were able to get better acquainted.

ID Cards

2008-07-12T12:11:00.001-04:00

ID Cards 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

After applying and reapplying many times for visa stuff in Brazil, we finally got our permanent residence cards that don't expire till 2016. Meaning we don't have to go through anything else with the Federal Police until we have to renew our cards, if we end up staying past 2016. The great thing about this time we went to the Federal Police station which they moved for foreigners to the airport and all we did was sit down for about five minutes and then handed in our protocol numbers and they guy came out with our cards. This is the first card that I have ever received in Brazil and the second card for Travis though his first card expired within a few months of receiving it. But this card is great because it has all the information that anywhere in Brazil needs for us. One important part is the name of our parents, almost everything we ever do we have to show who our parents are. So now Ceara doesn't have to worry about us getting kicked out of Brazil and leaving her here, haha. I have already used the card and it has been a great thing. Yeah our Permanent Residency cards are finally here.

Sunday Afternoon Nap

2008-07-12T11:47:00.001-04:00

Sunday Afternoon Nap
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

For many people Sundays are a day of rest and relaxation, but for our family it is very much the opposite. We start off our day with class at the church, I teach the kids class so I keep busy with that. Then there is our regular service time, I teach the kids worship time and then Travis does the sermons and other things as well, sometimes communion or announcements, etc. After that we stay around our building and help make lunch for the Brazilians that have traveled far and are staying for the English class. After that Travis helps or teaches the English class. This Sunday was a busy one so both Travis and Ceara fell asleep after lunch, they were so asleep they didn't even know I had taken the picture.

LST USA Party

2008-07-09T19:34:00.001-04:00

LST USA Party 6
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This past Thursday was our LST party and they had it on the theme of the USA as it was close to the July 4th holiday. They played twister and a trivia game. Unfortunately Ceara got a fever quite quickly that night so we had to leave early to take care of her and missed the rest of the party. I know that they had quite a few people and many of our church members came as well to participate. I look forward to the rest of the parties and hopefully we will be able stay for them as Ceara is over her fever now.

July 1st-4th Barbeque

2008-07-09T19:19:00.001-04:00

July 1st-4th Barbeque 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Our team had a Canada Day and July 4th party where we barbequed, swam and enjoyed each other's company. Our team intern, Heather was there and also the LST team that arrived the weekend before. It's been awhile since our team has just spent the day together as a team but it was fun eating North American food together, playing North American games and going swimming. The only thing we didn't do was watch fireworks, not that there weren't fireworks going off around the city, it's just not the same as the light shooting ones that you get on Canada Day or July 4th.

Sao Joao 2008

2008-07-09T19:09:00.001-04:00

Sao Joao 2008 27
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year we head downtown during June to do the Sao Joao parties and check out the music and decorations. The first two years we went with the Parker and Quirey families but this time it was just the Quirey's and us, it was different with just two families and this time with two kids. Next year will be even more different because two of those kids will be ours, weird to think about. Anyway, we love going downtown to see the decorations as they are different every year. During the world cup they had green and yellow flags everywhere with jerseys representing all of the Brazil team. This year they had big stands that had the Saints in them, they almost looked like they could have been stain glassed. Another fun thing is that the kids dress up in cowboy/folk type outfits. We saw a large group of kids doing a parade all dressed up as well. And you can't have a Sao Joao without corn products, there are so many cakes and sweets and snack foods that are made with corn. Sometimes it gets a bit crazy with how many things they sell here that have corn in them but hey you can't have a Sao Joao party or event without it. Corn... yum yum.... We also got a picture of the family, probably one of the last ones before this new baby arrives. If you have a summer free you can always come down here to experience a Sao Joao holiday in Salvador. Plus you can enjoy the never ending sound of fireworks for about three weeks straight, haha.

Fashion Show - Hats

2008-07-09T18:49:00.001-04:00

Fashion Show - Hats 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Ceara loves to find her clothes and hats in her closet. One day she decided that she was going to do a fashion show for Dad and got the pictures to prove it. She doesn't like to wear the hats out very much but she sure didn't mind wearing them around the house that day. Of course she couldn't do it with clothes on as she enjoys walking around in just her diapers.

First Service in New Building

2008-07-09T18:44:00.001-04:00

First Service in New Building 12
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

June came with our first service in the new building and we were pleasantly surprised to find a large group of people that came. Here is the group of people that were there to celebrate together our first Sunday. The Highland group was still around so we had a very full house but still it was great to see how God is already working in this new building. We even had a few people from the neighborhood come and we continue to have new people come around every Sunday and now with the English classes going on all week long we even have new comers to the beginner's English class. Please pray for this new move and the people that continue to come that have been with us since the beginning and for the new people that we will meet and that will join our church family.

Building Renos

2008-07-09T11:00:00.001-04:00

Building Renos 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

As you know moving into a new place takes some sort of renos, especially moving into a former strip club. We have completed the main or most important parts of our building, including the outside. We painted the outside and put up our sign for the building. I took this picture from the main street. Also if you check out our flickr photos you can see more inside pictures and pictures of the outside as we drove by one day. This building is definitely easily seen from the street and with our large sign people are starting to know where we are. As for the inside of our building we have finally painted the main bottom room. Of course this is the area that needed the most work so we are glad to have it painted and available to have our Sunday services. We have things that we still would like to do with this area but we will slowly get to these things when we can afford to put more into it. As well we have cleaned the upstairs part and moved the furniture and things we have into each of the rooms. We of course still need to paint the upstairs and sort some things still but we haven't had much of a chance to do those things with our campaigns here and now with Let's Start Talking we have people at our building almost every day. This move has been a great change for us not just in renos, so please be praying for this transition and for the things that still need to be done in our new building.

Sunglasses

2008-07-09T10:28:00.001-04:00

Sunglasses 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Ceara has never really left anything on her face or in her hair but one of the girls at our apartment had these sunglasses on and let Ceara try them out. It was quite funny because she had to come find Travis and I to show us her pretty glasses. She is such a character... in the picture she is saying pretty. Now she is much better at leaving stuff in her hair so that it stays out of her face. She will even ask for the barrettes and hair ties in the drawer but came them pretties. She is too cute...

VBS - Our Apartment

2008-07-09T10:24:00.001-04:00

VBS - Our Apartment 3
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

While the Highland group was here, we had another VBS but this time in our apartment complex. We had about 10 kids come to the day. It would have been less except for my friend, Taisa who is squating in the picture on the right. She called a bunch of kids from the buildings that she knows better than I do and they all came down. We had about 4 ladies accompany the kids while they learned about Moses and ate treats and made a craft. I think they all enjoyed having something different to do at the building than just playing in the little park that we have. One of the ladies told me later she is glad to know that there is another Christian in the building that she can trust her kids with. Also the time was great for me to spend with my friend, Taisa. She is very open to being my friend and learning about why we are here. Since that VBS we have spent more time together and I hope that soon she may want to come experience some Sunday at our church. So please be praying for our friend, Taisa, her husband, Fernando and their daughter Fernanda. And thanks to the Highland crew for bring a bit of God's word to our apartment building. Hopefully, since we are now very close to the new church building, some people here in our apartment complex will be interested in coming.

Chapada VBS

2008-06-18T20:19:00.001-04:00

Chapada VBS 6
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

This past week we have had a group from the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas here to do a campiagn. One of the things we asked them to do was a VBS but as we are in between buildings we decided that what would be best was to go to the kids. Many of the kids that come to our church are from the neighborhood where Travis and I have our small group so we went to them. A neighbor had a large open area where he had not rented out and gave us the room for free that night. The Highland group then taught the kids the story of Moses, they played some games and did an activity. I made Brazilian hot dogs for them and we all enjoyed a night of fun. It was great to see all our kids singing and being a part of the story. It was a success. We also did the same thing the next night at our apartment complex. I will blog about that when we have some more pictures up.

New Building

2008-06-18T20:08:00.001-04:00

IMG_0836
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Many know by now we are in the process of moving buildings and starting this Sunday we will be worshiping in our new place. This building has come after many months of praying and looking. The previous tenants used this building as a strip club and now we will bring Glory to God in this place. Our members are excited about the possibilities and what God has in store for this place that used to be Satan's haven and now is a source of truth. This picture is the stage between when we first got it and what it will look like when we are finished. We had part of one service in our old building and then had the second half in our new building to introduce our members who hadn't already seen where it was located and what it looked like. It was hard to tell what people thought as they first walked in the first floor of the building and sat down, then we started to sing and smiles were seen throughout the room. The acoustics in the building are amazing and even though it seemed like we were a small group, we sounded large. After the service we had everyone look around the building, the back and up stairs. Once people made it up stairs, everyone was smiling as now we have usable classroom space for the kids, teens, small groups and offices. The great thing is that unknown to Travis and I, we moved just a few minute walk from the building so we now live in a neighborhood close by and feel great inviting our neighbors to. Our location of the building is great as it is on a main road, there is a neighborhood right behind it and many new people that we will meet being in this new place. Please pray for our move and for the people that will be influenced for Christ because of where we are.

Heather Arrives

2008-06-18T19:52:00.001-04:00

Heather Arrives 4
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Many of you may remember Heather Alkire who was one of our interns last summer, well she asked to return back to Brazil this summer to stay for two years. Here she is meeting Jackson and Samuel for the first time. Heather's main job here will be working with the children of the church. This will be a great help for me as I used to have help with the children until Stacey left. Now with another kid on the way I know that my time to do things will dwindle once again. We are excited to work together and start fresh in our new building and to think bigger than I was able to alone. Heather is living with Matt and Mary while she is here. She will also do many other things while she is here like do follow-up LST, join a small group, work with many of our single women and the teens. We look forward to the extra help around here. Please pray for Heather and the work that she will be doing these next two years.

Mary's 30th birthday party

2008-06-18T19:23:00.001-04:00

Mary's 30th bday party 5
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Mary turned thirty this year and had a 50's themed birthday party. She invited all the team and some Brazilian friends to join in a murder mystery party. We had to dress up in our characters and try to find out who was the murderer. It was definitely an experience as we did part of the night in English and part in Portuguese. I have never done a murder mystery before and wonder how much more fun I will have when I get to do it all in English.

Ceara Goes Potty

2008-06-18T19:18:00.001-04:00

Ceara Goes Potty 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

We have started the process of training Ceara to go potty. As we look towards having another child in diapers and the cost of diapers here in Brazil we decided that it was time to start training Ceara to use the potty. We decided to make a little chart for Ceara to make it more fun for her. Every time she goes to the potty we give Ceara a sticker to put on the chart, after five stickers then she gets some m&m's and when she finishes the whole chart we will get her a big toy or take her out somewhere special. Of course Ceara is only 19 months so the process is slow. She knows when she has to go but it's the telling us that is taking longer. Some days she does it right and then other days she doesn't care about being in her diaper wet or dirty all day. I doubt she will be potty trained by the time the new kid arrives but we may be closer to getting there.

Fernanda's Party

2008-06-18T19:04:00.001-04:00

Fernanda's Party 9
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of the families in our apartment complex has a five year old girl and they invited us to her birthday party. We haven't ever been to a real Brazilian party like this before. What they do is rent a party room where there are games and toys for the kids to play with. In the picture you can see Fernanda's mom, Taisa in the front of the room that was decorated in a theme. The party room does whatever theme you want, they make all the foods and have people service the drinks and food, as much as you want. Everyone is invited, the whole family, not just the kids. I spent my time in the seating room, eating food and visiting with some of the people that I knew from the apartment. Travis went around with Ceara in the play room making sure that she wasn't getting into too much trouble. Many people bring their nannies so that the adults can visit while the kids play and the nannies watch the kids. It was pretty amazing to go to our first party like that. Another difference is that the party started at 7pm and went until 11pm, late night for Ceara so she was a bit cranky the next day. It's the biggest deal for Brazilian parents and they save up all their money for the year just to throw a party like this. I doubt that Ceara will ever have a party like this one but at least she can go to a few while we are here and have fun like she did at this one.

Jaciara Mom's Funeral

2008-06-18T18:48:00.001-04:00

Jaciara Mom's Funeral 2
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

One of our members lost her mother this past month and has been having a very hard time. Jaciara had lived with her mom for her entire life and after 4 or 5 years of battling Alzheimer's her mother of 93 passed away on the way to the hospital. People in Brazil are buried the same day as the embalming process is not as it is in North America. For people who have just a little money you can see that the bury the body in stacks in a wall. It is a very quick process, the body is viewed in one room, prayed over or spoken about then they lock the lid of the casket and take the body to the wall where it is then cemented into the wall. We made sure that someone was going to be there for Jaciara as the rest of her family doesn't really want anything to do with her. They of course are mad that Jaciara's mom left her home to Jaciara and nothing else to anyone, which makes losing her mom even harder for Jaciara. We have many single women in our church who have been a great help for her, inviting her out, going over there to spend the night and so much more. It make us really proud to see our church family taking care of each other especially when it's really needed. Please keep Jaciara in your prayers as she learns to live without her mother.

Culto Unico

2008-06-18T18:20:00.001-04:00

Culto Unico 1
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Every year the Churches of Christ in Salvador have one Sunday service together. This is the first year our church has fully participated as with the previous years just being a new church the idea of not having worship service was not a good idea. This year we had everyone participate. There were more than 200 people but not enough chairs. Many of our members ended up sitting outside visiting as there were no speakers to help carry voices. As a pregnant women people insisted that I sat and ended up being ushered inside without Travis or Ceara behind me. Eventually we were reunited after service and were able to visit with people that we hadn't seen in quite awhile. Many people stayed afterwards and ate lunch together, our members enjoyed getting to know the other Christians in the area and to renew friendships with ones they already knew.

Aeroclube Playset

2008-06-18T18:00:00.001-04:00

Aeroclube Playset 13
Originally uploaded by Brazil Bean Brewed

Near our new home we found a place for Ceara to play. Most of the other play structures that are for kids do not allow kids under a certain height or a certain age to enter. This place allows us to enter with Ceara and let her play as long as she likes. It's only 3 reais each time and well worth letting her enjoy playing with other kids and learn to do new things. She loves the ball pit, climbing up ladders and going down the slides. They even have a trampoline type thing to that she loves. Of course she hasn't fully explored the entire thing, she's a bit afraid to go through all the tunnels where she can't see us. I figure it won't be too long though before she decides it's worth looking through it all. So if anyone wants to come visit us and has kids, we have found the next best thing to West Ed, well okay it's not in the same caliber as West Ed but for Brazil it's great.