Meet me in Brazil!

I was thinking that some updates needed to be given and also this is most likely the last post until I am in Brazil!! I leave Friday night, which this being Wed morning, it's not that much longer! I have bags of things in my room in piles, so all I need to do is put it into my backpack and suitcase.
I think that it hit me yesterday that I am really going on a mission trip. Really I am just getting to go somewhere and be quiet with God. So many times my life is congested with work, friends, family, things in general, that sadly my one on one time with my Holy Father is either interrupted, or not even there. So, I can't even type how excited that i am to see what god has in store for me during the next 10 days in Brazil.

Updates:
1. My friend Elizabeth is in better health. She wrote on her blog that she is feeling better and has been scouting the spots that we will be going to while in Brazil. Below in one of my posts I put where we will be at so you can specifically pray about that time and just know where I will be once I get off the plane! I don't know if it was written or showed, but my team of 8 wonderful people will be meeting Bruno and Camila Costa at the airport. We will be visiting their home and Bruno is the guys who will be taking us to preach the gospel. He goes out each day into the streets of Brazil to preach the gospel. We will just be able to be an extra as we will be doing the Redeemer Skit and sketch board in the huge market places and in some schools. I am so excited to meet the wonderful Costa's.

2. I have a job! We were called into the principals office a couple of days ago and I was told that I do have a job in the same spot next year. I am so grateful for my job, as some of my friends weren't as lucky as I was.

3. We were able to get our visas! Brandon and Bryan Autry still need to pick up theirs on Friday morning, so please lift up a prayer that everything just goes smoothly when they walk into the office.

4. My only prayer request for the trip is my anxiousness about the plane ride. I might even be getting myself silly b/c I am expecting to be nervous. But, what I really need to not just say but believe is, if I give this over to God, really give it over to Him, then he will either take it away, or be with me all the way threw it.

5. I want to thank everyone who have given me donations and prayers along the way. I really could not have gone ion this trip without all of your help. You'll never know how much it means to me that so many people gave their hard earned money in order for me to get to preach the gospel.

Well, if I am unable to publish another post until I get home, be sure to know that I will be typing till my chubby hands hurt about my wonderful adventure that God and I had once I get back.

How Many more Days???

Hey Everyone!

Thank you for continuing to read this. My last post talked about my friend Elizabeth that's in Brazil two weeks before the team goes. Please lift her up in prayer. Her name is Elizabeth Blackburn and the last time I heard, she was having stomach issues. No one wants that, I know from my experiences in Guatemala. Pray that she is quickly healed and that she would lean on God during this time.

Since I posted about my job and everyone keeps on asking me, I wanted to give you an update on if I have it for next year. The update is that there's no update. We were told that we would be receiving a letter from the county office on or around June 3. So, I may or may not know before I leave for Brazil. I am praying that I will use this time before Brazil not to worry about my job, or gossip about things about it. I pray that I will continue to be thankful that I had this year with at the school and know that whatever God has planned for me, it will work out.

I still can't believe that i have this week and then the next until I leave for Brazil. This is my last week at school and am going to focus on getting ready for Brazil next week. I am wanting to practice my Redeemer Skit as much as possible. I also found out that since we did not go to the detention center, we may do the skit in front of my church. Please pray for eyes to see what the Skit is all about.

Thank you!!

****Update on Urgent Prayer request*****

I saw on my friends facebook account, an update of what i previously said about the Visas. Below if what she sent out and her Update!! Praise the Lord!!!!

UPDATE: The consulate has agreed to an appointment to receive the applications on June 4th and to have them ready the morning of June 5th before the team leaves. I can't say I'm surprised... God is good! :)Thanks for praying!!!I'm off to the airport... Send me e-mails and check my blog (LizinBrazil.blogspot.com)!LOVE!


First Note:
Hey guys, I leave tonight for Brazil, and the rest of my team from my church is meeting me down there in about 2 weeks. We have encountered a big issue though- 2 of our team have not been granted permission to SUBMIT their applications for their Visas until June 3 -at the earliest- and they are supposed to fly out June 5! These applications CAN take only 1 day to process, but this is their busiest season, and they say to allow 3 WEEKS for processing in times this busy. PLEASE please please pray that the consulate will be compassionate on our situation and grant their Visas in less than 24 hours to these two can come down with the rest of the team on the 5th.I will post updates as I receive them.Thank you so much!!!Lizzy

Brazil Schedule

I have received the schedule of what we will be doing on the trip. Below is a copy of it. Please pray especially for the day that we go to Rio, b/c we will be in the van for seven hours. I am praying to have no flight and car sickness.

American Team – Roswell Community Church - Atlanta
June 6 – 13, 2009

SCHEDULE

Jun. 06, Saturday:

7:00 American Team Arrival Intern. Airport - Guarulhos – SP
After arrival, leave for Campinas - SP
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Open Air in Campinas downtown (2 meetings)
7:00 Dinner

Jun. 07, Sunday:

12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Visit Bruno & Camila's house
7:00 Service (Mike preaching and drama team)
9:00 Dinner

Jun. 08, Monday:

Morning Session Schools Meetings
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Schools Meetings
Evening Session Schools Meetings (1 meeting)
8:30 Dinner

Jun. 09, Tuesday:

Morning Session Schools Meetings
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Schools Meetings
Evening Session Schools Meetings (1 meeting)
8:30 Dinner

Jun. 10, Wednesday (Leave the hotel with all baggage's):

Morning session Go to the stones store to shop.
12:00 Lunch
13:00 Leave for Rio de Janeiro – RJ (Aprox. 7:00 hours drive)
7:00 Dinner

Jun. 11, Thursday:

Morning Session Open Air in Rio de Janeiro
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Open Air in Rio de Janeiro (Usually we leave the plaza at 2:00 or 3:00PM)
7:00 Dinner
After dinner, go to shopping in Copacabana Beach

Jun. 12, Friday:

Morning Session Open Air in Rio de Janeiro
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Open Air in Rio de Janeiro (Usually we leave the plaza at 2:00 or 3:00PM)
7:00 Dinner (Barbecue)

Jun. 13, Saturday (Leave the hotel with all baggage's):

10:00 Tour in Rio de Janeiro (Christ)
12:00 Lunch
Afternoon Session Visit nice places to take pictures, visit a Mall
7:00 Leave for the Intern. Airport – Rio de Janeiro

I hope this helps! I am so looking forward to what God has in store for me in Brazil!

Urgent Prayer is Needed

Hello to Everyone who reads this lovely blog!

Soon school will be out (8 more days) and then one week for me to get ready for Brazil. Well, the urgent prayer is for my team. We have to get visas to go into Brazil (when I was in Guatemala we didn't), anyway, due to different things, some of our visas expired before we could get them cleared. All of our visa applications except a wonderful father and son, Bryan and Brandon Autry, will be taken to the Brazil Embassy Friday. We were informed that Bryan and Brandon's application could not tag along, and so they have an appointment around June 3. We leave June 6. It takes time after you go for your appointment to receive it in the mail.

So, please pray that all of our visas come in, in a timely matter. Because there is a million reasons that I could type about how much Brandon and Bryan need to come on this trip, but I truly believe that the biggest is that God has ordained their time together and their time in Brazil. Please lift us up in prayer.


I received my packing list and the group has practiced again for the Redeemer Skit. We were unable to go to the Youth Detention Center and so it is in talks that we may be performing in front of church one Sunday morning. I have almost everything I need for the trip, just have to pick up Dramamine and headache medicine. The only other thing I would ask you to lift up in prayer is my anxiety. I am not a good flyer and it being 9-9 1/2 hours, I am praying that I will sleep through most of it. I am praying that God will use the whole time before, during, and after for me to just Lean on Him and for our relationship to grow even stronger. So, please lift up my anxiety (panic attacks) and I pray that their is none before, during, or after my trip.

How much longer?

Hey Everyone!!

Well, I got my yellow fever shot today!! It wasn't as expensive as I thought it wa going to be, but it was still $155! I would rather pay that and not get yellow fever. It was over in one second and off I went to check off yet another thing needed for Brazil.

I have a meeting tomorrow and Redeemer Skit practice. I am hoping to get a packing list and will know what else is needed. I was told that I will be in my Redeemer Skit clothes ore than regular clothing. What does that entail? Black shirt, pants, and shoes. My mom took me to Dots and we got 5 black shirts and I have found 2 long black pants and three Capri's. SO, I am clothes ready for Brazil!!
I still can not believe that i will be leaving for the trip so soon!!! As a side note, I would like to give a shot out thank you to my sista Jenny!! Thank you for watching me practice my Redeemer part and not laughing out loud at my mistakes!!! At our last practice I was very excited that I know my part and am perfecting it each and every time. Now only to do it in front of a crowd of 100-200!!!!

Prayer Requests:
1. That our group dynamic only grows stronger.
2. Satan is the father of lies. Please pray that we will not allow the little everyday things and huge things to distort our thinking about ourselves and others.

Thank you everyone who has been reading this. Thank you for praying and please continue to pray for this team. I will be constantly giving the plane ride over to the Lord. Maybe having the first season of Lost on my IPOD is not the greatest idea for a long flight. I am hoping to put pictures up during the trip, but if not, check back after I come back, b/c I will be filling this up with pictures!!!!

Almost Brazil Time!!

So, another post before going to Brazil. I am excited to report that I have all of the money for my trip!! Yeah, Yeah! Thank you so much for everyone who has donated and prayed for me. I still can not believe that I will be on a plane in a month! I think that because this ending of the school year has been crazy, I haven't been as focused as I should about Brazil. And I think b /c I had been training so much for my half marathon, which I completed last weekend, I have not been able to focus on the trip. So, even though I have signed up for another half marathon in October, I can use the time on the treadmill and on the pavement to have one on one time with the Lord.





I think my last post stated that I had my shots up to date, but am going to take the yellow fever shot this Tuesday. Please say a prayer for me! It's going to be expensive b/c I am going to a different travel clinic and will have to pay for the shot and coming in fee. Since there has been said a couple of breakouts of yellow fever in the country, I am going to just be safe and get the shot. Even though the places that we are going to show no yellow fever, I am still going to get the shot. Because you never know, I may go again and will need the shot.





So, please continue to pray for my Team! We have had a change and now will have a new leader, Mike B., whom I really love. Our team is also going to a Detention Center on May 16 to perform the Redeemer Skit. So, that means I really need to know my part. Please pray for our continued unity and that donations will come in for those who still need money. Please pray that I will use this upcoming time and summer to really focus on paying bills and not spending excessive amounts of money. I will need to make wise decisions this summer concerning money, since I will not have the after school program part of my check coming in.





Thank you for your continued support and reading this blog. I am so excited to see what God has in store for me this summer and really beyond.





And as of today, we para pros still do not know about our jobs for next year. Please say a prayer that will find out in a timely manner and also that kind thoughts and words will come out of my mouth during this time at work.





Above is a picture of me and my sister after crossing the finish line in Nashville!!