February 25 SunFun
Prayers and Praises
February was short but packed in a lot. We had a long stretch of cold weather with some snow, and enjoyed all the hot chocolate. The girls are doing great with their reading, piano lessons, and duolingo (Portuguese practice) when they get home from school each day. Caid is zooming through his music production—he’s put out three songs recently, so please go listen to them at spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen to music! Caid and I both managed to get sick the first week of February (but he took the first part of the week, and I took the last part), but the girls managed to stay healthy.
February is always a big month, making sure everyone knows abour the summer Brazil trip and getting people signed up. February 2nd we loved being a part of the Community Church of Greenwood’s Impact Sunday, which is like a mission’s fair. The 9th, our whole family went to Amboy Indiana and shared about Brazil with some amazing brothers and sisters at a church there, and were SO blessed by it. I also got to share at two other churches about the missions opportunities coming up.
I have felt very overwhelmed with a lot of political things that are now creeping into my personal life with a really close friend getting ready to lose her job (she worked with refugees). I haven’t really felt the need to super celebrate Black History month in the past years, but this year I was ready to throw myself into it. I re-read the book I wrote about our multicultural history to my girls, and updated it a bit, but in general—was reminded that yes, these are important issues, AND yes, God is bigger and is the Answer. I also read lots of books and graphic novels about immigration, another big political issue at this time. I remembered just how much we are a reflection of our time, and how much we do is a reaction to what is happening around us.
In sad news, two of the boys from Living Stones Guadalajara were tragically killed: in total, four of Fernanda’s (our dear friend) brothers were killed, and their two cousins. It is a deep community grief.
Interweb Reads:
Me things: Check the Box audiobook part 1 and part 2 (podcasts), New Missionaries (and all the updates from each of the 8 Living Stones programs for 2024), End of Race Politics, Black History Month for Adults (super proud of this-20 suggestions, most of them with commentary), A Voice Becoming, Black History Month Recommendations (for kids and teens), It’s been two days (updated) Turbo Boil, what is working for me, A False Narrative, Resources for learning about Immigrants/immigration (I am also really proud of this).
Others things: A Home of Ordinary Things (Velvet Ashes), 4 Things we get Wrong about Racial Justice/Reconciliation (Rich Villodas), Becoming Hospitable (Velvet Ashes), Do extraverts make the best Missionaries? (A Life Overseas), Conversations with Grace: Black History Month (Amy Medina), God mend thine every flaw (Marilyn R. Gardner)