Rendido Estou

Family & Friends,

I hope all is well! Some thoughts to share from this past week...

"Rendido estou" means I am surrendered. It´s the title of a song that stirred something within me when I first heard it. Here are some of the lyrics:

Toma-me, rendido estou
Take me, I am surrendered (or an alternative translation is "I surrender")

Aos pés da cruz me encontrei
I find myself at the feet of the cross

O que tenho te entrego, oh Deus
What I have I give to you, Oh God

Vem limpar as minhas mãos 
Come clean my hands

Purificar meu coração
Purify my heart

Que eu ande em tudo que tu tens pra mim

That I may walk in all that you have for me.

On Saturday, I attended the graduation ceremony of a group of Brazilian students who received a degree in Bible translation and literacy education. I couldn´t understand the preacher´s message, but the one thing he said that stuck with me was to expect God to do miracles.

So, I got to thinking about how I view miracles, and I can´t honestly write that I "expect" miracles to happen...at least not in the same way that I expected to be picked up at the airport at midnight when I arrived a week and a half ago. I practically took that as a given. What actually happened? I got through customs around 12:30 AM and waited for about 20 minutes on a bench near a café, trying to look like a deer in headlights on purpose so as to draw attention from someone who might be looking for a tired, lost americana. It wasn´t until after I became desperate beyond measure that I worked up the guts to ask a lady in Portuglish to use her cell. So, I expected to be picked up at the airport at a certain time, and I was waiting in expectation, waiting on the edge of my seat (literally) for something to happen. 

This is a new prayer for me: Lord, help me to eagerly expect miracles, and believe (not just say) that there is absolutely nothing that exceeds Your power and might. (Also, please help me to pronounce the word  "Jesus" in Portuguese because it´s nearly impossible for me!) 

By all means, if you have any insights about approaching the miraculous, feel free to comment and/or share. Send a private FB message if you like. Okay, moving on.

It´s dry season here. I hung a pair of soaking wet jeans out to dry the other day and they were ready to sport in two hours. Despite the fact that my eyes sting sometimes, I´m so thankful for the constant, refreshing breeze that reminds me to breathe deep. While I´m on the topic of beauty in nature, please take a second to enjoy the absolutely breathtaking watercolor paintings done by Vicki Gorman, a part time teacher here. You won´t regret it. I was practically moved to tears.

I´m planning on writing more very soon. For now, thank you for your support as I live and learn in Brazil for a short season. I cherish it.