We’re back!!!

We’ve actually been back for almost 2 weeks, but I’m finally taking a moment to sit down and get back at this blog thing.

Anyway, I would like to use this first blog post since our trip back to the States to say…

THANK YOU SAYLORVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH!!!

For those of you who don’t know, we have THE BEST sending church on planet earth.

Let me just share a few reasons they are amazing.

1. They flew us back to Iowa in July for a funeral.

2. They flew us back in September for their missions conference.

3. They blessed 12 separate missionary families in incredible ways while we were there.

4. They gave Lucas 2 opportunities to preach.

5. They let Teresa sing on the worship team.

6. They loved on our boys.

7. They loved on us.

8. They have the most amazing church staff in the universe.

9. They welcomed us back like we were family who had just been gone a while.

10. They reminded us why we love and miss them so much.

So, SBC, thank you so much for all you do for us.

The conference was an absolute blessing. The missionary christmas was crazy over-the-top.  The opportunity for us to spend time with the other missionaries was so encouraging. And the chance to just “be” was just what we needed.

We really mean it when we say that we love our SBC family.

We really mean it when we say we love the staff there.

We really mean it when we call you family.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We look forward to hugging you all again in 2 years.

This trip has been planned for quite a while and at one time seemed so far away.

For those of you who are wondering about the purpose of this trip, its part work, part play.

Our home church, Saylorville Baptist Church, invited us to participate in their Missions Conference, “The Big Picture”. They have graciously helped fly our family home and are giving us an opportunity to serve with them. We are so excited to minister with our Saylorville family.

Needless to say, the rest of our time will be filled with lots of family time.

If you are able, if you have the desire, we would love to see some of you as well. So, consider yourselves invited to the Saylorville Baptist Church “The Big Picture” Missions conference. Please check out www.saylorvillebaptist.com for info on the events.

Anyway…

I can’t believe this trip has arrived! Do you know how much stuff I have to do???

Seriously though, we are looking forward to getting back to Iowa for a little bit.

Lucas and I were just there for a sad, spur of the moment, quick trip. But for the boys…

Its been 2 years since they have seen their  their aunts and uncles, their cousins, their friends…

Its been 2 years since they’ve been to Grandmas’ and Grandpas’ houses…

Its been 2 years since they’ve eaten a corn dog…

Its been 2 years since they’ve played on a playground with no fear of a splinter in the be-hind…

Its been 2 years since they went to english speaking children’s church…

Its been 2 years since they had a Happy Meal that didn’t break our budget…

Its been 2 years since this…

I must say I’m pretty excited to see these 2 reunited. There’s just something about the way these 2 have stayed best friends this whole time. There’s just something about those Rankin women

At the same time, I still have some sadness in my heart that I won’t be reunited with her mom this trip. I have to wait until the trip up into the clouds for that reunion.

I’m guessing for that trip I won’t be afraid to fly…

Brazil is the land of futebol.

Futebol is in brazilian blood. Serious.

A few months ago we had a sports day. The only teams lined up to play soccer that day were men’s teams.  We decided at the last minute to put together two women’s teams and play a game.

It was a blast.

And I learned that these women want a chance to play too!

From that day on, God laid a desire on my heart to start a women’s soccer ministry.

Finally, last month, it happened.

The first few weeks there were about 8 of us, mostly teens from our church. No visitors whatsoever.

Last week, we had FIVE NEW WOMEN!!!

The women with the ball is one of the women who visited. She practices the religion of batuki. Batuki is an african religion that worships spirits and does sacrifices and such.

Not only did she come to soccer, but she came to our church the following Sunday…

and she brought her neighbor with her!!

I am so excited to see how God is going to use this ministry. It is definitely a fun way to reach people.

Not to mention its a chance to get back to my childhood roots.

Thanks Dad for being my soccer coach all those years growing up.  I won’t be going professional anytime soon, but its definitely making this ministry a lot less painful!

I think it stems from a video game or something.

Nice, I know.

They even told me about a snail that they read about that becomes a zombie.

I was about ready to get rid of all video games.

Then they showed me the website about it. Go ahead, google it. Its for real.

Anyway, I think sometimes in our daily grind of life we can become like zombies.

At least, I can.

Since we have gotten back from our crazy trip to Iowa, things haven’t really stopped around here. We started our homeschool year, our normal ministries continued, and I started 3 new ministries.

I was going through my day to day motions without really thinking about them.

I was starting to become a daily grind zombie.

God woke me up from my zombi-ness this week.

He reminded me why we do the things we do daily. He reminded me of the joy of ministry.

How?

1. I had the opportunity to share the gospel with a woman this week through a Bible study we have been doing since we got back. God is opening her eyes and it is A-MA-ZING to watch.

2. I had the opportunity to share a Bible with a woman who practices the african religion of batuki and listened to her read scripture out loud with a group of ladies. A-MA-ZING.

3. Lucas and I had the opportunity to walk through the process of restoration with a family in their home, listen as they humbled themselves, confess their sin, ask for forgiveness, and ask to return to church. A-MA-ZING.

These things happened in a period of 72 hours.

God used these events to de-zombi-ize me.

When we become daily grind zombies, He doesn’t want us to stay that way.

He is so good like that.

Don’t be a zombie.

Hi. My name is Teresa. And I am the…

Worst.

Blogger.

Ever.

Seriously.

But (always have to have a “but”, right?), I am stating for the world to see, ok not the world, more like the few who read this blog,things are going to change.

You see,there was this girl I knew. She was an amazing blogger.

She really had a way with words on paper and on keyboard.

Reading her blog was always such a blessing to me. I was challenged, I was encouraged, I laughed, I cried, and I felt connected to her.

She left us last month.

But I will see her again someday.

I miss her.

A lot.

She told me a more than a few times that I needed to blog more.

Know-it-all.

I miss her.

So, in honor of my dear friend Becca, I am going to try harder at this blog.

I don’t totally know how heaven works, so I don’t know if she knows I’m writing this.

But I can assure you, if she can read this…

she’s laughing quietly.

I miss her.

21 months to be exact.

That ends this week.

This…is a yard.

We are so, so, so, so, so excited to have a place for the kids (and dogs) to run off all that energy!!

But that’s not the only blessing from this answer to prayer.

We are only 4 minutes by car to the Rincão.  People from the Rincão regularly walk to this area of town. Every single bus that goes through town passes through this neighborhood.  We are super, crazy accessible.

It will be such a blessing to be able to open our home again.  Its been open since we’ve been living here, its just that no one wants to take the 2 buses required to get here.

So, if you’re ever passing through downtown Gravataí…

feel free to stop by.