Here is a final update.  Parents please remeber that you are responsible for picking your students up from the airport at 9:30 am on Sunday.  Continue to pray for them as they travel home. 

Hello for the final time,

We have had an incredible time!!  I could not be more proud of your students.  They have been amazing!  Yesterday, we got to spend some more time in seminary with the students.  Then we continued some manual labor around the campus until church began.  You students were terrific with the children at church, which make up about 85% of the church.  I got the joy of riding with Daniel, one the seminary students, to take everyone back home.  Six flags in lame compared to that ride.    Beyond those things we had an amazing day.

Today, we traveled to downtown Sao Paulo to do some shopping.  That was quite the experience.  A long train ride for very little shopping rewards.  You live, you learn right?  Then we returned home for a relaxing evening of soccer, swimming and other games.  All in all a good day. 

Tomorrow we fly out around 10pm our time.  We will do some minor shopping in town tomorrow morning and then the volleyball battle between Brazil and the US.  Pray for us.  Ha!  I think the thing the students are looking forward to the most is the McDonald’s in the Brazil airport.  Pray for our travels, we have a long day, or two, ahead of us.  Thanks for your prayer support this week, because of that we have definitely seen the hand of God working. 

See you soon,

David

Hello again,

We are moving right along.  We only have 3 1/2 days left, this trip has just flown by.  Yesterday, we went back to the city of Sao Paulo to the first two favelas that we visited.  What an amazing day!  We gave away clothes at one of the favelas with the understanding that before they can get clothes, they have to listen to the presentation of the gospel.  It was your students that gave the presentation of the gospel and they did absolutely amazing.  I could not be more proud of them and you should feel the same.  We had 70 people come through for clothes, that 70 people who heard the message of Jesus.  Amazing!!

Today, we started in seminary class with all the Brazilian students.  Daniel, one of the students here, taught two amazing lessons.  Then the real fun began.  We ate at a Chuhuscara!!  All you can eat beef and there are no vegetarians in this group!!  It was a blast.  Then we traveled back to campinas, the favorite of all the favelas, and spent about 7 hours there.  These are the people that will make your student never want to leave.  They absolutely love us and love to be loved by us.  What a night!! 

God is changing hearts and lives of both the people in Brazil and all of us from Tennessee.

Goodnight (or rather Boa noite),

Dave

Sounds like they are having a great time and the Lord is doing a great work.  Check out their latest update. 

Hello again,

The last two days have been absolutely amazing!!  We visited Globabe, a favela in Campinas, and God allowed for a great bond between our students and the people there.  Pete challenged us to pray for each child that we held, however, we found this hard to do without weeping over the thoughts of their probable futures.  Help us by praying for the poor in Brazil.  Sunday was church on the property, and we had 107 people here (thats counting us)!!  Thats amazing!!  We had a blast getting beat down in soccer by 8 year old and wrestling kids who tiredlessly desired to throw us into the pool.  What a day!!

Today was when the really fun began.  We spent the entire day on campus doing minor construction projects.  We painted the ministy center, planted many, many trees, shoveled rocks, built fires and sorted donations.  Your students were some of the hardest workers I have seen (I know that is hard to believe but it is true).  With our many hands we were able to get many things finished around here that really needed to be done. 

All students are doing well and are having a great time!  Please continue to pray for us for God has even greater things in store!  Tomorrow, your students are getting to individually share the gospel (with some help from the evangecube).  Amazing!!

Goodnight,

Dave

Hey everyone this is Chris.  David sent me this update so I will be updating his blog while they are gone.  Lucky us it will be updated for once :)  Here is your update! 

Hello all,

We have arrived safely here in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  What a ride.  We are really exhausted from practically cramming two days into one really long one.  Today we were able to visit two different favalas.  You would never believe the living conditions of these areas.  It was so cool to see your students loving on the children that never get loved.  Parents, your students were the hands and feet of Jesus today.  We spoke tonight about how a large part of Christ ministry was towards the poor, and that then should spur us on to loving the poor deeply in our ministries (aka. lives).  Your students are a breathe of fresh air for the seminary students here.  They love spending time with people relatively close to their own ages.  You have no idea what God is going to do in and through your student this week.  We continuously covet your prayers. 

p.s. we are having a blast!!

-David