make a joyful noise!

christian music is such a big part of my life now, i absolutely don't know how i got through my younger years without it...

when i am feeling down, or lonely, or sad, or angry, or even happy, excited, thankful, forgiven, etc., there is literally a song that expresses what i'm feeling... some of my favorite christian artists have put words to my deepest thoughts and prayers...

concerned about your self-image? listen to johnny diaz's "more beautiful you"...

suffering with health problems? listen to kari jobe's "healer"...

going through some hard times? listen to casting crown's "praise You in the storm"...

struggling with guilt or unforgiveness? listen to sanctus real's "forgiven"...

on fire & celebrating your newness in Christ? listen to matt maher's "alive again"...

there is literally a song out there that will speak to your heart and give you the comforting *hug* that you may need to remember that you are never alone... maybe you need a swift kick in the pants every now and again to remind yourself that you don't have to be your old self, trapped in all your sins from the past... i know i do! God makes us new creatures when we repent and that is something we can really celebrate! shouldn't we all have a personal soundtrack to go with all of these cool things God is teaching us?

music is such a big part of my life, i seriously got nervous today that i might not have any christian music while i'm in brazil... i know i can listen to my ipod (in english) or online christian stations (in english), but i want to get as much exposure to the language as i can... then, it occurred to me to do some research! :)

somehow, i stumbled upon a couple of christian artists who sing in the native portuguese language! isn't that GREAT?! one artist in particular really just struck a chord with me and i can't stop listening to her youtube channel... lol.

if you're interested, check out Heloisa Rosa's music channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_RDIhLkMaI&a=zbG5igqYXrs&playnext_from=ML&playnext=7

my favorite song of hers so far is "Paz," which is just a beautiful song about the peace that Christ brings to one's life... it's a simple song, but so powerful... here's my very, very, very rough translation of the song:

"Peace, what great peace
Your gaze consoles me, Jesus...
You are the treasure that I found in the fields
So I sold everything I had just to be nearer to You
I am consumed with love for You...
Peace, what great peace
When I sleep I hear your footsteps, Jesus...
You are my treasure, all the riches of this world could never compare to You..."

close your eyes and just listen to the song... pray that God will use Christian music in some way to draw you closer to Him.

So very thankful to have Christian radio and Christian artists to help me on my daily walk...

Be encouraged, friends! :)

new language: brazilian portuguese!

today, i wanted to do a short tutoring session on what i've learned thus far about brazilian portuguese... :)


did you know the official language of brazil is not spanish, it's actually portuguese??? wayyy back in the day--in the 1500's--the portuguese began exploring the world in search of new lands to conquer and expand their empire... much like american history with the spanish, the native brazilians were decimated as the portuguese settled and brought over their culture, language, religion, diseases, etc... there's much more to the rich history of the country of brazil, but long story short, they totally took on the european language of portuguese and put their own spin on it somewhat... it sounds very sing-songy and much *cooler* than spanish! lol jk jk in all fairness, i think spanish sounds very romantical when spoken smooth-operator style... but, portuguese is the star of the day, so here goes... ;)


a common misconception is that if you know spanish then you can speak portuguese... wrong! sure, you can understand enough portuguese to get by, but the portuguese/brazilians have sounds that we very rarely have in english and occur only occasionally in spanish... so you have to re-train your brain and face muscles to even make the sounds! it's very hard pronouncing the words correctly and making them sound "natural"... crazy, i know...


one thing that helped me get the hang of brazilian pronounciation was by writing a simple sentence in portuguese then writing underneath the english-y phoenetics:


Example: eu tenho uma familha grande. tenho dois paes, tres irmaos e uma irma...

[i have a big family. i have two parents, three brothers and one sister.]


try sounding it out like this:

ay-ooh teng-yoo ooh-mah fah-meel-yah grahn-gee. teng-yoo doys pies, tray-z eer-mows eeh ooh-mah eer-mah.


that's a mouthful, huh?


my portuguese is very rudimentary right now as i've only been studying it since the beginning of march... 4+ hours of language class per week and 4+ hours of brazilian culture class per week... on top of my 'formation towards christian ministry' class i'm taking with the archdiocese of galveston-houston... my schedule is full every week!


i try to take every opportunity i can to listen to brazilian radio or watch brazilian tv shows online, or visit with any of the brazilian ex-pats i run into here in houston... there's also a handful of former interns that have been so cool to practice with us whenever they're available... its' really helping me get a good grasp on the language... i think so anyway... lol


i'm trying very hard to learn how to use key phrases that might help me communicate with people in the Church, i very much want to be able to participate in the Mass and possibly even get involved with a youth/young adults group... i'd love to eventually be able to give everyone my personal testimony of who i am and how my faith has grown over the years... in portuguese!


anyway, will you please pray for me that i am able to pick up more and more of the language so i can better communicate with the native brasileiros while i'm in their country? :)


until next time...

brazil, here i come!

greetings friends, family and strangers!

this blog is to keep everyone informed on my upcoming travels to south america--specifically my work this summer in the city of belo horizonte, minas gerais, brazil!

the following are excerpts of the sponsorship letter i sent to family and friends recently, letting them know about my trip and how they could help me get there... enjoy!

Greetings from Houston!

Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers over the past few months. I’ve been contemplating some pretty big life decisions and am now writing to ask you for your financial support, if possible, and for your continued prayers as my decisions turn into reality over the next few weeks.

A few years ago, a friend told me about the Brazil Internship Program (BIP) offered by the YMCA International. Every year, 3-5 interns are sent to live and work in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Belo is a bustling city of 4 million people located about 300 miles from Rio de Janiero. While abroad, BIPs live with local families, thus truly experiencing day-to-day Brazilian culture. BIPs might have various work assignments like working at camps for street-children, working in orphanages or other facilities. While the American “Y” serves as a network of community/fitness centers, the International YMCA serves a different role in developing countries.

I’ve deliberated applying to the BIP in the past but one thing or another always kept me from doing so. Through much prayer and reflection I decided to apply this year and left the rest in God’s hands. After a lengthy selection process, I was notified in late February that I had been selected as an intern!

Since the program begins in mid-May, I’ve decided to resign from my position with Texas Tech in order to serve abroad. The decision to leave TTU was not an easy one as I truly enjoy helping students realize that education is a catalyst for positive change in their lives. However, I know that this mission trip will ultimately
help me connect my passion for community service, education and my faith.

My personal project is to coordinate a “Family Night” at one of the YMCA’s in which families will enjoy a community meal and participate in education, self-esteem, faith and health information workshops. I’ve already begun making contact with civic organizations, as well as the Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte, to help me carry out this project. I know this is an ambitious project but it is possible!

Just remember: “for nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37