Tuesday a couple in our church who works at company who
The same week we had VBS for the kids with Roza and César, we also had teen meetings every night. It was such an encouragement to have 22 teens participate. This is great since as yet we really don't have a youth group and several who participated were new. After the worship and lesson time there was fun activities. On the last night Jessica and Thaimara did a skit. One night they played a game where if they rolled doubles they had dress up and eat chocolate cake until the next person rolled doubles. You can imagine how much fun it was and enjoyed byall. 
Roza and César, a couple attending a Bible School in Bahia (a state on the coast), came for a week of ministry. They had a full week holding Bible school for the children every afternoon and for the teens every evening. And on Saturday evening they led a couples encounter. (Pictures of the teens and couples activities will be in the next blog.) Our theme was "You are important to God" , a study on the life of Esther. We also had two teens, Thais and Thaimara and their mother Bette come up from Cuiabá to help with the music. They were a great help and blessing.
The kids loved singing "Read your Bible, Pray every day" and doing the motions. They also love having our puppet, Ninho (César) visit each day. Then he brought his friend to VBS (Jessica).
December 20 was our children's Christmas program. The kids recited Isaiah 9:6 and acted out serveral scences frm the biblical account while the adolescents read the scripture portions from the book of Luke.
Maria visited Elizabeth and then recited a portion of "Mary's song" (Luke 1:46-49)
The women of the church sang a Christmas hymn while Mary and Joseph took care of Baby Jesus.
In December I was invited to the home of one of our church members for Sunday dinner. They were making polenta and chicken. Geny cut up the chicken and cooked it over the hot fire of a woodburning stove while others were roasting corn over the fire. To make polenta, they grated the fresh corn off the cob, seasoned it with salt, pepper, and green onion, then stirred it continually while it cooked over the hot fire until thickened and cooked thoroughly. it was served with rice and salad. The chicken and the polenta was absolutely delicious. 
Finados in Brazil is celebrated on November second. It is similar to Memorial Day in the states where people put flowers on the graves of their loved ones. It is a Catholic holiday. But it is different in that they also light candles on the graves to illuminate their way to heaven and pray for their departed ones.
This last grave is interesting of a seventeen year old boy who obviously was a good soccer player and fan so the grave is covered with a minature soccer field.
Nine adolescentes piled in Don and Zoe Peffer's truck and my car early Saturday morning for an hour's trip from Campo Verde through the small maountain renge to reach our camp, Jeová -Jiré which means "God will provide." There were 37 campers from the ages 11 to 15 from several churches in Cuiabá plus Campo Verde plus cooks, speakers, counselors, and workers. All total we had over 50 people at camp. Those from Cuiabá came by bus.
Each of the four teams earned points for memorization of verses, Bible competition, sports, and game activities. Also each team had to take turns washing dishes and pans after the meals.
Which team can stick on the most balloons? Which team is the strongest? Which team can fill a water bucket the fastest through these half pipes?
