This is a beautiful place and I am thankful for the opportunities God has given us to enjoy Brazil. The people are of course the biggest blessing and Karen and I are enjoying this final night at Silvio and Celeste´s home. The team got in some sight seeing today after spending Saturday and Sunday in ministry at Calvary Chapel Rio. Dawson taught a Bible Study tonight and that is pretty much a wrap on our outreach. We will be heading for the airport about 1 PM your time on Tuesday. See you about Thursday. God is good and does good! (Ps. 119:68) I am looking forward to sharing with all of you what He did in more detail when that opportunity comes. LL

A highlight for the team was another opportunity to minister to needy kids. We spent several hours Sunday (8/15) in the favella Rocinha. It was so cool how Ashley spent the whole time trying to get little Daniel to smile. He finally did! You can see it wasn't at all difficult to get smiles from many of the other 40 kids that gathered in Antonia's little house.

Today (8/16) the team walked to a beach near Sugar Loaf and had team devotions in an incredibly beautiful place overlooking the ocean. There is a pathway along the base of Pao de Azucar (Sugar Loaf) and it was a cool place to walk on one of the warmer days so far. Notice the "friends" we found in that natural habitat. Several small monkey's are in the tree behind us in the final photo. It was a real blessing to see these critters in their natural habitat and the team had a great time feeding them. That is, until Dawson got bit by one. Don't worry, he's ok and has a great story to tell about wild animals in Brazil - missionary newsletter material. LL

I know it has been awhile since you heard from us but I am confident that you have not forgotten us. Yesterday (Thursday, Aug 12) Larry and Karen were united in Rio with the team that had been in Curitiba for almost two weeks. The team enjoyed a one night stay in a modest hotel located on an incredible beach, Impanema Beach, a part of the incredible Rio de Janeiro landscape. At the moment we are settling into what will be our home for the balance of the outreach: the Calvary Chapel Rio church building. We covet your continued prayers as we start this final lap and trust that God will make us a blessing to the small body of believers here. They have been without a pastor for over a year now. Tonight (Friday) we begin with a prayer meeting, tomorrow ministry in the church and Sunday outreach with the church in the favella Rocinha.

Love in Christ; thank you for being part of all that God is doing in and through us. Oh yeah, pray for Erin Gardner who just left for the airport to fly home. She starts class on Monday and needed to get back earlier than the rest of us. All the flying is a little new for her but she was fine. Russell and a Brazilian friend went to the airport with her, but she can use special prayer. Blessings, Larry

Some real surfers...

And a couple of wannabe´s.

Dawson and the team are remaining in Curitiba until the 12th and then we will meet here (Rio) to finish our outreach. I know they are going to have a great time with the church there this weekend following up on all the contacts and commitments to Christ that were made this week. I am meeting with a missionary and church leaders here in Rio and my wife Karen will be joining me tomorrow for the service with the church. I know you are praying and especially appreciate your prayers as the team finishes what God has in Curitiba and then comes here for the final leg.

Here are a couple of shots from the pancake breakfast for the university men who lived in the same building we stayed at in Curitiba. It was an amazingly simple thing to do and yet made a great impact. The guys kept asking, "Who are you guys and what are you doing here?" That really opened some doors, and it was cool that they have a Bible study in that same building on Saturday night.

Here Ryan and Darcy are sharing with the guys from the building.

Here is a sequence of 3 pictures that show what it looks like when some one is drawn to Christ. I saw this lady watching the drama and listening to testimony. Nicole and a translator went over to see her and soon they were praying with her. Is there a greater joy on earth or in heaven than when a sinner finds forgiveness at the cross? LL

OK, finally got back to the old internet cafe. I will give a little explanation for each photo and that will help you put them in the context of what is going on in Curitiba right now. It is 10:30 am and the team is just now returning from an early outing to a school for evangelism (they left at 7:30 am). They have some free time and then will go to another school this afternoon.

It is pretty cold here. We slept with the heater on all night last night. Not that it was colder than usual but we have "spread out" our blankets. A YWAM drama team joined us for the outreach arriving Tuesday night. Two of the guys did not have any blankets. I thought I was being pretty righteous giving up my little fleece blanket, and then Dawson gave up his thick comforter that we had bought here. I was humbled... he was cold that night.

Wednesday morning worship was hot. After a difficult night our hearts were prepared for the day with a great time worshipping and praying with each other. Many Brazilians are gifted in leading worship. Paulino (Little Paul) is no exception.

Claudio and Jessica are doing a great job leading the outreach and keeping things moving... really moving at times. The Curitiba church is blessed with mature and gifted staff leaders.

Mendell came from Sao Vicente to join us. We spent the middle part of the day in Praca 19 de Dezembro (Plaza December 19). It was a pretty place and beautiful day and many people with hearts open to hear about Jesus. The team is having a typically wonderful time sharing Jesus with open and hungry people. One of the greatest joys of these outreaches.

The Curitiba cityscape.

John Hwang and Kevin Miller met us at the Curitiba airport and in this picture John is telling how meticulously the day is planned out and exactly when we will be doing what, etc. It was actually a little overwhelming to step off the plane with so little rest (read the account below) and hear these great plans. But at the same time it was very encouraging to see how diligently the church had prepared for our time of ministry in their city. However, about 15 minutes from the airport, our bus broke down giving several team members a chance to take some needed naps. God is good and has a sense of humor.

About the time in Sao Vicente... For some of them, just like my first trip there, talk of returning to Brazil ASAP has already begun. It was really, really a rich and fruitful time of fellowship and encouraging the church there. Don't worry moms and dads they have return tickets... we will bring them home. And besides, by the time they get through these next two weeks they will be tired. In fact that, as usual, is our chief prayer request. Brazilians have a funny way of keeping you up till 2am or so and schedules still get you out of bed by 7 or earlier. Adds up to a tired team. Among our stops in Sao Vicente was Mexico 70, one of the largest slums in Brazil. It was a very profound time for those who had never seen up close how the truly desperately poor live.

As you heard we made it to Sao Paulo Friday night and finally got to bed at about 2am (or so). The team seems rested today and is enjoying a restful time here in Sao Vicente. For those who are first time travelers to Brazil it seems that our weekend here will be a good introduction into the culture as well as a time of rest. For me personally.... wow it is good to be back to Brazil. God is at work here and today I had some time to just walk around and take it in. I love this place and am looking forward to Karen coming next week.

Getting to Brazil has turned out to be a bit more involved than we expected. When we got to Portland we found out that, due to severe thunderstorms in Dallas, we would be missing our connecting flights. In short we ended up spending the night in the Dallas airport luggage collection area. The following morning our flights would take us from Dallas into Miami and from Miami into Sao Paulo. Because of this unexpected delay we will have the opportunity to leave Sao Paulo and drive to Sao Vicente. We are looking forward to our time with Tim and the church there.

We had a great retreat and day on the ropes course at YWAM Salem this weekend.  It was the first time I saw the whole team together at one time, (even then one guy who is going to Recife with Ryan was missing).  But the whole team that is with Dawson and I in Curitiba and then Rio was there and it was great to get to know them.  Here they are for you to see their faces and maybe remember their names for next time you see them.

This is one of the team building exercises at the YWAM course called the web.