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Fire's burning. #fire #tree #night #festivities #mountaincreek #australia #country #yass #poser #me #orange #orangeandblack @_joannamary

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WEIRD

What is weird?! I have been thinking about this for a while more so in the last month. I bet you are now thinking right now what is weird, its a simple question, yet somehow you are unable to put it in words.  To help explain this I will give a wee story. I offered to make two boys here a hot chocolate. They both, obviously, said yes and  I  went away made it it was extreamely hot so i told them to be careful for safety  reasons. I also brought sugar for them to put in for 2 reasons 1 is I had never used this brand before as coming from Australia where we always use milo, (unless you care about the poor suffering children who are used as slaves  to produce cocoa living in Africa, then you actually wouldnt use milo because they are evil, you would use a fair trade brand where the employees also get a  fair  wage. * please note  more to come on why it's acceptable for products coming from  Brazil to be regarded as fair, I just need to source more information) therefore not knowing the brand I don't know How sweet it would be, 2nd reason is that Brasilians really like things sweet and kids more so. I personally don't have a sweet tooth, this learnt from the mission field as I find the sweet food Ghanaians and Brasilians eat are, to me, just too sweet. The youngest  boy, 10yrs, tried it, once it had cooled down enough. Irregardless that he didn't say thank you or obrigado (portuguese).  his first words was "this is weird" (very important to the story). To me i automatically thought, ahhh not sweet enough. But, like so often that I am, I was wrong... Now before I say why I was wrong, I have a question, How do you make a hot chocolate?! Odds on it is  how your Mother made it, (except thinking about  it not my family as I  make it  the same as my Mother,  though my grandmother  makes it different). Interesting,  i know right. I can think of 3 ways. 1, the way my grandmother makes them, where she heats up the milk and it is 100% milk, no water. 2, the way my mother and i make it, more like instant coffee, mostly water  with a wee bit of cold milk. I wont get  picky about How much milk, 5-25% even 50% if you want it colder. But it's the concept. It's water based. 3. I honestly haven't met  many people like  this, personally, just the one, and he was in Ghana, as most Ghanaians don't really have milk, but he would have hot Chocolate  100% on water I made the hot chocolate based on water which was "weird" to someone who always had had it on milk, cause we will just face it there is an  obvious difference. Similarly what do you have On pancakes?! My favourite is pancakes with Bacon, mango, and maple syrup. It's amazing. the most common 'topping' in my household is lemon and sugar. Plan and (to me at least) simple. Yet the table of 7 other brazilians, I admit 6  where from the same family. Had never had lemon and sugar on pancakes even though the love towards both these ingredients, both sugar and lemons are consumed in almost every meal, though not together, yet to me it is astonishing  they had never put the two on pancakes. Have been noticing while I've been here in Brazil that there is one boy, who I'm living next door to, tells me that what I'm doing is 'weird' and he is saying it  on a daily bases. One of the most common breakfast or  snack growing up as a child  was mashed banana on toast!! I'll admit it I still love it!! Where for breakfast one day I had it, which again  it was deemed 'weird' yet I know it as completely normal. Its even on irrelanvent things, like clean the table after a meal. Another one which to me is completely normal yet to him was weird. Most people should know this, however I will explain. A yellow card in soccer is Basically a really serious warning  (as a soccer referee, Ithought  that best describes it) but they stay on the field. Yet, in rugby, a yellow card is 10minutes  in the sin bin. To me completely  normal part of the rules and game. Yet for someone enough doesn't know rugby that well, "what 10minutes in the sin bin, that's weird' !!   My answer to the simple question of 'what is weird' is anything that is uncommon or something that  is different for us personally. What i want, to say is our own experiences and believes for what we believe to be wierd. Anything  that is outside of our normal boundaries is weird. Anything that we don't know or that's new to us. Therefore what I perceive to be weird you may find completely normal and might be a everyday practice. A couple of examples that I have thought of, imaging you have lived in your own little/remote/rural part of the world and travel and see for the first time. A platypus,or kangaroo, seeing snow for the first time , and a lot like in  Greenland, or coming from the Sahara or centre of Australia and getting stuck in a tropical storm. Eating sushi for the first time, seriously raw fish wrapped in seaweed, or imagine (or do it) going to a  punk or heavy metal gig  with that circle or pit of death at the front next to the stage, to me that's glorious yet  seeing or more so being in one many people will find weird.   To locals these arent anything different.   

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First impressions

First impressions are always interesting. I arrived in Brazil not knowing what to expect. We as outsiders know what the media tells us and we know some movies or celebrities that country. So I know the likes of the Brazilian beaches and the name Pele or ronaldo and now Naymer.  However when I first arrived in são Paulo I was welcomed by an attractive 20ish  year old integration officer. She started talking to me in português, not knowing what she was saying but I knew it was to do with just papers/passport, I just handed them over. She continued to talk to me, with out wanting to be rude I said "um pequeno português " which basically means "small  português". She smiled then I  smiled, it was nice. And she said, "i think your sexy!" not  knowing what to do or say, I said thank you. We both LOLed she then handed back my Passport and I walked into Brazil. Next I was met by a lovely family, they took me to their car, it was a newish Toyota... Which was comforting to know that the  Australian car industry in gone internationally  however in saying that the fact that the news as I left Australia was that Toyota is closing down and moving offshore is really depressing because as a nation we don't really have anything of significance which is 'Australian' that we export.   With that said, my first impression of Brazil was extreamely positive!!!!

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What is the usual

I understand cultural differences and I'm open to people's differences of opinion, this has just weirded me out.... story as follows. As Body of you may know I have a slight addiction to coffee. Therefore, I asked a wonderful chick at a clothing store as to where has the best coffee (within terminal 4 in LA ) she responded, "you mean the only place to get coffee" we both LOLed I went to this cafe style place and rather hesitantally asked for a flat white. the girl looked at me with a face I can only really describe as the face that a cow gives an oncoming car, and let's face it we all know that look. And she said "sorry a what?!" I didn't want to take it any further so I changed my order to a cappuccino. When I received it, the first thing I noticed was it was 1/3 empty, There wasnt any chocolate, the froth was pretty bad there was no spoons. However in saying that it is a good temperature and a nice flavour. Was I wrong to expect people to know what a flat white is? What is the most basic coffee in the states?? Coffee and milk is all I ask

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so it begins

In less than two weeks i will start the journey of my life time. i will be leaving my home town, in rural Australia and travelling on faith into the mission field. i have been called to help Marcos and his Family, i have been called to assist in their awesome work which they have been doing for the last couple of years in Jequitinhonha Valley, Brazil. 

as of yet i do not know what Jesus has in place for me, and i do not know what his plans are. i have talked with Marcos about possible ministry opportunities. we are aware of a number; English as a second language, bible studies, youth camps, building latrines. before we decide on any specific Goals there are few components that we need to remember. firstly, Jesus Christ needs to be the center of our hearts. when making decisions, i need to seek the source, this way i will be setting myself inline with God’s plan.

secondly, “is it required today?” this is a very important question which can be altered into all aspects of life. not only to do with missionary movements, but also with life decisions or work and family commitment. its even just as appropriate for coaches on the under 14′s, these coaches need to ask themselves questions like “do i send this kid out today?” or “do i play with a more defensive or offensive team?”. when saying this marcos and i need to question is our plans the right plans for today, and if it isn’t what is the appropriate Goal. as this will change, either on a day to day or a week by week basis. 

taking this concept another step, we need to look at what Goals are really needed at this point in time. we might see something being important right now, however God doesnt see it being as major as we see it. in his eyes it might be insignificant or that it can wait, therefore our plans need to change. throughout all these questions, prayer is required. it offers the chance to fully think over the importance of things, looking at the full plan and it offers up a time where God can lead you in directions. allowing the appropriate outcomes to be made and the right Goals to be targeted.  because of these things i am currently unable to say what i will be doing when i arrive in the field. 

through the Grace of Jesus Christ.

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This is shockingly accurate, especially considering where I live!

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From the soul. #Guitar #solo #soulful #soul #live #worship #blackstump #stump #flagfall @flagfall

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#foxglacier #nz #backpacking #glacier #ice

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I love these guys, as we gathered together as a team, we chilled we talked and had a laugh. #waiting #football #team #bonding #Ghana #tumu #brothers #school

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Misleading

Today I went into a shop SDS more commonly known as surf dive ‘n’ ski. I admit I wasn’t ever intending on buying a surf board today, currently I’m just in the market. After a wee while of looking, I don’t like when sales people talk to me cause I feel that I need to spend money, a lovely lady asked if she could help me, I responded with ‘I’m actually after a surfboard’. Given the name of the shop I thought this was a simple request and I was in a good location however she replayed with ‘sorry we don’t sell any’ Seriously lady why is it call surf dive ‘n’ ski when you fail at the first aspect of the name of uiur shop!!

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It doesn't matter if your black or white (Taken with Instagram)

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299992 - broombroom (Taken with Instagram)

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Hi-5 mr door (Taken with Instagram)

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Watch it fall (Taken with Instagram)

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I noticed, did you? (Taken with instagram)

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You will be missed (Taken with instagram)