Water Party!

We are getting desperate for snow, and have taken to even defrosting the refrigerator 

With rumors flying around from the United States about an impending blizzard, Faith and I are enjoying what sun and warmth we can get in our last month!

Chilly snapshots from Pennsylvania! 

 This week we continued our English lessons at the Irma Dulce center working on basic phrases such as “I am happy, sad, hot, cold, tired” and most importantly, “hungry”.  On Wednesday mornings we now participate in a clay/mosaics class and are able to practice Portuguese while meeting people from the Santo Antonio community.  Unfortunately I didn’t snap a photo of our clay creations, but it was probably for the best since my hands were by default covered in clay.

The Irma Dulce Center

Beautiful mass at Santo Antonio

This morning Br. Francis Therese co-celebrated mass at the local parish of Santo Antonio in honor of Irma Dulce.  Many of the co-ordinators and students from the Irma Dulce center were there to celebrate with us a lovely mass.

Speaking of the heat , last Friday we threw a “water party” for the children of alto which consisted of hosing down 20+ kids down with cold water with lots of jumping, screaming, and playing of soccer.  

Best wishes from us in Brazil and were hoping you stay warm wherever you are!

A Beautiful Week!

I finally get to make use of dancing skills  

Hello and God Bless from beautiful Salvador Brazil! The weather isn’t the only thing heating up over here! Classes are back in full swing with a few new fun additions! Classes at Alto are going very well and the children seem more receptive than ever. This week Gabi and I practiced a new dance with the children and they all enjoyed it very much.

Gabi leading the children in dance class

During class two of our students started to get in a fight. One of the little girls made another cry and tensions were rising. Our talented teacher Luciana however intervened and did a wonderful job of making the girls confront their problems and dealing with them through having a healthy conversation. The girls seemed happy to learn a healthier way of dealing with conflict and by the end of the class were getting along better than ever.

Luciana speaking with two students

In addition to Alto we are also starting to have a strong presence at the Irma Dulce House. Adult English classes are in full swing on Thursday and Saturday mornings. The students are very happy to have us and we are excited to be part of the community. We are also taking some of the classes offered at Irma House to help build a strong relationship with the teachers and students. This week we attended an arts and crafts class and learned about the history Carnival. Working with the adults in the community is giving us a better understanding of the mindset of the children we work with.

Faith, Katie, Gabi, and Geraldine our new student 

The missionaries and I are all very comfortable and happy here. Our relationships with each other and the Brothers have never been stronger. All of the tasks we have accomplished and the time of prayer we have shared have truly bonded us. Please continue to read and keep us in your prayers! You are always in ours!

-Faith Leopold 

Happenings of our Missionary Lives

 This week the girls and I gave our first English class to adults at the Irma Dulce center. There were about 15-20 students in an hour and half class. We are very excited to see how well the students responded to our teaching methods and that they are so willing to have fun while learning! 

These are our new t-shirts we were given this week to volunteer in their activities and to teach. The volunteers are called Anjos de Irma Dulce translates to the Angles of Irma Dulce.

We even made it to the Irma Dulce's facebook page! Announcing our English classes!

This is the Irma Dulce image on the back of our volunteer t-shirts. 

Now we are officially part of the team!

This past week we had the opportunity to work in different little projects. One of them was hosting a baby shower for one of the soon-to-be-mom of the favela we work at. We decorated a table with her with treats and presents for her new baby boy that is due in a month. Parabens! Congratulations!

Part of putting away Christmas was to restore our outdoor nativity scene for next year. Faith and Katie were in charge of that project. 

Here we have a few of the pieces already finished.

The girls came to the conclusion that painting is a very therapeutic experience. Sitting down and pretending to be an artist is a lot more fun than one would expect :)

We welcomed back Br. Francis Therese after spending the last month in the U.S. with a splendid dinner with friends.

And finally funny pictures of the week:

Our convents handyman, Senhor Joao, and our new guest from South Korea having a couple laughs with Faith during breakfast.

And our beloved Br. Patrick doing his favorite trick: 

balancing anything and everything imaginable on his head. 

Peace out my fellow viewers,

until next time on St. John Missions in Brazil!

Feliz Ano Novo do Brazil!

Feliz ano novo from the community of St. John!  It was such a blessing to ring in the new year surrounded by friends in Brazil.  New years eve we had a special Mass which was well attended by the community of Santo Antonio and a few familiar faces from Alto.  Mass was followed by a beautiful adoration.  It was such a beautiful and prayerful way to ring in a fresh year. The evening was ended with music, dancing, food, and fellowship downstairs.

Fireworks over the bay seen from Santo Antonio 

Archbishop Murilo of the Archdiocese of Salvador 

This week a special Mass was held on the futebol court in Alto, and was celebrated with the bishop of Brazil  and our own priests of the community of St. John.  The Mass was one imploring peace for the community of Alto in particular and the entire city of Salvador.

Two of the recent first communicants carrying up the gifts.

 In the spirit of imploring peace, this Sunday the missionaries and about 60 parishioners at Alto  in Alto walked around 10 km to the basilica of Bomfim.  With our matching tshirts and a large van carrying some of the oldest and youngest parishioners and a large speaker hooked directly into an acoustic guitar, we sang, danced, and walked out way to the famous pilgrimage site.  We were rewarded with a beautiful and charismatic Mass with the sun setting over the city.

On our way down to the Bay while the boys carry the Shrine to Mary

Posing for a group photo with Irma Dulce

Standing room only in Mass

A little history on the Church of Bomfim. . . It was constructed in the 18th century on the Itapagipe Peninsula on the highest peak.  The church was commissioned by a rich Portuguese noble in Thanksgiving to Our Lady for a safe voyage through a massive storm. Nosso Senhor do Bomfim (Our Lord of Good End) is a large pilgrimage site in Brazil, especially the Bahia region, having been the site of numerous miracles of healing.

Last but certainly not least in my book, my parents came to visit for the week.  They stayed nearby which enabled me to show them around and experience Salvador as a tourist.  Here are some of the beautiful pictures my Mom snapped on our outings.

My family reunited for a week!

Traditional Capoeira Dance

How blessed we are for our loved ones!

I hope you all had a happy and blessed New Year and we are keeping you in our prayers here :)