one handed typing

jose is asleep in one arm. im relishing it as they are going back to france in 6 weeks! it is quite difficult to write. we were supposed to be receiving Jailson this week to live with us. His mother is bed ridden and they live in a tiny little shack. The situation is quite terrible and he needs so much help. I was stoked to be able to care for him. And then, his dad showed up at the Heart´s Home. He was moving his family to live closer to his relatives 7 hours away. The next morning. We didn´t get to stay goodbye. His mom his pregnant. She has two little girls as well. The husband doesn´t work. He thinks it will be easier to find a job there. I don´t know. I feel sad and worried. But I guess we have to trust God on this one. Please pray for this little boy. And now I wait to see who will be moving into my house. Pray for that too.

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine´s Day! This week is Carnaval in Salvador. We are having a retreat here and there were way too many requests than we had room for here in our Fazenda. Lent starts next week! Wow! And then school starts for the kids! Praise the Lord! This week we´re in Italy and we´ll have to do a little bit of the US. Who said Americans were self centered? Not this one ;)

Okay, the hour is up. Much too quickly as usual.
I send my love!
Erica

The Never Ending Summer

The school told us that the new year started February 6. Surprise! It's actually February 28! Yay for me! I successfully rushed to make an Indian week and then I'll spend the weekend planning a USA week and maybe Italy? Thoughts? None the less here are a few highlights from the past two weeks when we visited Lebanon and India. See pictures of us making icons, decorating elephants, making traditional rangoli paintings, and our outing to visit my friend Margarette.  I send my love! Erica

I´m safe

Things are quite terrible in Salvador. Please pray for peace. But we are all safe. Please pray.

Love Erica

The Girl is moving to New York!

As for the exciting news!!!!

I will be moving to New York City (Brooklyn to be exact) after my mission in Brasil. I will live in the Heart´s Home, not as a "normal" missionary, but will work and pay rent. Padre Guilherme offered me the idea back in September and I took a few months to discern God´s will. I talked with my family and then my heart was set. A few weeks ago the house there agreed and we settled a deal. It will help me to transition back to American life, which will probably be more different than it was to acclimate here. I will have a Catholic community, regular prayer hours, and daily mass. I will live in the projects in Brooklyn so it will be easy to make visits when I have time with our friends. I will have time to learn to live in my mission in the circumstances of my reality. I am going through a minor anxiety crisis (I don´t actually know the REAL root of it), but know deep inside that it is His will and so He will take care of me. 

Keep your ears open for jobs or people I can be in contact with. It´s still a little far out to start applying for jobs as I am due to arrive there September 1st, but it´s not too early to start putting the word out. I have a resume ready that I can send, if you have any ideas. And mostly I am in need of prayers. Prayers to trust, to live in the present, to love more and more fully each day. 

Peace in Christ,

Erica