Amy Came to Visit (Thanksgiving)

This year was Amy and mines 6th Thanksgiving togehter. I use to pray that God would send me someone to take home for the holidays, thinking that that would surely result in a boyfriend if at least not a date! Well, God gave me Amy. Ironically I have had a boyfriend for two Thanksgivings and I still have spent Thanksgiving with Amy instead. However, this year was much different because we celebrated together here in Brazil. Amy got here on Saturday November 22 and left a week later on the 29th. We tried to pack as much as we could in 7 days.

Saturday = our version of Thanksgiving here in Itu since Brazil doesn't have Thanksgiving

Sunday = I took Amy on the walk to Church, basketball with the Youth group, and off to Rio via bus

Monday = stayed at a Hostile in Rio and sadly strolled down the beach in with clouds looming and rain coming, and we went to a ginormous mall with a small Statue of Liberty

Tuesday= We met Jesus in the clouds at the Cristo Redentor Statue and spent some time with Adrienne de Almeida (a missionary in Rio) and her husband Rodrigo, we had a tire blowout on a 1963 Fusca on the way to the bus station

Wednesday = We got to the São Paulo bus station at 5:30 A.M. and eventually went to the Cathedral de Sé and the Mercado Municipal where I had a ginormous bologna sandwich

Thursday = We had Portuguese Class, we visited Celia's salon, walked around downtown and all the "BIG" things in Itu, had Acai, and joined the youth group

Friday = We had Yuppie Lunch, went to the Chocolate Farm, had Acai again, and then went to Cafundo and heard a guy that actually covered English songs well

Saturday = We went to the Hippie Fair in Campinas via bus, returned late, and graciously Vitinho took us to the airprort!

Overall we had a great visit! I am so glad Amy got to come visit and see all the things I get to see here!

More Pictures (October/November)

Hey, FINALLY, here are some more new photos:

You will find pictures of the salon remodel, the soccer game in São Paulo with the youth group, our trip to Rio with Ro Diaz, setting and art performances from Ro, Halloween, and various other great times!


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067857&l=5d437&id=54602315


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2067865&l=b135a&id=54602315


Enjoy!

Celia’s Salon (After)

Although we committed one weekend (October 11-13) to remodeling a nail/hair salon, it was a long and eventually rewarding process. For anyone who knows my background, after 7 years of education, this salon was my first REAL project. I was able to do pretty much every aspect on the job, including initial schematics, final design, project management, budget, buying, manual labor, and clean-up. There were multiple aspects to the project. This semester the youth group had watched the movie, Pay it Forward, where the young boy in the movie suggests that everyone do three BIG things for three other people. In return he only asks that they do something big for someone else, hence pay it forward. Well, doing something big for Celia, fit into this concept. Although I got to do a design and Carol and I used our funding to make this project happen, it is mostly about serving others in the name of Christ. The youth group made this project happen along with some really awesome people who gave up part of their weekend. Although the design was brewing for about 2 months, the actual execution of the project took place over about 2 weeks, and really just one weekend. We bought supplies in São Paulo the week before. Then the Thursday night youth group was used as a service night and we spray painted shelving and made vases to hang in the salon. Projects continued on to Saturday at 5 when the salon closed and we moved in. I like to call the project, “While you were out, Itu style.” We worked from 2 p.m. -10 p.m. on Saturday, 2 p.m.-10 p.m. on Sunday, and 9 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Monday. We cleaned, taped, PAINTED, painted, and painted some more, made flower arrangements, rearranged furniture, and turned a very industrial looking space into a girly salon, in the Victoria Secret, pink/black color scheme. Celia came back on Tuesday morning and seemed shocked that we had finished so much. There are a couple of impending projects, but for all intensive purposes we are DONE.

Graphics for Ro

One project I was asked to help with is the prep work for the art exhibition and live art shows that artist Rolando Diaz is doing as a fundraiser for the church construction here in Itu. I was able to make a pamphlet introducing the events we were proposing to the mall and certain people in the community. I also made a flyer for the events (front and back pictured above), of which they made 5,000 copies. I also turned the flyer into a poster that they sent to MANY, many more people. At this point, I just hope I spelled everything right!!!

Minha Casa

Dorcas, one of the women from church who teaches the children’s class, requested that I build her a house for use in illustrating family concepts to the children this year. She visited with me and told me the stipulations of the project. She needed a portable, fold out house that could be carried by one handle and had room for her other books for the class. Therefore, I took a cardboard box, cut off one end for the base, attached the sides of the house with paper hinges, and used recycled materials to decorate. My favorite touch is the “stained glass” window made out of the end of a plastic cup and markers. Dorcas was so proud of the house she showed it to the whole church one Sunday when they were thanking those who contribute to their weekly projects. It was a lot of fun, and now I know how to make a portable dollhouse for future reference.

Celia's Salon (Before)

One of the projects that I have the privilege to work on while I am here is a hair and nail salon for a woman from church, named Celia. She has been working at her current location for 3 ½ years. Currently there is poor organization and a color scheme of grey and white with black furnishings that adds up to a space that is lacking inspiration! My task is to re-design this space without major damage to the infrastructure since it is rented. Upon interviewing Celia I have found that she would love to have a space which serves the clientele, women. A space that celebrates a more feminine, romantic approach to life. Also, I am trying to implement a design which will function well for the tasks at hand (no pun intended). Yet, another consideration is fact that the underlying theme of the time Carol and I have spent in Itu has been trying to renew the old, recycle the used, and move toward an approach of more environmentally responsible way of living. Therefore with all of this in mind, I am posting pictures of Celia’s current situation and will reveal the final design after our “While you were out” service project weekend with the youth group on Ocober 11-13.

Also, we have been here for about 3 months and really have about 2 months, busy months, to go. October holds a variety of activities: Celia’s Salon, Art shows and display by Rolando Diaz, and Trick or Treat for Cans. November: Women’s missionary conference, Amy Leber is visiting me for Thanksgiving, and whatever else God brings my way. December: wrapping up and we leave December 9.

Thanks for your continued prayers and in case you ever want to know more, email me at ags00d@gmail.com, or Skype me (name: amanda.gene.scott) !

Love and God’s Blessings, Amanda Scott

Random Really Cool Things

The interesting life of a blog includes the fact that any entry seems like it is going on the runway at a fashion show. It feels naked if it doesn’t have all the right pictures or the latest most up to date information, but I thought about all the blog posts that don’t make the “style” cut and realized that if I put them all together, someone find this information more interesting than all the pictures I could ever post!

AS OF TODAY, I just got back from my visa trip to Uruguay. A tourist visa has to be renewed every 90 days, so Carol and I took advantage of doing that before life here gets even crazier. I will save more about this trip for it’s own blog entry.

GRUPOS de JOVENS:
Every Thursday night Mark and Ali host the youth group at their house for a Bible Study that is on a rotating basis. The structure is in a 4-week set of “Scripture”, “Media Activity”, “Scripture”, and “Service Activity.” Lately we have been talking about slogans for your life. Using various scriptures from the book of Matthew, the youth breaks up into groups, summarizes the scripture, and then writes their “slogan” for the week on the garage wall. The last media activity was the movie “Pay it Forward” which has the concept of doing a big gesture for another person and simply paying it back by doing something big for someone else. The service project was a collection of used clothing that will benefit some other ministry projects including the Sito Shalom (see below), and the Lar (orphanage), and also as a way to promote a culture of re-use and recycling. We are planning on attending a soccer game at the end of the month and our next service activity involves a design project for a nail salon that I am working on. Overall, I adore the youth group. They are a lot of fun and bare with my lack of Portuguese. Carol and I even joined two of the youth (Kelly and Isaias) at and elderly home where they volunteer their time twice a week. Mark and Ali call the youth group, “The Kaiseres (their last name)”, but I like to refer to them as the Kaiserettes!

SITO SHALOM:
The Sito Shalom is a drug and alcohol rehab facility that was just started about 3 or 4 months ago in a nearby town called Indaiatuba. The facility was started by another church in the area and Mark and Ali were recently introduced to it by a young man that came up to them one day seeking their help. They were able to get this man help at the facility and in turn it has opened up a place with vast opportunities for service projects. A few weeks ago we took the youth group there and helped with gardening for a Saturday afternoon. The young man, Odair, it turn out love AutoCAD and has worked with it for seven years. So, me and my computer might be making our way out to the Sito Shalom and seeing if we can help this man get back on his feet and actually have a future. The ministry there is very similar to a facility Carol and I worked at last summer in Porto Alegre for a week.

ACADEMIA:
That is actually the word for gym here in Brazil. I have been attending a local gym for the past month with Guto and Ivan, two of my friends from church. Sadly, Ivan will no longer be able to join, but Guto and I are trying to keep each other accountable. I have lost a few pounds, but have quite a ways to go. I am gaining more muscle and can definitely tell a difference in being able to get around this city by foot and bike a little easier. Guto and I usually use the time to talk about the church and God and what we think he is calling us to do so it is rather productive on many levels.

CONVERSATION CLASS:
Carol has three or four Spanish students. I have one English student. David and I will meet for our third class tomorrow. It has been a little unstructured, but I hope we will soon iron out the best way for him to learn better and for me to teach better.

PORTUGUESE CLASS:
Carol and I are still taking 3 classes per week with Alini. While I was in Porto Alegre I actually spoke in a little Portuguese in front of a group at the Chacara and at House Church. So, I understand more and can say more, but it is still tedious and much studying ahead is needed.

That is a lot of random for now; I will add more as it comes. I hope you enjoyed it!

Love ya and God’s Blessings, Amanda