Paisley Diana Mabery

She arrived. Born at 11:16 Salvador time. Weighing in at 8 lb. 6.5 oz. She is 19 2/3 inches. Mother and baby are doing great. Paisley has a voracious appetite. We will have pictures to share soon.

Aubry's School Uniform

Aubry is really getting settled into her new school. Now, when Mom takes her she just prances on back to her classroom without looking back ready to see her friends Eduarda and Pedro and her teacher Pro Maria. Here is Aubry getting ready for school in her new uniform.

Funeral Travel

I will be traveling to Missouri this weekend to attend my brother's funeral. I have to leave Mary (and Paisley) and Aubry here in Salvador for almost a week. Please lift them up in prayer while I am away from them and especially that Paisley will wait for her daddy to get back to make her appearance in this world. Also keep my parents, sister-in-law, sister, nephews and nieces in your prayers during this difficult time. We have all been blessed to have Jeff as a part of our lives and we miss him terribly.

Let's Start Talking

Our Let's Start Talking (campaign reading and conversing about the book of Luke with English students) team this year came early. They are a group Canadians: 3 guys and 1 girl in their early 20's. The boys are staying at the church building and Sarah is staying at the Sass' house. Kreston (one of the boys) has been here before with LST with his parents and sister 3 years ago (our first LST team). So for him this is old hat. The LSTers have about 50 Brazilian readers total which means they still have spots for 10 more. We're seeing some new faces this year that we haven't seen before and the parties are going well - trying to connect the students with the church members. Our first party was a Canada party - red and white. This LST group should be here while Paisley is born but will be leaving soon after. Please, be praying that this LST campaign will reach the hearts of those seeking Jesus and cause many to want to begin this journey with Him.

Free Theology Course

We've had a good turn out for our free theology course at church. This course is advertised in the newspaper and on a banner at the building and we recieved over 30 phone calls of people wanting to sign up for the course. Now, half way through the course we have 9 regular members who will get a certificate of participation at the end. This class is based on our evangelistic Bible studies and offers an overview of who God is and what He wants for our lives. Randy Porter is an excellent teacher and the students are really getting into the lessons. Please, pray specifically for Othon as he is from our church's neighborhood, does not attend church anywhere, and seems to have no Christian background. Othon asks the best questions in class and you can tell that he is really curious about this Christianity thing. We have had 5 great classes so far and still have 3 more to go. Please, keep theology course in your prayers - (especially since the next lesson is our baptism lesson!)!

And the Rains Came Tumbling Down

There has been flooding here in Salvador these last couple of weeks. It has rained for a solid month now, with few breaks in between. It makes things cooler of course which is very nice. However, it also makes attendance go down at church and mold grow everywhere. Not to mention the roof problems at our new building. One Tuesday afternoon we could not even make it home after picking up Aubry from school because the main roads were impassable. We ended up blocked in traffic for an hour and a half until finally we were able to make it to a nearby mall to go to the bathroom and eat lunch and wait out the flood. Wish I had a picture to show you! It has not been this bad since the week we moved here 4 years ago.

Mother's Day

We had a great Mother's Day at church. We started the Mother's Day weekend with a Family Night for our Youth. The youth served their parents an Italian meal and we played "How well do you know your mother?" Saturday morning Aubry had a party at school for her Mom. It was very interactive and she loved every minute. Sunday, we have a Mother's Day breakfast tradition now at church that is a big hit. Matt made muffins for our part and brought meat and cheese. There were about 60 present for our special Mom's Day Sunday. My present was a night to myself complete with candlelight and bubble bath and also a frame from Aubry and a trip to Outback for lunch with Matt Aubry and the team. Yep! We have an Outback in Salvador now! It's a good place to go for free refills, lots of ice, and big salads with ranch dressing (all things I've missed)! Thanks family for a great Mother's Day! It's hard to believe in just a month I'll be a Mom all over again!

Madelyn Louella Sirmon

Aubry has a new baby cousin!!! She is just gorgeous and we wish we could be there to see and meet her. MadiLu weighed 6lbs and 4 ounces, was 19 and 1/2 inches long and has dark hair and eyes. She was born on Monday morning at 11:06 am. Her proud parents Spencer (Mary's brother) and Laura went home from the hospital today. We can't wait to see pictures of her in her new nursury. We hear it's beautiful but not as beautiful and perfect as MadiLu!

Aubry Nicole's First Day of School

Aubry loves her new yellow school. It's called a time to grow. They say for third culture kids who begin to get frustrated with language, the best thing to do for them is to put them in school early with other native children. So, that's what we're doing. Plus, it will be something all her own when her new little sister comes and it will free Mommy up to rest a little more in her third trimester of pregnancy.

On her first day when we went to register her, she went straight back to her classroom without Matt or I - we think because she heard the other kids clapping and singing. She is such a social bug, school will be a good thing for her. As we were leaving we went to check on her and they had her in the 2 year old classroom - I guess because that's the class she "joined" on her own and she looks 2 years old. The first two days of class they tried her out in both classrooms and decided she would be better suited for the 2 year old class because they thought her advanced for her age as well. Of course!

But also of course, she got sick after her first 2 days of school. Poor Aubry now has a 7 day virus with blisters, fever, congestion and muscle and head aches. We're hoping she'll be well by this coming Wednesday so she can go back to school after Tuesday's national Brazilian holiday - Tiradentes.

Paisley Diana Mabery

Well, as most of you know, I am about 7 and 1/2 months pregnant now. We've decided to name her Paisley Diana Mabery. Paisley is a name that came up on the social security website while we were researching a different name and it also happens to be the last name of very good twin friends of Mary Virginia's. We really liked its meanings: Paisly is a type of design which comes from the town of Paisley, Scottland which is named after the latin word for basilica because of all its churches. Diana is Mary Virginia's Aunt Angie's middle name, as well as Matthew's good friend's name, and a friend of both Matt and Mary here in Salvador.

It is interesting that Aubry's initials are AM and Paisley's are now PM. My brother made the joke that they probably Will be as different as night and day. Paisley is already so much more active than Aubry was in the womb. We watch Mary's belly roll around all the time now. Paisley is due the middle of June and it's closing in fast. It's fun getting Aubry ready for Paisley even though our 1 year and 8 month old has no idea what's coming. Lots of changes coming up for Aubry and her parents. Pray for smooth transitions and a healthy Paisley girl!

Andreia

Well, we've finally done it! We've finally hired a church secretary - something we've been needing to do for a long long time (especially since all of us women on the team started getting pregnant). Andreia is a member of our church. She speaks some English. She is a people person and has been a Christian for some time. She is the single Mom of Alicia age 9. And she has good computer skills. What a blessing she already is and will be. Please, keep her in prayer as she starts this new job. She will make follow-up for visitors, evangelism, and all the ministries of the church run much more smoothly and more organized. The whole team took Andreia to celebrate her new job and her birthday this month. It was a bit of a culture shock for her I think going out to a nice restaurant just her with all of us North Americans but she had a great time and so did we!

Easter Weekend at Church

We had a great Easter weekend at ICOS even though there were many of our members traveling (Easter is a travel holiday here). It started Friday night with a Family Night at the building. We had about 20 including some English students and some new visitors at our church. It was a great time for games and praise and service. Although for or the Brazilians we've decided charades will be a much better game than win, loose, or draw.

Some of the preparation on Friday night was separating care packages of food for needy families to be distributed Saturday morning. Matt (in charge of benevolence at church) headed up a group of 4 Americans and 4 Brazilians who took food to six deserving families that members of our church are connected to - through family or neighbor / friend ties. The group got to pray with each family and give them invitations to things going on with our church family. It was a blessed day for all.

On Sunday we had a special communion service and worship time. We had less than usual attendance because of the travel weekend but the service was special all the same and was based on Philipians 2. Thank you Jesus for your great sacrifice of love - the is the reason we have such a wonderful and diverse family to share You with here in Salvador, Brazil.

Happy Easter

For Easter this year we had our first ever naked Easter Egg hunt. Ceara, Aubry, and Jackson (all between the ages of 1 and 2 and 1/2) had a great time, dieing Easter Eggs, then hunting for them and then dressing up their birthday suits even more with spagetti - (we had three umpa-lumpas at the end). It was a good time. Lots of pretty colored eggs!

Anniversary Video

Here is a video that our church was blessed to watch together on Anniversary Sunday. Enjoy!

3rd Anniversary Sunday and Other News

Our 3rd Anniversary Sunday went spectacularly well! We had right at about 100 in attendance for the worship and 120 for pot-luck lunch afterwards. The year video for the church was great, one of our Brazilian men preached, and everyone loved the special songs from the children! We also are having about 100 for English classes on Sunday afternoons. God is truly blessing our church family. Continue please to pray for those who came yesterday whom we hadn't seen in a while and for those visitors who need and are wanting more of Christ. Pray also that our members grow in maturity and ability to reach out to all the new faces.

On other news... Average attendance in the month of March has been about 64 each Sunday. Our women's class is getting of to a great start studying Mary and Martha. Our youth have an event this Friday before Easter and have invited the neighborhood behind the church building. We have a service project on Saturday to give away care packages of food to needy families that members of our church know. And Easter Sunday we have another Brazilian young man preaching. Last but certainly not least, we have hired a church secretary! Her name is Andreia, she is a member of our church and you will be hearing much more about her in the future. Thanks for the prayers! Keep them coming!

Aubry and the new room

My-Myee and Ashy's Visit

Aubry's First Conversation with Mommy

Aubry has sure had a lot of firsts that I have been wanting to record. But seeing as how I am not good at writing in her baby book, or scrap-booking or journaling, I thought I'd at least get it down on here. Firsts with little kids are always fun to watch (even the firsts that get them in trouble). Aubry has had many early firsts. She got her first teeth at 5 months and had a mouth full by the time she was 9 months. She started crawling at 9 months and about 2 and 1/2 weeks later at 10 months she began walking and she hasn't been still since. Her first birthday party was a luau where she swished around in her grass skirt. I've been trying to remember when exactly it was that she started dancing because it seems to me that she started dancing right out of the womb. She dances to everything - even TV commercials and sometimes when there's no music at all. We like to eat as well. She first started cereals at 5 months (while on furlough) and baby food fruits and veggies at 6 mo. Since we've had a full set of teeth for quite some time we've tried some things a little early. Believe it or not, Bree's favorite foods are yellow and red peppers, tomatoes, chicken or pretty much any kind of meat, yogurt, bananas grapes and soft cheese. She loves any kind of sauces like ketchup, ranch or mustard.

Her first words were Nalah (our dog), Aubry, Mama, Dada, and NO (probably in that order) and a little later Ara (for Ceara). For a while now the word Nalah was replaced by Puppy (her favorite word these past several months) but the word she used for everything (12 - 15 months) was Aubry - Aubry, Aubry, Aubry. She said her name all the time with every intonation possible and it was a multimeaning word or maybe it just meant everything and and every emotion and the way she said it changed her meanings. It was the cutest thing ever! She has been signing since before she could talk - the usual signs: please, more, thank you, all finished. Her all finished sign usually meant get me out of this darn chair now (because of the emotion that always went with this particular sign)! And we could say the words in english or portuguese and she would recognize and sign for both languages. At 19 months now her vocabulary is quite extensive - more in English than in Portuguese but she's learning both rather well. Bree has been using full sentences since furlough 15 and 1/2 months with phrases like "Ered it go?" (first heard by Papa) and "Air ih is!" Although my favorite story of her talking (because she's jibber jabbered since just a few months old) was just after she learned to walk. At 11 months old she came to our closed door knocking and hollering and it sounded just like, "Mama, Dada, memba me?" She is just now (19 months) starting to repeat pretty much everything we say. This morning she came to the bed and said, "Mommy em oo church." I questioned, "Matt she just said church?" and he replied, "She did because I just told her we're going to church." Speaking of church, Aubry is the one who makes us pray when we all sit down at the table now. As soon as Dad, Mom, and Heather all get to the table she grabbs for our hands and puts her head down. It's the sweetest thing you ever saw. She started this first when we got back from furlough (17 months).

Recently, we had a visit from My-Myee (Cindy, Mary's Mom) and Ashton (Mary's cousin). Even though their visit ended a week ago, Bree still calls their names throughout the house every so often. Yesterday, the door was closed that connects Aubry's room to the guest room and Aubry began pounding on the door calling, "Ashy! Ashy!" I said as I have several times this week, "Aubry, Ashy is not here." And Bree looked puzzled, "Ered eh go?" So I said slowly, "Ashy had to go home." So she replied matter of factly, "Ohhh! Ashy int home." This marked Aubry's first full conversation. Thanks Ashy! You two need to skype with her soon. She's gone potty since you left (19 months)! And although this is going to be a long process she's really interested. Keep enjoying your own firsts!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Well, they don't celebrate the day here. Not enough Irish people live in Salvador, but we celebrated our fourth year here with four leaf clovers and golf balls (fore!). Here are all of the team kids that were available for pictures that night. This was the best one of Aubry taken by intern Heather.

Pray with your neighbor today. That's what Patrick would have done.

March Catch Up

What an interesting couple of months it has been! In Icos news... we've been having more at church than usual these past few Sundays around 50 or 60 each week. This is a welcome change from the slowness of summer and carnival when we were only having 20 or 30 in January and February. The rise in attendance started with our welcome back breakfast (many had been traveling because of summer vacation and carnival). We also had a back to school party for the youth and gave away school materials as prizes. There were about 30 of us at the festa and the kids had a great time! English classes started back yesterday and many visitors came to service because of this. Our theology course starts next month. Our women's ministry starts back next week with after service lunch and Bible study. And we have an evangelism day next week to invite everyone to our big Anniversary service this year. It will be the 3rd anniversary of ICOS!

Not only is our church going back to a faster pace but we are too after having our whole household (Matt, Mary and Paisley, Aubry, our intern Heather who lives with us and our babysiter Tatiane) down and out for two weeks because of a terrible virus. It's good to be back to normal.

Team wise, we are happy to have the Porter's back from furlough. They were gone for 2 and a half months. Kelton turned 5 years old while they were gone and Samuel turned one year old on the day they got back. Both kids seem so much bigger! Samuel and Jackson are only a few weeks apart in age and we had a huge Brazilian 1st birthday party for him with a very colorful farm theme. Mary and Valerie being the team life coordinators threw a great St. Patrick's Day Team banquet this past Saturday night. We celebrated completing 4 years on the field together and thanked each other specifically for all of the hard work each teammate has done over the last year.

We had 4 (significant number) family visitors at our 4 year 4 leaf clover party! Cindy Sirmon (Mary's Mom) and Ashton (Mary's cousin) are here to help set up Aubry and Paisley's new rooms and see Salvador and the church work. Cindy and Ashton have a short week stay and much to do and see. They arrived on the same plane as the Porter's. Also arriving on the same day was Travis' sister and husband, Leah and Craig. These two brought some of the decorations for our banquet and plan to stay a month. They arrived just after Alicia's sister Michaela went back home. Ceara will miss her very much.

Happy St. Patty's Day to all! We will try to post some pictures once our visitors leave.