Happy Birthday James!

Wow, time flies! I can't believe my little guy turns 2 years old today. It seems like yesterday I was sitting in the doctor's office waiting for a normal check-up when my water broke suddenly. The doctor walked in and said, "Looks like we are going to celebrate a birthday today!" What? I couldn't believe it, James was going to arrive 6 weeks early!?! I began to cry as I told the doctor I wasn't ready yet. I still had so many things to do; James' crib wasn't put together, none of his cute little outfits had been washed with Dreft yet, my hospital bag wasn't packed, and I couldn't stop thinking that I had left the house this morning with a sink full of dirty dishes! What a crazy thought! A precious little being was about to enter my world and change it forever and I was thinking about a dirty kitchen! I was also a little bummed that I had only had a piece of toast and hot chocolate for breakfast because I knew the hospital would not feed me until after James was born. But I quickly forgot about my stomach when the pain of the contractions started to really bump up a notch. After 12 hours of labor, I finally requested an epidural and was able to rest a bit during the night. Unfortunately, the epidural brought my progress to a standstill for 7 hours. So the doctor lessened the dosage (which increased the pain) and within 3 hours James was ready to make his grand entrance. My mother, who quickly flew in from FL, pulled out the video camera, Ricky changed into a nice, button-down shirt and I brushed my hair and put on some lipstick to welcome our little peanut. We had the Newsboys Adoration CD (praise and worship) playing in the background. With the third push, out FLEW James Richard Denham IV! (5 lbs 6 oz, 18 inches) A nurse and I gasped at the explosion of baby that the doctor had just caught! Rick's words were, "Oh, look at him!" amidst tears and laughter. I was still in shock at the shear power of that last push that I was still holding my hand over my mouth when the nurse handed him to me. I couldn't help but think to myself, "Thank you Jesus for this precious little gift, your ways and timing are perfect."

Roles Switched

Well, this morning both James and I woke up sick with colds. For me, it is sneezing, sore throat, drainage, and a head that feels like it is going to explode! The weather, I think, has contributed to our illnesses. One week it's hot, and the next it is freezing! Last night was yet another switch of the temperature. I had to sleep with a hot water bottle to keep warm and James has a heater in his room. (There is no central AC or heat in Brazilian homes.) Anyway, we are grateful that it is Sunday, a day of rest! And that's exactly what we have been doing today. I have been preparing for James' birthday party that will be next Saturday night. I decided to have it downstairs in our banquet hall in our apartment building. Last year, we celebrated his first birthday out at the ranch and invited the whole church. It was so much fun. Below are some photos. Uh........actually, I couldn't find those photos. I'll keep looking and will post them later. Okay, here are some photos of my little rascal getting a hold of mommy's camera and taking some pictures. This guy knew exactly what button to press. I wonder how he knew!? Here are some of his better shots: This one is not so bad, I just had to lean over to make sure I got in the photo.
The last two photos are of mommy taking the camera away. Not a happy camper!

Delirious!

Last night, James, some friends and I drove into Sao Paulo to see some old buddies from the UK band Delirious. I worked with them 3 or 4 years ago while they toured in the states. It was great to see them and they were excited to meet James.Leticia, Allan, and Diego went with us. Leticia and her family live right above us in the apartment building. She studied in England for a year and speaks English with a british accent. It's cute!
We thought the name of this church was funny........"Bola de Neve" which means Snowball church. James is enjoying an ice cream before the show.

A wedding!

Our friends Jackie and Felipe were married on Saturday during an outdoor ceremony at a ranch. On the way to the ranch we got lost and arrived 45 minutes late but weddings in Brazil never start on time, so we were there to see Jackie walk down the aisle! Below is a photo of the ringbearer and flower girl getting ready to throw flower petals at the newly married couple. A photo of my mother-in-law Pearl and the happy couple.After the wedding, the bride and groom stand behind the cake and take pictures with the family and wedding party. Instead of using the church steps as a background for photos or other locations, the main photos are taken by the cake. This cake is never cut at the ceremony. Guests are brought out cake from the kitchen already served on plates. Different, huh?
During the reception, the groom walks around with a tie around his neck and guests (mainly the men) are given the opportunity to purchase a piece of the tie if they donate money for the couple's honeymoon. The bigger the amount of the bill the louder the groomsmen cheer. It's funny to watch.

James put money into the pot and there were several people that took photos of it. I asked where was James' piece of "gaveta" after he put his money in. Everyone started laughing. The word for tie is "gravata" and I said the word for "drawer". Oh the joys of learning another language!

Christian Booksellers Expo

This week Fiel is participating in the annual Christian Booksellers Expo in Sao Paulo. It is great exposure for our literature as more than 30,000 people are expected to attend this week long event. Please pray that many doors will open and we can get our reformed books into as many hands as possible!James and I went to visit daddy working at the booth on Wednesday. We ran into Larry and Bob from "Os Vegetais". James adores VegeTales DVDs, however, you would never know it by the look on his face in this photo below. He was so scared of these lifesize characters!

I took a photo with this famous Brazilian news anchor. He is an equivalent to our Tom Brokow or Dan Rather. I don't even know his name. Oops!You might be surprised to know that there are a several Christians on the Brazilian World Cup team. One of these players, Ze Roberto, wrote a book titled "Gathering Fruit in a Dry Land." Unfortunately, we had to leave before he showed up for his autograph session, but our friend Allan had him sign a book and James' soccer jersey. Thanks Allan!
And here is a cute photo of James' little friends Raissa and Marina. They are such sweeties!
Hope you're having a blessed week!

Independence Day

September 7th is Brazil's Independence Day and we celebrated by going to the parade downtown. James is pictured with his best friends Raissa and Marina.
Below is a photo of some men using painted paint cans as drums. I think Brazilians are the best at recycling!!You might be surprised to know that we have Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in Brazil. They have similar uniforms too. Unfortunately, they don't sell Girl Scout cookies! No thin mints for me. :(The clowns were cute and they even posed for the foreigner with the camera!
I thought this was a little bit strange.................the Assemblies of God preachers marched in the parade. Later in the evening, we went over to Rick's parents house for a party given for my mother-in-law. Happy Birthday Mom! We love you and thank the Lord for you everyday! You are precious to us.

A Special Shower!!

Last Saturday night, I threw a bridal shower for Jaqueline who will be getting married later this month. Jaque works with us at Fiel and her parents are part of the backbone of our church. Her father is a british missionary that has been in Brazil 50 years like my in-laws and her mother is one of the sweetest God-fearing women I have ever met. I was excited to do something for her and to have all the ladies of the church over for a typical American shower!(I am talking about the food.) They loved it!
The games, however, were planned by a couple of girls from our church. They really like to embarrass and humililate the guest of honor. When Jaque answered questions incorrectly during some of the games, they painted her face and made her do silly things, such as sing songs and make a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Brazilian humor is definitely different! I was pleased to see everyone laughing and enjoying themselves.

Mercado Municipal

Rick's brother Mark was down once again working in Sao Paulo and we met up with him last weekend. Mark took us to the old Municipal Market where they sell fresh fruit, cheese, spices, and meat for super cheap. Below is a photo of the beautiful building. Inside the building are individual stalls where venders come to sell their goods. We went on a Saturday and it was a little crowded.As we walked past this stall, I was a little horrified of the little piggies hanging in the window. Rick then noticed that the sign reads "Porco Feliz", which means happy pig. They don't look too happy to me!Did you know that the cashew nut comes from a fruit? This photo is for our Pastor Spivey in Melbourne, Florida. Pastor, this is what a cashew fruit looks like. The stem on top of the fruit is where the nut is located. Brasilians love to make juice out of the caju fruit. When you and Patricia come visit us one day, I will make it for you! :)Here is a neat photo below of the many different varieties of hot peppers they sell. Generally speaking, brazilian food is not hot at all. Actually, I have never tried anything really spicy here. Who buys these peppers anyway!? We later went to the old train station and then to the park next door to take some photos and to enjoy the beautiful "winter" weather. James loves his Uncle Mark! Little kisses are the best!


The happy family photo! Here James is tried of his mommy taking pictures!

Answered Prayer!

We received news that the father of these dear sisters, has accepted Jesus as his Savior. Both Antonivan and Ana Paula, who work with us at the Fiel Ministry, are currently back home in the North of Brazil caring for their father who is terminally ill with cancer. Although difficult to see their loved one sick, they can rejoice because they now have the hope of seeing him again in Glory! We miss you girls and can't wait to see you back in Sao Jose. We are praying for you and your family.