Last Wednesday, Mauro, Rebecca, and Bianca flew to Brazil to be with Mauro’s family until March (they go every year). When they return to the U.S., Mauro will have another MRI and that will determine if the chemo and radiation he just completed were effective in attacking the tumor. Until then, they just wait. Please pray for them during this time of waiting…pray that they will live their lives to the very fullest during their time in Brazil, and that the tumor will be miraculously gone when they return.

Before they left, Rebecca and I were able to spend some much needed “mama time” together. We were able to sit and talk and talk and talk over coffee and tea for hours. I got to hear first hand about these crazy months of hospital visits every day and juggling schedules. A smile spread across her face as she told me about the amazing support they’ve received from the community and their friends. The best story was how Mauro completed his last radiation treatment, and it just happened to be on the day of the hospital’s office party. They celebrated by inviting cancer survivors to their office for the party, and they invited the Capoeira group to come in and do a performance. So, within minutes of his “graduation” from radiation, he was doing back flips in the lobby. He is one strong papa! Bianca and Bella also enjoyed their reunion. I did a quick family photo shoot…you can see those photos here.

Thank you again for your generous support of this special family. They have said numerous times how much they appreciate your prayers and gifts of money.

Hello friends!
I’ve been gone a long time…but I’m back with a really exciting announcement! Matt, Bella, and I are going on tour! We have recently purchased an RV that will run on straight vegetable oil, and we are going to travel around the U.S. for the next year.

Wait a minute! Did you say veggie oil?! Yes. FREE waste vegetable oil…the same kind that your eggroll was fried in for lunch. Pumped straight from behind your local Thai/Chinese/Fast Food restaurant into our tank (filtered of course). I am writing this post from Springfield, MO, home of Golden Fuel Systems. Golden Fuel Systems converts any diesel engine to run on veggie oil…and we are so excited to be a part of this alternative fuel movement.

BUT…I NEED YOUR HELP! We have a rough route mapped out…but we want to base our travels on YOU! I would love to come and meet you face to face…and also have you assist us in finding green/sustainable/alternative fairs, coops, and other educational opportunities in your local areas. We are going to be looking for companies/organizations to sponsor our educational tour as well.

While we are on the road, we will still need to make some money to live. I am going to be scheduling photo shoots in each area that we stop in. For those of you that could assist in getting the word out in your town…I will give you a significant discount on your own photos. You can see some of my portrait sessions here. I will also be available to help you simplify, downsize, and/or decorate your homes! Matt will assist by doing any handiwork/painting around your house.

If you are interested in adding your town to our tour…please contact me immediately and we’ll start talking details! We are planning to leave in late August/early September.

We just launched our new website today with many more details of what I have just shared… and we will be detailing the entire journey on that site. Check it out here: http://www.livelightlytour.com

Wheeeeeee! We are so excited to hit the road!

SO, it’s YOUR turn to “blog my blog”. I would LOVE to hear from all of you that read…where you are from, your interests, how you found my blog, etc. Basically anything interesting you can think of. This is especially for those of you who never comment…but I want to hear from my regulars as well! I am so encouraged by all of your comments and I appreciate you so much!

Have a blessed week…

Capoeira first came about in Brazil, where slaves from several different African cultures were thrown together. The slaves combined fighting, music, and dance elements of their cultures and came up with what is now called Capoeira.

African slaves developed their own fighting style to protect themselves from white slave owners, but hid their training by making it look like a ritualistic dance-game.
It was practiced by Brazilian slaves up until they were freed in the 1888, at which point Capoeira became the fighting style of criminals. Capoeira gangs would have their own turf, where they controlled the criminal activities. Capoeira at that time incorporated less ritual and music and involved the use of weapons such as knives and clubs. In the early 20th century, the first Capoeira academies were opened, and Capoeira went from being the art of outlaws to being declared Brazil’s national sport.

(www.capoeiradesmoines.com)

They also teach Afro-Brazilian dance, which is delightful to watch as well. There is so much energy…the music made by the drums and other instruments is amazing. Check out some more photos here. Hear music and learn more here.

We went to the Farmer’s Market, the Rocky Mountain Tea Festival, the Emmaus Road Church “dedication”, out for Thai food, out for coffee. Fun times.

We love spending time with the Cheeks. Even though we may not see each other for months and months…it’s as if no time has passed at all. It’s crazy to think that we’ve been friends for just 8 years. It seems like so much longer! I could sit for hours talking to Natalie, and I know Matt could do the same with Kris. In fact, we used to do that a lot more BEFORE we had kids. Now, freetime is a little harder to come by, but it makes every moment all the more sweet.

It was great to be there and see the great things that are happening with the church plant. I praise God for what He is doing there and also that He has allowed us to see so many friends and family this summer.

Earlier this year I went to see my friend, Kristin, in Kansas City. I just now got around to uploading the photos. Here are the photos of our fun.

A few weeks ago, I made another trip down to spend time with her while Matt was in Scottsdale. Photos here.

It’s always wonderful being with Kristin…she is a beautiful soul. We also love the exact same things. We are sisters.

We went to Lawrence. We ate Thai food. We drank tea. We went out for coffee. We talked about Jesus. We watched Miami Ink. We played on the Internet. We cooked. We laughed. We hugged. We rode around in the bus. We watched a movie…possibly one of my favorites. Can you guess what it was? Here is a hint:

“I like to look for things no one else catches. I hate the way drivers never look at the road in old movies.”

We have the best time whenever we are together. This last time, I was there for 5 days. That’s a long time to spend with anyone you aren’t related to. I loved it though…because once you get past the first couple of days, you just get to live life together. Meals, emotions, bedtime, etc…the “daily-ness” of our lives. When you can be together in the mundane daily routine, and you still love each other, that is true friendship. One that will last a lifetime.

When you send real meal, you are basically saying that the person on the other end is worthy of your time. You are putting your feelings onto paper…a permanent expression of your love for them. I have saved many letters over the years…from my dad, my grandma, my sister, my brother, my husband…and everytime I open that letter again, I am transported back to the first time I read those words.

So my challenge for everyone reading this…is to write ONE letter this week. Brighten someone’s day, send photos, send goodies, send your love.

More thoughts on letter writing.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user “Living in Monrovia”.