August 2014 Newsletter

Tea time with some of the women at work.

My community: myself, Sr. Efu, Armeline, and Sr. Ceny.

  Gratitude

The struggle ends when the gratitude begins. –Neale Donald Walsch

Our new neighbor Diego.

One trait many Brazilians have is the gift of gratitude. They thank God in a very sincere ways for daily blessings I often overlook.  For example when the power goes out and then returns someone almost always thanks God for the power returning, or when we don’t have water for a while when it returns so many offer a prayer of thanksgiving for water arriving. 

One of my duties at AFYA is to help with payroll.  This last month when we paid the women one came to me and asked me to read her envelope and tell her how much money she earned.  She does not know how to read and so I read it R$576 at this she started crying.  That is approx. $250 (dollars) for the month.  She was hugging me and kissing me and thanking God for the salary she received.  She is the only person earning money in her home right now and the cost of living in Brazil is about the same as in the U.S.  So I cannot imagine how she lives on $250 a month.  Yet when she received it she gave thanks for what she had.  

And so I would like to give thanks for the blessings in my life, for my friends and family and community in Brazil.  I am grateful for all those who give or have given money to support me in mission.  I thank God the Maryknoll Sisters and their opening their home, work and hearts to me,  and I too thank God for power and water and all that I receive on a daily bases.  

Fatima and her granddaughter.

Maria and her grandson playing Bingo
at our fundraiser.

Dona Rosa and I trying out the
motorcycle which was the prize at
our Bingo fundraiser.

                                                         

                                                       





                                                                  

                                                                   My Work at AFYA

As I think most of you are aware AFYA is a holistic health center for women. Our primary focus is serving the women of Brazil who are challenged by poor health care. AFYA provides natural healing for women, men and children. The women who work at AFYA are simple women from a poor neighborhood in Joao Pessoa. Sr. Efu has supported their training over the years and they have been certificated in their field.

My work is helping them develop a better accounting system and to be a leader in art therapy. We have been working hard on developing new accounting systems and August was our first month to implicate them. They are going well, but as anything we still need some time to train everyone and work out the bugs.

We have revamped the art therapy and the women have begun creating things to sell. Our focus is on health. So we are making products to help with that. I started taking a class last week on how to make soap using natural products. After I learn I will teach them. We have started making healing shawls which are similar to prayer shawls in the U.S. Since we are not a church we changed the wording a little on the blessing but in Brazil a strong Catholic culture we are able to say we are asking God to bless them and send them healing energy as they use the shawl.

The other thing I am working at is designing ideas to use items we already have in order to recycle and sell. We have a lot of things collected over the years that I believe we can change just a little and then sell. The women are working on that with me but need a lot of guidance. We will be working on creativity and trying to come up with new ideas. When we go to the art fairs almost everything is the same in every booth. This will take some work but I believe once we get started it will come naturally. I have to remember my work is not just to help them raise funds for their salary but to bring things like creativity and a broader understanding of accounting into their lives so they can learn what I was blessed to learn through my education and upbringing. In return I am learning how to live a healthier life from them.




Things that Still Surprise Me

Although I have lived in Brazil for 2.5 years there are still some things surprise me. i.e.

1. Horses pulling carts in the road.
2. Children riding in cars without seat belts.
3. Power/internet going out regularly.
4. How good the fruit here tastes.
5. Violence that seems to be a daily part of life.
6. Bugs..frogs..lizards.
7. Extreme Hospitality
8. The amount of people who cannot read and write.
9. How much Brazilians love soccer.
10. Myself
 Answered Prayers.......It has been about three years ago that I went to New York to interview to be a Maryknoll Lay Missioner.  It was a three day interview and I am reminded these days about one of the last questions I was asked.  The interview asked, "If you could have anything in mission what would it be?"  My response was "I would like to be a missioner who lives by the ocean and can go to beach often."  Well a lot has changed since then the Lay Missioners sent me to one of the largest cities in the world with very little nature.  They had no houses by the beach.  And yet here I am.  My time in Sao Paulo lead me to be in community with the Maryknoll Sisters.  Which lead me here to Joao Pessoa, a city on the ocean.  And I am indeed a missioner who can walk to the beach on my day off.  I was struck by this the other day.  God answers prayers just not in the ways we always plan, but they are answered.  

Partners in Mission

Thank you for all those that have donated to partner with me in mission.  If you would like to support me in mission you can donate by:

Pay Pal:  this is the best way for me.  Go to paypal my info is Carolyn Trumble at trumble100@gmail.com. 

You can send a tax deductible check to Maryknoll Sisters and indicate it is designated to Women’s Holistic Center, in Brazil and under care of Sr. Efu Nyaki.  P.O. Box 311, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0311  

NOTE: YOU MUST ADDRESS EXACTLY THIS WAY IN ORDER FOR IT TO REACH ME.

Thank You!