Category Archives: Uncategorized

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How to Build a Clay Oven

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We have so many great family memories of special meals with friends where we used our clay oven that I decided to build another one here in Marabá. Olivia was a great help in laying bricks, and the other girls helped too, as they were able. Anni will help by preparing the pizzas, in just a few more days. (Ivanildo and Phil did a lot too).
There is no heat resistant cement here in Marabá, so I asked my friend Google how to make a homemade mix. Here is the recipe I used.
3 parts clay
3 parts cement
3 parts sand
1 part sugar
The clay makes the cement really sticky and hard to work with. The sugar makes a chemical reaction with the cement, causing it to be hot to touch. Now we have to wait from 4 – 20 days for the cement to cure.
Then we’ll build a fire inside the oven to heat it up, push the fire to the back, and slide our pizzas, or bread, or roasts, or whatever in to bake.

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Truck Update

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Things always work out. It turns out the head gasket was gone in our truck. This means the water could not flow through its channels to cool the engine. Monday morning I was able to slowly make my way across the city of Belem to the mechanic I knew. I kept stopping to let the engine cool down, and I took these opportunities to ask God for a newer vehicle. The mechanic had moved to another city, but I asked around and was directed to another small place. This guy identified the problem, and ordered a new head gasket from Sao Paulo. But it will take over a week to repair. So, as a family, we took the 10 hour bus ride home. In Marabá we were able to rent a car for a week, splitting the cost with the Rae family, so we can prepare for the Christmas parties here at the church. It is all working out.
These photos are of the bus depot in Belem. They have an under-the-road tunnel, so us travellers can get safely to the bus we are on.
I am including a photo of a very strong diesel vehicle. We are still quite a bit short of funds to buy it. It is 4 or 5 years old, but in very good condition. 

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Kid’s Christmas Party

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One of the things we try to be as a church is “family”. And families celebrate Christmas together. Deanna and the whole team did a really good job a making this a special celebration for some of our neighbourhood children. For many, this is the start of a whole new way of celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

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Safety

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One of the guys in our church is Elismar. He is an amazing welder and fabricator. Here he is fixing our gate. The portable welder is in the wheel-barrow.

We are trying to promote safe work habits here on the chacara. It is hard to do when we work with a minimum budget, and when the people we work with are so used to doing without. When it was my turn to fix our water caixa, that is 20 feet in the air, I went and got our aluminum ladder. Halfway up, I noticed it was cracked and swaying, and really unsafe. I carefully climbed down, went to town, and bought a new one. It cost over US$500 for a fiberglass extension ladder. It seems like so much money, when the old broken ladder could get the job done. On the other hand, it is a lot cheaper than an accident. It is not only the proper gear that we need, we also need to provide the training as to why we need safety equipment. I now understand how sometimes accidents happen on the mission field. May the Lord give us wisdom, and protection, as we seek to work with Him in His harvest field.

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Art Turns 50

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Art turned 50 this week, and the Rae family hosted a great celebration. Barbecued ribs. Home made ice cream cake. I wish you could have been here. I am really enjoying getting to know Art better. He is a willing and helpful team player, and I am so glad they moved to Brazil.
Really glad.