We're baaaack!

(written early Mon. morning)
It's been a long day of traveling but finally I am home, tired, but good to be home. It's bitter sweet as I'm glad to be back, but I miss my friends in Remanso. Sat. morning we got up early and our friends met us for breakfast and a final send off with more tearful good-byes. Then off on the road to Juaizero with Fr. Joe.  Aunt Raquel came with us as she wouldn't hear of us leaving without a send off at the airport the next day. We spent the day with them both once we arrived in Juaziero, visiting another day care that Fr.Joe helps with financially called the Teacher Christina Institute, as well as some of the churches he helped to build, after we had a lovely lunch with two of the sisters that work there. I found myself starting to come down from an emotional high, so it was a good day to unwind and relax before today's all day journey.

Our friends in Remanso have been very generous with us, giving us of gifts that are very special as many are handmade items or thoughtful remembrances of our trip.

My most special gift however, is the gift of sponsorship. I was considering sponsoring a 2nd child when Ana Paula made me aware that one of the young boys in our music class had just lost his sponsor.  His name is Eugenio and I can't exactly tell you his age but he's somewhere around 8-9 yrs. old. He is a bit on the mischievous side, but can be very endearing. What I did not realize is that with the loss of a sponsor, a child like Eugenio, who goes to the public school and comes to the center after, would have only one month to find another sponsor or he would no longer be able to continue to attend the programs as well as his mother would no longer be able to receive the food basket given out once a month. For Eugenio, this would not be good as he as at the center almost every day and is one of those kids that walks that fine line and needs the center to keep him on the right path, plus the loss of the food basket would be a great hardship for the family. So my decision was made for me, there was no question that this child needed my sponsorship and needed it soon. On Sat. Eugenio also came to see me off with lots of hugs and I knew I had made the right decision.

We hope you've enjoyed reading our blog and learning about the children of Brazil.
Please share with anyone else you think might be interested and if you would like to support our efforts, we are continuing to accept contributions through:
"St.Charles Brazilian Children-Arts Program".
If you're intersted in sponsoring a child, please contact "St. Charles Brazilian Children".
both are at the address of: 238 Jewett Ave.
                                        Bridgeport, CT. 06606
But most importantly, THANK YOU for following our journey.
love to all, sue

Eugenio

is he adorable or what!

he was very proud to tell his teachers that his name means "I am genius" in Portugese at which his teachers quickly replied - "then you better stay in school"

God Bless America

Good Morning!

After a very long flight from Recife to Miami, a delay, and getting lost coming out of LaGuardia, I was dropped off early this morning. We made it!  My Parents were very cute and decided to wait up for me.  It was great to see them and hug them. Other highlights of last night included sleeping in my own bed. Yay!

This homecoming is slightly bittersweet because I now miss everyone in Remanso just as I missed everyone in the States when I was there. C'est la vie. It is really great to be back and I know I'll make my way back to Brazil eventually. I can't stay away, now!

I think my last post from Friday really sums this experience up for me, so for now I will just say thank you to all. I hope you have enjoyed keeping up with Sue and me. If you'd like more information about the Associao San Jose in Remanso, please don't hesitate to contact one of us!

Muito Amor,

Jamie 

Simply Amazing!!

What an amazing night!!! I am at a loss for words other than amazing, better than I ever dreamed of! The kids were awesome and all at their best, the best they've ever sounded. Three years in the planning and I can't believe it actually happened. And when it was all done, I can't tell you how many hugs and kisses I received and some from people I've never met, thanking us for all we did. What an awesome night and I'm thankful all went relatively smoothly. The hour is late and we have an early call tomorrow to drive back to Juaziero with Fr. Joe so I will sign off for now, but stay tuned for details.

Oh, What a Night!! (FOTO FRIDAY!)

My face hurts from all the smiling we were doing while taking pictures!


As I mentioned the other day, I knew today was going to be a complete blur. We picked up T-shirts, went to the church to set-up and do a "sound check" which wasn't a sound check at all, because we had no band or singers to match levels to... Alas, I digress...


After a nice shower and glass of Coracao before the concert, we arrived at the church to find it locked! Ha! No worries. We were let in relatively on time!  People were early, for the most part, and I was glad for that.  We started only 5 minutes late, but then, nothing worth watching starts on time!  I really don't know if I have the words to describe what went on tonight. The adult choir was SO excited, they could hardly wait until the concert was over to cheer for everyone's success.  The kids were relatively well behaved and followed directions really well! They sang with such bravado- it was great! Transitions were very smooth.  You know the part I love best when conducting a concert? Right after the cut off- the last beat; the final strains of beautiful music still resound and you can match smiling, proud faces to them.  Absolutely glorious.   


After tons of cheering from the adult choir and many hugs and kisses we went into the church hall to present all of our singers with their certificates. This also turned into a one on one photo shoot. My face still hurts from taking about 100 pictures tonight. Very fun!!  Mareeza, Dorinha, Concita, and Racquel sang to Sue and Me as well. It was so sweet. I am glad to say I didn't cry- until I hugged Father McCall. He is so wonderful! I am glad he'll be making a trip up with Fr. Potter just a few days after we get home. Love them both so much.


An Aunt of mine warned me not to fall in love before I came down here. "Jamie- you never know when it can hit you..watch out!" Sorry to say, I didn't completely heed her advice.  I did fall in love. With the town and people of Remanso.  I don't know if I'll be able to post tomorrow, so I think I have to sum up my trip in tonight's post:


Things I have learned:

• Give without reservation
• Hug people a lot
• Sing to the Lord. Always.
• One person CAN make a difference. We can all play a part in changing our world. 

I am sad to leave, but really excited to be home on Sunday night.  LOVE to all. Thank you to family and friends following up North, my new family in Brazil, and, of course, to Sue! 

Youth

Adult Choir- ALEGRIA!

Pe Mundo, Me, Sue, Racquel, and Pe. Joe

Happy after a successful night!

Adult and High School Choir

Thursday night party!

Dorinha and friends singing
a goodbye song to us!

Yesterday-What a Day!

Got home too late last night to blog but what a fun evening, a going away party for Jamie and I. Lots of food,  drinks, dancing and song. There was a lovely duo singing all night, but we were able to convince Jamie and Padre Jose to sing together and my wish came true. They sang Ave Maria and it brought tears to my eyes, but more tears were shed when the group from the center sang us a song they wrote for us themselves about our visit, our friendships and how much they'll miss us. Soooooo sweet.

That culminated a full day of classes in the morning and rehearsal at the church in the afternoon. We thought everything went fairly well at rehearsal since we discovered that morning that our young class had never done anything like this before. They practiced getting on and off stage, their songs, how to stand straight and trying not to fidget. We'll see tonight. They are all full of energy, excited and so are we. Pray for a successful evening as they've worked so hard for this. I'd like them to be proud of what they've done as they should be.
Like I've said before, it's all in the process.

Stay tuned, the countdown continues........

Short and Very Sweet

Wow!  Brazilians know how to party!
I am happy to report today's dress rehearsal went very well. We started according to Brazilian Time; 20 minutes late. I try to be very punctual, so it was a bit rough for me to endure beginning after I wanted to.  Howver, the kids were remarkably well behaved. Especially considering they had never done something like this before. To give them this first opportunity at performing in a concert is truly an honor.


The band you ask? I think songs sounded just fine today. I do wish they would play shorter interlude pieces, but c'est la vie. Everything turned out very well and I am so excited for everyone!


After the rehearsal, we went to Mareeza's for a wonderful party. They sang goodbye songs to us and I cried like a little girl! I am going to miss these people, my friends, so much. We danced almost the whole evening! Despite my best efforts to avoid Skol, Aunt Racquel kept putting a bottle in front of me...Sue eventually took my glass away...There was, of course, lots of picture taking involved. I will have to post those tomorrow.  Other highlights of my night included singing with Father Joe and speaking my fake Portugese.


It's such a weird feeling; I am completely homesick and yet do not want to leave. Talk about mixed emotions! 


Love to all! Good night!
 Jamie 

Day By Day

 As one gset closer to a concert; any performance, really, things become grandiose in nature. For instance, problems with attendance, unlearned music, logistical issues. As we draw nearer to our big day, these things create momentous problems in your mind, forcing you to consider the end is near. In a bad way. "Oh, what will we ever do about (insert problem here)?  Fortunately, I have experienced many of these ridiculous and unecssary tricks of the mind in my life and career as a performer.  Therefore, I know all will work out in the end. Especially since morale is one thing our singers do not lack! They have a lot of fun while rehearsing, regardless of what is racing through my mind.  Then I stop and realize- none of this is really about me.  This is about the Creche, the St. Leo Center, and all the people in this community who have come together to do something they love-sing. Which brings me to my most recent freak out. As I mentioned yesterday, our group of instrumentalists is a great addition to some of our songs, but there are two in particular which I feel would sound better with only  the piano for accompaniment. When I hear something go awry in rehearsal, I immediately think "Ah! What will people think? What if they hate it? What if they complain?" and then I realize, it's not about what I think, its about what my singers feel most comfortable with.  I think during our first FULL REHEARSAL tomorrow, I am going to see what falls into place and go with the flow from there. Some things will work themselves out. We can find a compromise so the singers feel comfortable and the band is not put off by my musical suggestions. I'll keep you posted on that progress.


Other highlights of the day included telling Gustavo I will be his Madrina (Godmother). He was a very happy little boy. Great smile, that one. I am hoping to see the sponsor child of a friend of mine back in Norwalk, CT so I can get a picture and bring it home to her.  That will be really great! Working on it, I promise!


Today I had to say farewell to Jonathan, one of my Three Stooges! I was very sad, but didn't cry. Unbelievable, right?! He really wanted one of the books we are using in class, so I wrote him a note on the inside cover in Portugese/Spanish and let him have it. Despite my poor attempt at Portugese, I think he got the message.


Tomorrow night we are partying it up at Mareeza's after rehearsal. Definitely looking forward to that!  The next 48 hours are going to be a blur, but I am REALLY excited!


Bom Noite. 
Love,


Jamie 

Moving Along

Groups are sounding better and better, they've really been working hard, but the question is, can they do it without looking at the music? Some still are clutching onto it, but surprisingly or maybe not surprising to some, the kids don't seem to need to look at anything. They've memorized the melody and words and every day they amaze me more. Tomorrow is rehearsal day, so we will see - say your prayers.
We had to say good-bye to one of our "tres hombres" as he will not be participating in the concert, so it was a bitter sweet farewell as we don't know if he'll be able to stay in touch with us. Taking lots of pictures and many stories to tell when we get back home.
From what we can tell the weather back home is hotter than here and more tumultous. This is Brazil's winter and I'm still hot, but nights are thankfully cooler, however no rain in sight for a while. All is dry and arrid, water is scarce in the interior, many go without. Thankfully, Remanso is on the river and water is not as much of a problem but still a growing concern. They need rain badly, hopefully the upcoming rainy season will replenish their supply.
OK, our countdown continues, stay tuned.....

A New Day

So today's a new day and things are looking up, the classes seem more energized, the singing sounds better, it's mixing well with the band, so things are looking better.  Maybe the kids were tired from the weekend, our   three boys said they hadn't eaten breakfast ysterday and that affected the way they sang, but I know keeping the faith and saying a few prayers didn't hurt either. So let's hope and pray to carry on and be ready for Fri.

Congrats to Jamie on becoming a madrina to two youngsters!  

Alegria!!! (Joy)

Ola!
 Today was a very productive day.  We saw two new Creche classes and taught them 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes'.  Dorigna was, once again, our right hand helper. I, however, am now fluent in naming parts of the body in Portugese, so I got along pretty well on my own!  Sue got some great pictures from today's creche classes.  


Our 9:00 was much better behaved today. No one came in with food, no one refused to sit far away (and even if they did, I decided not to mind them). They got pretty excited about singing once I started dancing around the classroom. I wonder why acting strangely makes them sing louder. Ah, well. At least it worked!


Franciella was back in our 10:00 class today. She had been absent for two days because her mother was hospitalized. I certainly hope she's doing better.  The 10:00 class is always a good time. One boy named Leonato has really really great posture, it's fun to watch him sing. Of course, he's not as good when I'm focused on him.


I have fun news! Kids who are part of the Saint Joseph Association have sponsors from the US or other countries. They help pay for some of their needs.  I have decided to sponsor two children who are singing with us: Gustavo and Edna. They are really great kids and I am very happy to be their 'Madrina'. Edna is in our 2:00 class, so Ana Paola suggested we tell her today. When we did she was very excited! I am excited, too. I wish I could support more of them but clearly, I am no millionaire. Definitely teared up a bit after she hugged me and said thank you. Her mother was there, too and I got a really REALLY big hug from her. Yep, I cry a lot, I know. 


Our 3:00 adults saw a bit of conflict (it was bound to happen, right?) The adults are singing the Prayer of St. Francis and  it so happened the band knows it as well. I had never heard the band play it.  After our first combined run through, I much preferred having only string instruments playing with the choir, but wasn't sure how to ask the band without offending them. I want the instruments to join us, but I also want to maintain the reverence of the Prayer.  Trumpets and saxophones don't lend that kind of mood, in my opinion.  I hope we can explain it better to Paolo and his kids tomorrow without offending them.  The adult singers didn't like having the instruments play with them at all.  They started to express their opinion about it and Ana Paola and I tried to calm them down.  Like I said, tomorrow we will sort it all out.  


After class, Aunt Racquel and Pedro took us to a churascurria (steak house) downtown for dinner.  We had a really great time, mostly because we were trying to distinguish what the other person said!  Pedro was very kind and said my Portugese gets better every day I am here. How nice!! I am really trying to communicate without Ana Paola's aid, but it would take more than three weeks of being here for that to work!  Racquel was very glad I am going to be Madrina to two kids and she is so grateful to have us visiting. You should hear her laugh, it's so great!! We had about 5 bottles of Skol with dinner, so we got tired pretty quickly by the time we left.  Please note- the glasses we drank out of were pretty small. Just  want you to know we were spacing out our libations!  

Until tomorrow. Bom Noite!


Jamie
PS. Happy Birthday to my Grandma 'O' !!! 

Telling Edna I will be her Madrina

Gustavo. I love this kid! 

Cute Creche Kids

It's All in the Process

That's what I keep telling myself, it's all in the process, but you can't help but get a little discouraged when attendance is inconsistent, some classes didn't sound as good as last week, maybe 'cause I know our deadline is approaching. Will they be ready? But I must have faith and I do in Jamie's abilities, she's wondeful with the kids and knows how to motivate them. So I must keep the faith and remember, no matter what, it's all about the process and what they're learning in the process - discipline, commitment, persistance, team work and hopefully having a little fun.

On a side note - I've been watching the kids get picked up from the creche, usually on the back or in front of  the driver of a scooter, today I saw a little one in front of the driver of a bicycle. The good thing is you really can't drive too fast around here as the streets are stone or bricks and bumpy with lots of speed bumps.

May We Be Worthy of Our Call

Ola!
  Sue and I just finished a lovely soup made by our friend/cook Dediglia. I really don't know how to spell names, but I'm trying my best. I watched her cook so I have the recipe. There are some ingredients I'm afraid we won't find at a Stop and Shop, so substitution may be in order. 


After a great weekend, Sue and I were ready to go this morning and prep the kids for our concert on Friday. I can't believe it's almost here!  Best thing ever: Racquel dropped of two fans last night! We now have fans in our rooms so we can sleep at night and not be kept up by the intense heat/lack of breezes. YAY! It's the little things in life, really.


So- good night's sleep, awesome breakfast (as usual) and:


6 year old creche class was a lot of fun today. We learned the Hokey Pokey and they got a kick out of it! So did Dorigna. She was mostly amused by my fake Portugese and sign language. Hehe!


3 year old creche class was cute, but still very sleepy when we wanted to sing with them. We are hoping some of the itty bitties will sing in the concert, but I don't know how many of them will show up or  remember the songs and "hand-ography". I hope we have some sort of count by Thursday's dress rehearsal.


I am learning that no matter where you are in the world, kids will be kids. Our 9:00 class was out of sorts this morning. Kids were reluctant to follow directions the first time, eating during class, and not participating. Not all of them, of course, but it made things more difficult than they needed to be. Considering I don't speak Portugese, it was very hard for me to try and get things in order. Fortunately Sue and Ana Paola were helping out. We got through what we needed to, however, so that is a good thing.


Our 10:00 class was very small, but the Three Stooges were there!  We spoke to the kids about Friday's concert and Jonathan said he and the other Stooges can't go! The St. Leo Center is run by Catholics, but we opened this program to people in the community regardless of denomination. From my understanding, Jonathan, Emmanuel, and Leondro belong to a Protestant church which does not allow them to be out Friday night after a certain time.  I was sad to hear this- I really wanted them to have the experience of performing in public. Especially since Jonathan wants to be a singer when he grows up.  Emmanuel and Leondro reconsidered and said they would try to come. At the beginning of our classes last week, the boys told me they were Protestants and asked if that was an issue. I assured them it wasn't. God is God. We are all children of God and therefore they were most welcome. I am glad to have the pleasure of being with them during class. I love those guys and they are awesome singers! I am now freaking out about songs, voicing, etc, but we'll just have to wait and see what our attendance looks like!


The 2:00 kids did a great job and were very cute. They sang and behaved pretty well, even without the promise of a game. One little girl named Maria dragged me in to the classroom early to show me she could write her name in script! I think she's 8. So adorable. Our band was present for the last half of the day, so they accompanied our singers while I recorded their performances on my iPod. They are really sounding wonderful. I am pretty sure they had the most fun singing 'This Little Light of Mine'. 


I am constantly amazed at our adult group. We learned two new songs today in less than half an hour. So proud of them! After class, Dorigna, Mareeza, and another friend helped me learn my new favorite Brazilian Hymn, 'Maria de Nazare'. It is SO simple and pretty.  I recorded it with my iPod so I can bring it to more people! 


Relaxing at home now, and trying very hard NOT to go to bed before 9:00. It's very dark by 6:30, so one thinks they should be in bed. At least, I do! Looking forward to tomorrow!


Love,


 Jamie 

Striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace:

one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and IN ALL. 

Ephesians 3-6, NAB 

A Restful Enjoyable Day

We had a lovely relaxing afternoon, as Jamie mentioned, having lunch at a restaurant near the San Francisco River. We sat outdoors and dined on a buffet of Brazilian specialties and cerveza -Skol. As Merezza tells us- a Potugese saying "don't drink the water that the birds pass by." The breeze was heavenly, I could have stayed there all day. I think it was the first day I hadn't felt really hot and sweaty in the afternoon. This is the same restaraunt where just the day before we met the mayor of Remanso as we were taking our tour of the city. And let me correct that, he wanted to meet us. Raquel asked us to get out of the van 'cause he wanted to meet us. Now don't I feel special.
So rest time is just about over, getting ready to get back to work for a very busy week ahead... stay tuned...

And P.S.-I have received your E-mails, thank you all, I just can't respond - security issue with aol I can't seem to work out.

P.S.S.- the stove is gas, but run on a propane tank.
And we received a very special surprise tonight - Fans!!! Thank God for the simple pleasures in life. I'm sure Jamie and I will sleep a whole lot better tonight.

San Franciso Here I Come

Boa Noite!


Sue and I had a very nice day. We slept in (till about 8:30) and waited for Aunt Racquel to bring us water for coffee with our breakfast. Yes, this is quite strange, but we didn't know how to use our stove to make hot water! hahaha. It's a gas stove..what is that?


Brazil time is definitely not US time..people may say 9:30, but they'll really mean 10:15. Thus, Racquel arrived for breakfast around 10 (9:30 was the agreed upon time) and we had a lovely breakfast. Aunt Racquel brought me fresh ginger root for my voice. She made me tea with it! Sweet, sweet lady, I tell you.


After a mid morning nap, the gang piled into the van and we went to lunch at a restaurant near the San Francisco river.  Do not be alarmed, but I did dip my feet in the water. It was SO NICE! Mareeza and I sang the Prayer of St. Francis (a different one than you may know) while looking out at the water. My Portugese is improving. It had to be my favorite moment of the day. As you can imagine, the S. Francisco river is very important to Remanso. Trucks come to it daily to fill up with water, take it to be purified, and then deliver it to houses and buildings. 

The retaurant we went to was a BUFFET! I think most Americans love buffets, but you'll excuse me if you don't fit my generality.. it was great food with great friends. Mareeza brought her CD player with her in the car today because she had a surprise for me. Unfortunately, there were not outlets where we were sitting. Mareeza didn't give up, though, and asked the restaurant to play her CD with a recording of 'Let it Be' (we're singing it in class). what a nice surprise.


 Ana's son Luiz Paolo was with us as well. He is 5 years old and was eyeing the playground at the restaurant all day.  I had a great time playing with him while working off my meal. He is SO CUTE! 


 A great afternoon was followed up with a nap and Mass with Fr. McCall. I can now sing more Portugese hymns! YAY! 


A great Sunday!  Back to work tomorrow!


Love,
 Jamie

Luiz Paolo and Me!

Rio San Francisco

Open My Eyes, Lord

Hello!
  Sorry for the late night post, we were out at a confirmation and got back after 10:00. It started at 7:30!!  The Mass was a lot of fun, mostly because of the music and the choir. Did you know people applaud after the Gospel is read? I LOVE that! I think we should bring that tradition back to the US. We need more clapping in church, right?  The church in which the confirmation was held is the same where we'll be having our concert on Friday. It's a very nice space with good acoustics and lots of seating. It's very exciting to see this come together!


 Today was a long and busy day.  Kind of emotional, too. Ana, Pedro, Mareeza, and Racquel picked us up around 10:30 for what I thought was a tour of Remanso. I mean, it was, but it was a tour of the poorer area where most of our kids at the Creche and St. Joseph's Center live.  For most of this trip, I had been wondering where our kids come from and how needy they really are. That's not to say I didn't believe they had needs, but I wasn't sure what the starting point was for some of them. How much do they want for the basic things in life? Today, I got my answer: Dirt roads, houses made of clay and sticks, some made with bricks (but not many).  Kids from the Creche living with their 7 other family members in 2 room houses. It was very eye opening. Until today, I didn't know what kind of life these kids were living.  Some of our older teens from the St. Joesph Center have children of their own! Perhaps by choice, but not likely.  That's why Racquel's Creche and St. Joseph Center is so important to this community. She and her staff (Ana, Mareeza, the Creche teachers, Dorigna...) aim to break the cycle of poverty that these children come from. Perhaps their parents couldn't avoid this life, either, but the men and women we see working here on a daily basis try their best to give these kids something to look forward to. Something to show them there's more to their life than small houses and young families. They can be something better. They can get an education and become a new person with a different life.  


 I was stunned for most of the morning. I'm resting my voice anyway, so it was a good excuse to stay silent, but I just couldn't stop thinking about what I had seen.  I felt one hundred emotions at once: fear, sadness, hopelessness, anger.  I'll admit, I teared up a bit while we were out. If you know me well enough, you know I hate crying in public. I don't want people to get the wrong idea since I'm liable to cry for a million reasons, not just because I'm sad. However, these were sad, frustrated tears. Thank goodness for sunglasses. I am grateful to Sue for inviting me down here. She has the right idea: music can give these children something  to look foward to. It can give them a chance to feel good about themselves and change their own lives.  I believe this whole-heartedly, which is why I became a teacher in the first place.  I am glad she gave me the chance to give this experience to the kids in Remanso. 


 The rest of the day was lightened a bit with a  traipse through a Creche teacher's back yard 'orchard'.  Lots of yummy things to eat and a few strange fruits I have never heard of. We stopped at a restaurant near the shore of the San Francisco river to take in the view. The water was bluer than blue and the scenery was very pretty.  


I didn't get too much sleep last night, so we came back to the house after lunch and tried to nap. Unfortunately, I didn't. I rested, but never caught on to sleep.  I'm hoping a full day without a nap and a late night confimation will do the trick! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!    


Please keep the children of Remanso in your thoughts/prayers.  


Until tomorrow,


  Jamie

One type of house in this neighborhood. 

Neighborhood kids in our music program.
The girl's name is Amanda. 

What a Week!

It's been one full week now and things are taking shape. Classes are coming along and sounding good, they are working so hard and I'm hoping we can pull it all together, but I do have to keep reminding myself that it's the process they're going through that's important., not the end product, although I can't help wanting it to go well for their sake. Jamie's starting to lose her voice so we're making her rest it as much as possible. Hopefully the weekend will do her well. Can't lose her now!!

However, besides the joy of hearing the children sing, I had two very memorable moments today.
The first at mass at the St.Leo Chapel with Fr. McCall when he acknowledged Jamie and I, but he acknowledged us as missionaries and disciples of Christ to travel such a distance and volunter our time to help. We were applauded by all in attendance. What an honor, but so undeserving, as the true missionaries are Fr.McCall, Fr. Joe and others like them that have given their whole lives to serving others. We are just a small piece, but happy to add what we can.
On a side note, as we left mass, one of the elder women got on the back of a motor scooter side saddle, while a toddler sat in front of the driver-what a sight. I kept watching as they left and nobody fell off. Life is certainly different here.

The other memorable moment was attending the birthday party of Angelica, one of the members of the board of the creche - the center for the children. She had a gathering of friends and family, wonderful food and homemade birthday cake. She brought me in to see her husband, who had a stroke 2 years ago and is now essentially bedriden and in a semi-vegatative state. He was in his bed, feeding tube in place, but impecably cared for, clean, positioned to avoid bedsores. As best I could tell from my understanding of her Portuguese, she cares for him herself, he is all of 60 years but just a thin shell of a man. She had his bed turned towards an open window out to the patio so that he could be part of the festivities. My heart broke for her. What impressed me most was her strength and the will to keep him at home, so well cared for, rather than placing him in a nursing home. My heart and prayers go out to Angelica. Please keep her in your prayers as well.

What a day, what a week...

HAPPY FOTO FRIDAY!

Bom Noite
 Happy FOTO FRIDAY! (Also known as Friday the 13th, but I didn't realize that until much later in the day) I am very excited to show all of you more photos of our kids, our friends, and our home away from home in Remanso (Pronounced [hemansu] ): 

First day with the kids

Teaching a song to eager ears. 

They're signing up! First day. 

Paolo's band students played for us!

Creche class. So adorable!

My classroom in the auditorium.
2:00 group on the first day of class.

Mareeza and Me!

Sue and our awesome translator and Friend, Ana Paola. 

Enjoy!  I am beginning to get tired from  this Brazilian heat. I can tell because my voice gives out on me every few hours. I didn't tell any of the ladies because I don't want them to freak out. Lo and behold, they ask me how my voice is anyway and give me two jars of honey to use whenever I need it. How SWEET! (literally and figuratively) Yes, I am drinking a lot of water (we both are) and I am avoiding too much Chilean wine and Skol (an amazing Brazilian beer). Looking forward to resting up this weekend so we can start our final 4 days of rehearsals!!! Bom Final!!


Love,
 Jamie

Tiny Blessings

My highlight of the day - seeing my sponsored child, Danilo. How he has grown, but is still as shy as ever or just sad, I can't tell which, but he is a child of few words. I did get a big hug though.
My next thrill was to meet Matteus, the sponsored child of my friend Carla. When he came out of the room to say hello I got such a big hug, it nearly knocked me over. That one's for you Carla!!
Tomorrow I will see Carly Anne - sponsored child of Ann H. I plan to take pictures to show Ann when we get home.

We had a very hot, hot rehearsal this afternoon as we were outside. Can't believe this is their winter!!

Getting a little nervous for next Fri. as they needed to move the venue for more space. They anticipate more people than can fit their hall, are inviting lots of people, we will be videoed, recorded, the works. I hope all goes well, but as I told the parents tonight, now matter how it really sounds, it will be wonderful! because the chidren have really worked hard to make this happen. Stay tuned....

A Little Touch of Star Quality

Ola!
  Today was a very good day, and slightly less exhausting than yesterday.  Sue and I visited the 6 year old class at the Creche (preschool) and they were the cutest things. Old enough to sing and dance for me and to interact without too much fear. Very cute. Dorigna (my buddy!!) made sure I was singing and dancing right along with them. It was a lot of fun!


 Let's see..highlights of today...


My Three Stooges weren't all in attendance today during the 10:00, so I had fun reaming one of them out in Portugish- my new, amalgamation of English and Portugese. Oh! I now know two of their names: Jonathan and Emmanuel. If my third boy was present, I'd have learned his, too! haha. They really are great and the whole group is getting better every day.  


Our adult class at 3:00 gets bigger each time we meet! It's very exciting to watch more people join the group and actually have a good time!! Mareeza was very excited today because we began learning 'Let it Be'. The Beatles, you ask? In Brazil? Yes, it's a new invasion =) .  They really enjoy the song and its very easy for them to learn, since they're singing a three-word refrain.  Every day, these people bring notebooks with them so they can write down notes, translations and new words. It's so inspiring to see people take such a strong interest in learning. I really love this class. Please don't misunderstand, I do love all of them, but with older kids and adults you can see a different kind of motivation- the one that comes from within. It's pretty great.  Speaking of motivation, my 10 oclock Stooges and girls came by after my last class to review their English with me.  We had a nice time and more girls from the community whom I've not met before came over to watch us and learn some English. That was pretty cool!  I know I should've been talking with Ana and Sue about plans for the remainder of this week, but we were having such a good time!!


After my impromptu English class, Ana wanted us to meet some of the parents whose children will be Confirmed on Saturday. Sue spoke about how much she loves this community and wants to help the kids feel good about themselves.  I sang 'God is Here' for/with them and they all really enjoyed it.  People were saying hello to me, kissing me, and one even wanted her picture taken with me! All the attention was very surreal.  As I said, they are a very loving community.  


Tomorrow is FOTO FRIDAY! Be sure to log on and see more of the pictures (and hopefully a video) of our  classes and adventures from the past week!


Love,
 Jamie
PS- Mom, I want you to know I had mashed potatoes with my lunch xoxo 

English, anyone? 

Student Teacher?

Things are coming together and the music is sounding better and better each time. Everyone is getting into a little routine and hopefully enjoying it at the same time. We had a group of youngsters that came at the wrong time for class and as the adults were practicing, they were unable to join them. They looked so sad sitting and waiting so I tried my hand at teaching and took them into another room to go over their songs. How fun  they were and did really well with their songs, although they were more intent on trying to teach me their names. They had a good time with that.
We have been eating incredibly well and enjoying trying new foods. Tonight was Brazilian pizza night. Our hostess laughed when I told her my Italian grandparents would roll over in their graves if they saw her put ketchup and mustard on her pizza. Of course, it has no tomato sauce. As they say, when in Rome....

Practice Makes Perfect

Ola!
  Today was less hectic than yesterday, thanks to smaller classes and people gaining a better idea about what we're doing.  Fun fact from yesterday- we were interviewed for a Brazilian radio station! How crazy is that?! I don't think we'll be able to hear it air, but I do know they'll be coming back to hear the concert. I am totally excited! 


 I introduced my 9:00 class to the game of "Jamie Says". (I mean, let's face it, who IS Simon?). I am pretty sure they enjoyed the game better than singing with me, but that is quite alright. At least they had a good time doing something! 


My high school class at 10:00 is so eager to learn. It is actually quite heartwarming.  I have three boys in this group whom I refer to as "The Three Stooges". Teacher that I am, I really should remember their names, but there have been so many to memorize! I'm working on it...Anyway, my 'stooges' arrived well past 10:00. I was nervous they weren't coming back!  We have now expanded our repetoire to include English and Latin songs. I am hoping they'll sing for me in Portugese next!  One of my boys asked me to sing Amazing Grace to him. He has an amazing voice, and loves the song. Would you think they had their cell phones at the ready to record me singing? Well, they did- imagine that.  Later on, I heard them playing the recording back to their friends. It was pretty cute.  


I also love my adult class. Being the oldest in the program, they can handle a more sophisticated approach to learning songs in a new language. News flash: they don't have music written out the way we do (music staff, etc..). They read the words only and memorize melodies by rote. I do that at times back home, depending on who I am teaching. We had a success today! We could sing Alleluia as an actual round! Two-part harmony!  They did a beautiful job and asked me to write out the words to the English songs for them so they can read it and speak it. Hopefully they will use these songs in the future, so I am all about accommodating! They also sang The Prayer of St. Francis in Portugese for Sue and me and it was really beautiful. They will definitely be singing that at our concert next Friday! Speaking of concerts, Fr. Joe Potter has decided he will attend it next week! YAY! That makes me infinitely more nervous about doing a good job, but I am so glad he will be able to share the evening with us. These people love him and Father McCall- it's good to have them here. 


Dinner tonight- Brazilian Pizza!! Very excited for that. No idea what to expect, but that makes it all the more fun! Be ready to try all of my new found foods once I get back ;) Oh, and if you see a bottle with peppers and the word FORTISSIMO on it, please assume it's very spicy. 


Love, Jamie

My 10:00 high schoolers. The Three Stooges are on the right. 

Never Give Up is Right!

Today I saw the fruits of our efforts coming together. To see the interest of the children and their efforts into learning was heart warming. We had double of what we expected come to their first sessions today. Off to a good start! They had a nice introduction into music and what to expect over the next several days. I saw some eager and happy faces - THAT's what it's all about! To give these children something new and exciting to learn, to work together, come together to create something from themselves that they can be proud of and happy about. That's our goal -stay with it our children of Remanso, Brazil, I see a beautiful concert in your future.
(And we won't discuss my getting locked IN to our residence, as many of you know my mechanical difficulties-but really, the lock wasn't moving with the key..)

Bambelela (Never Give Up)

Bom Noite-
  As I said, today the REAL work began!  Sue and I were up by 7:00 this morning so we could get ready to sing with the itty bitty children at 8:00. As it turned out, not all the itty bitties were in class by 8:00, so we got off to a late start waiting for more of them to arrive. However, they were adorable!  We taught two classes 'God is Here' and 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes'. The first group of kids were extremely excited to sing with us and were practically dragging me into their classroom to begin! They caught on to 'HSN&T' pretty quickly and I think their teachers had a fun time with it, too. I even learned to name parts of the body in Portugese! See? Always something to be learned... Our second class of little ones had a good time, but they seemed to enjoy sleeping more than singing. It's ok, they were still cute!


At 9:00, 10:00 3:00 and 4:00 we sang with a total of 80 people! Our group of 10-16 yr olds in the morning were most interested in singing with me and they were really into it. After our first class, a group of 3 teenage boys stayed behind to sing for me! It was adorable. One sang 'Amazing Grace' really well.  Very good tenor!  Wouldn't you know it, those three boys came back to every class and had the time of their lives! It was so awesome to see guys who want to be involved.


Our afternoon sessions were packed with kids and adults! Ana, Sue, and I made sure they knew when they were scheduled for the rest of the week and lessons continued as normal.  I noticed more kids who seemed disinterested at this session, but hopefully we gave them a reason to return tomorrow. By the time we were reviewing songs, they seemed more alert. 


We learned about proper posture for singing and proper breathing and expanded our English vocabulary.  Lots of people were having a great time, especially my group of adults! Lots of them sing in their church choir, so interest was high.  They have a lot of heart and really want to improve. My two good (new) friends Mareeza and Dorigna are in this adult group and kept me smiling the whole time.  Even with a language barrier, friendly faces are always assuring. 


The hardest part of my day was defintely working with Paolo (the music teacher)'s instrumentalists. Yes, music is a universal language, but when one tries to explain transposition (changing keys) in a foreign language, anyone can get confused! Paolo's kids play the violin, flute, saxophone (tenor and alto), trumpet, and clarinet.  Not a full orchestra, but they sounded great! I am hoping to have them play 'This Little Light of Mine' and 'Sizohamba' in our concert next Friday.  We looked at two songs today and I had such a hard time trying to explain the music to them-it was a real challenge.  One of the violin players understood a bit of English, so she was a big help.  The good news is, these kids love playing their instruments, and I know they will practice! (Throughout most of this final rehearsal, Sue was locked in our house because the gate wouldn't open! Poor thing-she had keys, but they weren't working! Fortunately, she was rescued...) 


More of the same tomorrow, but we're hoping people remember which times they are scheduled to come. Unlike back home, I can't just email a schedule and expect people to be able to read it.  It takes a lot more than that to get people to come together here, but they do it!  


I am sure Sue and I will sleep well tonight, considering how hard we worked today. It was definitely worth it and we're ready to tackle tomorrow! Love, Jamie PS- please help us support this amazing community! Click on our ChipIn widget!

Getting to Know You

Ola!
No teaching started today, as originally expected, but Sue and I did meet with our potential students! 


Around 8am, Sue and I met with Ana Paola and Paolo, the kids' music teacher. He seems to be around my age and teaches lots of different styles of music to the kids. They focus mostly on instrumental music.We are going to attempt  singing with instrumental accompaniment. Very excited about that.


At 10:00 and 2:00, Sue and I went to large meetings where we could meet the people and advertise what we are all about.  I was able to sing a few things for them and they seemed to appreciate what I have to offer. It was a lot of fun!  I also started teaching them a simple tune called 'God is Here'. I think some of them liked it! How I wish I could understand more Portugese, it would make things much simpler; not only for me, but for Ana, our translator!


The meeting at 2:00 was much the same, but Paolo's 12 musicians were with us and performed a variety of songs for us to enjoy. We had a larger group than the 10 o'clock and I just couldn't help but start dancing with the kids. This turned into a very large game of ring around the rosy/duck duck goose/get out of my way because I want to hold the lady's hand. It was adorable. I can now ask someone what their name is in Portugese, so of course, that's how I managed to endear my self to these kids. That, and skipping around like a 5 year old. I love it!


Things started to get a bit rough with the boys, so I had them all sit down ( I can say that in Portugese, too!) and started teaching another song. Thus, my first 'King and I' moment.  They ate it up, fortunately! It was a wonderful afternoon.


Tomorrow, Sue and I meet with the itty-bitty children first, then we see all of our potential students once again. Tomorrow, the real work begins!

I wanna hold your hand...

The King and I

Look Familiar?

Bom Noite!


 Today Sue and I had a lot of down time after our early morning breakfast with Frs. Joe and McCall and seminarian Carlos.   So, we came back to the house and had a good nap.  Around 11:30 we headed back to their house to have dinner.  Dinner down here is in the early afternoon and is the biggest meal of the day.  Chicken, fish, beans, rice, salad! It was all amazing and we had our fill.


Father McCall took Sue and I to the beach where we saw some beautiful scenery (you'll have to trust me on this, as I forgot my camera and couldn't capture it for you).  His dog, Lampion, enjoyed the beach as well.


The highlight of my entire day had to be attending Mass. No, I'm not just saying that because of where I am... It was beautiful.  The people were so welcoming- eager to shake hands or hug Sue and me.  And the singing! This congregation does not have a formal choir- that's because they do all the singing themselves!  Two women in the front pew were leading them from their seats and encouraged me to join with them.  It was a great deal of fun and made the entire service so special. These people do not have as much as I do to be thankful for, but boy do they give thanks! One of the altar servers approached me and mentioned how much she wants to sing with us this week.  I hope I see her again.  


Afterwards, Sue and I came home to fix ourselves dinner and hang out. We have a meeting at 8:00am tomorrow with the music teacher here and we meet our first group of kids at 10:00. I was a bit nervous about starting, but after today's Mass, I am not so afraid anymore. Is anyone else thinking of the King and I, or is it just me? 


Until tomorrow,
   Jamie

Fr. McCall's church. 

We're Here!!

We made it! After 24 hrs. of travel, everything went so smoothly, i couldn't believe it! no delays, no hassles, luggage arrived  as soon as we got to baggage claim - Amazing! And what a warm welcome from all. Good to see Fr. Joe and all the wonderful people in Remanso, who greeted us with big smiles, warm hugs and kisses and a delicious meal, as well as our sign that we can see from our doorstep! Now don't we feel special! And to top it off, Ana Paula, our liason and interpreter, christened her 2nd born the day of our arrival and her party was in full swing when we arrived but stopped to introduce us and sing their welcoming song in Portugese.  What a warm welcome, so good to be here, I feel very blessed to be apart of this and am hoping for much success with the children in the next 2 weeks! Ciao for now.

Bom Noite!


Sue and I had a VERY long trip!!  We left LaGuardia at 4:20Pm on the 6th and arrived in Remanso at 5:45PM on July 7th!  Despite it's length, the trip went very smoothly. Each plane was either early or right on time and our bags arrived at every stop along with us. Thanks be to God for that! 


Upon arriving in Petrolina, Father Joe and a seminarian picked us up and we made the 2 hour car ride to Remanso.  When we turned onto the street where the St. Leo the Great center is located, we saw a beautiful sign welcoming us and thanking us for our visit! It was so special. Even more special than that, the ladies and children of the community made us dinner and visited with us.  Dinner was incredible!   It was a great way for me to practice my Portugese and learn some of their names.  This community is so welcoming and I already love them. Ha!


Sue has just turned in for the night and I am about to do the same.  Feel free to comment on what you see and read!  We'd love to hear from you.


Miss you and love you,
  Jamie

Our welcome sign! What a surprise! 

Countdown

well we are reaching the final hours before our departure, packing up until the last minute, of course, would you expect any less from me? And while trying to get stuff together yesterday, klutzy here broke her toe. Seems better today, could get a shoe on, so that won't stop me from forging ahead. The shuttle will be here to pick us up by noon and we're off for a 24 hr trip , due to arrive at our destination on Sat. afternoon. Fr. Joe will be meeting us at the airport. After much discussion and thought, Jamie and I have decided to leave her computer at home. Where we are staying, we will be safe, but I can't say her computer will be and we certainly don't want to catch anyone's attention with it either. We have been assured that we can use the computers at the center, just need to change the language from Portugese to English, so we'll see how our blog turns out. If perhaps by some unfortunate circumstance you no longer hear from us, it is because we haven't been able to make contact through their computers there, but we reassure you that we will journal the old fashion way and then enter our posts on our return. Stay tuned....and hoping we can reach out when we get there. Wish us luck..... and blessings...
sue

The Joys of Packing...

Greetings!
  Congratulations to Sue for a successful first post on the blog!


As many of you know, out-of-country travel can be stressful. The part I seem to find most overwhelming (besides getting to the airport on time) is packing.  I laid out everything I need to bring on my bed this evening:

This is JUST clothing and toiletries! Perhaps you more travel savvy individuals think I'm packing too much, but only my suitcase will tell.  Lucky travelers to Brazil can bring two checked bags and a carry-on.  Can you see my passport? Ha! I've been reminding myself to pack it all day...that would be the ONE thing I really wouldn't want to forget. That and our music, of course.


Went to St. Leo's today to make final copies of everything I'd like to sing with the people in Remanso.  I tried to organize my binder so everything is easily accessible. 

LOOK! I even tried to color-code everything for myself so I don't get confused come rehearsals. We have a LOT of music to share, but I always seem to have more songs for one group than another.  I think I'm headed back to church again Thursday/Friday to copy more music and even things out.  


That's all for now. Trying to get organized and collect/ buy any possible thing we may need for this journey.   I am definitely excited it's almost here!




Love,
 Jamie 

I'm Blogging!

Can you believe it? The technologically impaired is blogging!!! but I learned for a good cause - to share with you our adventures in Brazil. We are really excited and can't believe this is finally happening. Last minute preparations are in order as well as the nervous travel jitters. Pray for a safe arrival.
Fr. Joe plans to meet us at the airport in Petrolina when we arrive on Sat.and will drive us to Remanso where we will be staying.
Jamie has been working hard planning for our sessions with the kids. We know that you can plan for everything, but can expect anything when it comes to children, so we will just go with the flow.
Jamie mentioned earlier that some of you have expressed interest in helping our cause and has provided a link to Paypal. If you are as technologically challenged as I and prefer not to get involved with Pay pal, you can also send a donation direct to: St. Charles Brazilian Children-Arts Program, 238 Jewett Ave.,Bridgeport, CT 06606. Please make sure you mention the Arts Program.
THANK YOU to everyone for your support of this project, including all those I leaned on for advice and techy support- we couldn't have done it without you!
See you in BRAZIL!
sue

Getting Ready

Hello!

I have received more correspondence from Ana, our translator, in Brazil and we now know the following:

• Sue and I will be seeing 4 groups a day. Ages range from 8yrs-Adults!
• The road from our final airport destination to Remanso has been paved! Yay progress! (so all you worry-warts can relax a bit...  ;)

This is a map of where we'll be going!! (ok, I knew this before this week, but it's the first time I figured out how to actually imbed a map into the blog. =)

View Larger Map


I've been running to Walmart mulptiple times to buy necessities for the trip. I keep forgetting we're leaving a week from Friday!  I am definitely getting excited.

Special thanks to Densie for letting me wander through the music library at church to find more materials for the trip.  I am really excited to plan our sessions. The music is uplifting and fun all at the same time. Very excited to teach everyone this music!

That's all for now! Until next time!

Love,
 Jamie

Your Interest has been SO great!

  Sue and I have been getting a LOT of interest in our upcoming trip. THANK YOU for that!  A lot of friends have asked how they can help. Unfortunately, we can't take a lot down with us to Brazil.  I may be able to post a supply list later in June, so be on the look-out!


In the meantime. If you are at all inclined we have set up a way for you to easily and securely donate money to our trip and support the mission.  $1, $20, whatever you feel comfortable with. And if you just want to wish us well on the blog and keep us in your prayers, we thank you so much for that, too.




Love, Jamie