Not Again?

You gotta figure when I don't write for a while that I was super busy or maybe not feeling well. Right on both counts. I had another nasty cold last week that knocked me out with a severe migraine and a horrible cough (that I am still fighting). I just don't know what is going on around here, as João too has been battling sore throats and coughs as well and he NEVER got sick before. I guess I need to make a consult to see what is going on with all this wheezing. Since Sissy hasn't shared these illnesses with us, we are sort of suspecting something in our room - maybe our air-conditioner. So I was down last week, although not totally out, as I had a lot to do.
We had and engaged couples encounter weekend at church and I did the group dynamics scattered throughout the weekend (4 different sessions for me). We had a great time and I felt it was especially meaningful this year. The photo shows the couples with their "trophies" they made with newspaper - trophies to award their fiancé for some wonderful characteristic. The sessions were all so interesting, I felt like I learned a lot (especially the sessions on cooking, grocery shopping and budget planning).
Being at the church Friday, all day Saturday and all day Sunday (yep, that's right, no time to come home) was tiring, but still rewarding. Sunday night we had baptisms in the church. Things conspired for that not to happen, but João trudged forward. For instance, the water was too high, so someone pulled the plug to let some out, forgetting to put the plug back in. When they saw it, the water was below João's knees and it was too late to do anything about it. So he practically put out his back to lower people into the water. Then for the first time in 30 years, he had someone have a panic attack as they came down the steps! He had to talk her through it and it took a while. But everyone at church could see her fear, so they waited patiently as he reassured her. What a victory when she was lowered into the water and raised again. She has never been a part of a church, and lives in miserable living conditions. This was something so new for her (we who are raised in the church, have no idea how strange baptism can seem to those who are new to it all). She has been preparing for this for a year, but it was still hard for her. To me this was a wonderful example of someone conquering so much to be a follower of Jesus. Her neighbors and friends came and I was near them and you should have heard their comments. It was almost comical! We take so much for granted. She was told she would die (by a hex or curse) if she decided to follow Jesus. So you see the reason for the fear.
There were 10 people baptized, including four Royal Ambassadors (for those of you are not Southern Baptists, that's a missions organization for boys). One of the boys is so petite (although 10), his head hardly appeared above the baptistry. It's so sweet seeing children who have committed to following Jesus too. So we had young to old - 4 boys, 3 young men and 3 women. Something unique at our church is that the pulpit is on a pulley system so it can be lowered and raised automatically. I am always distracted and never see it being lowered, but this Sunday I watched carefully. I don't know why that is so fascinating to me to see it disappearing into the ground.
Today I am off the embassy to pick up my new passport (these days you have to make an appointment to renew, which I did last week and then the passport is made in the US and returned by express mail). Then I will have to go to the federal police and get a renewal on my "protocol" which says I am STILL waiting on my identity card (it's only been 7 months). Just love bureaucracy. Hope you can avoid the police this week.