Happy Father's Day to all dads who read this! I enjoyed the day with my sweet daughter. Sometimes I have to stop and take in the sunshine that she is. Dakota, by the way, is getting better adjusted to life out here. Consistency is slowly starting to make its way into her life. The other children (and adults) on base really draw her in and give her attention. Playing with them is certainly a passion of hers.
Now that the first week of orientation to the other people in our DTS is over it feels like we have had more substance in our lives. The bonds that are beginning to be formed among our teammates are strong. The leadership of our program and the entire base is always right along side of us. We are encouraged to be "students", but at the same time we are made to feel equal because of the Family of God that we all belong to. Highlights from this past week? Nothing really stands out to me (Carson.) Well, there is one thing that I will end this entry with, but allow me a moment while I rack my brain. Oh. Kathy and I have both found our respective exercise routes. Let me tell those of you who don't know: there is a difference between running seven miles in northern IN and in western OR. The geographical surroundings around here are phenomenal. Just yesterday we discovered we could see, off in the distance, what we think is Mt. Hood. The snow capped mountain is majestic, whichever one it is. More highlights? My Act of Service for the classroom phase is working with Michael Beachy on the maintenance crew. Yes, somehow it leaked out that I have construction experience. But my other option was in the kitchen, which is where most of our classmates ended up. Kathy did not get an Act of Service because the powers that be decided that the time she could have with Dakota is more valuable than whatever task would have been (and still is) getting done. The Thai restaurant we were recommended to is great, so we ate there for Father's Day today. For church we went to a Vineyard Church. It was a good experience, and we will more than likely find ourselves there again. I do still want to visit one of the Meetings (Quaker) around here. A couple of the other people are wanting to join me. Overall, what we've experienced and felt during this past week is God's presence here and in our lives. As we continue to learn more about Him and to know Him more personally, we are in a very real way experiencing why we were called here. It is a wonderful sensation.
Now, what I promised I would end this entry with. I'm not kidding, this is going to be heavy. Last night a short documentary was shown here on base about an incredibly horrible practive happening in the world TODAY! In the Amazon jungle indigenous tribes are practicing infanticide! Children, anywhere from newborns to age ten(ish), are being burried ALIVE. Why? Because the village elder states that somehow or other the child is causing the evil spirits to attack their village. Some of the villagers are wanting it to stop and are seeking ways to make it happen. They are just now having their voice even heard in the Brazilian government. What's worse than this practice is that the government is saying that the indigenous people don't really fall under the same laws that the modernized citizens do. And they (the indigenous) are not qualified to receive the same protection that the other citizens do. One politician in Brazil is taking on the fight to have this changed and abolished. Everyone can learn more about this desparate situation by either going onto youtube.com and searching "Hakani", or going directly to www.hakani.org . Hakani is a (now) ten year old girl who survived this practice because of her older brother, who was at the time no more than eleven years old. Please take some time to learn about this story and pray about the coming of the end to this sad practice.
Well, if I haven't bummed you out by now and you're still reading this blog, I'll try to end this on a higher note. I am only beginning to realize the strength and power of the Family of God and how deeply believers around the world are connected to one another through the same Holy Spirit. Awesome!

With You In The Spirit,

Carson, Kathy, Dakota