Monday, January 9, 2012

Moving Right Along!

Hello!


I want to thank all of you who stopped by my little booth at church yesterday to chat about my progress! I also want to give a special thanks to all who have decided to support me. But I want you all to know that both your financial and your moral support means a lot to me. This has been my dream for a long time, and it makes a big difference when you know that the people who care about you are standing in your corner.
A lot of you asked some great questions about my progress, and I would like to take this opportunity to answer some of them now.
Many of you wanted to know when I plan to leave. Right now, assuming all goes as planned, I would like to leave for Brazil in May of 2012. That's just around the corner! As you can imagine, I have a lot to do before I go.
Of course, raising support is pretty high on that list, and if you want to learn more about how you can help, please check out the "Needs" page of this blog to get a better idea.
In late February, early March, I will be traveling to Toronto to take a 2 week Missionary Prep class that is required by the Xingu Mission (that is the team I will be joining in Brazil). This class is designed to help prepare me for what I should expect as a long-term missionary and also help me to have the most success as I take on this new endeavor.
I have to work on getting all the info together to apply for a VISA. VISAs can be tricky, as they are time sensitive. Once the VISA is actually accepted, I have to leave for Brazil within 2 to 3 months or it expires! Please, pray that all those details go smoothly.
Strangely enough, I have to get a motorcycle license. Scary, right! When I get there, a motorcycle will be my primary form of transportation. Look out, pedestrians!
As far as learning the language goes, my mom bought me Rosetta Stone for Christmas. It is a great program, and really helps me get a feel for the language. I also have a Brazilian friend who said she would have some time to start teaching me Portuguese.
One of you things I will also need is support to travel to both Toronto and Brazil. If any of you have airline miles you would be willing to donate, that would be a great help.
And last, but certainly not least, I want to give you a brief description of what I will be doing while I am there. 
The first year that I am there, I will focus on learning the language and the culture. As you can imagine, the transition from one culture to another is quite a leap. My lifestyle will change is ways I can't even totally fathom at this point, and it will take some getting use to.
During this time, I will also be teaching English at the community center run by the Xingu Mission, attending small groups, and working for the local church. I will also be finishing the Vineyard Leadership Institute program I started a few years ago via the internet.
After my first year, I will move to another city in Brazil to join a team that will be planting a new church.

I hope I was able to give you a good description of what needs to take place in order to make this dream a reality. Again, I want to thank all of you for your interest and support. If you have anymore questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

God Bless You!!


Allison Rupert