Monday, October 27, 2008

Argentina or Bust

This is going out to everyone! It’s been a while since our last correspondence (again). We wait and wait for something definite to happen, but it never does. We hate to confuse everyone with the long and complicated story (especially before we know how it ends), but it’s definitely time, past time, to share what’s happening.

We are going to Argentina.

Argentina. You read right. We have been trying for 2 ½ years or so to stay in Brazil long term, but now we’re going to Argentina... to get our Temporary Work Visa for Brazil! It is a weird story. Here’s the big picture: six months ago, when we were still in Brazil, we asked the Brazilian Ministry of Labor to send our work permit to the Brazilian Consulate in Argentina. It was going to be easier and cheaper to pick it up there since we were already in South America. Well, we had to come back to the US when our Tourist Visas expired after the last 6 months stay. As Jeff was leaving to pick up the Visa in Chicago last week we discovered some interesting news. The Visa was sent to Argentina. We thought we had changed the pickup location (to Chicago), but there had been a recent change of policy with the Ministry of Labor and they said it couldn’t be done.

Part of the change in policy means that we need to pick up the Visa and be in Brazil before 90 days. Even though there is more paper work to fill out, a work permit is a visa authorization in the eyes of the Ministry of Labor. Our work permit was issued a month ago. That means we have until the 16th of December to be in Brazil with visa stamped passports. That’s less than two months away!

Woah. It is now going to be more expensive and difficult to get these visas since we are starting out in the US, not Brazil, but, Lord willing, when it’s all done we will have our Temporary Work Visa, which is what we have been working to get for so long.

When it’s all over we can stay in Brazil for 2 years straight, then when the first two years are up, take a 45 minute trip to the Federal Police in Recife and get it renewed for another 2 years. That is 4 years without needing to leave Brazil! Lindsay and I are so very excited about finally being able to settle in at the World Renewal Ministry in Northeast Brazil.

This time around both of us will be teaching at the International School. Lindsay will be teaching English and Jeff will be teaching computers and technology. On top of that Jeff will be keeping up on the WRBrazil.blogspot.com blog site and finding new ways to get the word out about all the amazing things God is doing in this church planting ministry. We also hope to rent an apartment away from the main ministry headquarters in downtown Carpina to learn the language better and be more immersed in the culture. If it works out this will be the first time in 2 ½ years that we will be away from communal living, not in the ministry headquarters “hotel room” and not with family or friends.

We are finally going into FULL-time ministry so we need your help. Our budget needs a kick in the pants with all the new expenses we are expecting. And we have a lot of new startup costs again. It almost feels like we are fundraising for the first time. We are extremely thankful for our supporters that have stayed with us even when we have been back and forth so many times and have been poor communicators with our situation (it’s been tough enough for us to keep up with all the changes). Your support (especially the prayer support) has allowed us to get through this crazy, crazy process of getting our Work Visa. Included in this letter is a copy of our monthly needs and a list of startup expenses that we will mostly be purchasing in Brazil. Please pray about supporting us monthly or giving a one-time gift to help launch us full-time in Brazil.

Jeff & Lindsay Turner

PS Please keep reading our blog – jlbrasil.blogspot.com or find Lindsay on Facebook to keep in contact with us!

Launching Needs


Bedroom Set

$1,000.00

Household items

$1,000.00

Camcorder

$1,000.00

Plane Tickets to Argentina then Brazil

$3,000.00

Total

$6,000.00

Monthly Needs

Total needed after taxes & WRI fees $1,870.00

Current support $1,085.00

Amount needed more $1,300.00

To give send a check to World Renewal earmarked Jeff & Lindsay Turner or you can give online at https://www.usaepay.com/ make sure to put Jeff & Lindsay Turner under the Description section.

WORLD RENEWAL
P.O. Box 399
Greenfield, IN 46140
(317) 467-9899
fax: (317) 467-4615

Monday, October 13, 2008

Personality Test

So I (Jeff) took a personality test online that was recommended to me by a friend. I didn't really like a lot of the questions and didn't think it was going to be very accurate. Then I saw what careers they said I would be good at. This list is just freaky to me because it is almost like looking at my resume. I have been working in Social Service industry for 4 years of my life as a Direct care provider. I have been in school for Religious Education and of course am exposed to that a lot in Brazil. I will be teaching come January at the International School in Brazil. I will be teaching Technology and computer classes. Which leads to closer to the bottom of the list. I was a Tier 2 Desktop Support technician at Roche Diagnostics for a year which is like combining the Customer Service and Technical fields. Then the big job I do in Brazil is Graphic Design and communication. I can assume I will be doing a lot of translation once I learn the language better.

This was a very weird look into my life through a simple personality test.

YOUR TYPE
ISFJ
Strength of the preferences %
3338644

Career
Social Service
Social Work
Religious Education
Education
Child Day Care Management
Health Care
Health Care Administration
Medical Records Administration
Nursing
Radiologic Technician
Customer Service
Customer Service Specialist
Real Estate Broker/Agent
Secretary
Paralegal
Art/Technical
Translator
Computer Programming
Design Graphic, Industrial, Interior
Engineering
Famous people of your particular type
Jimmy Carter, Frederic Chopin, Jane Fonda