Coming Home

So in a few hours I will be heading to the airport, it is a 5 hour drive.  I will be flying from Curitiba to Rio De Janeiro, from Rio to Miami where I will have a six hour layover, then off to Cleveland.  I will be getting in around 2 pm tomorrow afternoon.  Please pray for safe travels and that the goodbyes would be easy, I know one won’t be ;( Love you all, thanks for your prayers!

Getting better

So the orphanage is going through a big transition phase, they have gotten over 15 new kids in the last two weeks.  This means that while they do need a lot of help, they don’t exactly know where to start.  Please pray for wisdom for both Brenna and myself as well as the full time staff here.  We all are here for the kids but it is very stressful when the kids are still trying to get used to the place.  Pray that the staff here comes up with a working schedule, and plugs us in where we can be best used.  Thank you all back home for your prayers I truly believe they do help, God is good.

-Ryan

Week One Recap

My first week in Brasil is nearly over, what a blessing it has been.  This week I have seen so many new things.  God has truly blessed me by allowing me and calling me to make this trip for him.  Brasil is beautiful, and so are it’s people.  To explain the orphanage a little bit more it is like a bunch of intercity kids, except they live with you.  I have never had to do kids ministry 24/7, for you parents this would probably be no big deal.  Mom and dad I get it now, and I am sorry. haha.  But seriously God has been answering my prayers for patience, grace, and Love.  This past week my job was to shadow one of the full time missionaries here, Andy.  A typical day was as follows; I would wake up at 9 (not to bad right), then have my own time of cleansing, both physically and spiritually (shower and devotions).  Then Brenna and I would have breakfast together around 10 each morning.  After breakfast we just hang around incase we are needed for odd jobs until 11:30.  At that time CLM has their prayer meeting.  After the prayer meeting we set up lunch for about 45 people, getting pitchers of water, cups, silverware, plates, and the food set up at each table.  We then eat lunch with them.  After lunch I would either help do the dishes, or go work with Andy and the older boys (11+) if needed.  Then around 3 they have a snack time.  After snack time Andy and I would switch to work with the younger boys (4-10), or should I say “work”.  This is the time when Andy would explain a job to the young kids and then Andy and I would end up doing the job ourselves after about 10 minutes.  It’s important to remember though that while CLM pays for the schooling of these kids, most will not go to college.  Therefore it is important for the kids, even at a young age, to see what work is really like and learn how to do some sort of trade.  That is why Andy takes the time to work with the younger boys, so that they can see men working.  After work is dinner, Brenna and I get a break from 4:30-6 for dinner.  It is that long because we have to make our own dinner and are frequently “visited” by kids.  :) We normally get done eating around 5:30 and then get online.  The evenings are pretty relaxed, when we finish eating the kids are normally finishing too. So we go down and help them get cleaned up and changed into their pajamas.  Then they have free time until about 8:30 when they are supposed to start getting their teeth brushed and ready for bed.  Brenna and I help put the youngest kids to bed, then our work for the day is done.  We typically then watch a movie and skype with our parents until about 11:30 or midnight then we go to bed.  Like I said, it has been a great week.  I hope you all are doing well back home and seeing God’s blessings in your own life.  Love you all.

-Ryan

Day One!

What do 10 baptisms, 37 orphans, 20 piggy back rides, four kids playing with, hitting with sticks, and throwing at each other, a dead fish head!, one extremely unique church service, and a six month anniversary have in common?  All were a part of my first day in Brazil! All that and I got to DRIVE a combi (bus) that was stick shift and no power steering, my dad would be so proud well I love you all, thanks for your prayers. Bye for now.

-Ryan

Brazil!

So for the next month I will be in Guarapuava, Brazil working at an orphanage there called, CLM, or Canaan Land Ministries.  I will be working alongside the full time missionaries here with my Girlfriend.  I will do my best to keep up this blog to let you know what I am up to, and hopefully put up a few pictures here and there.  Well thats all for now, goodbye.

-Ryan

Hello Everyone

I just wanted to let you know that I am back in the USA now.  My flight got into Atlanta about 3 hours ago.  I am staying at OM USA for a few days to reflect and debrief,  Thank you all so so so much for all of your support, It really has been a life changing experience.  I look forward to talking with you all and sharing things with you, when I get back to Akron.  Thanks again, I love you all!

Merry Christmas

!

Special Edition: The Tyler Beggs Interview

Alright to preface the following blog entry; Tyler Beggs is my best friend on the ship.  Tyler is my age and comes from sunny Georgia, USA.  Tyler and I met on one of the first nights of the GO Conference and have grown as friends since.  I had the idea to interview him to give you all a better idea of who he is, he really liked the idea so here we go.

Q:   Favorite Movie?

A:   “Monty Python and The Holy Grail”

Q:   Favorite Music Artist?

A:   “Jack Johnson”

Q:   Celebrity most often mistaken as?

A:   “Ryan Hughes”

Q:   Thing you miss the most about home?

A:   “[the] people”

Q:   Name you’re going to name your first child?

A:   “Haven’t thought about it yet”

Q:   Favorite Bible verse?

A:   1 John 4:19

Q: Ryan’s best feature?

A:   “gall bladder”

Q:   What should I ask you next?

A:   “Is it cold in this coffee house?”

Q:   Is it cold in this coffee house?

A:   “Yes, extremely.  Like it’s really cold in here.”

Favorite part of the Doulos?

A:   “Seeing 280 people working for one goal”

Alright everyone I hope you enjoyed this entry as much as I did making it.  As you can tell Tyler has a good sense of humor and we get along very well.  Alright until next time toodles!

The End Has No End

Hello all,

If you are reading this you have more patience than me.  Thanks for sticking with me and reading my blog.  As most of you know, the Doulos ministry will not sail on past the first of the year.  When I received this news I was shocked, and confused.  Why had God sent me across the world to return in a short four months.  Well since then I have been praying and reflecting a lot and I am so thankful that I am where I am.  I am thinking a lot about what the near future holds for me.  As of right now I am posed with three options.  First is to stay on the ship and help them take it apart until the end of January and then go to Moldova to do sports/kids ministry there until then of April.  Second would be to go to LifeHope in London to work with the local church there and to work with European Muslims.  This option would have me leaving the Doulos sometime in early to mid-January and then going to London until late June.  The third option would be to stay on the ship for the final voyage.  This option doesn’t come with many details, not even a return date but I am thinking of this possibility as well.  Well currently I am still in Singapore, out of Dry Dock after a long two months though! Be praying for my future as well as the futures of my friends on board.  Thank you all so much!

Hello Everyone

Right now I am in Dry Dock in Singapore.  Dry Dock is a yearly stop for the Doulos.  We came here to check up on the ship and work on whatever needs it.  We had originally planned on coming here for five weeks, at the time that seemed like a long time.  We were also supposed to be completely out of the water for 8 to 12 days.  God had other plans for us, you see we are currently in the fifth week and we already have been told we are staying for at least one more week, until the 23rd I believe.  We have all been working very hard for 8 hours a day but the jobs are taking longer than planned and there are a few we hadn’t anticipated.  I have worked a number of different jobs over the last month.  We have done a ton of painting, some paint chipping.  We do a lot of rust removal, as there is plenty of rust to work with.  I also have worked a few times in the water tanks that we have.  I helped getting the water out of them and the I cemented them.  The most fun job i’ve done is the one I am currently doing.  My friend Tyler and I are working night security! We work from 7pm until 7am.  I gives us a lot of time to hang out and talk.  The hardest was the chain locker.  I was one of two guys that went down into the chain locker where the anchor chain is stored and I guided it in neatly, that chain is very heavy and dirty. Well I miss you all very much.  Please pray for the ship and the people in charge. Pray for wisdom that we would get out of dry dock, not in our time but in God’s.  Well goodbye for now.

-Ryan