Joy Ellaina is our youngest daughter and our only child born in the United States. Her help is indispensable. In my office she is busy most in the area of filling and shipping the book and CD/DVD orders as well as working with me as a reviewer of the various translation projects that are in progress. Her typing and organizational skills are very useful in these areas. As with all the children Joy is always ready to pitch in and help with the cleaning of the church building. Also in the public work of the ministry her musical talent playing the piano/keyboard or accordion is always appreciated. Her presence in the home is a blessing as she takes care of a fair share of the chores. Her culinary abilities are verily appreciated every week too as she pitches in to fill in the schedule of regular family meals. Never one to be idle Joy stays busy with her hobbies that include collecting chicken recipes, caring for our pets – fish, dog, canary – and collecting cow-themed items – refrigerator magnets, knick-knacks, etc. To increase her usefulness in her own home some day she is taking sewing and knitting classes. Her favorite pastimes are reading, knitting, and playing the piano. Of her 25 years she has spent only about four of them stateside. But that has not kept her from making friends across the miles. Her favorite memory of the USA is playing the organ at the Wooster Baptist Temple. Laughing together as a family over the mistakes that we invariably make as a family when we try to speak Portuguese makes up her favorite memory of Brazil.

As far as goals are concerned Joy’s personal goal is to serve the Lord in whatever capacity He places her in. That is also her career goal. She cites that her favorite verse of Scripture is Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Since she has also been on both sides of the equator several times, she has this advice to someone coming to Brazil to visit or live: Seek to be as flexible as you can. There are a lot of items here that are different and many of the processes are performed differently. Therefore, be ready to improvise and you’ll survive.