Today marks 8 weeks since the day Jess and I arrived in Brazil. So far we´ve been in 5 different cities and lived with 3 different families. Even though our lives aren´t incredibly busy day-to-day, it feels like so much has happened in the past 2 months. It´s been incredibly interesting to observe another culture from the inside out. Right from the start I noticed that my mindset was different than it´s ever been before when I travelled to a foreign country. Deciding to live somewhere makes you look at everything differently. You stop looking at things in terms of ´them´and ´us´ because you´ve decided to become ´them´. That doesn´t make you ´them´automatically, of course, but it sure does change the way you look at things.
I have a distinct feeling lately that I have no idea about anything. I have come to many strong conclusions in my life, and have gotten to the crux of many matters. Yet after the events of the past two months I feel like, `I don´t know´ is the safest answer I can give if I am going to be honest about things. My strongest feelings and my most logical thoughts, both of which I´ve come to trust over the years, simply aren´t trustworthy. And I can´t depend wholeheartedly on other people, because when it comes right down to it, nobody knows anything for sure. Except Jesus. I can only depend on the Lord. Feelings that I´ve been sure of for so long, it´s like they´ve all gone down the drain and I´m not sure of anything. But I´m sure that I can trust Jesus. I´m sure that He´s in control. And I´m so glad because I am so incredibly changeable, I scare myself. I can only depend on Jesus. Wow.
It´s the time to say good-bye again and this is definitely the hardest so far. We´re leaving the Spagnol family in Barretos after having stayed with them for three weeks. I didn´t know it was possible to understay your welcome, but that is definitely the impression I´ve got about leaving. We´ve gotten attached to the family, dog and cat included. Sigh.
Esdras will drive us out to Sao Jose do Rio Preto this evening and we´ll take an 11 hour overnight bus ride to Brasilia. Luciana and Francy Anne will pick us up, and we´ll stay with Lu for the weekend. I´m not sure when I´ll get the chance to write again, because apparently we may be travelling with Marcio (yes, he´s back in Brazil!) and his family to Palmas on Tuesday. For an indefinite amount of time. We´ve had very little details about the plans. But we´re used to living on very few details :)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Going with the Flow
We went to the post office (Correios) today to mail a letter, and I had been told that you could buy envelopes there. So Jess and I walked into the air-conditioned post office which has permanently open doors, and asked if we could buy an envelope. The lady said, yes, where are you sending the letter. When I said, `Canada` she said, that, no, sorry, we couldn´t buy the envelope there but we could go across the street to the nursery to get what we needed. So we walked across the street and past all the potted plants for sale, wondering why the nursery had the special envelopes for Canada, but it turned out it was the opposite. What we needed to buy was a non-special plain brown envelope - 25 centavos each.
There are lots of things I don´t get, but to quote Kiran, I just go with the flow, because the flow keeps changing.
Just to let you know how hot it is here in Barretos, last night we went out for acai just before midnight, and all of us were commenting how fresh and cool it felt. It was 27 degrees outside!
There are lots of things I don´t get, but to quote Kiran, I just go with the flow, because the flow keeps changing.
Just to let you know how hot it is here in Barretos, last night we went out for acai just before midnight, and all of us were commenting how fresh and cool it felt. It was 27 degrees outside!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
It´s a Girl!
There´s a new name I say just to make myself smile now: Sophie Joy. My youngest neice was born last Wednesday and I think it´s so amazing that it´s possible to cry because you love someone you´ve never even met before. It must be incredible to be a parent, because the feelings associated with being an aunt overwhelm me again and again. This is my eighth neice/nephew. It appears that no matter how many you have, there´s always room for one more in your heart.
Which reminds me of a cute story about Nate, Sophie´s 3 year-old brother. A couple of weeks ago I got to talk to Nathanael and he was pretty excited about something. He built up the anticipation with, `Auntie Joy, um, me and my dad, and my mom and Ava . . . we have something to tell you´. Since Hannah´s due date has only a couple weeks away, I was thinking that maybe he was going to break the big news to me that the baby had been born: ´. . . um, we went on vacation and it was really fun!´ It was apparently a vacation never-to-be forgotten.
Which reminds me of a cute story about Nate, Sophie´s 3 year-old brother. A couple of weeks ago I got to talk to Nathanael and he was pretty excited about something. He built up the anticipation with, `Auntie Joy, um, me and my dad, and my mom and Ava . . . we have something to tell you´. Since Hannah´s due date has only a couple weeks away, I was thinking that maybe he was going to break the big news to me that the baby had been born: ´. . . um, we went on vacation and it was really fun!´ It was apparently a vacation never-to-be forgotten.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Happy Robbery to You
The night after we arrived here in Barretos was Larissa´s (Esdras´sister´s) birthday. Jess and I made a big double batch of brownies from a new recipe we got off the internet. We made it into a cake by adding a topping that Marli had used on a cake when we were in Piracicaba. It turned out to be a great combination. Anyhow, we were all in the kitchen at night eating and talking. The kitchen here is separated from the rest of the house, in the backyard behind the pool. I guess you´d call it a summer kitchen, but since it´s summer year-round here, they use it year-round. It´s nice that you don´t have to heat up the whole house when you cook.
So, while we were in the kitchen celebrating Larissa´s birthday, a robber managed to get into the house and make off with money and a cell phone. (It´s the cell phone that Esdras lent us while we were travelling, so for those of you who have the number, don´t bother phoning anymore.) Not only that, but he took off with one of the controllers for the automatic gate at the front of the house. So all the controllers had to be changed and the frequency to open it changed as well. I know it´s a creepy feeling to have your house broken in at anytime, but it´s especially ´uneasing´ when 10 of us were here and were wide awake. There´s a humorous side to it, though. All of us have have been suffering from post-robber syndrome. Any strange noise at night sets us all off.
One night I woke up to what I imagined was the sound of the front gate opening. I lay in bed trying my best to reason myself out of my irrational fears, but just when I would get them under control I would hear another strange noise. Eventually I got up to make sure that the window was indeed locked (so that the robber wouldn´t squeeze himself through the narrow metal bars on the window I suppose :) and Jess was like, `Oh good! Are you awake too?!´ She, too, had heard noises and was also working herself up to the panic stage before she realized that I was awake. Eventually we realized that it was just a terribly windy night and things were blowing all over the place. Eventually, when I still couldn´t relax I just gave up, put earplugs in, and had a great sleep until the morning. Esdras dreamed one night about the robber walking past his window even though he wasn´t sleeping next to one, and we´re all sensitive to the dog barking at night. Many of our jokes include the robber in some form or another. At least it´s fun to laugh at ourselves!
So, while we were in the kitchen celebrating Larissa´s birthday, a robber managed to get into the house and make off with money and a cell phone. (It´s the cell phone that Esdras lent us while we were travelling, so for those of you who have the number, don´t bother phoning anymore.) Not only that, but he took off with one of the controllers for the automatic gate at the front of the house. So all the controllers had to be changed and the frequency to open it changed as well. I know it´s a creepy feeling to have your house broken in at anytime, but it´s especially ´uneasing´ when 10 of us were here and were wide awake. There´s a humorous side to it, though. All of us have have been suffering from post-robber syndrome. Any strange noise at night sets us all off.
One night I woke up to what I imagined was the sound of the front gate opening. I lay in bed trying my best to reason myself out of my irrational fears, but just when I would get them under control I would hear another strange noise. Eventually I got up to make sure that the window was indeed locked (so that the robber wouldn´t squeeze himself through the narrow metal bars on the window I suppose :) and Jess was like, `Oh good! Are you awake too?!´ She, too, had heard noises and was also working herself up to the panic stage before she realized that I was awake. Eventually we realized that it was just a terribly windy night and things were blowing all over the place. Eventually, when I still couldn´t relax I just gave up, put earplugs in, and had a great sleep until the morning. Esdras dreamed one night about the robber walking past his window even though he wasn´t sleeping next to one, and we´re all sensitive to the dog barking at night. Many of our jokes include the robber in some form or another. At least it´s fun to laugh at ourselves!
Monday, October 20, 2008
We´ve made the decision
I didn´t intend to be quite as mean as I´ve ended up being, keeping you in suspense and all. Truthfully, I wasn´t trying to be mean, it just happened! Actually, what happened is that Jess and I needed to email some people personally about our decision about the job, and since we did that I´ve been a combination of lazy and busy, and am only getting around to writing again now. So sorry to keep you waiting so long, but now there´s good news: the wait is over.
We decided to accept the job. That´s the short version and if you´re satisfied with it, feel free to skip the rest. For those of you who like details, here´s the long version. After visiting the school in Sao Jose dos Campos and being presented with the offer, Jess and I thought and thought and talked and talked (which was kind of the same as thinking and thinking because we tend to think and feel the same way about things such as these) until we had worked ourselves into that point where you have absolutely no answer whatsoever. Not even a slight idea about what you think the answer is.
Then something interesting happened. We stopped talking about it. Without making a conscious decision to do so, we just stopped. Every now and then we´d vaguely refer to the fact that we had to make a decision about the coming year of our lives, but that was it. I believe that it was something the Lord did, because even though we need (in a sense) to make the same decision, we needed to hear what the Lord was saying to us individually. We´ve spent almost every waking moment of the last 6 weeks together, so it seems like a small miracle to me that suddenly we were able to just leave this huge topic aside and continue going about our lives for a few days. After we realized what was happening, then we started reveling in the fact that we weren´t talking about it to the point that we had to force ourselves to sit down and talk it out after a week had gone by.
On Sunday evening we realized that we should probably give the principal an answer the next day, so it was a matter of ready-or-not, here it comes (the answer that is). I had flip flopped quite a bit (somedays yes, somedays no) throughout the week, but eventually the Lord did something in me to show me that it wasn´t about the job specifically, but about where my heart was in relation to the job. I found out later that the same thing happened with Jess. We were both brought to the point that we realized that the job itself wasn´t attracting us. Anyway, when we spoke, I went first and said, `If I have to give an answer, then I think my answer is yes, but I have no idea why because I´m not excited about it at all.` And Jess was like, `ME TOO!` Somehow the Lord brought us to the same weird point by the time we had to make the decision. Both of us expected some kind of emotional confirmation, or overwhelming sense of peace to accompany whatever decision it was. But it was kind of like we got the answer detached from any emotion. So we prayed together again and sent off an email the next day to accept the jobs we´ve been offered. I must say it´s the most tentative step forward I´ve taken in my life.
I don´t think I wrote much about the job last time. We are going to be assistant teachers - Jess will be teaching music and I´ll be with the grade 1, 2, 3´s - either all three classes or just one of them, I´m not sure yet. The school provides us with a place to live, a hot lunch at school with the kids every day (We tried it out. It´s great!), transportation, grocery money, health insurance, dental coverage and a salary. We´re there to assist that teacher in the activities every day, but we´re not going to be responsible for planning all the lessons or evaluating the students. My personal favourite parts of the job are that we get to wear jeans every day (no longer to I have to look forward to Friday for that!) and that the teacher-student relationships are very human.
To tell you the truth, I´m still not crazy excited about it all. I´ve actually been quite overwhelmed with homesickness now that we´ve decided to stay. I know that everything will be fine, but there´s a lot of unknown involved. And for me that´s pretty scary. But one of you sent me something in an email recently that says perfectly the point of situations like this:
It's funny how sometimes we come to the realization that we have no control of our future whatsoever, no matter how hard we try to prove ourselves otherwise.
The Lord has been hiding Himself from me lately, which I haven´t taken to very well. But yesterday He used a verse to speak and meet me where I am:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us makes evidence the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
1. God always leads us.
2. His leading us is a triumph - it´s always something triumphant that He has conquered us for Himself.
3. Always means it doesn´t depend on how I feel (I don´t have to feel triumphant for it to be a triumph that He is leading me).
4. Wherever we go, God can use us to spread the fragrance of Himself.
5. Always and everywhere don´t depend on me, but on God.
I don´t necessarily feel these realities right now, but I believe them and it encourages me to know that they are true. Thank you all for your prayers.
Oh, and one last thing. It´s been fun discovering little by little who is reading this blog. We love to hear from you when you write!
We decided to accept the job. That´s the short version and if you´re satisfied with it, feel free to skip the rest. For those of you who like details, here´s the long version. After visiting the school in Sao Jose dos Campos and being presented with the offer, Jess and I thought and thought and talked and talked (which was kind of the same as thinking and thinking because we tend to think and feel the same way about things such as these) until we had worked ourselves into that point where you have absolutely no answer whatsoever. Not even a slight idea about what you think the answer is.
Then something interesting happened. We stopped talking about it. Without making a conscious decision to do so, we just stopped. Every now and then we´d vaguely refer to the fact that we had to make a decision about the coming year of our lives, but that was it. I believe that it was something the Lord did, because even though we need (in a sense) to make the same decision, we needed to hear what the Lord was saying to us individually. We´ve spent almost every waking moment of the last 6 weeks together, so it seems like a small miracle to me that suddenly we were able to just leave this huge topic aside and continue going about our lives for a few days. After we realized what was happening, then we started reveling in the fact that we weren´t talking about it to the point that we had to force ourselves to sit down and talk it out after a week had gone by.
On Sunday evening we realized that we should probably give the principal an answer the next day, so it was a matter of ready-or-not, here it comes (the answer that is). I had flip flopped quite a bit (somedays yes, somedays no) throughout the week, but eventually the Lord did something in me to show me that it wasn´t about the job specifically, but about where my heart was in relation to the job. I found out later that the same thing happened with Jess. We were both brought to the point that we realized that the job itself wasn´t attracting us. Anyway, when we spoke, I went first and said, `If I have to give an answer, then I think my answer is yes, but I have no idea why because I´m not excited about it at all.` And Jess was like, `ME TOO!` Somehow the Lord brought us to the same weird point by the time we had to make the decision. Both of us expected some kind of emotional confirmation, or overwhelming sense of peace to accompany whatever decision it was. But it was kind of like we got the answer detached from any emotion. So we prayed together again and sent off an email the next day to accept the jobs we´ve been offered. I must say it´s the most tentative step forward I´ve taken in my life.
I don´t think I wrote much about the job last time. We are going to be assistant teachers - Jess will be teaching music and I´ll be with the grade 1, 2, 3´s - either all three classes or just one of them, I´m not sure yet. The school provides us with a place to live, a hot lunch at school with the kids every day (We tried it out. It´s great!), transportation, grocery money, health insurance, dental coverage and a salary. We´re there to assist that teacher in the activities every day, but we´re not going to be responsible for planning all the lessons or evaluating the students. My personal favourite parts of the job are that we get to wear jeans every day (no longer to I have to look forward to Friday for that!) and that the teacher-student relationships are very human.
To tell you the truth, I´m still not crazy excited about it all. I´ve actually been quite overwhelmed with homesickness now that we´ve decided to stay. I know that everything will be fine, but there´s a lot of unknown involved. And for me that´s pretty scary. But one of you sent me something in an email recently that says perfectly the point of situations like this:
It's funny how sometimes we come to the realization that we have no control of our future whatsoever, no matter how hard we try to prove ourselves otherwise.
The Lord has been hiding Himself from me lately, which I haven´t taken to very well. But yesterday He used a verse to speak and meet me where I am:
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us makes evidence the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
1. God always leads us.
2. His leading us is a triumph - it´s always something triumphant that He has conquered us for Himself.
3. Always means it doesn´t depend on how I feel (I don´t have to feel triumphant for it to be a triumph that He is leading me).
4. Wherever we go, God can use us to spread the fragrance of Himself.
5. Always and everywhere don´t depend on me, but on God.
I don´t necessarily feel these realities right now, but I believe them and it encourages me to know that they are true. Thank you all for your prayers.
Oh, and one last thing. It´s been fun discovering little by little who is reading this blog. We love to hear from you when you write!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Barretos . . . finally!
At 4am on Monday morning Jess and I arrived both early and late in Barretos. We were earlier than expected, because the bus had left Sao Jose dos Campos an hour later than it should have, and still managed to here arrive on time. Hmmm. We were later than expected, because our original plan was to be here three weeks ago. Nevertheless, it was an all-around happy arrival, except for the fact that the extendable handle on my (new) suitcase decided to snap when we got here. Which should make it interesting to get around from now on. The other two suitcases we brought along have semi-wobbly wheels that give the distinct impression that they will stop working if not pulled with the utmost care. Jess has already had to take her suitcase apart and fix a wheel that gave up turning. So for now, no more quick getaways. Not that we´ve actually have had to to make any quick getaways yet, but I sometimes imagine the two of us having to tear off with our luggage bouncing behind us in situations of danger. I´ll have to stop imagining those pressing situations now.
Enough about suitcases, on to Barretos. This place is great. I just asked Jess for words to describe Barretos. Here´s her contribution for today: blistering hot. She´s actually saying quite a bit more, but it´s rather random since she just woke up from an uncomfortably hot nap and isn´t thinking straight. It´s currently 33 degrees and . . .
I heard a splash in the pool just now and went to see if what I thought had happened just happened. It did. Jess just let herself fall into the pool clothes and all! It´s that hot.
The population of Barretos is about 120 000. Esdras´mom described the naming of the streets around the house as ´like New York City - they´re all numbered´. So it´s nice and easy to get around. Last night Esdras´ dad and sister took us for a tour of the city so we could get a feel for the place. It´s really nice here! It feels calm and peaceful and, as Jess described, if we had to drive here in Brazil, this would be a nice city to start off in. Right near the house are three lakes that we walked around our first evening here. The city is famous for an annual rodeo that takes place August/Septemberish. A million people pass through over the course of 10 days.
I think I´ll end here for now because it really is too hot to be sitting in front of the computer. I know that many of you are probably waiting to hear about what decision we finally came to about the job, but that will have to wait for another day.
Enough about suitcases, on to Barretos. This place is great. I just asked Jess for words to describe Barretos. Here´s her contribution for today: blistering hot. She´s actually saying quite a bit more, but it´s rather random since she just woke up from an uncomfortably hot nap and isn´t thinking straight. It´s currently 33 degrees and . . .
I heard a splash in the pool just now and went to see if what I thought had happened just happened. It did. Jess just let herself fall into the pool clothes and all! It´s that hot.
The population of Barretos is about 120 000. Esdras´mom described the naming of the streets around the house as ´like New York City - they´re all numbered´. So it´s nice and easy to get around. Last night Esdras´ dad and sister took us for a tour of the city so we could get a feel for the place. It´s really nice here! It feels calm and peaceful and, as Jess described, if we had to drive here in Brazil, this would be a nice city to start off in. Right near the house are three lakes that we walked around our first evening here. The city is famous for an annual rodeo that takes place August/Septemberish. A million people pass through over the course of 10 days.
I think I´ll end here for now because it really is too hot to be sitting in front of the computer. I know that many of you are probably waiting to hear about what decision we finally came to about the job, but that will have to wait for another day.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Decisions, Decisions
Right now we’re in a house that isn’t gated and walled. The front door is partially made of glass and they don’t necessarily lock it up when we leave. We can go running or walking at night in the pitch dark and there’s nothing to be afraid of . . . Nope, we haven’t left Brasil. We’re on a military air base in São José dos Campos, staying with friends, the husband of whom is a Major in the air force. It’s most certainly an interesting place to be, but I especially wish Wincy, Rebecca, Kiran and Mimi could come stay with us too, because you guys could appreciate it to the depths!
So, on Thursday afternoon we went to the school we came to check out. We were given a tour and then we had an interview (I don’t know what else to call it but really they were just offering us the jobs in person). It’s so nice to be able to talk things out with real people as opposed to communicating over the internet. On Friday morning we went back to sit in on some classes, which was great because we could get a real feel for what things would be like if we were to accept. The school is doing everything for us to get us to accept – the offer is great, and everyone we talk to about it says we most likely won’t get anything like it again. They’re willing to provide much more than just a basic salary. Plus, there’s the fact that they want to hire both of us. So you’d think that this would be a done deal – sign on the dotted line. You’d think.
But somehow it’s not. I’ve thought it through, Jess has thought it through, and we’ve talked it through – all numerous times. We’re both extremely indecisive to begin with, but I think something more than the inability to make a decision is holding us back from saying either yes or no. I really don’t feel strongly one way or the other at this point, but I’ve come to realize that it’s not because I’m waiting for a better offer or that I would rather be in a different place. I just want to be sure that here is where the Lord wants us to be. And so far I don’t know. I’ve discovered that the Lord can’t be rushed into things . . . I just have to wait until He speaks. And it’s in the waiting that faith has the opportunity to grow. Because during the waiting time I have to deal with the thought, over and over, “What if you have to make a decision and you still don’t feel anything? What then?” But I can take all those moments of doubt and keep giving the decision to him, over and over again. So it’s learning to trust, even while He is silent, that He will speak at the right time. Pray for us.
I’m not sure how much longer we’ll stay here. I’ve given up trying to make long-term plans (as in, a week ahead!). Last time our two or three day stay turned into two weeks, and our stay here is also going to be longer than initially planned. So I’ll just have to write and let you know when we’re packing our suitcases again.
So, on Thursday afternoon we went to the school we came to check out. We were given a tour and then we had an interview (I don’t know what else to call it but really they were just offering us the jobs in person). It’s so nice to be able to talk things out with real people as opposed to communicating over the internet. On Friday morning we went back to sit in on some classes, which was great because we could get a real feel for what things would be like if we were to accept. The school is doing everything for us to get us to accept – the offer is great, and everyone we talk to about it says we most likely won’t get anything like it again. They’re willing to provide much more than just a basic salary. Plus, there’s the fact that they want to hire both of us. So you’d think that this would be a done deal – sign on the dotted line. You’d think.
But somehow it’s not. I’ve thought it through, Jess has thought it through, and we’ve talked it through – all numerous times. We’re both extremely indecisive to begin with, but I think something more than the inability to make a decision is holding us back from saying either yes or no. I really don’t feel strongly one way or the other at this point, but I’ve come to realize that it’s not because I’m waiting for a better offer or that I would rather be in a different place. I just want to be sure that here is where the Lord wants us to be. And so far I don’t know. I’ve discovered that the Lord can’t be rushed into things . . . I just have to wait until He speaks. And it’s in the waiting that faith has the opportunity to grow. Because during the waiting time I have to deal with the thought, over and over, “What if you have to make a decision and you still don’t feel anything? What then?” But I can take all those moments of doubt and keep giving the decision to him, over and over again. So it’s learning to trust, even while He is silent, that He will speak at the right time. Pray for us.
I’m not sure how much longer we’ll stay here. I’ve given up trying to make long-term plans (as in, a week ahead!). Last time our two or three day stay turned into two weeks, and our stay here is also going to be longer than initially planned. So I’ll just have to write and let you know when we’re packing our suitcases again.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Not Good. Not Bad. Just Different.
Jess and I composed a short list of some differences we've noticed between here and the homeland.
On driving . . .
In Canada: Watch out for pedestrians and when you change lanes or turn a corner check your blind spot. Twice.
In Brasil: Gun it.
On crossing the street . . .
In Canada: Look both ways and saunter across.
In Brasil: Look both ways and run for your life.
On small talk with complete strangers . . .
In Canada: "Nice weather, eh?" (Pause). "Yep." (Silence).
In Brasil: "So I had an operation last week and the doctor told me that . . ."
"Oh really? My mother had the same thing done last year and now . . ."
On visiting other places . . .
In Canada: "Oh, I have a cousin who lives there."
In Brasil: "Oh, I have a cousin who lives there. I'll give you his number and he can pick you up at the bus station. He can help you out with whatever you need and you can stay at his house for as long as you want."
On laws . . .
In Canada: Rules are rules.
In Brasil: Rules are always negotiable.
On feeling shame . . .
In Canada: The smallest things are potentially embarassing.
In Brasil: There's no reason to be embarassed about anything.
On driving . . .
In Canada: Watch out for pedestrians and when you change lanes or turn a corner check your blind spot. Twice.
In Brasil: Gun it.
On crossing the street . . .
In Canada: Look both ways and saunter across.
In Brasil: Look both ways and run for your life.
On small talk with complete strangers . . .
In Canada: "Nice weather, eh?" (Pause). "Yep." (Silence).
In Brasil: "So I had an operation last week and the doctor told me that . . ."
"Oh really? My mother had the same thing done last year and now . . ."
On visiting other places . . .
In Canada: "Oh, I have a cousin who lives there."
In Brasil: "Oh, I have a cousin who lives there. I'll give you his number and he can pick you up at the bus station. He can help you out with whatever you need and you can stay at his house for as long as you want."
On laws . . .
In Canada: Rules are rules.
In Brasil: Rules are always negotiable.
On feeling shame . . .
In Canada: The smallest things are potentially embarassing.
In Brasil: There's no reason to be embarassed about anything.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Bertioga
If you look closely you'll see that, yes, I managed to get a sunburn just on the back of my neck by pulling all my hair back and putting sunscreen only on my face. It was cloudy and we were just out for a walk on our first day there, but somehow the sun shone through and voila, I was quite literally a redneck . . . until I got sunburnt completely the next day (just kidding, Mom. I put on lots of sunscreen :).It's amazing how salty the ocean is for us freshwater beach people. I couldn't shake the feeling that I had a sore throat and was gargling with salt water anytime I got a mouthful. Which was often. We swam in the ocean even though everyone told us the water was freezing. It was the same temperature we're used to swimming in at beaches back home. Rafa taught us how to ride the waves in on a morey board. Such a cool feeling! I can understand how surfing is a lot of fun. It's such a thrill to be pushed forward by rushing waves.
Okay, I've managed to distract myself long enough. That suitcase really must get packed!
Goodbyes and a Detour
We leave Piracicaba tomorrow morning and it's time for goodbyes again . . . Sigh. Carlinhos, Marli and Rafael have become our family here in the last two weeks, and we're finding it difficult to go. It seems like it's never a good time to say goodbye to people you care about.
I can't describe in words the kind of love and care we've had from this family who we barely knew when we arrived at their home. This past weekend as we came home from the beach with them, I was realizing again that God reaches people through people. Since we arrived, Jess and I have had times of prayer together that amaze me because we can sense the Lord directing the prayers that we pray. One thing that keeps coming up in our prayers is that we are expecting and depending on Him to take care of us. And it hit me as we drove home that He is already answering those prayers - through people. Suddenly I realized that it's through this family that the Lord is caring for us. I know this probably sounds like it's not such a big deal, but sometimes I guess I expect the Lord to answer prayers in big miraculous ways in which He acts all on His own. But He moves in very normal ways through the people around us. I didn't expect to write all this when I began, but to be loved by people for no reason is a pretty overwhelming feeling. . .
I can't describe in words the kind of love and care we've had from this family who we barely knew when we arrived at their home. This past weekend as we came home from the beach with them, I was realizing again that God reaches people through people. Since we arrived, Jess and I have had times of prayer together that amaze me because we can sense the Lord directing the prayers that we pray. One thing that keeps coming up in our prayers is that we are expecting and depending on Him to take care of us. And it hit me as we drove home that He is already answering those prayers - through people. Suddenly I realized that it's through this family that the Lord is caring for us. I know this probably sounds like it's not such a big deal, but sometimes I guess I expect the Lord to answer prayers in big miraculous ways in which He acts all on His own. But He moves in very normal ways through the people around us. I didn't expect to write all this when I began, but to be loved by people for no reason is a pretty overwhelming feeling. . .
And now for the detour part. We were supposed to be going to Barretos earlier this week, but we got an email about a job offer in another city called Sao Jose dos Campos last Thursday, and we are going there tomorrow to scout things out. The offer is far better than anything we were expecting, and it seems as though it has been tailor made for us. The city is about 3 hours from here (1 hour from Sao Paulo). There are lots of thoughts and feelings to be dealt with in considering accepting a job (or turning it down for that matter), but in the end, it's really the Lord's will that is most important. So we're praying, and going to see, and trusting that the Lord will speak at the right time about what we should do. We have a little less than two weeks before they need an answer from us.
Okay, the suitcase calls. Arg. It's all the little things that don't fit well and make the suitcase bulge that are left to squeeze in. Here's hoping that I don't have to pull everything out and start all over again . . .
Okay, the suitcase calls. Arg. It's all the little things that don't fit well and make the suitcase bulge that are left to squeeze in. Here's hoping that I don't have to pull everything out and start all over again . . .
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