From Brazil to Italy

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The Farewell Party

This is how many friends I have made in a year. Leaving is definitely the most difficult part of my life of traveling and moving, but I try not to think of the friends that I am leaving, but the friends that I have made. One year ago I didn't know any of these people, and today the have all touch my life in a special and unique way.

Heloisa and Sandra were my first girl friends. Heloisa were encourage me to go walking with her and we walked 8 kilometers once or twice a week together. Sandra and I would watch movies or hang out. She brought out the most Portuguese in me, since she doesn't speak much English, and I really appreciated her patience. :)

Aline and Alex were some of the first friends I made in September when I started teaching at Yes. Aline was one of my students and her and her husband really impressed me with their friendliness and generosity. She gave me a cell phone and helped me get it set up. She also makes some of the best Brasilian desserts. About half way through the year Alex and I found out that we work at the same building downtown. He works for Caixa and I teach most of my private classes in Caixa. This year we started having a regular Tuesday lunch date at a little place downtown.

Big Leu lives across the street, but is very busy during the year, so we don't get to see too much of him. (Big Leu... not to be comfused with little Leo.)

Leo, Jorge, Heloisa, me, Sandra, Enrique and Big Leu in the front.

DUring the volleyball game the ball got stuck on the roof. In the blink of an eye Jorge had climbed up gate and was sitting on the neighbors roof trying to reach it with a broom.

The rest of us just watched in awe. But eventually the ball... and Jorge made there way down.

Leo, Big Leu, Jorge, Heloisa, Sarah and Matheus.

Sarah, Matheus, me, Ana Lusia, Heloisa, Big Leu and Sandra.

Leo and Enrique waiting for more churrasica from Lance's grill.

Me and Heloisa

Recife and Natal

When the mission trip came we spent the last week in Recife and then Kelly, Leo and I headed to Natal. So we had plenty of much needed beach time.

The beaches in Natal were beautiful and completely deserted. We looked up and down from this hill and couldn't see a single other person.

The beaches has some amazing built-in waterfall, were the reefs let the ocean water in the the beach area. It was one of the most breathtaking things that I have ever seen. The rough ocean waters hit the reef and crashed up in an orchestra of fluid notes that rained onto the slippery reef wall.

Leo, for some reason needed to get these coconuts. He was pretty proud of getting up there all ny himself... but he needed the help of his cousin to the leverage to cut them down.

Festa Junina

Festa Junina is a hugh month long festival in Brazil. It celebrates the northeastern culture and foods. It is very common to see children and adults in full costume. The traditional food is a number of things, including barbaqued meats and pastels and also many dishes made with corn. June and July are the corn harvest months and this contributes to the celebration.

Pirenopolis

When my friend Chris came to visit we went for a day trip to Pirenopolis. Pirenopolis is a little colonial town that is famous for it's waterfalls.

The waterfalls were absolutely stunning. But unfortunately the water was freezing.... June is winter in Brazil. So I wasn't able to stay in the water for very long, but I swam as far as I could against the current of the fall.

After our first swim we went on a long hike through the central Brasilian desert. I was surprised at how much this hike reminded me of the desert brush of southern California.

The city of Pirenopolis is pretty small, but it's also very steap. This type of colonial village is quite unique although there are a few other similary towns in Brazil. The cobblestone street lead up and down the very steep terrain.

Rio de Janerio

My parents came for a visist and we started the week in Rio. My dad had some work to do so my mum and I head up Corcovado mountian. Unfortunately it was a pretty cloudy day, but we managed to get a few shoots in between the clouds. Inspite of the inclement weather, the view was quite breath taking. There really is nothing like the city of Rio.

Rio de Janerio is a city built in the midst of these beautiful pertuding mountains that come straight out of the ground, stretching... reaching for the bright blue (and sometimes cloudy) sky.

The next day the three of us headed up

Pão de Açúcar for the dramatic view of the city from an unbelievable rock coming out of the ocean.

Bible School in Brazil

We have had two weeks of Bible Schools now. We started out with the story of creation, and we put it to a puppet show. Two of our Brasilian, Leo and Sandra helped with everything, and after the craft and the Kool-Aid (from the states... thanks Mum), the kids skipped off to their homes.

This week we focused on the creation of Adam and Eve.  It was especially exciting because we had enought Brasilian helpers that none of us needed to act in the play, which meant that it could be all in Portuguese. Leo as God, his friend Junior played Adam, and Sandra another friend who we met in Lar Betel played Eve.  God created the whole world.             He even created all the animals.  But God was lonely.        So He decided to create man in His image, to be a reflection of His love. Adam had dominion over the animals, and named them all. But none of them were a good mate for him.  So God created Eve, and they all lived happily ever after.... or at least until next week when the snake has a conversation with Eve. 

Brasilia's Anniversary

We live in Brasilia, which is the capital city of Brasil, but it hasn't always been. Around the middle of the 1900's it was decided that the capital would be moved to a new city right in the middle of the country. So plans were started to design this perfect country capital. The city is designed in the shape of an airplane and everything has been planned. There is a specific area for the government ministries, for the embassies, for the hotels, for the banks... there is even a specific area of resturants and drug stores. The roads are all numbered very logically from 101 to 715. The hundreds being blocks from east to west and the tens from north to south. Yesterday, April 21, 2009 was the 49th anniversary of the grand opening of Brasilia. 

They shut down the entire Esplanada area... which is where all the minitries, and the congress building are, and had a huge street fair/party. There were different live bands playing on various stages... One that had many very famous popular Brasilian artist, and another that had bands playing only gospel music. 

Children had stripped down to their underwear and were jumping and splashing in the fountain. Street venders were selling ever type of ham and cheese pastry, fresh fruit juices, coconut milk, beer, sodas, sovienuers and DVDs. There were all sorts of activities from basketball championships, to dance competitions. There were thousands and thousand of people

, and the space was really very crowded. 

The festivities started at 7am 

and were scheduled until midnight... 

but in true Brazilian fashion everything was running a little late, so the bands played well into the night, and the fireworks started at 11:30pm. The bus ride home was a bit overwhelming and I felt that I was going to colapse from standing for so long during the wait, but luckily I was able to get a seat on the bus, and I arrived home safely at 3am!