Pato, Pato, Ganso!

6/25/09
Hello to all, Live from Brasil!!
Today started out a little differently. I woke up at 6 before the others and did my devos and the whole time i heard this weird music playing over and over again. Soon Carlyn got up and we determined that it was coming from Bills phone, which he had left in the living room over night. So we just sat around for about thirty minutes wondering why no one was around and trying to figure out how to open the gate that gets locked over the door every night. Eventually, Bill emerged from his room, grabbed his phone off the table and said "oh, it's time to get up." we laughed at him and made our way to the kitchen (after seeing how Erika gets the gate unlocked) and had some awesome bread and eggs for breakfast! (more guava jelly!) We didnt head over to the Grupo CEO building until about 815 (we're supposed to be there at 730) and started dancing. We tried doing Cotton-Eyed Joe, but the kids said it was too hard. The lesson was about God's forgiveness and Salvation and the kids were a little less talkative than usual. At least they heard what was said though.
Because of our late start, we didnt have much time for games, and we were inside again due to the rain. So we had to improvise and ended up played Duck, Duck, Goose! We added a little twist to it too. If you were it three times in a row, you had to get in the middle and do a little "snake dance" for everyone. It was pretty entertaining and the kids really liked it. We did have a couple whipe outs too!
When it was time for them all to go to school, Joice, Lania, Laiza and i were talking and we found out that Joice and Lania only go to school like once a week! And Joice wants to be a lawyer! We tried to explain to them that they wont get anywhere if they dont go to school, and that God has provided this great opportunity for them, but they arent taking advantage of it. I told them that if i didnt go to school, i wouldnt have been able to be there with them and they thought about that for a second. Laiza and I got them to pinky promise that they would go, but werent really sure if they would or not.
Eventually we made our way back to the house and i brushed up on some of my Portuguese verbs with my "Portuguese for Dummies" book. Then i journaled until Erika came up and asked if we wanted to go on a house visit with her and, of course, we said yes!
The five of us and another lady from the community walked a short ways do this elderly lady's house who was very sick. We stood in the doorway while erika and the other women gathered around the lady's hammock. She was too weak to even really speak or sit up. We stayed there for about half an hour then headed home.
We all hung out in Douglas and Patrick's room with James watching the Brasil V.S. South Africa game when Sula came and stood in the doorway. The two of us had a mini throwdown earlier, and Douglas and i had been at each other all day, so i sat where i could keep an eye on them both. Then Sula looked at Douglas and i heard her say "bora!" which means "let's go!" and they both came at me! The "fight" started in their room, moved into the kitchen, then outside in front of the dorms, behind the house, and beside the dorm. At some point James joined in on the fun and it was a 3 on 1 brawl! Inevitably, i ended up on the ground with Sula at my feet, and Douglas sitting on top of me (i really dont know what James was doing at that point). If you ask them, they'll tell you they won, but, thanks to Carlyn, we have it all on video, so you can be the judge of that.
We went straight from the yard to Children's Worship Hour which was a blast of course! We were standing outside for a little while when Lania walked up in her school uniform! And Joice soon followed with the same great news! Mission accomplished!
We changed it up a little at the end of the hour with our line dancing and American songs then they pulled out some breakdancing moves! we all gathered in a circle around the dancers and they're not too bad! At one point they all started chanting my name to get me to go in the middle and do something, and, as you all know, I cant breakdance!! The only thing i know how to do is the worm, so i pulled that out and they thought it was pretty cool. Then they got Laiza in there and she did a little jig and got right out of there! Then they wanted me back in there then so i did that little thing Eduardo taught me and i was done for the night. Finaly, after a ton of hugs, we went inside and left the kids on the other side of the gate.
Dinner was great (Erika's awesome potato lasagna!) and then Erika was like, "hey, you're all women. Let's go to the woman's Bible Study!" So we gladly relinquished our dish washing duties and were out the door. The woman's house was about a seven minute walk away. She was another very sick and elderly lady who couldnt get out of her chair and spoke in a barely audible voice.
We prayed to get started and then one of the woman read from Isaiah 50. She told the old woman that, if she had true faith, God could heal her from her sickness if He wanted to and that that He is powerful enough to completely take her pain away. Then the woman prayed again and started crying, pleading to God to take away her friend's sickness. It was a really moving experience. Brought tears to my eyes.. Laiza told us that the old woman said she had a dream that she had to say goodbye to all her loved ones and that she wanted her sister (who she has recently gotten into a big fight with) to be there with her. So the women are going to try and bring her sister to her house tomorrow.
When we left i started looking at the beautiful sky and stars that stretched like an umbrella over her tiny little house. It was like God was reminding me of how much He has blessed me. Like he was saying "That woman that you just met seems simple and insignificant now because she has so little, but i used her. I have given you so much more and have put so many opportunities before you to serve Me, so dont you dare hold back. I want to use you, so keep listening, and let Me." God is so GREAT! Amen?
We walked back to the house and hung out for a little while, listened to some of Laiza's lame chicken jokes and then it was time to get some sleep so tomorrow morning would come as quickly as possible! It was another fabulouse day in our Brasilian paradise.. = )

Until next time,
Jo