Saying Goodbye

So its time to say Goodbye to Brazil and the friends we have made here. 

Last week, my São Luis hosts, Flavya and Rosalina and I enjoyed a 'Farewell Lunch' together. They are two beautiful women and I'm thankful to have been able to spend 5+ weeks with them in their home.

On Tuesday we flew from São Luis back to Belo Horizonte in preparation for our flight to Miami for the YFC International General Assembly.  Well, Hurricane Irma happened, didn't it?!

We have been unable to get there and have spent an extra 5 days in Belo Horizonte.

Our friend Lucas invited us to stay with his family and it has been such a relaxing and restful time here with his family.

We have enjoyed ice-cream just around the corner

and sightseeing around Lake Pampulha. We saw this Roman Catholic Church, designed by 

Oscar Niemeyer, a brilliant Brazilian architect,

and some capybara, the world's largest rodents, native to Central and South America.

  Pretty cute.

 We enjoyed churros with sweet fillings

 

and dinner out with our hosts to say thank you. From left Paulo, Shirlene, Jane, Pat and Lucas.
They have been such good hosts, making us feel very welcomed and quite at home - a place of rest and refreshment before our long journey home.

Shirlene cooked us special carrot cake and corn cake for afternoon tea

and then it was out for a drive to see the city lights

and we happened upon some interesting wildlife - a coati.

Back home for our last dinner together before flying on Tuesday morning. Home Friday.

Not sure when I'll be blogging again. That's all in God's hands.

ERVOS

ERVOS

Encontro Regional de Voluntários e ObreiroS

What a wonderful weekend we had at Barra do Corda this past weekend with YFC volunteers and staff (Obreiros) from the states in the North East Region of Brazil.

 Thursday was Independence Day in Brazil and so it was a long weekend and traffic was BAD. We left at 6.30am hoping to beat the traffic, but we didn't succeed in doing that.

Thirteen hours on a bus is a long day, but the company was great and YFC young people love to play games and have fun. Love YFC young people wherever they are.

An enterprising fellow knew how to capture the attention of holidaymakers on a hot day and tempted me with his fruit salad fresh from the ice chest.

 

We stayed at a beautiful

and rustic campsite.

  This is 'our room'

 and the room next door.

We did (almost) everything in the open air - eating in the dining area,

  washing dishes

 and enjoying the view of the river through the trees as we did.

We worshipped by the river,

slept in the open air

 

and had an amazing afternoon enjoying God's stunning creation

 

having heaps of fun 

 in the 'not so nearby 'waterfalls.

  It was such a welcome relief from the dry campsite over a hot weekend.

 But don't think this was an unusually hot weekend. Its like this ALL the time here.

Note in the photo below that the theme for the conference was 'Ice Age'!

Deborah, who heads up the Escola da Vida program throughout Brazil, spoke each day. What a passionate and vivacious young woman she is.

 

And Max, the North East Regional leader, has wonderful big dreams to build YFC in the north of Brazil where there is very little happening right now.

On the last night we all took off in cars, some of us in a ute (!!), to watch the sun set and take a photo of everyone together. 

Fabulous group of people. Fabulous weekend. So thankful to God for the experiences he gives to me. Such generous gifts from the hand of a loving Father.

Flavya's Bazar

Yesterday Flavya held a Bazar!

(Yes, the spelling is different in Portuguese)

She had been preparing for this since I arrived. Flavya is training to be a chaplain in a local secondary school. She needs to fly to another city for training and so it's going to cost money.

Flavya and her mother and friends have been collecting second hand clothes (mostly) for her to sell. We have had some fun sorting them in Flavya's room,

and yesterday it was time

for the bazar.

 It was a good time with lots for sale.

One  good friend donated a magnificent chocolate cake to be sold by the piece

 

 

and another, a tub of tapioca ice-cream - a real favourite here - to be sold in cups.

That was Lidia's and my job.

Flavya was overwhelmed to tears by the encouragement she received from so many friends and family who came together as a team to help with her goal, including the generous friend who paid for her airfares. She thanks God wholeheartedly for every one.

You'll make a wonderful chaplain, Flavya.

May you know the blessings of God as you serve him in this way.

The family I'm living with in São Luis, Brazil

The head of the family is Rosalina.

The other two people who live here right now are

Rosalina's daughter Flavya and me. Flavya is a volunteer with YFC.

Other family members

visit from time to time 

and while I've been here there was a new baby welcomed into the family. 

 We have enjoyed playing card games and watching movies on Flavya's bed together,

and playing a game with stones that Flavya taught me on 'my' bedroom floor.

 

Rosalina taught me how to make

 

these gorgeous flowers.

On some Thursday nights, Rosalina and I have gone to the feira (the local fruit, veg and fish market), to buy our fruit and veg for the week

and this morning I went to English class with Flavya. That was fun.

After class we enjoyed a walk around the nearby Praça Gonçalves Dias

 And finished our morning with lunch at the little restaurant next door to 'our house'. Beautiful food with a beautiful young woman.