i used to think i could define normal

I'm pretty sure that for my entire life I've used the word normal quite liberally. I could have described most things in my life as normal even though at no point would I have described myself as normal!

As it turns out, life in Brazil provides a whole different scope of normal. What I love, though, is when I find those little things here that I just can not wrap my mind around, I am immediately faced with a Brazilian who says "what? that's normal!"! (Except they actually say "o que? é normal!")

Here are some things for you to reconsider the normality (yes, its a word now) of:

• drinking out of a 20oz cup at meals
• hot water in every faucet
• peanut butter
• simply smiling as a form of greeting
• cleaning your own bathroom
• eating rice and or beans pretty much only at Los Portales
• driving wherever you need/want to go
• drinking juice at breakfast

Now, what do these things look like in Brazil? So glad you asked!

• drinking out of a dixie sized cup (all the time)
• hot water capability only in the shower (no, not even in the kitchen)
• oh if only Brazil had the wonder of peanut butter
• kissing men, women, children, and dogs on the cheek every time you see them (1st time? no matter, kiss 'em anyway!)
• everyone has a maid. everyone. i don't even know where the broom is in this house!
• rice and beans everyday. everyday. with chicken or beef or lasagna, whatev.
• let me tell you, manning the ônibus system in português is an adjustment.
• drinking juice (real, fresh fruit juice) with every meal-even at restaurants.

BUT, how good is God that I've found most of these things (at most times) fascinating! Brazilians live totally different that I'm used to and yet we're the same. God created them with the same creativity and love that He used in creating me. They have the same internal struggles and desires that I do. They're living life with a different perspective; yet they need God and they won't be complete until they realize that, either! Life is different here, but it's still life, and it's good.

speaking of answered prayer...

So Anna Caye and I started praying for opportunities to make a few friends in our age range...and the Lord hath provided! One idea we had was to ask all of our male professors (who are close to our age) if their wives would want to hang out with us. (PS-not a great many things more humbling than asking "Would you be my friend?" somewhere other than the playground!)

Well, it turns out upon asking Bárbara (Anderson's wife) if she'd like to hang out sometime, I received an invitation to go to her families farm for the weekend! Which, I of course, did! It was a great time of bonding and of course, practicing portuguese! (always, always!)

Here is the ricketiest of bridges in Brazil, I'm sure! It extends right over this waterfall!

Which gave me the chance to bring up my new favorite Psalm (42:7) about

God's love washing over me like a cachoeira (waterfall).

Now, with this scenery stretching before me on all sides, it may seem that I'm on the set of Lost; but no! I'm only on an aventura with Bárbara's dad, uncle, and husband looking for monkeys. (commonly known as a snipe hunt, I'm pretty sure).

Ahhhhh my fearless leaders in the exploration of the Brazilian natural forest! Yes, the uncle up front is toting a pumpkin to show me that it tastes better in Brazil. Funny story--when trying to figure out what fruit he was talking about, Anderson described it as "the melon of halloween"! Oh yes! It is the pumpkin you speak of!

One of MANY discoveries! I really can't remember the name of this coconut like plant,

but they sure did rip it right off the tree to show me how heavy it is!

-Pray for my new friends as they continue to search out truth

-Also, pray for me, I've been a little stomach virus-y since this week--no fun in 100 degree weather!

-Thanks!

i like the bible

Do you ever come across just the right passage at exactly the right time?

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life.

Psalm 42:7

The Lord is so in tune to my needs-He is continually directing his love to me.

Love it.

my life as jerry maguire

"Have you ever gotten the feeling that you aren't completely embarrassed yet, but you glimpse tomorrow's embarrassment?" - Jerry Maguire

For example, what I count as a major victory ie: conveying to the Pharmacy dude that I need rubbing alcohol for cleaning is immediately squashed by a Brazilian friend who says I don't speak portuguese very well.

Well of course I don't. I'm an American whose been living in Brazil for 5 weeks.

The "ups" are brief, because a "down" is just around the corner!

Lately I've been relating to Jerry Maguire (yes, the emotional train wreck of a sports agent) in a very big and sometimes surreal way. If you follow my almost handicapped analogy; I am Jerry, fully committed to my one and only concern: Rod Tidwell/portuguese. Their relationship is largely based on Jerry's often unsuccessful attempts to understand and promote Rod.

I'm only trying to promote portuguese to myself, trying to convince me that it is a cool language, I really do like it, and it is a hurdle I can master.

I mean, if I had a t-shirt that read: "I am out here for you (portuguese!) You don't know what it's like to be ME out here for YOU. It is an up-at-dawn, pride swallowing siege that I will never fully tell you about, OK?" I would for sure be wearing it every day!

Again, allow me to make two disclaimers...

A) I know this will get easier and I'll be all kinds of frustrated (again) when I return to the US and never hear portugese

2) No, Jerry Maguire is not the most "family friendly" film, in the event that you haven't seen it and are now considering this a recommendation