my first visitor!

speaking of needing friends...last week katie used her vacation time to spend a week in (freezing) florianópolis! it was so great to have family here with me, even for just a few days! it was my first chance to try to explore some of floripa, which, fortunately was a success! we had so much fun-and i'm so grateful for her! it was a hassle to get the visa and flight and everything she needed to come here with little notice! God has been faithful to give me great friends in my life and i'm confident He'll deliver, here, too!



it was a little too windy on this hill to get a clear shot!



this is a really cool monastery...which runs like normal, but even allows visitors and weekend retreats and stuff. it might be fun to stay there for a day or two...but only for a little while...



i would love to tell you the name of this particular beach, but i can't remember. pretty, though, isn't it?



downtown floripa, aren't the colorful buildings neat?!

it's the little things

please pray that i will make friends. friends to talk to about the gospel. friends to help out at CADI. friends to go to the movies with.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

i thought people in the US had potential to be obsessed with sports (i mean i am from tennessee)...but brasil...takes it to a whole new level during the world cup. a whole new level. note this house in frei damião that is normally a very subtle yellow...



on tuesday when brasil played (and beat) north korea, i'm pretty sure everyone in this city did a victory dance...in the street...all day long. even i got into the spirit, wearing all green and yellow and ridiculously tacky brasil themed ear rings! i mean, why not? it's fun to dress in theme, and i like to be excited about things! reality, sunk in, though when i checked in on this kindergarten class i like to hang out with (mostly because they all call me "tia" and i feel popular). they were totally decked out...painted faces, waving the brasil flags they had just made...i mean this commitment to futebol is virtually from the womb!



i love it because i've never been THIS into anything...not saved by the bell...not ZTA...probably, no definitely not anything relating to the goodness of the Lord. i have so much more reason to be over the top, people stop and stare kind of passionate about what the Lord has done in my life, about who He is; than anyone could have for a group of sweaty guys they've never met! because my mind is always in a million places, the Lord points out the obvious for me in random situations-it's how we keep it real, me and God! my prayer lately is to latch onto "viva brasil! world up '10" kind of passion in my every moment with the Lord.

request of the day!

so the aforementioned bicycle is SUCH a blessing...and a curse when you're not totally in shape. if you don't mind say a prayer for me when you pass wobbly bikers on the side of the highway...that i master the art of looking behind me without turning the whole bike AND that my not 17 year old body doesn't completely revolt this new lifestyle!

i'm aware this is a totally self centered request...by all means continue praying for CADI, too!

:)

simple errands are rarely simple

This morning dawned bright and warm, which was a welcome contrast to the more or less constant rain we've been having for the past few weeks and I was thrilled to have a whole day to lazily do what I wanted!

After a cup of coffee or 3 I had the bright idea to break in my new bike with a quick trip to the grocery store...it seemed pretty close. See the j-man who was here before graciously left the combination bike lock he used, so 'Nelly' (as in whoa) my hot pink ride would now be safe while I went inside stores.

Well, it turns out that I'm not as smart as I think I am or maybe I used up all the available brainpower for that time of the morning trying to choose a type of juice...because I forgot the combination. I remembered the 4 #s...just obviously in the wrong order. After 30 minutes or so I started walking home to re-get the # from my email. AN HOUR LATER on my way home again I pondered how this could have panned out differently if I were in Jackson...

-well I probably would have called someone to check my email for me

-or I would have called someone to give me a ride home

-or maybe I would have driven to the grocery store like a normal 27 year old

Well that is just the reality these days! God is great at providing just enough irritation to keep life laughable! I mean I love the way my life works here, even though nothing about is what I would have called normal just last year!

Boa Noite!