All Good Things Come To An End

Wow... obviously I have lost track of time. I had to be reminded by my grandpa when skyping on Thanksgiving that I had not posted a blog since October! Unfortunately I don´t have time to write alot but I promised you grandpa, so here is a final blog for you. I was so fortunate to share a wonderful week in early November with my dad, brother and around 17 other Americans. It was more special than I could have ever imagined to share the experience with the two of them.. it was a very emotional week for all of us, but especially my dad! :) It was so incredible to think of my mom and dad starting this mission so many years ago and now for me to be continuing it in a way. It was really neat to walk past the house we lived in all those years ago.. it hasn´t changed one bit! I have been living within 5 minutes this whole time but I didn´t ever know where it was and now that my dad pointed it out I have made a point to walk past several more times. The group was so enthusiastic and really jumped into every situation we put them in but especially working with the kids at PETI. They made a huge impact on our kids with their contagious laughs and young spirits and willingness to try capoeira, probably one of the funniest things I have seen yet in Brazil! I will be returning to the States with lots of cards and presents for them from our kids! Since they left our sole purpose has been just spending time with our kids as the end drew near and it came, 2 days ago. On Wednesday we said our finally goodbyes to the children... and it was rough. I worked on a video of pictures from the year and it was a great thing to sit down on our last day and run through memories from the year in picture form. The kids really loved it too! The day flew by as we had to say our goodbyes to all the people in Imbau who have been a huge help to us and our project and before I knew it we were headed back to Telemaco and I felt like a little piece of me had been left behind. I will be spending this weekend, our final weekend, in Imbau with a few of our kids while Katie and Megan and Craig head to the beach with Bruno (Katie´s boyfriend) and his family who have a house there. We will all come together again on Monday to have lunch with the Sisters and finish packing up on luggage and our house. I know Thanksgiving has already past but I would like to take this time to give thanks for such a wonderful 6 month journey that the Lord led me on. I feel more blessed now than ever and I could not have asked for more in my life. I am so grateful to everyone for their continued support and prayers for us, I truely believe they have helped make this experience more powerful and more recently I think it made the goodbye to the children a little easier. I´m sorry I don´t have more time to write more and that I have been so neglegent with my blog... I did however keep up with my journal everyday and once I am back in the States I will be more than willing to share all the stories! Hard to believe I will be leaving this excruciating heat and be greeted by snow possibly! Can´t wait to celebrate the holidays with you all, and one again thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking an intrest in something that meant so much to me. Ate quarta minha familia! Deus abençoe!