Group Time

I am hoping this is the only time this 6 months that I miss my weekly blog, but with the group here for an extended 15 day stay I was kept quite busy. But first, before the group arrived Katie and I took 10 or so of our English students to Ponta Grossa, a nearby city, for some delicious food court food, bowling and a 3D showing of Kung Fu Panda all in Portuguese! It was so special to see all their faces light up as they knocked down the bowling pins and their confusion about why they were getting headaches from watching things fly off the screen! For most of them it was there first time getting to do these things and their pure enjoyment of it all was inspiring. With vacation time we decided we wanted to spend several days visting the houses of our students with all the teachers to introduce ourselves to the parents and talk all little bit about what our plans were for this year. We also thought this would be a great chance for us to get soem insight into the home lives of our kids and maybe help us be more understanding of why they behaved the way they did or what they were lacking that we could make up for. Unfortunately some live really far away in the country so our day of visitng only got us to maybe 10 homes but it was still very eye opening and I am hoping we get the chance to visit the rest. One afternoon we headed to visit the house of 5 of our students and there we found Rogerio, an afternoon student, really sick laying in bed with a high fever and chills. His mom was nowhere to be seen and he was not taking any medicine. It was the most heart wrenching thing I have experienced thus far this year. I just wanted to curl up in the bed with him and tell him he would get better and comfort him- everything a mom should do. I couldn´t get him out of my head so the next day we headed back there to see how he was and luckily his mom had gotten him some medicine and he was feeling better but I still had a pain in my heart for him and his living situation, probably the worst of our students. I know that most of it is out of my hands but it is very hard to accept that when you have a connection with the kids- that is when the serenity prayer comes in handy. We got all the final preparations for the group ready and headed out early Wednesday morning to get them at the airport with our welcome signs! It was so great to welcome another large group into Brazil, several repeats and several new faces. By the time we made it to the Chale the first night, we quickly turned around for mass in which the homily in a foreign language had almost everyone asleep! The next day, Thursday, as we headed to PETI for capoeria we were informed that the program had been cancelled for the following week for an extended vacation, something we were banking on doing with the group. That was just the first of many curveballs thrown our way this trip. The next day a sickness started that eventually spread to 5 of the Americans, for some it lasted only a day and for others unfortunately it left them bed ridden for 5 days and ended with a hospital visit. Katie and I were luckily able to stay healthy thank God as one of us always had to stay with the sick people and the other had to lead the rest of the group in the days activities. It forced me into a leadership role that I didn´t think I was ready for- I had to speak in Portuguese in the front of large groups twice, something I normally leave up to Katie. At the time I was sweating with nervousness but looking back it was just what I needed to start losing my fear. It was extra special to get to celebrate the birthdays of both my mom and Marcos here!! We got to sing Happy Birthday a lot both in English and Portuguese and ate lots of cake. Besides some make shift days of water games and soccer at the program, we also took the group to visit communities we have helped in the past and one that we are helping with the building of their chapel this year. Just when we were releasing the Americans from the hospital after blood work and IVs, I was riding in the ambulance with Daniel, another American after he dislocated his knee playing soccer in the sand at a community. When we arrived we had everyone at the hospital joking that it was the day of the Americans. Luckily he didn´t need surgery but he did have to stay overnight in the hospital for observation. The next day he was left with severe headaches which prevented him from returning with the majority of the group on his original return date. He was put back in the hospital for another 2 days and it was diagnosed that he sat up too soon after having receiving anesthesia from the previous visit. Fortunately he was able to get his flight changed and leave with the rest of the group on Tuesday. In general it was an insane 10 days of trying to keep everyone healthy, come up with things to do without the program scheduled and make it an experience that made the Americans would remember. They were able to do some very special, unique things too like visit the land less camp and deliver a months worth of food to several families from our program. I was so grateful to have that time with everyone but especially my mom and brother. I know I have their support but to have them here going through my daily life with me is something I will forever cherish. Now that we safely got the group back in the States, Katie and I are really focused on getting this program off the ground. They won´t have vacation for awhile so we are excited to start stuff up that we know we have the time to get going. Another small set back is the quitting of our 2 afternoon teachers so for the time being it is just us and another PE teacher who helps out. Hopefully we get some people to take their places soon as the afternoon is already more chaotic was more kids. I started photography with a few kids on Tuesday taking pictures of items 1-10. It took them awhile but in the end they were really getting creative and it left me smiling! Now we are settling back into the routine of everyday life but missing everyone from the group as well. They were inspiring and brought a fresh energy to everything, thank you to everyone for all that you did for us and the people of Brazil in your short stay. They will be talking about you guys for years to come! Prayer this morning was all about how we are just a pencil in the hand of God, being used in the ways we may never expect or want but in the ways that fit into God´s plan- may we all keep this in mind as we go about our busy lives, asking God to use us each day to fulfill His work.

God´s Love

I prepared prayer one day this week and it was all about the beautiful, flawless love God has for us, where we see it daily and how we can live out that love to others. Looking back on this past week, I experienced God´s love in some of the most amazing ways. I think I could say that last Sunday I took part in one of the most awesome thing I have ever experienced! Katie and I went to Sao Geraldo (St. Gerald) a rehab center for men with Sister Rose and Sister Cecilia. We originally agreed because it would be our Sunday mass and we heard an American priest was there, but it ended up being so much more. I know I will not be able to give it justice with my words but we were there to celebrate the graduation of 4 men from the 9 month program. Mass took place in a small chapel on the center´s beautiful grounds surrounded by trees, flowers and all kinds of nature. It was the first time I was able to understand an entire homily as the American priest had a vocabulary very similar to mine :) Then after Mass, the 4 men came forward, the director said a few words, they were given crosses, rosaries and Bibles. Then they were each given a chance to speak a few words, each giving thanks to God first and foremost. When there eyes started welling up with tears, mine were right there too! THEN, the family members were able to speak.. one sister said a few things, struggling to hold back tears. Then after everyone clapped she stood back up and asked permission to hug her brother. Their embrace had me on the brink of losing it. THEN, all the men that are currently program joined them on the altar to sing a song about the miracles God is working in their lives. Some were holding their small children, others were holding back tears and I just kept marveling at the wonderful witness of God´s love I was experiencing. Katie and I both sat there in awe and felt so humbled to be a part of something so special to these four men and their families. Thinking about it again makes me smile and brings tears to my eyes as it really touched my heart. That night I was supposed to skype with my family but they had a storm and no access to internet so I called and talked to a few people, but I don´t think I was able to fully get across my excitement from what I had experienced earier in the day! We went to the program Monday and made cards for the Americans that are arriving Wednesday but then we left early Tuesday for Sao Paulo, a large city in Brazil about 10 hours away. Sister Rose drove part way and we stopped in a city with a replica of the famous Jesus statue in Rio.. it was smaller but it stood way up on a hill in the town. It was beautiful to look down at the city and I felt a sense of peace thinking of Jesus with his arms opened up, looking down into the town. Once in Sao Paulo we stayed with some other Holy Cross nuns in the heart of the city. Riding the metro in Sao Paulo is something I can check off my list but not something I want to do again, it was insane with people fighting, pushing and I even caught my backpack on the pants of some older man.. oops! But we got Danny, a friend from Indianapolis at the airport Wednesday and spent the day visiting the cathedral and walking around the main center of the city for the remainder of the day until catching up bus back late that night. We were warned many times about the dangers of the city but thank God we were never hasseled or felt threatened! We came back to PETI Thursday ready for Danny to get his first taste of Project Discovery only to discover the program had been cancelled the rest of the week, only a few kids were there for capoeria. So we came back early and had a chance to rest a litle bit before going to Mass where they have Eucharistic exposure.. I can´t think of the proper name for it but it was a normal Mass and after everyone gathered at the front to touch the blessed sacrament.. I went last week and this is the Mass that my host family normally goes to. It is beautiful music and I love incorporating an extra Mass in my weekly schedule. Yesterday we went to Imbau and did a special English lesson with our 10 students where we worked in stations striving to prepare them for a test most of them took today. It was a retake because only a few passed the first time. We gave them a mock test at the end and it seemed that they were kind of getting it but today I stayed in the room while they took the tests and unfortunately I think several students will be taking it again. It is just a testament to the difficulty of learning another language and the dedication and hard work it takes to progress. I was so lucky to talk with Beccas TWICE yesterday for her birthday, it sounded like she had a great day and I loved being able to catch up a little with her. I have made a new friend on the bus from Imbau to Telemaco Borba. He is 12 years old and reminds me of Evan every time we talk. He is such a sweetheart and I have really enjoyed getting to know him. More plans for the group are coming together as their arrival date quickly approaches. I am now headed to Mass as tomorrow we will be traveling with our English students to the town of Ponta Grossa!! Pray for safe travels. Happy late 4th of July as well! I can absolutely feel the affects of all the prayers from everyone back home so thank you. May we all strive to search out ways to spread God´s love is small ways this week!

rain rain go away

Katie and I were just talking and we agreed that it has not stopped raining in the last 3 days.. and something new to get used to here is that when it rains, inside the house becomes damp and soggy too because of no inside circulation. You can look at the walls and see water dripping down at a steady rate, bathroom floors are slippery and I have dried my body with a wet towel for about a week now! I was not thinking when I did not bring an umbrella or an extra pair of tennis shoes but I have been able to borrow from the generous people here. It was a great full week with the kids in which Katie and I were really impressed with the organization and passion of the new teachers. They seem to genuinely care about the kids and want to work with them! We have decided to have weekly teacher meetings just to stay informed on how everything is going with each other and what everyone is up to, I think communication is going to be a big part of keeping up the good things we have going. Last night Katie and I did something for the first time, we partook in a singing lesson! Our teacher was the guitar instructor that teaches our kids music. He and his brother have a studio here in the town we live in so we are going to try this out for one month, once a week. I absolutely loved it, and would have easily stayed another hour! Having never taken a formal lesson, it was difficult at times and a little intimidating to sing alone in another language but because I love to sing so much, it was amazing! Today being Saturday, our 10 students studying English have class today so we will spend the afternoon there helping out. Hopefully we will really start to see improvement! On Tuesday we leave for Sao Paulo to pick up Danny at the airport and we will get to spend all day Wednesday enjoying all that the city has to offer. I am excited as I have never been outside the four walls of the airport in the big city. Soon after we return we will be turning right around to go pick up the group at the airport! Headed now to the gym quickly before the English lesson. I hope everyone is having a relaxing summer, enjoying the warm weather and time with family and friends! Tchao!