On a journey...

I’m now in my final week here in Brazil. It’s very surreal and yet I feel very relaxed (maybe a tad concerned about my luggage space). Yesterday was a great day. In the morning I went to Dom Bosco, one of the youth prisons where I think I had the strongest connection when I worked here. I love going there. It really feel like I have a “place” there in a weird way. We had a group of 14 boys and after worship and a talk about “the valley of the dry bones” (from Ezekiel 37) we divided them into smaller groups. I sat down with 5 of the lads to chat. It was so good. My heart was so for them and they were so wanting change and something more. I love moments where you get to really know what’s going on in their lives and talk to them as individuals and not so much as one of a group. I asked them what stood out to them from the talk and most of them replied “valley of dry bones” or “lots of things”, but when asking further they didn’t have much more to say. One lad, however, you coul...

I ended up getting the bus into Fortaleza this afternoon. It was a chilled hour-long bus ride and some of roads we took brought back memories of the 13 years I have known this city. I remember back in 1998 when I would take the bus into town with my “Year For God” team and we’d get off the bus at Avenida Domigos Olimpios and walk up to “Igreja Coraçāo de Jesus” which was our point of reference. And I remember how the city centre at that time seemed so big and confusing, where now it doesn’t seem big or confusing. I love this city. I got off the bus at Rua Assunçāo and walked to “Darling” one of the (many) beauty salons in the city. Brazil is the place to get cheap manicures and pedicures. I went in and had my nails done while thinking about how great it is to be in a place where taking care of oneself is valued in a different way than in Europe. Here no-one thinks it’s a waste of time or money to have your nails done. It’s almost like it’s a natural part of life. And it’s so relaxi...

Tuesday 25 October 2011 Today I feel restless and unsettled. I don’t know why exactly today, but I suppose it’s coz it’s a day where I’m doing stuff on base more than being out and about, and after almost a week of people around me constantly it’s strange to not have that same intensity and pace. Restless. Trying to get my head around the fact that I leave in 10 days and there are still a few people I’d like to see and a few things I’d like to do, yet feeling unable to really plan and know what is going to happen. Seems like there are always so many variables in the mix and so many factors to take into account. It’s a tad complicated for me. But then I know that in the end everything will work out. Restless. Because I realize that soon I will truly have to set my focus on what lies ahead and start to think about what I’m going to be doing in Amsterdam and in the midst of that realization knowing that I really don’t feel equipped, yet confident that God is able. Always able!...

Saturday 22 October 2011 I had such a lovely time in Itapipoca. It was such a joy to wake up to the view of the Serra and have a slower day on Friday then I’d normally have. My teaching times at the night school run by the church went really well also. I think I’m getting less nervous and more relaxed as I teach, and I think I’m also feeling more confident with what I’m sharing which is quite nice also. It helps that the students were so attentive and interested, it was almost like they were encouraging me to share what was on my heart. Good times. Early this morning I got on a bus back to Fortaleza. My good friend Acyza met me at the bus station and it has been such a joy to see her again. She’s a good friend from when I used to live here and even if we’ve not seen each other for almost 5 years, we’ve stayed in touch. And the thing with good friends it that when you see each other again you just pick up where you left off. We had breakfast, went to the beach (which was so nice...

Last week I saw a little bit of paradise. I was so blessed to go to a place called Jericoacoara which is about 4 hours from Fortaleza and known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I have always wanted to visit this beach, but in my time living here I never had the opportunity to go. So when my friend Juliana said that a team of doctors were coming from the USA on a missions trip and that they were going to spend 3 days in Jericoacoara, ministering to a poor community in Jijoca (close to the famous beach) and also seeing the beach and lagoons, it didn’t take me long to decide to go and help translate. It was such a blessing. The team of 8 are a wonderful group of people and it was so much fun to hang out with them as we ministered and saw the beauty of that place. The first evening we arrived and participated in a church service at the local Assemblies of God church. My friend, Luciana, who was organizing the team asked if I wanted to share something and I said I wou...