On a journey...

Well, what to all of the above have in common, you might ask. Well, they are all events in the last 4 days. Saturday. Having spent all morning setting up an elaborate "Easter Walk" to do with my little discipleship group, I must admit that the stress level went up when 22 instead of 12 kids turned up. It is good that they come, but trying to cram 22 kids into a little office to seriously think about Jesus praying in Gethsemane is not ideal. Especially when they would be pinching and pushing eachother all the time. Still, we managed to get to Easter Sunday, and they all left content, I think. I got lots of hugs and little letters from my regular kids which was nice. Sunday. At lunchtime we had a leaving barbeque at the project. A lot of people came, and even if I am not one for big groups of people, it was nice that so many came to say goodbye. The food was nice and the people were lovely. A really nice ending. That was lunchtime. At five in the afternoon I was strolling along...

Well, I am at the end of my final week at work. It's a been a surreal week where I've not really thought that much about it being the last week, yet realizing that it is. Monday. What did I do on Monday? Some friends of mine were renewing their wedding vows, so we all headed off to the farm in the evening to be a part of celebrating that. It was lovely. Tuesday. The goodbyes start. Neide and I took the bus to CECAL to say goodbye to a group of 5 boys we know who are in prison there. Boys who I have known practically since I came here in 2001. Boys who participated in the "Open House". Boys who've been in and out of prison for I don't know how many years. Boys, some of whom have even spent time living on the farm. It was strange to say bye to them because I realize that they are now no longer kids, but adults. Two of them are fathers, one with no relationship with his daughter, the other looking to the future hoping to provide for his young family. I hope that ...

Today I've been really really tired all day. I guess it's part of life and also part of getting ready to leave. Today I dragged myself out of bed, and had a cup of tea to get going. And when the mum we were taking to see her son in prison wasn't in, the morning went doing bits and pieces. This afternoon we were at the bussterminal to see the streetkids. It was a good time I guess, but the group of kids there at the moment are really just so lost. Totally drugged, dirty, and don't really care about anything. It's like they've lost all innocence. When I got back I looked through a few past reports getting them ready to do the monthly overview of the kids we've met this month. I felt really sad. One kid said her dream was that her mum would stop drinking, another girl told of a stepfather who molested her and her sisters, and another boy told of how his dad would hit his sister. And I am left with the question of: where is the hope and future for these kids? So...

"When in Rome, do as the Romans" there's a saying that goes. At home when the sun is shining, we always tend to try to absorb as many rays of sunshine as we can, because they are few and far between. Here, however, there is rarely a lack of sunshine, and because of the intensity of mid-day sunshine, the sunshine drives us into the shade. When you walk along the street, any bit of shade is where the people walk. Sitting on the bus; the "side with shade" is always filled up first. Now, as freshly arrived Norwegian, starved of sunshine, I used to seek out the sunny bits, and was often the odd one out as I walked along with Brazilian friends. Now I have become "one of them". It's become almost something automatic to scout out the shade and walk towards it. I have even been known to ask on the bus which side is the one with shade. I suppose I could say: "when in Fortaleza, do as the locals do"...

Brazil has this really really cool law that anyone who is elderly, pregnant, or disabled has priority in queues and on busses. It really is such an amazing way of valuing and taking care of these people who already face difiiculties in life. It's amazing to see how people also really respect the principle of this law. If an old person comes to the front of the queue where people might have been stood for hours, there is no complaining. And if a pregnant woman stands at the back, she is quickly encouraged to go to the front. It is also good that the elderly over a certain age get to go for free on the buss, and hence enter the buss at the front as opposed to the back (where paying customers get on). It's good because it means that you know that they are elderly and need a seat. I guess because of genetics, but also the sun and toughness of life, people age much younger here. A woman who is mabye 50 might look to me like she is in her late 60s. I was reflecting on how good this l...

Today we were on our way to Lake Catu to swim. We being: Julie, Avis, Denise and yours truly. It was Julie's birthday and this was her chosen activity for the day (the helicopter-ride turned out to be way too expensive). So there we were strolling along through low bushes on a sandy trail, when suddenly we get to a swampy, muddy bit, which we have to cross. Not feeling too thrilled by the prospect of wading through muddy water, especially not knowing what could be in it, I cautiously stepped in. Bad idea. My slow pace made my flip-flop get stuck in the mud, and I was now faced with a dilemma. Either abandoning my flip-flop and getting quickly out of the mud, or enduring the mud-river and digging my flip-flop out of it (having to find it first, as the water/mud was dark and my flip-flop buried under it). Seeing as my flip-flops are original Havaianas, I decided to stop to dig it out. Stood there, vocally disgusted by the mud and searching for my flip-flop, a young chap came over...

Today I've heard this phrase so many times, I don't know how to respond anymore. Today we were in two prisons, and in the first one the coordinator for the education part sat me down to voice his concerns as to what would happen once I'd left. He was very encouraging and shared of how the boys really take in what we share. It was nice to hear. And I somehow tried to calm his concern by saying that even if I leave, I believe God has put the prisons on our hearts and that we would be doing whatever our capacity people-wise would allow. Then in the afternoon we went to CECAL where the 18-21 year olds are. I saw 5 boys I've known for many many years. Boys who were a part of the "open house" oh, so many years ago, and some who lived on the farm with us; boys who still feel part of "Casa de Meu Pai". They were asking why we hadn't visited them, and couldn't we visit them because no-one visits them. I tried to tell them that I wasn't going to pr...