A New and Better Way

I released my death grip on the bar. Even if I did fall after a sharp turn the press of bodies in the bus would probably keep me from hitting the floor. The smell of unwashed bodies mingled with the smell of open sewage from the ´river´ (read open sewer canal/channel) that runs parallel with the road and flows into an actual river somewhere in Sao Paulo. All of this reminding me yet again that I am very very far from home. Today was hard that way. It wasn´t so much the sewer or the fact that I waited a half hour for my bus. It was really an accumulation of many factors. The lack of private space, the inability to get around efficiently and effectively, the fact that no one seemed to be placing a priority on finding a new place for me to stay and of course the lack of sleep, all of which led to a tearful morning. I was ready to pack my bags and head home. There is only so much ´otherness´ that a person can take and I´d reached my limit. Thankfully everyone was very understanding and I a...

Today is supposedly my day off. However, last night at church the pastor asked me to come in for the morning so I did. I arrived at the church half an hour late thanks to my ride. I started feeling sick as I climbed the hill up to the church and was really dizzy for most of the morning. Thankfully it has worn off now. However, I missed the second half of the Passion conference due to this continuous stomache ache. I hope whatever it is clears up soon. I missed church in the morning yesterday because of it. However, I was able to go to Tiago and Suzana´s for lunch and Andre (one of the Andrews mentioned earlier) joined us for that. They are a great couple and it was nice to scope out their place to see if I´d like to stay there (since they offered). There is only one bathroom which is of a fairish size but the whole apartment is so tiny it feels like a matchbox. Don´t think I can do it. Maybe it works for two people but not for three. After a late lunch we went to the evening service at...

Here are some images I `borrowed`from Rahel.

Today one of the LRT trains (which they call metros) was not working for some reason so people decided to walk the tracks or take the bus. This did not affect my area of the city but you can see a video of it at: http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/SaoPaulo/0,,MUL488846-5605,00.html Very chaotic. Traffic problems are pretty bad here. Sometimes people wait for their bus for almost 40 minutes and if the bus is your only means of transportation and you live far from your work place it is common to take 3 or more buses to get somewhere. And I thought Edmonton transit was bad. Speaking of buses I took the bus on my own for the first time yesterday! Yay for independence! (well, sort of). I seriously miss having a car and being able to go wherever whenever and the independence that comes with simply knowing your way around a place. Like right now I´d love to run to the store for a few things but that is just not going to happen. I could walk but that would take a good half hour and would be downhill...

How do I describe Sao Paulo? I´ve been here less than 24 hours and have already had several adventures. My flight was about an hour late and two guys, both named Andrew, picked me up at the airport. They both work in the mission department at Igreja Batista Morumbi (which is the mother church of the congregation in Vila Andrade)and we´ll all be working together this summe. The flight from Porto Alegre to Sao Paulo is only an hour and a half so and after getting lost for a bit in the parkade we headed to the church for a tour. I met several of the pastors including Pastor Marcelo who pastors the congregation at Vila Andrade. Everyone was very welcoming. We only managed to see Morumbi and then drove past the church building in the favela since the people hosting me were anxious to show me around before it got dark. Cleide and Fernando are my hosts. I met their son Caio in Edmonton and he´ll be back in Sao Paulo in July so I plan on moving somewhere else then. Their daughter Taty also liv...

Just got back from spending the weekend in Porto Alegre with our NABC missionary Lyndell Campbell who lives and works there. Porto Alegre is the city I grew up in here in Brasil. It was really neat to be back there although a bit sureal at times. Visited my old home church and saw tons of people I know. Not enough time to visit as I had to be back at the homes today(Chain of Love). Had churrasco the Brasilian barbecue I rave about sometimes (that happened on Mother´s day). It was soooo good! Lots and lots of meat, pork, beef, chicken, chicken hearts, good stuff. Toured downtown a bit with the team and took lots of pics. Once I get my cord for my camera mailed to me I´ll post pictures. I have to make this short and sweet since I´m on bathroom duty this morning and have to translate for a watercolor class that´s being offered to some of the teens here at the Chain this afternoon. Prayers for improved health and more sleep would be great. I am able to go about my day fairly normally but t...

Boa noite! It is evening here in Novo Hamburgo as I write this and we´ve had a wet and humid couple of days. Made it through customs without a hitch and all the flights and connections were smooth, praise God. (For those of you who don´t know I´m in southern Brasil for two weeks translating for a Gateway team from Steele Heights at Chain of Love before starting my internship). Being back has raised a lot of mixed emotions that I´m still sorting through. Life here is just so different and I´m definitely not the same person I was when we left here in 2001 (as obvious as that may be). Figuring out how I fit in and what role I have to play here is going to take some time. Have already had some good connections with the missionaries here, Chris and Ingrid Kid who I hadn´t met yet and it´s been really neat to see the Bayers again (they started Chain of Love) and Lyndell. My Portuguese is still pretty good and its fun to see the surprised look on the faces of the locals when the `American` gi...