This Good Life

Well, I'll try to wrap up some of the other things I did in Brazil... We went to this Football Museum one day and it was awesome!  It was really high tech and interesting and all sorts of things to see about football, history of football, World Cup, Brazilian players, etc.  I really enjoyed it. At one point, you could kick a ball into a digital wall with the net and a goalie and if you make the goal there's a big 'GOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!' Ok.  I am not very athletic nor can I kick a ball with accuracy....tennis is about the extent of my sport-playing and that requires no kicking (if you weren't aware).  Even so I stepped up to the plate (why am I talking in baseball terms??) and prepared to make a fool out of myself in front of all these Brazilians who I'm sure have kicked balls from birth. Aaaaand.....I made a 'GOOOOL'! Then my friend Leandro got up there and got ready to try the same thing. He totally missed. Baha. Oops, so sorry that I made mine...

For a couple of days, my friends and I went to Rio de Janiero for vacation!  It is a fabulous city and truly unique! Several things were happening in Rio while we were there that kept the city buzzing a little bit...Justin Bieber was in town. Hooray. (can you feel my enthusiam with that hooray?)  Rock in Rio is a concert series like ACL in Austin, but all rock bands/music and that was taking place while we were there too.  Because of these two events, Rio was bustling. We walked past the hotel where Justin Bieber was staying several times and the sickness must not be THAT contageous because even with being so close I still didn't get Bieber Fever.. thank goodness. Also, I do have to mention that Brazilian soap operas are insanely popoular here. Whereas we have our series and shows that are watched regularly across America and loved by many, for Brazil these shows are soap operas. Actors in the soap operas are national stars and considered the most talented actors/actres...

Tonight was such an uplifing night. I went to Wednesday evening church. There were only about 20 people there and the events of the service were very similar to Sunday morning church--singing, prayer, a message. However, the part that I was impacted by the most was at the very end when the speaker (this is typical for them every week) asked for prayer requests from the group. Like 10 hands immediately went up into the air. One by one each person was "called upon" and spoke from the heart. There were requests for prayers for upcoming exams, thankfulness for healing of the sick, gratefulness for God's protection (literally, someone's life was being threatened and God was steadfast), blessings for friends, and prayers for family members who had strayed from the church. I guess I was so touched because I thought about how hard it would be to get people in the United States to do this. I mean, to REALLY let their hearts be open and give REAL prayer requests. Americans a...

Well, I just got home from a Brazilian Police Station... Let me explain. Well, even before I begin to explain, let me give some background. :) Ever since I got to Brazil, I've been telling my friends how I want to buy coffee to take back to the States. Literally-- for the past week, I've mentioned it every day.  Finally, tonight (Sunday night), I went to the supermarket with Thiago and Priscilla to get my coffee!  Hooray!!  #soexcited Ahead of myself a little bit...let me give some more background. The people that I'm hanging out with in Brazil are some of the best people one could ever know.  I'll start with the couple that have been gracious enough to let me stay with them in their house while I'm here.  Thiago is a brilliant and hard-working engineer and Priscila is about the sweetest and kindest person in the world.  They both work with the youth at the church and would be my role models and mentors, no doubt, if I was in high school and goin...

Ok I am going to start a series of blogs about my time in Brazil... I miss it already.  I miss my friends there.  It was a very special two weeks and a very blessed two weeks.  I didn't get a chance to blog while I was physically there, but hopefully these forthcoming stories will be more than sufficient as a summation of my trip! Saturday--well my day started at 5:00 am when Thiago, Priscila, Leandro and I work up early and hit the road.  We drove 3 hours to our final destination for the day, Brotas.  Brotas is a small little town outside of Sao Paulo in the countryside.  The drive was beautiful.  We listened (and sang) to all sorts of American and Brazilian music!  (Yes, I have a video or two of the singing--however Thiago sings better as a girl than as I guy, so for his sake I will refrain from sharing the videos via the internet.)  Once we got to Brotas we changed clothes and then got briefed for....a whitewater rafting trip!! ...