Halfway

Hey Everybody,
I've just passed the halfway-point. It has been a good month. It has been good to get away and straight up serve. I really needed this time to get back the fascination and wonder that God is. Our missionary suggested when we arrived that we read Proverbs everyday. I used to read a Proverb a day frequently, when I was younger and it was good. I haven't done that in a few years, and its really neat see all the verses I had previously memorized. It has also been really good to see God bring a lot of new verses to my attention. I think I have always been drawn to Proverbs because if its blatant practicality in all situations. I have said this and alluded to this before, but I have been praying a lot about direction for the future. Prov 21:24 helps. There are several options ahead of me right now, and I am praying for the best one, not a good one.

This past weekend we went to Angra dos Reis, a city 2 hours west of Rio to do a clinic and spend the weekend. Angra is kind of like the Destin of Brazil. We stayed and worked in a small beach town called Monsuaba. I decided that if I ever had to get away from the government or something and get a new identity, Monsuaba would be the place to go. The town was very relaxed and isolated. We did clinic at the Baptist church there on Saturday and it very well, a lot of people came, including some pretty fun kids. The church did a good job publicizing the clinic and preparing. It was tough because the wife of the Pastor passed away from a bacterial infection that morning. The church members were very gracious hosts, even though they were mourning their sister. I'm keeping the church in my prayers. They are a neat group of people.

We stayed in a "simple" house in Monsuaba, one bathroom for 12 people + a cold shower in the front yard. It was good though and we had good time of fellowship with the Brazilian team. They share everything and are very generous. The one bad thing about the trip was a mosquito problem. They were bad, but only at night when we were asleep. I think they liked my bug spray, because I got ate up anywhere where there weren't at least two layers of fabric. I had about a hundred bites on my face (I counted), and a couple dozen on my hands and feet. If any pictures of me show up from the last few days, I did not get chicken pox or measles or Dengue. Oh well, its not as bad as it looks or sounds. I am going to see if I can get a quick job doing a before and after photo shoot for Proactiv or something.

They have this fruit called acai, that they freeze and puree. It's the closest thing to a sonic slush you can get down here and it is good. You can get almost any flavor syrup or add-in. As long as you get past the fact that it is dark brown and thick. I think I got it 5 times over the weekend.

We are working a clinic in Bangu this week and I am taking blood pressure for the eye clinic. Apparently, today we were only allowed to see people with diastoles over 100 and people who would not take their BP medicine, it was interesting.

My favorite Portuguese phrase right now is:
"Eu no falo Portuguese. Eu sou se dezir quien 'no falo Portuguese'."
Translated:
I don't speak Portuguese. I only know how to say 'I don't speak Portuguese.'"