July 6, 2005

• Betty (the cat) and I had a falling out. She really loved me and would come to me when I walked by, but then two things happened. One, she got her head dirty and started stinking so I tried to give her a bath, and two, Edjane came back and is allergic to cats, so I had to kick Betty out of the room. Oh well. I still feed her.

  
  

   

  
  

  Tele and Heather came back long enough for the band to practice. They are staying longer because Tele’s mom is doing so well that they are hoping to release her from the hospital! This is quite a praise because at first they thought she would need surgery, then that she would be there ten more days…and now only two! I loved practicing with the band. Here is a funny story—one of those stories how God works without you. Last year I had asked my mom to send me some things I had forgotten. Well, they were heavy enough that it was much cheaper to send them by boat than air. Never send by boat. I was there for two more months and it never arrived. After I went home they said it came a couple months later. In that package was a songbook. I saw that songbook today and from it they were able to learn and translate four new songs for our English camp (they sing in Portuguese and I in English)! So hopefully when I return I will know “Here I am to Worship” and “Open the eyes of my Heart” in Portuguese.

  
  

   

  
  

  We were singing when I saw Ricardo walk by barefoot. Since shoes are another thing I have in my missing suitcase (which, they called and said SHOULD be here today), Ricardo said I could borrow his and I have been wearing them constantly. (He is shorter, and just happens to have the same size sandal as I do) When I asked, he said, “oh, it is okay, I have shoes.” But I did not realize that I was wearing his only other shoes! Oh my. Please pray for Jaciara. I had gotten really close to her last year and got to see her at church on Sunday. She is doing well and now has a boyfriend (who is shorter than her, but that seems to be pretty common here) who also goes to the seminary. She came on Monday with bumps all over…some kind of rash. Edjane took her to the doctor and he said it was contagious (of course, they tell me after I give her a big hug). I have been itching a lot lately, but I am pretty sure the only ailment I have is the kamikaze mosquitoes.

  
  

   

  
  

  I tried to make some more goose-goo, and this time there was salt, but the problem was that when Ricardo showed me, he did not measure anything. I ended up putting in four times the proper amount of salt in. David, like that trooper he is, still ate it. Gilson came in, took a mouthful and then painfully swallowed and showed me the proper amount of salt to put it. For something only requiring two ingredients, I sure am having a hard time of it. What will happen when I move on to making rice and beans? On Sunday, three Americans are coming in and life will be different. It is funny how quickly I distance myself with pronouns from the “other” Americans! They are busy cleaning rooms and getting things ready, because the medical clinic will be next week. And I have no idea what a medical clinic is like, but I am sure I will learn.

  
  

   

  
  

  I am becoming a soap opera addict. Can you believe it? Brasilian soap operas are world-famous so it seems. The normal routine for students is to get up, go to school, eat lunch, do their homework or other school activities, and then be inside in front of their television by 7:15pm (yep, they start things on the quarter-hour here) for the soap opera. Even David is hooked. The famous one running now is “Essas Mulheres” (“These Women”). David has given me the basic storyline and I have an interesting time watching their facial expressions. About half-way through the show I don’t even hear the words and have to concentrate to try to pick out words I know. This is my “Portuguese by osmosis” plan. Last night we also watched the Brasilian version of “The Apprentice,” but I fell asleep after about 10 minutes of it.

  
  

   

  
  

  I had a good time with the Lord this morning, with the morning sun on my back, the palm trees in front of me (the bugs all around me), the lizards running up walls, and birds calling to each other. There was a line of ants, each carrying their burden back to the hole. And as I came before the Lord I asked myself if my heart was really clean. Because I always think it is, and pray it is, and then—like clockwork—sometime during the day fine some horrible thing in it…a selfish attitude, a bad habit…and I wondered if I could really be as fresh and new as the morning was. Then 1 John 1:9 came to my heart. The verse I have had memorized for how many years? But the promise is so sure, so complete. He will forgive and clean. He HAS forgiven and cleaned. Simple. And wonderful.

  
  

   

  • 8:50 am
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