May 22, 2006

• I taught the kids how to say “Uncle” this week. They then asked me if “Aunt” was “Uncla.” It actually makes perfect sense in Portuguese. And explain to me why “Ch” sound is not the same in Christ…and why “Christian” does not use the same sound as “Christ.” In Timbauba today, they decided that English was officially ridiculous for this. And I refuse to try to defend English if I think it is too. They also spelled “of” O-V.

  
  

   

  
  

  Friday I went to a gospelfest in Paudalho. One band had invited me…and paid for my ticket since I am their English teacher on Mondays. I have found it amazing how teaching English suddenly puts me in contact with lots of people. Karine was on the bus talking to someone from Paudalho who had a friend in Timbauba who were trying to pronounce this weird last name of some girl teaching English. The name was “Winzeler.” Freaky. The gospelfest was a lot of fun. Even if my conception of dancing basically consists of playing air guitar.

  
  

   

  
  

  I ate some stringy green stuff today. It was sorta like spinach. I think it was a vegetable.

  
  

   

  
  

  “The joy of anything, from a blade of grass upwards, is  fulfill its created purpose.” –Oswald Chambers

  
  

   

  
  

  Psalm 65:11 “You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance.”

  
  

   

  
  

  The guy who owns the bank in Timbauba (meaning, rich) wanted to put his son in our school. 11 is ever so much more than 10 students, and so they decided to preserve my life and say he needed to wait until next semester.

  
  

   

  
  

  I have lived here for over a year now…putting all the time together. Wow.

  
  

   

  
  

  I’m not here to save the world. In fact, I don’t want to. I want a new world the way it was supposed to be. I realized that I’ve been taken too much responsibility, trying to find, label, and fix the problems around me. I’ve come to some conclusions: there are problems. People have problems. People are messed up and will always have problems. I have problems. My advice does not solve problems. It may help explain them, but it does not change them. I’m not going to find the secret formula for change or for miracles or for saving the world because there isn’t any. This is nice to know. My responsibility is simply my relationship with God. As I follow Him, He brings the opportunities and times to share His words with others. And then it is His choice and in His hands to do what He will. And sometimes…I just need to listen.

  
  

   

  • 4:12 pm
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