April 17, 2013
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My Mom and Koral: at large in Brazil
I asked Koral and my mother to give you some of their thoughts about their first 5 days in Brazil:
Koral: Brazil is beautiful, as I’m sure many have said before me. The landscape is breathtaking of course, but for some reason I find the towns with their depilated houses and cracked roads and leaning fences more beautiful still. It wasn’t until yesterday looking out the window on a bus that I figured out why. Back home we strive to take the struggle out of everything, to hide the imperfections and remove even the smallest flaw. We have towering skyscrapers of convenience and precision, but that’s not life. The beauty in life comes from struggle and those who overcome it. Every crack and crumbling wall and patched roof is a testament to this hardship. But this is alone is not where the beauty comes from. An abandon ghost town has all of these things, yet it gives off a feeling of foreboding and unnaturalness. It is the people who make all the difference. They’re everywhere, working, playing, fighting their circumstances. They haven’t given in, they haven’t given up. Life goes on despite the extra effort it requires. There are still smiles on their faces, still a laugh in their soul. It is from the people that the beauty comes.
Cyndi (Mostly called Mom or Grandma here): What a wonderful time we have had! So many firsts (trying more than 12 new fruits, a manicure, flora, fauna, and friends here) and things I haven’t done in years (push my way out of a bus, ride a motorcycle, try to understand sermons based on the reference and the half dozen words I understand)!
God has multiplied and blessed from the plane coming directly to Recife and their trying so hard to get me through in the wheelchair that we never even did go through customs, to my occasionally tearful excitement at finally seeing so many people that have meant so much to my daughter. And it is only day 5…
Day 1 (Saturday): Arrived safe in Recife, rested, and went to English class where Rachel shamelessly kept introducing us to everyone. Then met big frozen fish at the grocery store.
Day 2:
Sorting over 312 presents for the children and 50 for the mothers
Church at Paudalho
Cheers with good friendsDay 3:
Meeting the children in Mussurepe
Finally meeting Karine and EdwardDay 4:
the girls from Guadalajara 
The boys from Guadalajara:
First manicure for mom:
Day 5:
How we get to Cajueiro Claro
teaching the kids some English
