Flexibility

As Aaron said in the last post this was his first week off after ending the first half of the year at FGV. We were all very much looking forward to this time. He has not had a true break (longer than a week) since beginning grad school in August of 2011. All in all, we've had a great week as a family. However, there have been numerous episodes serving for us all to exercise our flexibility muscles.

Number One:
We were headed to the Catavento Museum when we stopped to air up our stroller tires.  (This was already our second attempt at going to the museum. We'd tried to go a few months ago and got lost in down town. After walking for literally 2 hours, we found the museum, but decided not to go inside as it was lunch time and everybody was exhausted!) Back to the story -  The well meaning man who was helping us with our tires, did great on the first two tires. On the third, he put to much air in it and the it busted. It was no small feat to get the tire repaired as the stroller is not common here in Brazil. We walked and walked all morning with recommendations of stores that could make the repair. The round trip was likely over two mile. The boys were excellent and walked the whole way. It wasn't until the next day that we were able to find a bicycle store that sold the tube we were looking for.

Number Two:
My amazing husband suggested that I take a day to myself on Wednesday this week. Of course I didn't think twice. I had a wonderful time alone and got to spend sweet afternoon with my friend Erin (momma of 4 with one on the way....needs far more alone time than I do :) I was headed home on the subway. When I stood up to get off my cell phone fell and wedged perfectly in between the seats. There was no getting it out. I continued on the subway until the end of the line (Barra Funda) with a lady trying to help me remove it. No such luck. At the end of the line I informed one of the subway employees about my trapped phone. I was assured it would be recovered and returned to that station later that evening. It was suggested I return to pick it up the next day. Which is what I did. Thursday, I waited 45 minutes as they looked for my phone only to be told my phone was on the opposite end of the red train line (about an hour subway commute). Once again, I got back on the train to head across the city to retrieve the phone. Midway through the ride at a station in downtown, the train stops and turns off. No one was allowed off the train, no one was allowed on the train. I sat inside the train watching the subway police escort back the thousands (literally) of people who were waiting to get one the train. They paced the train and talked on their radios. The passengers inside the train began to panic as it was getting hot inside. I wasn't freaking out at this point, but many were. The banged on windows trying to communicate to the police. "It's hot in here." "We're going to die"...My biggest concern at this point was that I had no way to call home to tell Aaron I was stuck in a crisis underground with thousands of others. Finally the train doors opened. I was overwhelmed with the masses of people. I feared some would panic and start to run and people would literally get trampled. Never mind that cell phone. I'm getting as far away from this mess as quickly as possible. Luckily it was a station that had a transfer train to the one that would take me home. So Friday morning (now day 3 of the cell phone hunt) I along with my little companion, Austin, headed to the Eastern end of the read line (Itaquera) to pick up my phone. In 15 minutes, my phone was in hand. Austin takes the credit saying he found it. I'm OK with that. Afterall - I didn't have any luck doing it on my own in the previous 56 hours!

Number Three:
This one was the kicker. We had tickets purchased to my grandmothers house in the country side of Brazil for this morning at 10:20AM. The boys have been asking to go there for nearly three weeks now, since my parents left to go there. Everyone was well rested and excited. We left the house at 8:45am with a ride from a sweet friend to the subway station. The subway got us there in less than 30 minutes. We were there at 9:20am and were the first in line for the bus. After waiting an hour, we hand our tickets to the driver and he asks to see the boys IDs. BOYS IDs?!?!?! They are two and three - what? My mind races - we've boarded domestic flights in the US without showing any ID for the boys. We've taken buses across state lines without showing ID for us and them. There must be a way around this. "Momma, why aren't we getting on the bus?" Austin questions.  "Hang on buddy, we need to be patient". We talked to three different employees.  No one budged. Really? Really? There's no boarding without an ID for all passengers (even toddlers that aren't ticket holders). So sadly we had to turn around and come back home. There were tears involved  as we explained that we didn't have the papers needed to board the bus and would have to try again tomorrow. "No, I don't want to go back to our house, I want to sleep at Bisa's (great gramma's) house."

So all in all, we had a PLETHORA of opportunities to encourage ourselves  the boys to be patient and flexible. I felt like a broken record this week as I said, "Things don't always turn out as we planned." to myself the boys! But one things for sure - good attitudes makes all the difference. If momma and daddy are frustrated, flustered, impatient, not flexible - we get that mirrored back to us in a cruel way! So here's to a really buff flexibility muscle!

Merry Christmas from São Paulo! - by Aaron

I hope this update finds you and your loved ones well and full of hope. Hope for better days to come. Hope for works accomplished to bear their fruit. Hope for dreams still unrealized. Hope for prayers still unanswered. Above all, may you know this Christmas that there is no greater hope than the arrival of the Savior, Jesus Christ. I just turned in my last paper of the semester and we now have a week off as a family before we travel to the countryside to visit Joyce's extended family. This will be their first time to meet the boys! It will be a memorable time as Joyce's parents will be there, too.

The following are a few highlights and ruminations from the past several weeks:

Pac-Man of life

One day while riding the subway I noticed a young man's tattoo on his outstretched arm - it was Pac-Man (in true dot-matrix) chomping on dots while being chased by his colorful ghost enemies. It was one of the more unexpected tattoos I've ever seen. As I wondered what would inspire someone to permanently ink Pac-Man on his forearm, I began to think a little deeper. How often do we feel like we're caught in a box turning corners as fast as we can to chomp a few dots in pursuit of a fruit as we try to avoid the "boogey men" of life? Wouldn't it be nice to come across one of those power dots so you can turn right around and chase the ghosts? Or maybe stumble across an escape tunnel that lets you outwit your oppressors? "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." - Psalm 91:1

Fireworks and studying

Finals week was a bit more intense than planned because we had taken a family retreat with Joyce's parents the week before and I accidentally left my backpack at the door of our apartment. The weekend was a blast and very refreshing. During finals, however, I got a small taste of what it might be like to be a student in a war zone. Two São Paulo soccer teams were in major international tournaments (South American and World Championships) so people were shooting off fireworks (yes, not just firecrackers) throughout the city all day and night for a week. Try concentrating, sleeping, staying sane through that!

"Daddy, if you're having trouble..."

Austin is a great helper. He loves to help Joyce in the kitchen and be the big brother who helps Jonathan with just about anything. As I was wrestling with my final paper this week, Austin came to my side and reassured me in his gentle, but increasingly confident, voice, "Daddy, if you're having trouble, I'll do it. Okay?" Thank God for little gifts like that!

Projects

By God's grace we've completed the third of four semesters of grad school. One more semester to go! Joyce and I have been learning a lot both inside and outside of the classroom. For example, I learned how to run electrical wire while helping our friends build a community center in Cidade Tiradentes. Joyce has learned how to make barbecue sauce in a pinch. We've both learned that every day is a new day to surrender to God, to say yes to His will, and to experience the abundance of His love. We can't rely on past journeys, as much as we can learn from them, as we walk with God today much less tomorrow. "[We] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:14

God bless you and have a Merry Christmas!

Thoughts from a “pointless” walk

Our neighborhood

It’s been really warm in Sao Paulo. When you are talking degrees, it’s not near anything we experienced while living in Texas with 100+ streaks lasting months. However, when you consider no air conditioning and your feet are your mode of transit, it feels way hotter than the Texas heat! There’s no escape from it! In light of this, last night I was HOT. I wanted ICE CREAM! After getting the boys to bed, I decided to go to the store and pick some up. It’s a little over half a mile walk to the store. I grabbed my ear phones put on some flip flops and off I went. I figured that I would burn the ice cream calories before consuming them. Problem was the first store was closed. So I walked to the second one. It was also closed. As was the third store. So for all intents and purposes, the walk was pointless. However, I had a few insights that I will carry with me –

I was struck by all the noise on the streets. I am usually walking with two toddlers who occupy all of my attention, so I rarely notice the noise. But last night, I had my brain to myself! The noise of the city was far from pleasant. The cool thing was I had ear phones in. It was almost as if God whispered to me, “keep me in your ears, and every walk will be pleasant!”

Also, I realized during my walk that I walk almost always looking at the ground. The sidewalks are horrifically uneven here. You never know when you might get caught by surprise by a pothole or step up that springs out of nowhere. So instinctively I watch my step. At one point in the walk, I looked up. The night sky was so pretty. The clouds were moving quickly. The skyscraper apartment buildings were lit up with Christmas decorations. The wind was causing the trees to sway. Again, “Don’t worry about your step. The worst that can happen is a little stumble. Look up, the view is worth the risk. I promise the journey will be more scenic with your gaze heavenward.”

These are moments of rejuvenation. Though I returned home “icecreamless”, it was worth the walk!

Hotel Fazenda

We got to have a weekend getaway with my parents, godmother, and her husband this weekend. Everyone had a great time. The place was incredible! Tons of adventure to be had - paddle boats, zip lines, hiking, walking through tree bridges, pool, lake, fishing, animals...! It was a sweet gift to have uninterupted time with one another. We treasure the time with my parents and felt so refreshed in being away from the city. They boys were turning in circles trying to decide which adventure to choose first! Here's a picture diary of the trip! There's a ton of them, but the adventures were many!