After leaving the English School at CTMQ we joined our friend Cristina Bettini, who was the main person responsible for forming the English School in 2007. We joined her at a graduation ceremony at her YWAM base in Curitiba and stayed the night with her before driving to the beach the following day. We saw a former Eng student from another Curitiba YWAM base in 2011,Maria Helena Luciano De Paula and we met Neusa Lins, Maria Dalva F. de Amorum and Dalva Amorin (I hope that I have all the spellings right).
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| Gail and Maria Helena Luciano De Paula |
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| Maria Dalva F. de Amoruim and Neusa Lins |
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| Sweet Cristina |
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| The YWAM graduation |
After the ceremony, who should come walking up to us but a former Eng student from the Richmond YWAM school, Iago Asafh Mereira from the Spring 2011 class. He is currently on staff at this base. His mother who assisted Cristina with the class recognized our faces from pictures her son had at home and told him to come check out who was at his base from Richmond. We were so surprised to see him and very very glad as he was to see us. What a homecoming treat to be with former students. We sow our lives into theirs and it is wonderful to see what He is doing with them. You can tell by our faces how happy we were to see each other again.
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| A former Eng student in Va. and his mom |
The next day we (me) drove 110 km to the beach with no working speedometer on Cristina's car, you never know what to expect when you leave the confines of home. To arrive at the beach we first had to ride a small car ferry to the other side. Beautiful views.
We met with Cristina's good friend Pastoria Maria and the lady staying with her. We met the Pastoria in 2007 and we each have fond memories of each other. We were not able to stay with her this year but walked to the beach (100 meters from our house) and enjoyed the beach. Not as big waves as in the past but a great time for all.
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| From the water's edge one can see this chapel. |
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| A close up of the chapel. |
We really like this quaint uncrowded beach, not like the one in Guaratuda very close by.
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| Our apt. is on the bottom left and look we have our own super mart right next door. |
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| Local super mart also. |
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| What I call a typical Brasilian car (chopped off right behind the back tire). |
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| Enjoying the waves. |
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| A beach front restaurant where we had a delicious meal. |
We visited Guaratuba (10 minute drive from where we stayed ). You know that in the US our dogs say "Bow-Wow", well in Brasil they say that their dogs bark a "Au-Au", so here we are in a hot dog shop. I order the "Americano" hot dog and get this thing, full of ketchup, mustard, mayo, and below all that is plenty of peas, corn and potato sticks. They put all those things is much of their fast foods (pizzas, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc). I just don't get it. I tried to explain to the hot dog staff that no where in the USA do we eat any food like that.
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| Americano hot dog. |
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| Guaratuba's version of Christ of the Andes. |
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| We took a boat ride in the harbor. |
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| Great captain. |
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| My interpretation of the Titanic scene. |
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| The crew. |
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| Captain Gail |
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| Captain Cris |
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| Captain Jim |
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| Getting ready to go off the slide. |
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| Why did no one else volunteer for this? |
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| Now I see. |
I had a great time swimming around near the boat, a different view of the harbor from there. The crew was nervous watching an old man in the water.
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| Titanic Cris |
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| Enjoying the ride. |
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| See I didn't break anything. |
We have so enjoyed our extra stay with our friends in Brasil. God is so good to us. The ferry ride back across and then Asaft drove us to the airport.
This is truly the good life that God has promised to each of us as we give our lives to Him and let Him lead us where He wills.
To all my Brasilian friends I say this: Eu sou un pouco de Brasieiro.
