Brazil again. (Note the enthusiasm.)

Nah, I shouldn't be that way.  I just get down on Brazil because it's the most outside my comfort zone and therefore very challenging!  I think it's the not being able to communicate combined with the lack of infrastructure that I'm used to.  But, it's good for me, right?  Stretching, here we come!

We had a glorious weekend-turned-ENTIRE-WEEK at the Beach Cottage!  It was wonderful!  The weather was great too, especially after drizzly New Zealand.  Besides digging our toes into the sand and watching the sun set over the waves, we fit in a bike ride too!  It was a little intense, left me sunburned and sore, but felt so good!  The wind was not so good to us making the return ride rather miserable.  But the weekend was amazing--I made it to dear Suzy's wedding shower, Jonathan met with his professor and worked on school stuff, we caught up with Altadena church, had breakfast at the Local Yolk, slept in...all kinds.  

The reason our home-stay was extended was due to customs in Brazil still holding onto our systems.  They're still not here, but we left Thursday hoping they'll arrive soon.  We did a day flight, instead of our usual overnight, which was interesting.  The great part was being upgraded to business class (frequent flyer paying off!).  We felt very snobby.  And now we're totally spoiled.  

After a layover in Panama City during a downpour, we landed just after midnight in Brasilia.  Then we sat in customs.  Much like our systems.  

I snapped this picture of Jonathan during our wait,

notice the boxes' sad condition, that was Panama's downpour at work.

I'm not sure you're allowed to use a camera in customs, but the only guy on duty was preoccupied with a couple who looked like they'd been on a shopping spree somewhere.  Finally someone else showed up, and the process was actually very quick.  An angel named Francisco helped us get our rental car.  He'd lived in the U.S. for a few years and had enough English to be very helpful.  If only he'd been with us at the cellphone store this morning.  That interaction was a little rougher, but we made it out of the mall with working phones.  

Then began the long drive.  Brazil is so vast.  It's hard to describe.  It seems like the city just vanished and suddenly rolling hills of jungle stretch as far as the eye can see.  The roads are fairly straight, which only heightens the effect as you top a ridge and see road stretch down and then back up off into the distance.  Sorry I don't have a picture.

There is one thing for sure, the thing about being stretched outside your comfort zone is the forced dependence on God.  And He's been nothing but faithful so far!  I'll keep you posted!