A glimpse of life two months in

Camp last weekend

Sorry it’s been a while since the last blog – hopefully some of you got my November prayer letter in that time (if you would like it let me know on facebook or on feb36@cam.ac.uk). I thought I’d do this blog a bit differently today and give you a glimpse of a few moments from my life over the past couple of weeks.

It’s Monday evening and I’m standing at the back of an exercise class that Judith’s running. I’m trying to do the class while holding 3 year old Niara and she shrieks every time we lunge forward. 12 year old Diogo has brought his friend’s Mum for the first time and she seems to be enjoying it, there are less people this week but it just means there’s a different atmosphere to it. It seems calmer, more open and a chance to get to know these women better. I hold Niara upside down and laugh at her giggles before trying to stop her touching the computer for the 100th time! A week later and we’re there once more, this week there are more ladies and Niara is climbing all over me as I talk to 7 year old Thalles, who is sitting in his wheelchair watching his Mum and the other ladies jumping up and down. He’s telling me how his football team won this week and pointing proudly at the badge on his shorts.

It’s 8 o clock in the morning and I’m sitting alongside a roomful of children eating a breakfast of cous cous and egg and extremely sweet coffee. Some children are squabbling over getting the purple cup and outside it’s just starting to pour, the kind of Brazilian rain that is so loud you can’t think and that immediately fills the streets with water. The rain drips through the roof onto my hair and an excited murmer of “chuva chuva chuva” (rain rain rain) echoes around the room.

Ten minutes later and I’m standing in front of the youngest class here at project CCM – the name is painted on the wall by the gate and in Portuguese it says “for every life, a new story,” it makes me think about the new story God gave me and the reason why we’re all here sheltering from the rain. After various attempts at loud Portuguese and eventual clapping to get attention the children are finally sitting down and (vaguely) quiet. We learn a song in English about God’s love and I’m just starting to pull tissue paper and toilet rolls and glue and brown paper out of my bag when suddenly chaos descends. Across the court the oldest children have run out of their classroom. My class start to panic and I notice a hissing sound coming from the kitchen, one boy jumps out the window, a little girl starts crying. I don’t get what’s happening until I start to smell gas, at which point one little boy helpfully informs me that it’s going to explode and we’re all going to die. We evacuate to about 10 metres across the yard and stand in the rain until Pastor Roberto turns off the gas, panic over and five minutes later we’re back in class making tree pictures.

I’m sitting on the little minibus with the 2 reais note (about 60p) clutched in my hand. I’ve been trying to give it to the conductor for 5 minutes now but he’s sleeping in front of me, I poke him a few times but he doesn’t stir and the other passengers laugh. Normally the conductors are loud and lively and shout a kind of place name rap out of the window at every passerby, jumping on and off the moving bus. I sit back in my seat and watch the familiar shops and churches and houses passing by out the window. On the ceiling in front of me there is a faded sticker that says in Portuguese “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want”, I smile to myself and finally manage to hand over my money to the stirring conductor.

I’m on my way to a church ‘acampamento’ (camp) down the coast and we’re stuck in what appears to be the world’s biggest traffic jam. I was picked up at 6:20am and the plan was to leave at 7am from church, however we didn’t leave until 8:30 and the optimistic plan of a day’s activities is fading as we pass hours without moving However the couple I’m in a car with are unfased, they play Brazilian worship songs at full volume and out of the passenger seat window a kind of bongo drum is being played, balanced on the roof of the car. Behind us are various other cars heading for camp and some of the mocidade (sort of 18-30ish group from church) have got out of their cars and are playing volleyball across the lanes. Everyone’s laughing and smiling and putting photos of the traffic on facebook and no one seems in the slightest bit annoyed by the hold up. There’s a favela at the side of the road and children are emerging from there to weave in and out of the cars selling water and popcorn and other snacks. In the hard shoulder two men stand chatting, laughing, their shirts say “Traffic Management”, which seems somewhat ironic. I curl up on the backseat close to the air conditioning, as the Brazilian national anthem blasts out of our speakers and several nearby cars join in singing.

The camp is called Solo Scritura (Only Scripture) and throughout the weekend I’m reminded time and time again of how God’s word is powerful and relevant to our lives. One evening I’m sitting with a couple of guys my age and we share our testimonies, hearing their stories is so moving that the hecticness of camp seems to stop around us and  I hardly even notice the mosquitos eating my feet. When I wake up in the morning there are monkeys out of the window and the sun is already hot at the window.

It’s 5 in the afternoon and I’m shattered, slightly sunburnt and desperately trying to stay patient with the girls telling me how the boy across the corridor has been tirando onda (taking the mick) out of them.  Then there comes a  beautiful moment of quiet, I seize the chance to sneak out onto the balcony and looking out at the palm trees and setting sun I ask God to give me the energy I need and help me to love, when everything in me cries out for bed. He gives me the moment of peace that I need before heading back out the door. In the evening we play a word game a bit like Articulate and I try and rise to the challenge in Portuguese, my first word I later find out means “anvil” and predictably I flail not having a clue what it means. Later on I manage to get some words though and everyone claps, I sit back in my rocking chair and watch everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. It feels for a moment like church camps back in the UK, that same feeling of one big family united on what really matters

.

On the beach at camp, with a guitar and a ukulele!

With the four teenagers who came on camp from Porta Larga, the
community I'm working with.

I walk in the door of the apartment, my 17 floors high home here in Brazil; at least the lifts are working today! Bruce and Bella the pugs jump up at me and I grab a banana and a chocolate milk from the fridge. I’m so tired from camp that when I give the dogs some banana I find myself telling them off in Portuguese for not saying “obrigado” (thank you). I laugh at myself and drag my bag to my room, there’s one hour until I leave for church so I sit down at my desk with my trilingual Bible trying to make sense of the passage we’re looking at in the teenagers class tonight and trying to wake myself up from my car sleepiness.

With my Brazilian cousin Augusto and a comedian called Nelson Freitas 

It’s 2am and I’m on a crowded dance floor with my Brazilian Mum and several aunts. It’s a week since I was at camp and we’re on a weekend away at a gathering for food company owners Recife (my Brazilian family own a supermarket chain called Arco-Íris (Rainbow!)) Around me everyone is sambaing like they were born with perfect rhythm and hips that move in directions mine just don’t. I make myself try again, and again, and again, I start to think maybe I’m getting it when an aunt informs me that the wiggle is coming far too much from my shoulders and needs to come from my chest, she helpfully puts her hands on my chest in case I’m in any doubt over where that might be! I turn to my Brazilian sister and say ‘socorro’ (help!) before inwardly promising myself that if I manage one more song I can raid the table of coxinhas (an incredible Brazilian chicken snack). I turn back to the dancefloor and stare at the feet below me that seem to be moving at 100mph, so different from the British jump up and down/halfhearted sway of nights back in the UK.

We make it back in time for our different church services on Sunday evening. I’m sitting in the front pew trying to keep the little boys beside me from shouting or hitting each other! In the service we sing what is so far my favourite Brazilian worship song,  

At the cross You beckon me

You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,

I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered

We head out for the teenagers group and do some dramas in pairs before splitting into boys and girls, as the group has become pretty big to keep all together. I take the girls next door and we’re looking at the end of Mark 1. It’s hard work and I’m struggling to get everyone to concentrate. I come away feeling tired and disheartened, yet I pray that somehow God taught them something tonight and for the umpteenth time I’m  forced to thank Him that it’s not about my weakness and tiredness and failures but about His strength and what He did on that cross.  Monday morning brings a new week, new opportunities, new challenges and the arrival of four bin bags of toys with damaged packaging that couldn't be sold in the family supermarket!

Lots of love and hope things are going well with you,
Flo xxxx

p.s. Bella the pug has just got home from her Ultrasound and it is now confirmed, FIVE PUG PUPPIES ARE ON THE WAYYYY!

Motorbikes, ketchup and an exercise class

As I'm writing this blog, I'm listening to the constant background noise of Brazilian life. It's so different from the quietness of back home and after a few weeks here I'm struggling to remember what it's like to have no noise at all! Here there are always cars beeping, brakes squealing, sirens going, dogs barking, people yelling, waves crashing and most of all a constant backing track of music pumping from the huge speakers that sit in car boots, or are pushed along on wheels. Music is such a massive part of life here. From the children singing (or arguably shouting) worship songs this morning at the project I've just started helping at, to my Brazilian cousin Leo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJsS84-nQs) who up until a few moments ago was strumming a guitar at the other end of the table to me, to my Brazilian sister rapping Eminem!

The sunset saxophonist in Jacaré

Since my last blog I've been 'viajando' (travelling) with my Brazilian family for a weekend, which included a particularly embarrassing musical moment, but was on the whole great. We went to Campina Grande, which is a city in the next state up (Paraíba) and was about three hours away, although we stopped both ways in another city called João Pessoa, for two amazing lunches! We were going to Campina Grande in order to go to a motorbike rally where some of my Brazilian parents' friends were taking part in a Christian group called Luz na Estrada/Light on the road (kind of like a Brazilian Bikers for Christ!). This group brings together Christians in the biking world and had two bands singing at the rally, as well as a tent telling people about the work they do and generally getting to know bikers. We didn't actually spend that long at the rally (and to my relief no one discovered my absolute lack of knowledge on anything bike related!) but it was a great weekend of spending more time with people and eating lots of yummy food. On the Sunday we went to a local Baptist church in Campina Grande, which is where the embarrassing musical moment occurred. I didn't actually realise we were going to church until we walked in (!) but they were having a special service about the motorbike rally, which was really exciting to see. However, within about two minutes of arriving, the worship band discovered I was from the UK and I was pulled up front, given a microphone and asked to sing in English! Talk about being put on the spot! However fortunately I knew the song they wanted me to sing and the worship band were pretty loud so I don't think anyone could hear my poor attempt. My Brazilian family found it hilarious, and, as per usual, my Brazilian Dad has a cringeworthy film of the event (to add to the collection of embarrassing videos of me attempting to dance/sing/speak/eat!) However he has also made this video of the weekend which I will allow as it only involves a bit of me making a fool of myself! On the way home from our weekend away we stopped in a place called Jacaré (alligator!) where an amazing saxophonist plays on a kind of canoe/punt while the sun sets. It was even more beautiful than the photos suggest.

Me loving life with an accordian-playing-alligator

Since my last blog I have started helping at a different project in a community called Barra de Jangada. I help there on Monday mornings and sometimes Wednesdays too and so far it's been a really great experience. The children are amazing and in the words of one of the little boys this morning the project is a huge "bênção" (blessing) for all of them. One of the highlights of my time there so far was on Monday when some of the children (who range from 6 up to 12) shared little bits of testimony, stories of how they've seen God working in their lives and their family's lives. Many of these involved their family's lives being transformed out of situations of homelessness, and/or drug and alcohol addiction through coming to know the forgiveness and love of a God who has the power to completely change lives. I shared with them a bit of how God has worked in my life too. There was also a really moving moment when one of the little boys gained his first ever Bible, which he was so so happy about and when the other children had the treat of watching a bit of a film, he chose (and was so excited) to sit and read this new Bible instead. A big challenge to the way in which I approach reading God's word!

Some of the children playing football at the project in Barra de Jangada - I keep trying to play too but it is
 so so hot and being put to shame by incredible Brazilian football skills. Also not quite mastered barefoot playing
on lots of stones yet so Im just the awkward bright red one trying to play in flipflops and sunglasses!

One of the classrooms in Barra de Jangada - this morning the children had a lesson
on writing Portuguese plurals, which was so useful for me too!

On Sunday I was running the teenagers group with a friend called Rafael. I was slightly concerned that it was all going to descend into complete chaos as my plans included a play in which Rafa got covered in ketchup, egg, flour, yogurt and caramel sauce! It went well though - Rafa knows just what to say to get the teenagers' attention and as predicted they loved the chance to cover him in food!

One really exciting thing from this week has been an exercise class starting up with women in Porta Larga (the community where I'm working). Judith ran one in the past and decided to restart it, after the funeral of pretty young lady in the community a few weeks ago and a reminder of how little awareness of a healthy lifestyle there is. The first class was on Monday and went really well. Six women came (and one of their little girls who at about 4 had better coordination than me!) Judith runs this with a exercise video and it took place in a little Anglican church on the edge of Porta Larga that started up 2 years ago. The Pastor was lovely and so happy to see the building being used for the community, if you're a praying person please pray for this class, that it would bring a better awareness of a healthy lifestyle and be a great way to reach out to women.

Also, this is old news now but the Christmas tree went up here (ON THE 25TH OCTOBER!) which is pretty exciting. We also have two wreaths a snowman and a Nativity scene. Christmas is coming :) I tried (and pretty much failed!) to capture the strangeness in this photo of a Christmas tree beside a hammock looking out at blue skies and a very hot beach, however you get the idea!

Despite all these exciting things, there has also been really sad news this week. Yesterday little Lara Isabel, the daughter of one of our pastor's at church, died at just 21 days old. You might remember from one of my past blogs that she was born very prematurely (at not quite 6 months) and after fighting for 3 weeks she suffered 2 heart attacks earlier this week. Please pray for her parents, Rodrigo and Darlane, and for the church at this time.

I hope things are well with you, please keep in touch, I would love to hear from you and thank you so much for all your emails, skypes and letters. It makes my day when the Porter of the block of flats gives me post!

Lots of love from Flo (to keep up the name updates the latest name that a few people have gone for is Flor da Caribe (Caribbean Flower!!) No idea why, but it sounds exotic so I'll just roll with it! xxx

Semana cinco (the famous week five)

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him." Psalm 28:7

Yep that's right, I have officially made it through week five, without the week five blues that are so infamous back in Cambridge. In fact the last week has been a great and really busy one, and one when I have constantly been reminded of God's grace in providing strength to go on even when I am exhausted, shy, scared and weak.

'O casamento' The Wedding

Saturday brought the long awaited wedding of Bruna (my Brazilian Mum's sister) and Gabriel (my Brazilian Dad's cousin!) Beforehand I was feeling really tired and worried about how I would survive the all night party and make it through to sunrise, however in the end I really enjoyed the wedding and was so busy enjoying the food and providing entertainment with my very English dancing attempts that I barely noticed the hours go by. It was really interesting to see not only my first Brazilian wedding but also my first Catholic wedding and meet more members of the huge extended family here. The key thing to Brazilian weddings seems to be the entering, not only of the bride and a few bridesmaids but of lots of "padrinhos" (couples who are sort of godparents of the wedding). They enter one couple at a time and in the end the entrance part of the wedding was definitely longer than the ceremony itself! Then people threw rice over the newly married couple before we all headed off to the reception, in an absolutely stunningly decorated hall (with an incredible selection of food and an amazing cake!)

Me with baby Marina at the wedding
(the daughter of a Brazilian Cousin!)

Sandra, Me and Clara outside the church 

My Brazilian parents entering the wedding as 'padrinhos'

Church on Sunday was good, despite being pretty tired, - in the teenagers group we did various dramas based on a few proverbs about the contrast between using our words t to build up and love and be like a "fountain of life" as opposed to words said without thinking that can cause so much harm. It was great to see the teenagers coming up with some of their own dramas to reflect this and to get to know them a bit better. 

Sandra, me and Clara with singer Kleber Lucas and wearing our
 fetching 'Happy 32nd Birthday Arco-íris' T-shirts!

My Brazilian family here own a supermarket chain called Arco-Íris (Rainbow) and Monday brought the annual 'festa' (party) to celebrate Dia dos comerciantes (Day of people working in commerce!) This was a huge event to which thousands of workers were invited to enjoy food, games, music and dancing. In classic Brazilian style it was a really noisy celebratory atmosphere during which I seemed to be constantly being handed the Brazilian equivalent of Mini-Milk ice creams, which is always a good thing! The main act of the day was a performance by Brazilian Christian Singer Kleber Lucas, which was amazing. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzlnPqQNOXI) 

Visiting a different project and bus achievements!

The last few days have brought lots of bus travelling. I'm starting to get the hang of it and have survived the milestone of getting the wrong bus and making my way back on course! The best bus experience of the week was when on a typically crowded bus I was clinging on for dear life and contemplating how Brazilians manage to stay standing up with the erratic driving, when a man whips out a guitar and starts to play. He then (while somehow staying upright as the bus lurches round a corner) started to sing worship songs in the loudest voice ever and hardly anyone on the bus even batted an eyelid! I love Brazil. 

Erica and Diana with their lovely Children's Bible

This bus experience was on the way to my first time visiting Porta Larga (the community where I'm working) on my own. I visited a couple of families, firstly helping Diana (13) and Erica (12) to practise their reading with their beautiful Children's Bible and some other books. I then sat at the side of the road reading with 9-year-old João-Vítor, who I had been shocked to hear doesn't get any education at all at the moment because no one registered him at school. While we were reading, more and more children kept appearing out of the house where he lives and I soon had about 8 children gathered around to read the story!

Then on Wednesday I went to visit a children's project linked to a different church in a favela in a part of the city called Barra de Jangada, just down the coast. The project runs each morning with 37 children, teaching the Bible, reading, writing, art, sport and singing and it was great to visit it and meet some of the children. I'm hopefully going to start helping there 1 or 2 mornings a week, from this Monday coming, which is really exciting.
Wednesay afternoon brought a party at church to celebrate Children's Day which was a couple of weeks ago. This was put on by the Women's Fellowship at church and included egg and spoon races, hot dogs, an amazing cake and the children's favourite game - Praia e Mar (which you might know as either Ships and Lifeboats or Port and Starboard!) It was a really fun afternoon and everyone went home very happy with their party bags and balloons.

After a couple of weeks break due to a Reading Week and bank holidays my theology classes have started again and I'm really enjoying them. They're really interesting and the other students are lovely, always willing to be my dictionary when I don't understand crucial words and make me laugh at myself when I have the inevitable awkward 'gringa' (foreigner) moments! I've also been spending lots of time with my Brazilian family recently which has been fantastic, this often seems to feature them laughing at me hiding behind a cushion due to some scary film/video of a cesarean (yep that's genuinely a thing here) or laughing at my Portuguese fails/dancing attempts/general awkward moments! Last night we had a great moment of hysterics at about half midnight after a mammoth photo sorting out evening, when I walked into the kitchen to find Bruce the dog with cream cheese all over his face. Standard.

Just when I thought it wasn't possible to attend a more random collection of Brazilian events this month, I have been proved wrong. This Saturday I've somehow said yes to a Motorbike rally in a city called Campina Grande to the North-west of Recife, with Sandra and Boê, my Brazilian parents! Awkwardly don't know a thing about bikes, however one of my classmates tonight gave me the helpful advice of just saying "boa maquina" (good machine) to anyone I meet, so hopefully that will see me through! I'm excited to see a different city and spend some more time with the family and their friends. Also you may be glad to hear that we will be travelling by car, not bike!

Sorry this is a really long post, it's been a week with lots of news! If you are still reading now I'm very impressed. I hope that things are going well with you and that the UK is loving Prince George's christening.
Miss you all lots,
Flor xxxxxxxxxxxx (I got my favourite name yet this week - one of my classmates has taken to calling me Flor-Sorriso (which basically translates as Smiley Flo!)

Builders, brides and babies.

Hi everyone!

Sorry that it's been ages since my last blog, I hope most of you got my prayer letter in that gap (if anyone didn't get it and would like to, either message me on facebook or email me at feb36@cam.ac.uk). So the last couple of weeks have been really busy and full of a pretty varied collection of events, including a hen party, cat-sitting, trips to a builders merchants, a meeting with the potential next Brazilian president and a night in a maternity hospital,  (one of the pastor's wives had little baby Lara very prematurely - she's in intensive care but they're both doing well). It's been quite a surreal few days really!

Things are going well and I think I'm understanding more and more Portuguese, although phone conversations are still highly awkward and impossible to understand! I've also had lots of other 'awkward gringa' moments - such as having several dinners (as it seemed rude to confess I'd already eaten!), thinking I was going for an evening walk on the beach and later realising I'd said yes to abdominal curls in the beach-side exercise park and the most embarrassing one of all, that some of you will have read about in my prayer letter, when I managed to sit on a feijoada (Brazilian bean stew) on the beach in front of lots of Clara's friends! You'll be glad to hear I'm being smooth as ever here in Brazil!

 So the library sessions have been going well over the past couple of weeks. A particular highlight has been seeing the children enjoying acting out some Bible stories and remembering what we looked at the week before. In this photo Judith is helping them act out Solomon and the two mothers (1 Kings 3:16-28!)

One exciting story and example of God providing in amazing ways from the last few weeks is about Erica, the girl in the centre of this photograph. Lots of the children from Porta Larga (community I'm working with) have 'madrinhas' (godmothers) thanks to Judith matching up ladies from the church with a child. Two weeks ago Erica, who is 12, showed an interest in playing volleyball. Normally a child from Porta Larga would have no opportunity to play a sport like volleyball, however Erica's godmother just happens to be the headteacher of a private school (where I have my theology lessons two evenings a week) and she has agreed to let Erica join the volleyball club there. We took her to the shopping centre to buy her first ever pair of trainers and she had her first session last week, which she really enjoyed. It's also inspired me, as I think about being in a different culture and with lots of new people, to see Erica step into this club full of girls who all know each other and live such a different lifestyle to her and yet throw herself completely into the challenge.


These couple of photos are from a trip to the Builders' Merchant yesterday to buy material for a new bathroom that is being built for one of the families in Porta Larga. Adrian and Judith managed to raise the money for this project when they were back in the UK and it is well underway now. It's been really great seeing it progress and the children are so excited and keen to help!

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Clara, Sandra and me at the Hen party last night

The last week I have been doing lots with my Brazilian family, which has been so lovely. They have lots of bbqs (which are incredible!) and I'm starting to meet the huge extended family. Last night it was Sandra's (my Brazilian Mum's) sister's Hen party so we went to a pub (or 'pubby' as it is in a Brazilian accent!) It seems to be the fashion in Recife to have British-style pubs where the cocktails are named after English cities and there is a picture of the Queen on the wall! I turned up straight from my theology class (think I was the only member of the hen party who arrived with a Bible!) and was shattered but it was a really fun evening (see photo of me with my Brazilian Mum and sister). The wedding is tomorrow so everyone is busy getting ready for it - apparently it goes on all night so praying I feel a bit less tired by tomorrow and that I somehow manage to function in Portuguese through to the morning. Just had a power nap and a crunchie from my English chocolate supplies (!) so feeling a bit more with it!!

Another person who deserves a mention on my blog is Rafa (see photo) who has basically been a legend at inviting me to things and to meet his friends (even when I never understand anything on the phone!) This photo was taken after we'd been out for chocolate cake (it makes me so happy that Brazilian cakes are great!) and then got soaked by the Brazilian equivalent of what seemed to be April showers, and ended up sheltering in a hotel doorway.

The teenagers group on Sunday nights has been going well, we've been looking at James 3 and the power of the tongue, thinking about how big an effect the things we say can have. It's been amazing to see the teenagers really listening and thinking about what they say and it's been a real challenge to me too. Last week I ran the group with a different Rafa (who was great with the teenagers) and we did a little drama about lying, which I think they enjoyed!

I hope things are going well with you, miss you all lots and glad to see that England qualified to come out here for the World Cup! Keep me updated with how you are/what I can be praying for you,
Flo xxxxx

Praias, primavera and puddings

Some photos of the beach gradually being made outside my window!

So October has arrived, along with a brand new beach out of the window! The beach had gradually disappeared over the years so, in order to protect the Recife coastline (and it's many many high rise buildings), they are building a brand new one, with a big boat that pumps sand from out at sea through a really long pipe. It was quite surreal going to bed one night with just a tiny bit of beach out the window and then waking up the next morning to a huge expanse of sand.

My second week here has gone well and I think I'm starting to feel a little bit less shy. It's been another week of meeting lots of people and gradually learning lots of names (and lots of new words in Portuguese)! I think I'm understanding a bit more although have had lots of awkward conversations, particularly on the phone- the most awkward one being when I didn't understand anything so just kept saying "they are not here sorry," repeatedly, only to find out that the poor person was actually ringing to talk to me! Complete fail.

On Saturday I spent the day on the beach looking after 5 children from Porta Larga (the community I'm working with). Staying at Adrian and Judith's (the couple I'm helping) and then spending the day on the beach was their reward for getting 100 points over the weeks at Judith's library sessions - they get points for coming and for managing to concentrate on silent reading for 15 minutes! It was really fun spending the day playing with them, splashing around in the sea on airbeds and doing lots of burying in the sand.  It was really hot and I felt very English huddling under a parasol putting on loads of suntan lotion, then doing the undignified "chase the umbrella run" as it took off along the beach (and awkwardly nearly took out a blind man).

On Saturday evening I went to a meeting of the mocidade (young people) from church. I turned up absolutely shattered from the beach, a little bit sandy and considerably less dressed up (in my beach clothes) than everyone else. But I was so glad I went as it was great to meet lots of people my age and it was a really fun evening. There were lots of worship songs mixed with bits of teaching outlining the Gospel and at the end there was even Lemon Meringue Pie (which made me very happy!)

Me with some of the girls from church on Saturday night

Church was really good on Sunday. In the evening there was an all age service with a great sermon, which I understood (woohoo!) because it was in easier language for the children and had accompanying pictures on the screen! Everyone is being so welcoming to me and it was really good to catch up with the family I stayed with last summer.

In other news I seem to have done something right with the Ladies Group at church. I keep getting invited to their meetings - last week's was Spring themed (yes it's spring here in September - which blew my mind a little bit!) so seeing as my name here means flower I was introduced (and had a big flower put in my hair!) They are all lovely and on Thursday they have an all day meeting which I've been invited too as well!

Other achievements of the week have been getting a bus on my own for the first time, somehow managing to write some kind of essay (albeit a pretty awful one!) in Portuguese on the role of spiritual gifts today, starting to work out the best kind of Brazilian chocolate and surviving the first onset of mosquito bites!

Hope it's been a good work with you. It's been so nice to skype some of you and for those of you starting a new term this week I hope it goes really well.

Lots of love xxxxxxx

Week One!

The view from where I live!

After all these months of getting ready I’m actually in Brazil and have survived my first week! So far things have been going well and everyone has been so welcoming and kind. The journey went smoothly apart from maybe a few tears on the first plane (and needing to rescue the woman next to me who got stuck in her seatbelt!) and I was met by Sandra, the Mum of my Brazilian family, and Carol, a friend who I lived with last summer. It was so lovely to see them and to know that both me and my luggage were on solid ground and had managed the journey! When I got back to the house, I had potentially the best welcome present ever waiting for me – a trilingual Bible (in Portuguese, English AND Spanish!)

Since then the last few days have involved lots and lots of meeting people and speaking Portuguese, which has been quite tiring but great. I’ve been well looked after by Judith and Adrian, a missionary couple from Northern Ireland who I am helping this year in their work with families from a community called Porta Larga. On Wednesday and Thursday I was helping with two library sessions. This is when children come from Porta Larga to the church, where they play games, look at a bit of the Bible and practise their reading. It was really exciting to see the children concentrating on reading and to start getting to know them and learn some names. On Thursday I had my first theology class, it was really interesting although I had a slightly awkward moment when I had a complete linguistic fail and asked one of the guys in the class (as my opening question) if he had a wife...! Wasn’t quite what I was aiming for!!

On Saturday there was a big event in the afternoon put on by the Church’s ladies group, for the Porta Larga families. This started off with some games (including ‘Guess how many lollipops in the box’ (for which I had counted out all 449 the day before!) and then included health talks (including some great tooth brushing cartoons for the children!) After that there were hot dogs and a talk from the Pastor of the church as well as games for the younger children, before the families

were given soup to take home. I’m finding understanding the children quite hard, as they speak very quickly and use lots of words I don’t know (yet!), so trying to organise some games with them was quite a challenge. However Judith is amazing with them, so I’m sure I’ll learn lots off her and I already feel like I’m understanding them a bit better!  The event on Saturday went really well and it was amazing to see so many children there enjoying themselves. One particularly special moment was meeting a little boy called Thales who is in a wheelchair. He is really talkative and funny and has an amazing smile! After the event had finished I went out for a drink with Adrian and Judith and a guy called Rafael, who invited me to go round to one of his friend’s houses in the evening. It was really nice to meet some of his friends and we played the Brazilian version of Risk and ate chocolate cake! Who knew all those Christmas games of Risk with the cousins would come in useful out here!

Yesterday was my first Sunday and began with Sunday School in the morning – here adults have Sunday school too and I had the privilege of being part of a group looking at Matthew’s Gospel with some adults from Porta Larga. It was great to meet them and I’m really looking forward to seeing how the next few weeks go. Then the main service is in the evening at 6pm, during which I helped Judith with her teenagers group. This was really good, although a bit of a challenge on the Portuguese front but was amazing to see how Judith managed to get even the liveliest teenage boys to focus! After church I went to subway with some people from church (some of whom I met last year) and then to one of their houses, where I met his three year old daughter Dudu!

Me and Judith visiting one of the families

Another highlight of this week has been spending time in Porta Larga, visiting the different families and picking the kids up for the different events. In the photo on the right you can see me and Judith visiting one of the houses. Meeting their parents and seeing where they live has been a huge privilege and it has been particularly exciting to visit one family who are having a proper bathroom built. Adrian and Judith managed to raise the money for this when they were back in the UK this summer and it is fantastic to see the work underway and how excited the children are about it!

On the whole, although there have been hard moments and a lot of new things to get my head round, this week’s gone well and I’m really excited to see what God does with the next few! Hope you are all well and that it has been a good week for you. Thank you so much to those of you who have sent messages and encouragement over this week – I’ve loved hearing how you are and what you’re up to. Sending lots of love.

Flor (My new Brazilian name, which means flower in Portuguese!) xxxx

So tomorrow I set off to start my Year Abroad in Recife, North-Eastern Brazil. At the moment life is full of piles of to do lists and  running around and losing the spare bed under an ever-growing "Brazil Pile". Said pile currently includes some pretty bizarre items and a lack of some pretty key ones (such as clothes)! However, I still maintain that the crucial items to fit in are definitely several inflatable musical instruments (thanks Emma :) ), some patriotic English football things and several packets of instant custard! 

A Group photo from Latin Link Orientation

I got back this week from eight days on Latin Link Training (the Christian charity I'm not technically with but who are being a massive help). It was so great to meet lots of other people heading off across Latin America and spend some time studying the Bible and looking at things like safety, culture shock, Latin American history and even drama. We had loads of fun over the week with particular highlights being a Mexican dancing lesson and a ceilidh on the last night and meeting a couple who'd spent 40 years in Recife (and happened to have gone to the same church as me in Cambridge before that)! 

I'm gradually working through the goodbyes, which has been sad but also made me feel very lucky as I realise how many amazing people there are in my life. The best goodbye so far has to be with my lovely home friend Cat, we were enjoying a very civilised catch-up afternoon tea when all of a sudden a bird pooed on my head. Classic. I should have known I had no hope of a smooth and sophisticated exit!

So Saturday was my last taste for a while of Gloucestershire countryside-ness; the highlight of our village year - the annual Produce and Craft Show! Things had been hotting up in preparation and I had been taking advantage of the chance to be chief sampler of the Butler household. The village show includes some classic competitions, such as  'Heaviest marrow" and, my particular favourite, 'Most comical vegetable,' as well as the annual Tug of War between North and South Woodchester. I'm going to miss life in Gloucestershire! 

Before I head off I just want to say thank you for everyone's support so far. Thank you to all those who are supporting me financially and/or in prayer and also thanks for all the lovely emails, letters and conversations that have been a massive encouragement to me over the last few months. I can't believe the time has actually nearly come to head off but I'm excited to see what this new adventure will bring. Please keep in touch (florencebutler on skype or email at feb36@cam.ac.uk). Looking forward to hearing what this year brings for you too.

Love Flo xxxxx