Brazil: Walking with cows

The lives led here are so different than back home. On my first day (yesterday) I saw a donkey pulling a wagon with a big pig on the side of the road led by the owner. Everyone here either rides mopeds, motocross bikes, bicycles, or small cars. And it seems like a door lubricant salesman would have a lot of opportunity down here!

I'm learning Portuguese everyday and the girls are awesome! I will also be teaching a young girl English for about an hour everyday, investing in another girl through the art of jewelry-making, and creating flyers and updates on all the kids for the new child-sponsorship program.

The food takes some getting used to, the chicken definitely came straight from a real chicken.

The bread is fresh baked by the older boys, I haven't had any yet though because I wasn't hungry at breakfast--everyone here has bread and margarine with warm chocolate milk for breakfast.

We walked down to a farm-like area on the property and the girls picked raw sugar cane! It's very common to this area it seems! There was also a horse tied to a tree, two TINY kittens under a broken cement step, stalls of big pigs and batches of piglets, a few cows and a bull.

We went in a long walk through the town tonight, too, it was neat! My shoes were too small though and I ended up with a fatty blister on the bottom of my foot up by my toes, ouch.

The sunset was nice and I let the girls listen to my iPod on the walk :) I felt like I was gifting them with the joys of city and colour, the civil wars, and hillsong united :)

The dog we took with us on the walk almost got run over by motorized and regular bikes about three times. We also saw a baby snake earlier by the farm, dead, and the girls ahead of me on the walk saw a bigger one, alive.

Loose in the street were two huge cows, too. That was an interesting sight to approach on the street. I felt like I was in the Brazilian version of Spain, except instead of running with the bulls, we were walking with the cows.

I'm settling in a lot more and adjusting better than yesterday :) much better.

I noticed the change in me around lunch. I still wasn't hungry but I decided to eat just to be appropriate. After crying to the Lord in my room and cheering myself on to "pull it together" repeatedly, I ended up enjoying rice and chicken with some new friends. I felt much better after finding out that I get internet in the living room of the intern apartment, too :)In my sorrow the Lord revealed something to me in Scripture :) Psalm 119:169-176.

 May my cry come before you, LORD;
   give me understanding according to your word. 

 May my supplication come before you;
   deliver me according to your promise.
 May my lips overflow with praise,
   for you teach me your decrees.
 May my tongue sing of your word,
   for all your commands are righteous.
 May your hand be ready to help me,
   for I have chosen your precepts.
 I long for your salvation, LORD,
   and your law gives me delight.
 Let me live that I may praise you,
   and may your laws sustain me.
 I have strayed like a lost sheep.
   Seek your servant,
   for I have not forgotten your commands.

 I had been thirsting for Scripture all day; which came as a change since I have neglected reading the Word for over a week now. 

God is faithful though I am not. 

I opened my Bible and let Him lead me; it was only a matter of seconds after opening my Bible and flipping back and forth until I knew this was for me to listen to. It reminded me of why I am here, who my God is, and what I long for. 

The closing to this passage also came as a wake-up call because I recently got the phrase "The Lord is my Shepherd" tattooed on my arm. Yet here I was, straying from his truth like a lost sheep.

Oh my God is good, He is my portion forever.