Waterfall!

Yesterday, I was able to get out of the city with some of the people from school. It was good for my soul to leave the concrete behind for an afternoon. We drove about an hour outside of the city to Poço Azul. We swam and jumped off rocks and sat by the river and got a little sun burned. It was definitely a good day!

Amazing Amazon!

A couple weeks ago, I didn't have school for a week. Brazil is really big on Carnival, so we have the whole week off of school. I decided that I was going to go explore the Amazon. I spent most of the time in the city with another teacher, Bethany. We also ventured out into the jungle for a night to stay at a lodge and see some of the jungle a little more off the beaten path.

Really good fish, called Tambaqui

Teatro Amazonas

Gourds unloaded at the port and being brought to market

"Swimming" with river dolphins

Me and a native dude after he and his family performed a dance

Sticking my tongue out at a baby anaconda

it's a sloth!

holding a cayman

Jungle walk

Amazing sunrise

Fishing for piranha

Me and Bethany on Rio Araçá, a tributary of the Amazon

I love getting to explore and see new parts of God's amazing creation. I also read a ton, which was good for my soul. Back to the grind for a while. It was good to get back to my kids. They're pretty great.

Things I've noticed...

There are some interesting things that I've noticed about life in Brasilia...

• Picking your nose in public - no big deal... I've even seen adults pick it and eat it
• Being old or pregnant - good for more than just a seat on the subway... you also get your own grocery line and get to skip in line at banks and other places
• Body image - not an issue... I have seen more skin than I care to on a wide variety of body types
• Dentist booties - no bare shoes allowed... I'm assuming because there is a recognition that things around here are dirty.

Dentist booties!!

There are others, for sure, but those are the ones that come to mind for now. Also, double rainbows are not entirely uncommon here. It's pretty fun. 

Double Rainbow

In other news, the staff at BIS were charged to choose joy this semester. That is a struggle for me. It always has been. I have tried to surround myself with joyful people, hoping that it might rub off on me. It still hasn't... it's as if it is supposed to come from God and not from others or something... go figure. I wish I was one of those people that could just wake up be grateful for each and every day and opportunity. I wish that came easily to me, but it doesn't. I'm willing to bet that it doesn't really come easy for any of the people I've encountered either, but, last I checked, it's pretty easy to idealize the experience of other people. For me, the fight for joy seems like punching one of those inflatable clown punching bag that pops back up and will hit you if you're not careful. Like this guy:

http://ii.worldmarket.com/fcgi-bin/iipsrv.fcgi?FIF=/images/worldmarket/source/26364_XXX_v1.tif&wid=2000&cvt=jpeg

I fight for joy. I punch the clown. Then he pops back up (discontent, discord, comparison, gossip, sorrow, and so much more) and hits me when I lose focus. It's a constant fight. Sometimes I feel like I should be able to fight once and then just be joyful. But that's not the case. Other times I feel like I'm somehow less because I do have to keep fighting. But the clown only hits me when I lose focus. Focus on Jesus. Focus on the good in life. Focus on His faithfulness. Focus on how far I have come. 

This thought is still in progress. But then, so am I. 

 

Since November...

The last month of school was really busy. Good, but busy. We had a Christmas program. I had my first round of semester finals to create and then grade. I clearly had more exploring of Brasilia to do. Then it was December and time to head back to the states. I spent most of my time in the Seattle area with a quick detour to Portland. It is always good to see family. But I was ready to be back here. Ready to be back teaching. Ready to be back to my students. Ready to be back to this place that feels a little more like home.

As soon as I got back, I got sick. Then I went on a retreat for school. It was a good time to refocus on Christ and his joy. I'm glad that I have the chance to work in a place that is as Christ-focused as BIS.

Here's a couple sunrise pictures just for fun.