Back in the USA

I am back in the USA. The last few days have been a whirlwind. Just crazy. If you’ve never lived in a different country, you can’t imagine how weird it is to return to your own after being gone so long. To give you a little glimpse into my transition, I’m going to let you into my mind. (Don't be too scared.) Here are some of my reactions to the USA. My thoughts are in italics. Actual conversations or things that came out of my mouth are not. I hope this helps you understand the transition process a little better. (Sorry, it’s a little long.)

• I can’t believe it’s today.
• Do I really HAVE to get on the plane?
• See you later, Natal. I miss it already! Turn this plane around.
• Why are those people speaking English? I haven’t left Brazil yet. Speak Portuguese please.
• Oh my. I just left Brazil. Am I ready for this?
• Wow, I understand everything that’s coming out of their mouths!
• “They’re jist heardin’ us in here like cattle.” Welcome back to the South of the USA, Lacy.
• Why is there no trashcan in this stall??? Where do I put the....oh yeah. TP can go in the toilet here.
• Everyone here looks like a tourist.
• Arkansas!
• There they are! Hello family! I knew my grandpa would be crying.
• Ok Dad, can’t breath here.
• Is this Simon or Eli? Simon’s as tall as me! Bekah’s taller than me! Geez, have they been snacking on Miracle Grow?
• Melinda! Charity! Ahhhh!!!!
• “Where’s your Brazilian man?” And so it starts…
• “Did you bring back a person in these bags?”
• “OH. MY. GOODNESS . It is HOTTTTT out here!!!!!!!!!!!!”
• “Where do you want to eat?” BBQ! I think I know where one is, but it’s been about a year, so I could be wrong…
• Oh sweet tea. I have missed you.
• Holy cow, this BBQ sauce is SPICY. Yes!
• “That car is chique.” “That car is what?” “Chique…oh, that’s not English.”
• Geez, there really is a McDonald’s on every corner.
• This sink has cold AND hot water?!
• Wow, I pull one paper towel out and another comes automatically. Cool!
• “Were these walls this color when I left?”
• What happened to my room?! It didn’t look like this last year. It’s beautiful!
• Oh Scarlet (my car), I have missed you. Wow, you’re clean. Not for long…
• The first thing I do in my car is back out of the garage? Uh-oh.
• “Are ya’ll sure you want to ride with me?”
• Oh my goodness! I’m driving! Heeey!
• “Stoplight. What do I do?”
• “Sonic has a dollar menu?!” “Why is there a banana on the dollar menu?”
• The roads are so calm. People stay in their lanes? I can turn left?
• I can’t believe I’m in Arkansas. I miss Natal!
• Hello Wally World.
• “We are parking as far away from other cars as we can.”
• Shaving cream is how much? Wow, peanut butter is so cheap!
• Dollars are so ugly. Why can’t I use Reais?
• It just doesn’t seem right to put the TP in the toilet. Will it really not hurt it?
• Hot shower? I think I will. Ow! Too hot! Too hot!
• Ok, I realize it’s about 100 degrees outside, but does it have to be 30 degrees inside?
• “I’m going to need pajama pants and socks. It is COLD in here!”
• “Where am I?”
• WOW. It is so hot!
• Bible class in English! I understand everything! KJV? Ok, haven’t missed that.
• Everyone is singing in English. Beautiful.
• Oh yeah, he’s speaking English. I can listen and understand.
• “Lacy,it’s good to have you home.” Thank you.
• “You look great.” Thanks. I wonder how I was supposed to look?
• “I bet you’re glad to be home.” Glad to be back? Well, I’m happy to see my family.
• “You look like they had lots of good food to eat down there.” Uhhhh????
• Wow, those are beautiful tomatoes.
• BLUEBERRIES! BLACKBERRIES! YUUUUUM!!!
• The Jonas brothers have their own TV show? Seriously? Why?
• Where are the legendas? Oh yeah…
• There is so much space here!
• “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss the city.”
• It looks like a foreign country.

Well, there were a few of my thoughts, conversations, and some things I’ve heard over the last few days. There have been other funny moments, but at the moment I’m not remembering them. Big surprise. As much as has changed over the last year, some things are still the same.

Hello, My Name Is...Part 3

Here you go folks! The last installment, which you've been so heavily anticipating. I knew you were checking the blog every day for an update, so I decided to stay up late instead of sleep the night before my flight out of Brazil. At least I'll be sleepy enough to sleep on the plane! I hope you enjoy getting to know the rest of my dear Brazilian friends and family! :D

Jefferson
I first met Jefferson a few days before Halloween. He studies computer engineering with Talis, who brought him to the church just to practice his English. A few days later he came to our costume party as Luigi. He was so convincing, we still call him Luigi. After a few weeks of Bible study,he gave his life to Jesus in early December and has been active and involved ever since, even speaking at a few Wed. night devos. We can always count on Luigi to be willing to go out to eat wherever we go.

The Jewells
John and Samantha Jewell are have been missionaries here for about a year and a half. They brought along Jonah, 7, and Andy, 4, too. Their children have adorable smiles and always have something funny to say. In March they welcomed Jewell #3, Ben, who inherited his brothers’ adorableness and cute smile. John is on fire for the Lord and sets many people on fire too. He is a funny guy and will tell you like is, which is (usually) a good thing for the church. Samantha is an awesome cook and makes great cappuccino. I really appreciate all of the wonderful ways they’ve helped me and the church in the past year or so, especially making us cookies and teaching us Rook.

Jonathan Braga
Jonathan is the athlete in the church. He loves to swim and does so competitively. We were talking about it once, and he said (about swimming), “It’s my job.” I have seen one of his competitions, and he does very well. He is the son of Osmildo and Marta and is a dedicated member. Jonathan is in high school and is learning English, so we occasionally have conversations in English. Every Sunday during confraternizacao (the time when everyone greets everyone else and we all get a whole lot of kisses on the cheek), he comes up to me, gives me a hug, and says “God bless you.” It’s so cute. I look forward to his greeting every week.

Maihana
Maihana is just adorable. She is almost finished studying Psychology at the federal university and is dating Robson. She gave her life to Jesus the same day as Sarah and has been faithful and committed ever since. She is the epitomy of a gentle and quiet spirit. She has such a sweet voice and a quiet way of talking to you so that you feel comfortable, an important quality for a psychologist.

Rejane (pronounced hey-jah-nee)
I met Rejane when I came to Natal in 2007 and became a good friend of mine. She still is. She became a Christian through LST several years ago and is a dedicated member of the church now. She finished her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the end of 2008 and is currently working very hard to find a job, not an easy thing nowadays.

Robson (pronounced hobson)
It took me almost 9 months to be able to understand Robson, and sometimes I still can’t. But I do know that he is very intelligent and a very committed Christian. He is almost finished with his undergrad degree in Psychology at the federal university. Robson doesn’t speak any English, but the phrases he does know he uses with me whenever he sees me. Whenever I think of him, I’m going to hear him saying “The book is on the table,” “Nice to meet you,” and my personal favorite, “Hot dog!”

Sarah Thomaz
Oh what to say about Sarah. She was one of my readers in 2007, one of the best I’ve ever had. She began studying the Bible after I left and gave her life to Jesus at the end of that same year. Since then, she has been very involved in the church and very committed in her faith. Last year, she almost single-handedly organized the 2-day VBS and did a wonderful job. Sarah studies computer engineering at the federal university. Her favorite pastime is teasing people, or “tirar onda” as we say in Portuguese. Most of the teasing I do in Portuguese I learned from her. Though she loves to tease, she doesn’t love being teased, which makes it more fun, right? Sarah also speaks English very, very well but will only speak to me in Portuguese. Some day we will talk in English again, Sarinha. Wow, I am going to miss her.

The Signorettis
Roberto and Marisa Signoretti are the other missionary couple at the church and are the parents of Andressa. They are incredibly amazing people. They gave up great jobs with lucrative salaries in the south of Brazil to work with the church here in Natal. Roberto shares the preaching with the other male missionaries and does hundreds of things I don’t know about. He is also the one we usually turn to when we have a problem with something, like the apartment. He is really funny, in Portuguese and English, and he knows how to get things done in this city. He loves desserts of any kind and has eyes for anything fancy. Marisa is one of the hardest-working people I know and has one of the kindest hearts of anyone in this city. She will do anything she can to help you. If she can’t help you, she will for sure find someone who can. She teaches 3 basic English classes at the church, teaches a literacy class for older women who haven’t yet learned to read, and helps lead a cooking class, along with teaches the ladies Bible class, cooking delicious foods, and making the best coffee that’s ever passed my lips. Roberto and Marisa are very cool people and have become like my Brazilian parents.

Talis Lincoln
I met Talis last July when I first arrived in Natal. I started to read with him in August, I think. As our reading sessions progressed, he became more involved with the church and started forming friendships with church members. Before long, he was best friends with several of the youth of the church. He gave his life to Jesus in December, the same day as Jefferson, who he introduced to the church. Talis has become one of the most committed people and grown so much in his faith. I was priviledged to witness this growth from the beginning. He has become a good friend to me and to almost everyone else at Comunidade de Cristo. He studies computer engineering at the federal university. This coming August, Talis will achieve one of his lifelong dreams when he travels to Canada to study English and engineering. He is beyond excited, and I am so happy for him! And thanks to Talis, I have (way) much more confidence that I will someday be able to drive a standard. He was a great teacher.

Tania and family
This family has become so important to me. I saw them almost every day. Tania has been a member of the church longer than anyone else currently attending there. She is a very strong women, and I have learned so much from her, such as when you’re walking through a favela, pretend like nothing’s amiss and greet the people you see like friends. Her children, Ingrid, Isabel, and Irvaine, are wonderful and precious. They are the most well-behaved Brazilian kids I’ve ever met. They have big dreams that I hope they achieve someday. It saddens my heart greatly to know that I had to say goodbye to them. I love each of them dearly. They are in my heart, and there is no way I’ll ever be able to forget them.

Thiago and Kelly
The newest engaged couple at the church. They met in a class last fall and started dating. Soon after, Thiago got involved with the church and gave his life to Jesus late last year. He is a super cool person. Even though he doesn’t speak English, he randomly throws out English words in our conversations. I love it. He is studying Physics at the federal university and works for an electric company here. Kelly is super sweet and really funny. She is studying to pass the test to get into the federal university. They became engaged last week and will be married in October. One of saddest parts about leaving is knowing that I can’t be here for their wedding.

Well, you have now met my dearest friends and family members here in Natal. I promised you a photo album. Here it is! I really hope I didn’t forget anyone. I have been so blessed to know each person on this list, and I pray that I will see them again on Earth. If nothing else, I’m coming back in 2014 to celebrate the World Cup (in Soccer) the Brazilian way!

Tomorrow I will get on a plane to go back to the USA. I am very excited to see my friends and family there, but a piece of my heart, a part of me, will always be here in Natal, Brazil. And a piece of Natal, Brazil, will always be in my heart.

Hello, My Name Is...Part 2

It’s here! Part 2 of the people in my life. Well, it's actually more like Part 1 of Part 2. It's a really long list, so I thought I'd break it up to make your reading a little more pleasureable. I've included half of the list here (A-I). Since you’ve already met a few of my readers, it’s time for you to meet my Brasilian family. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. They have blessed me more than I can describe and have given me lots of laughs and good memories, not to mention all of the fun Portuguese words they taught me. Meu amigo doido, they are great! :D

Andressa Signoretti
The first person on the list (because it’s in alphabetical order) is Andressa. She is the daughter of Roberto and Marisa, one of the missionary couples at the church. Your first impression of her is of a girl who is very confident, talkative, and outgoing. And she certainly is all of those things. But she’s also pretty shy, a lot like me actually. Andressa grew up speaking English, so she speaks it almost fluently. When she speaks to me or Cris, she speaks a little of both languages, just whatever word is easier to say. She studies Physical Therapy at the federal university, and at times has been my chiropractor and masseuse. And she’s good at it!

Bob
His name is actually Sergio, but most people call him Bob. The first time I came here in 2007, he was our guide. We were with him all the time. This time around he’s been a little more busy since starting college and getting a great internship. We share a love for coffee, and I have some good memories of our times at Sao Braz. He speaks English super well, and can sing (without looking at the lyrics) almost any praise and worship song. Thanks to Bob refusing to speak to me in English, I learned Portuguese much faster!

Bragas
Osmildo, Marta, Catherine, and Jonathan make up the Braga family, one of the missionary families at the Comunidade de Cristo church. They are originally from Fortaleza, a city about 6 hours north of Natal. They came to Natal in 2006 to work with the church. Osmildo just bought a new car, something he’s been dreaming about for a while, and is in hog heaven. He preaches at the church and just loves to talk about Jesus! Marta is Osmildo’s wife. She is very passionate when it comes to the church. She helps to teach the women’s class and has tried to start a women’s small group program. She also has several individual Bible studies throughout the week. Marta is learning English and uses it with me when she can. It’s so cute! This is one couple dedicated to God and His work in this city.

Caio
When I think about Caio, two things come to mind: faith and energy. Caio is one of the most faithful guys I know here. He always has a comment about a devo, a sermon, or anything to do with the Bible. His conversation is always very spiritual. For the last few months, we’ve made a monthly trip to McDonald’s for breakfast. The first time we went, we got cards that we could stamp and get a free breakfast after the fourth stamp. Of course, we had to get that free breakfast, so we’ve been going back ever since. It’ll be ours this weekend! I have really enjoyed our time together and our conversations at the 3rd table back on the first row at McDonald’s. Caio is also the most energetic person I know here. He’s like a little kid, (almost) always bouncing off the walls. Thankfully, he has his girlfriend, Rejane, to keep him in check.

Carol Lima
Carol is one of the sweetest people I know here. She is engaged to Diogo and will hopefully be married before the year is over. Last fall she graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from the federal university. If you saw pictures of a really fancy me in a red dress, those were taken at her graduation party, which is a bigger deal here than the graduation itself. I got to know Carol pretty well when we were prayer partners in January and February. I really enjoy talking to and praying with her. She definitely has the gift of encouragement.

Catherine Braga
Catherine is the daughter of Osmildo and Marta, one of the missionary couples at the church. She is a physical therapy student at a private university here and is currently dating Talis. Catherine and Andressa are best friends and are absolutely hilarious together.

Cris Carpenter
My roomie and fellow former LST intern. Poor thing. She had to put up with living with me for a year. For those of you who have lived with me, you know how I am cleaning, especially doing the dishes (right Charity?). Thankfully, she was very patient. Her LST internship ended in February, and she is now back in Natal as a full-time missionary. Cris has a great sense of humor and has given me some good laughs. She introduced me to Obama, PostSecret, Lissa shoe stores, insights into Brazilian culture, MANY Portuguese words, and lots and lots of other things I can’t think of right now. Thank you Cris for all of that, for wanting to move, and for buying a car.

Edvan and Karol Morreira
This couple moved from a city a few states away a little over a year ago so Edvan could study for a doctorate in Physics (yeah, wow!) at the federal university. Karol now studies Elementary Education, called Pedogogia here, at the same university. They are expecting their first baby in November. I’m hoping for a girl! Edvan and Karol are both very faithful and active in the church. Edvan helps lead the young people’s group and sometimes preaches. I am going to miss the both of them a lot!

Fernanda Fernandes
Fefa is a hoot. I love her to death. Hanging out with her is never, ever dull. She is very talkative and absolutely hilarious. For the longest time, and sometimes still, I couldn’t for the life of me understand a word she said. She uses a lot of slang and talks about 100 mph. But she is a sweetheart. She has encouraged me so much here. Her faith is steadfast and deep, and it is very easy to see how much she loves God. She is just finishing her first year at the federal university where she
studies nursing. I know God is going to use her to do great and amazing things!

Heloise
Another sweetheart. Heloise is still in high school and gave her life to Jesus last February after a long time of studying with Marta. She and I were prayer partners for a week right before the Youth Impact. Her first time praying out loud in front of another person was with me. How special to part of that moment! It was good for her too, because she was praying with someone who probably wasn’t going to understand more than 50% of what she said. I’ll miss seeing her pretty face and getting a hug from her at the cultos on Sunday.

Isabel
Bel is the coolest 11 year old girl I know! We have spent many afternoons together at the church. When my readers didn’t show up, she was there to hang out. We played a lot of Speed, and she usually beat me. She is also the person who taught me most of the Portuguese I know. I would practice with her in the afternoons at the church. If she started laughing, I knew I had made a mistake. If not, I knew I said it correctly. She still enjoys laughing at me when I make Portuguese mistakes. No matter how hard I try, she will not speak English to me, even though I know she knows how. Bel is one of the people I will miss most from here.

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit about my Brazilian family. The rest of the list (J-T) is coming soon! I was going to put pictures up on Facebook, but I can barely keep my eyes open. I'll include the link to the pictures in my next post. Just something else for you to look forward to. :)

I love Natal

Well, blogreaders, I promised you a post about the people at my church here in Natal. This is not it. Sorry. It's still in the works. But I will (hopefully) get it posted before I leave. Speaking of, I have only about a week left here. It's so sad and so weird to think I'll be leaving soon. This is my home now and has been for a year. I will miss so many things about this place. What things? So glad you asked. I actually have a little list for you. Enjoy! :D

What I will miss about Natal:

• My readers
• My Monday and Wednesday night group class
• All of the people at Comunidade de Cristo
• Confraternização
• Wednesday night prayers
• Cheek kisses (seriously!)
• Açai
• Not having to worry about ticks/chiggers/snakes
• Being 30 minutes from the beach (ok, so I hardly took advantage of this, but I'll miss having the option to travel only 30 mintues to the beach)
• My new apartment
• Adventures on the Onibus
• Churrasco
• Speaking and hearing Portuguese
• Being able to use “I didn’t understand what you said” as a legitimate excuse
• Not worrying about Mother Nature
• Dividing the prices in the stores by 2 to get the amount in dollars
• Thursday lunch at Roberto and Marisa’s house
• The apartment buildings
• Being able to cross the street anywhere, not just at crosswalks
• Being able to cross only half the street at a time without fear of being run over
• Strawberry flavored Kapo
• Aerobics at Caic
• Midway Mall
• Suco de Manga, Caja, Acerola, Maracuja (fruit juice)
• Mangoes and their trees
• Guarana
• Aki Tanda (where I buy my fruit)
• Nescau chocolate milk
• The familiar sites and sounds of Natal

Well folks, there you go. That's not the complete list, of course, just what I've been able to think of and remember to write down. I love this city more than I could ever express with words. My heart is overflowing with thanks to God for this opportunity and hope that He will allow me to return (hopefully soon!) (at least for a visit). I am seriously going to miss this place and the precious, wonderful people.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast."
~Psalm 139: 7-10