Just a note

I finally posted our Brazil story. It will make the most sense if you scroll to the bottom and start there.

Why We Went to Brazil

Why was taking this trip so important to Kendall and me?  We have both been blessed to experience other cultures.  Kendall grew up a TCK (Third Culture Kid).  He was balancing Canadian and US culture.  He also grew up with First Nations friends.  Kendall visited Haiti as a child.  After high school we were on REACH together.  Kendall arrived in Costa Rica knowing almost no Spanish at all.  He lived with a host family in a jungle village and learned to communicate.  Language was secondary and came after the bonding.  From Costa Rica we went to Ecuador for 5 ½ months.   

I grew up smack-dab in the middle of white Mennonites like me.  But my parents had both spent time in other cultures and valued passing that on to me.  So they had friends who were very different from them.  My first overseas trip was at age 3, when we went to visit Honduras where my mom had spent time with her aunt and uncle.  When I was Eli’s age, we spent 6 weeks overseas, a month of that in Kenya.  I don’t remember nearly everything from that trip, but I value the memories I do have and know that even the things I don’t remember had a major impact on me. 

A year after Kendall and I were married, we signed on to 2 years as missionary interns.  The first 2 ½ months were spent in Costa Rica, bettering our Spanish skills.  Then we lived in El Paso, Texas and worked with a Spanish-speaking church. 

Because of how we have seen our cross-cultural experiences shape our lives and our worldviews, we’ve always known that we have wanted to give this gift to our family.  Because of the role these experiences have played in our lives, it has become a high value to us. 

This opportunity to visit cousins in Brazil just seemed perfect.  First of all, we could go spend time with important friends/relatives.  Kendall and Delton were great buddies growing up- partners in crime and in adventure.  We support their missionary work and how many times do you get a glimpse of where your support goes?  What a great opportunity to get in on Delton and Fernie’s lives.  Our kids got along so well when they visited us in Red Lake last winter.  This seemed like the perfect way to introduce our boys to a different culture and level of need while in the safety of cousin-friends.  It was rewarding to hear Eli admire how Kendall and I put ourselves out there and used the language skills we had even though they were lacking.  It’s always nice to hear a bit of admiration from your kids, but it was also good to know Eli was seeing that it was okay and even good to do something that you’re not comfortable with.  And, of course, once we realized that Twila Fern would be joining us soon, we knew that now was the time to go.  It will not get easier.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, maybe these photos will describe our reasons for going to Brazil:

My favorite:

Kendall and I are so grateful for this opportunity.  It was fully worth the energy and expense.    

Tuesday night: Home Sweet Home

Here Kendall and the boys share their favorite memories after we finally made it home Tuesday evening. They all crawled up in Eli’s bed and I stood close by.

Monday, March 19

On Monday we got ready to go and also took a quick trip to a rock shop for souveniers and the Speedway. Fernie made us a delicious traditional meal of filet mignon, rice and beans, and salad. By 4:00 we were headed to the airport.

We’re so thankful for our gracious hosts.  They gave us a great Brazilian experience in spite of the stress and disappointment they were facing that week.  Thanks, Delton and Fernie and kids!  It was great too, to watch our kids bond with their second cousins. 

A Weekend Adventure- Part 5

Sunday evening we packed up and headed back to the ferry.  There were some tense moments as our schedule got tighter and the bus’s departure time loomed.  But we made it to the bus stop in time.  As we stood there waiting, someone offered me his seat.  I sat down next to his wife.  Soon she and I started a tentative conversation.  I was using Spanish, hoping to be understood.  After a few comments back and forth, I noticed that we were understanding each other well.  That was strange.  Then she mentioned that they were tourists from Argentina.  A ha!  So we were speaking Spanish to each other!  And that’s why we could keep our conversation going!  Now, I’m not one to usually enjoy talking to strangers (though I find more and more of my mother in me as the years go on), but it was so nice talking to her.  I think it was such a relief to talk to someone who I understood well and who understood me.  Meanwhile, the husband had struck up a conversation with Kendall in English.  What a nice little break from all the confusion. J

Our bus ride home was long and arduous.  Lots of speeding up and slowing down, shifting, up and down mountains, curves.  Eli and Evan were asleep quickly.  Kendall not too long after.  This uncomfortable mama had a bit more trouble.  But we eventually made it back to the bus terminal in the city around midnight.  Fernie bravely ventured out and picked us up there.   45 minutes later we were home.  Oh so tired.  But our dedicated sons had gotten hooked on journaling and insisted on writing in their journals before going to sleep.  I let them- I was still in awe that they were into this new activity.

A Weekend Adventure- Part 4

Sunday morning, I armed myself with ted hose for my swelling feet and a decent breakfast and prepared for another hike to some waterfalls. Here the boys show off their coffee!! (mostly hot milk) for breakfast in the common area of our hotel.

Well, once again, the hike was very long and hot, requiring water and shade breaks for this pregnant, swelling mama.  It took us 45 minutes of walking uphill, but we finally made it.  We thought we were going on a walk to check out some waterfalls, then we would turn around and head back into town for lunch.  We were misinformed.  The waterfall place was much better than that and required more than 20-30 minutes of our time.  It also required swimming suits, which we didn’t realize.  But we improvised and had a great time.
The waterfall had a great natural slide:

I guess this will serve as my 7-month baby bump photo:

After a couple hours of enjoying the water, we started the dreaded hike back down the hill.  Lo and behold, a few minutes into it a very kind couple that we had seen at the waterfall pulled up in their car and offered us a ride.  We were so thankful for their kindness!  They were weekend tourists from the city and knew English.  They dropped us off at our hotel.  Amazing how kindness lifts your spirits as well as a good meal!

A Weekend Adventure- Part 3

On Saturday we happily found a little place for breakfast without too much labor. Then we took a bus to a beach on the south side of the island. We saw on the map that there were a lot of old shipwrecks on that side of the island, some you could explore by scuba diving. When we got to the beach, we realized why there were so many shipwrecks there. The strength of the surf was crazy! We set our things on the sand and the boys and I waded out into the waves. We realized there was a decent drop off just a few feet out. And the waves were so strong! I was motioning Kendall to get his butt out there! He just sat on the sand enjoying the sun. Finally, he sauntered out to the water and quickly realized why he needed to be there too!
This is how he stood guard for a long time while the boys played: (He was a good and strong guard, but slightly distracted when the fishermen nearby would start reeling something in.)

Eli and Evan loved the waves pushing them around and trying to beat the waves at their own game.

That afternoon, we decided to walk to a “nearby” waterfall.  Wow.  Not sure “nearby” was a good description of the distance.  So we walked up a very long and steep hill to get there.  We were all in good spirits in spite of the exertion and in spite of the fact that we had not eaten much more than an egg sandwich and a shared plate of French fries that day.  (I know, I know…We just weren’t thinking and didn’t know how long things would take.)  Finally, we made it to the waterfall, though me and baby were couldn’t do much more than sit.

Here is an awful photo of me at the waterfall, but that’s pretty much how I felt:

After this waterfall, the boys wanted to go a bit farther to see another one.  That was fine with me, but I didn’t go along.  Walking down the long hill was easier and finally we made it to the bus stop at the bottom.  Unfortunately, a bus didn’t come for a long, long time.  We stood there waiting and my generous son offered his pregnant mommy the rock he was sitting on. J  Eventually a bus did come along, bringing us close to tears of gratitude.  By 6 or 7 pm, we arrived at a section of town where lots of other tourists got off and where there were restaurants.  Why not?  We jumped off too.  We made our way to a restaurant to find they were just closing up for the day.  They informed us that all restaurants in that area were just closing up for the day.  Sigh.  But it all turned out fine and our spirits lifted (again) when we found street vendors in the area selling yummy food.  It wasn’t the restaurant we had hoped for, but it was a fun cultural experience.

A Weekend Adventure- Part 2

The bus ride to the island was 5 hours long. (My feet swelled to immense proportions as we drove over the mountains.) The bus dropped us off near a ferry going over to the island. We took the ferry, then found a taxi and gave the driver the address for our hotel. We were totally exhausted by this time. We struggled through language with the hotel owner, not getting very far. Then she sent her young son and a horde of friends to “help” us. They were very helpful and eager to practice English, though maybe not that knowledgeable. Kendall got stuck in the middle of a long and labored conversation as the son wrote down things like where Kendall could go to play soccer. :) 
As darkness fell and exhaustion grew, we found ourselves out on the street, waiting on a bus that never came. We started the long walk in the direction of a main street where there were restaurants. The rain was falling and we were getting soaked. In my heart of hearts, I knew that walking around getting soaked without an umbrella or jacket was not a Brazilian thing to do. Turns out, most of the restaurants in that part of town were closed by the time we stumbled onto the main street. We finally found one that was open and charging less than $20 a plate. As we sat down to eat, our soggy spirits lifted.

Little did we know that this pattern of exhaustion and plummeting blood sugar followed by euphoria and lifted spirits as we sat to a meal was to be repeated over the next couple days. We had a couple factors working against us: It was hot, so we didn’t feel hungry as quickly even though we needed food and we were relying on public transportation to get us from place to place. There were times when one or all of us would start hitting rock bottom and we’d realize we had eaten very little that day and we were starving! One afternoon we were walking the kilometer or so toward the restaurants, hoping for a bus that never came, when Evan really hit rock bottom. I started adding it up and realized that he had basically eaten a half a piece of bread, milk with a tiny bit of coffee and 3 cookies so far that day. What were we thinking?! I guess we weren’t thinking- everything was new and different and it was hard to make plans. We would plan to do something and be back in time for lunch and then it would take 3 times longer. That day all we could do was keep dragging Evan and ourselves down the street to the nearest food source.

Here we are at that happy food source: See? You can’t even tell we had nearly collapsed just 20 minutes earlier. :)

Evan demonstrates the Brazilian way of eating using a fork and knife: 

According to Fernie, Brazilians are very conscious about not eating with their hands. Even pizza is eaten this way. I was happy to have the boys see that manners are okay.

A Weekend Adventure- Part 1

Unfortunately, Delton ended up with a serious infection in his leg while we were there. The kids barely noticed since they were having so much fun with their cousins. We were fine too, as we still found ways to take little excursions each day. But we felt really bad for Delton and Fernie. Delton was basically immobilized, obeying doctor’s (and 2 nurses’) orders and for awhile we even thought he might need to be admitted to the hospital. So all the wonderful activities they had planned for us needed to be rearranged and they didn’t get to do near as much as they were hoping. 
We were planning to go to Fernie’s parents’ farm in the country for a couple days. That was one beloved plan that needed to be given up. Delton was ordered bed rest by that time, so Kendall and I decided to venture out with the boys for the weekend. We headed to Ihlabela, a small island off the coast.

Kid's Club at ABBA

On Thursday afternoon, we got to experience one part of ABBA, the organization Delton works for. This ministry works with street children. There are so many in Sao Paulo. We went to a Kid’s Club in a slum area of the city. The kid’s club is a prevention program, working to keep kids who are still in their homes off the street.

We got a tour of their facility and then participated in a craft with the kids.  The boys were nervous, but they did great.  Evan and I sat with one group of kids while they taught us how to do the complicated beading.  Evan was very serious and quiet.  Finally, one of the kids commented, “He doesn’t laugh.”  I asked Evan to show them a smile and he really tried, but it didn’t look so natural. J  I was able to communicate to some degree with the kids.  They liked Evan’s name and thought it was cool that he plays piano.  They also wanted to discuss Justin Bieber and any Michael Jackson songs I might know.

I’m so glad we had the opportunity to visit ABBA with Eli and Evan.  I only wish we could have gone back another time or two.  I don’t think it would have taken much longer for them to loosen up in spite of the language barriers.

Piranha!

Wednesday afternoon, Kendall had the opportunity to go piranha fishing with a couple of Delton’s co-workers. How lucky for him! I declined the invitation to accompany him. (Actually, I wasn’t even extended an invitation, which was just fine with me.) I kissed him goodbye, knowing that I may never see him as un-chewed-up as he was at that moment. 
By the way, this piranha fishing is not something that happens from the shoreline. No, you wade in up to your armpits and fish from there. Yikes! Kendall said he let the other two men go in ahead of him. But if you ask me, I really don’t think a hungry piranha is going to care which delectable bite was there first. Kendall was wise enough to wear shoes and jeans- maybe that first taste of rubber or cotton would deter a piranha looking for blood.

Kendall eventually caught a couple fishies. He brought it back to Delton and Fernie’s and cut out the jaw. We didn’t eat it.

Warning:  What follows is gross and horrible:  The worst part of all Kendall told me about that afternoon was the warning he was given by one of his fellow fishermen.  He told Kendall, “Don’t pee in the water.”  (Thankfully, that was before Kendall had done that very thing.)  “There are tiny fish, almost like worms, that are attracted to the ammonia in urine.  They swim to the source and crawl up inside the urethra.  Because of the way they are shaped, they need to be surgically removed.”  !!!!!!  Eww!  Horrifying!  As a side note, the guy thought that those fish were more up in the Amazon, rather than in the part of Brazil we were in, but even the possibility was more than enough to motivate Kendall to hold it.

Home Again, Home Again

And 29 hours later, we're home.

• Saying goodbye to cousins.
• A co-worker of Delton's took us to the airport yesterday afternoon through lots of city and traffic. 
• Evan got carsick.  But he warned me, so I caught all of it in a double-bagged bag. 
• We said goodbye to the green and the warm weather.
• We made it through customs uneventfully.  (This Canadian-American family is a complicated case and because of where I am in the Canadian immigration process, no one could guarantee us ahead of time that they would let me back on a plane to Canada.)
• A near-sleepless night in the plane for Mom and Dad.  Evan, on the other hand, made himself at home, sprawling across Eli and Mom.
• Breakfast served on the plane at 3:30 a.m.
• Toronto at 5:15 a.m.  By that time we felt so close to home and like it was night and soon we would be home and go to bed.  We were wrong.
• More uneventful immigration.  (I sneakily concealed the part of my immigration document that said "NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL" when I handed it to the immigration official.)
• A delayed flight in Toronto.  Tired maniac giggles at a funny commercial in the airport.
• The best 2 hours of sleep of the previous 48 hours on the second flight.
• Winnipeg by 11:00 a.m.
• Kenora for groceries and a McDonald's break by 3:00 p.m.
• Home by 7:15 p.m.

 We're tired.  Oh, and you know those romantic pictures of a couple's feet in the sand?  Here's our romantic photo tonight:

If you look closely, you can see the grotesque disfiguration.  In fact, the swelling has gone down for both of us.  My feet were swollen all week.  I'm not sure why.  I mean I know I'm pregant and the nurse practitioner warned me about the travel, but it was so sudden.  I even wore those nursing home ted hose on the flights!  Well, lo and behold, in the middle of the night on the plane last night, my empathetic husband's feet suddenly ballooned up and supassed those of his pregant wife!  It's a little bit scary, but oh so funny. 

More maniac giggles tonight.  The boys are in awe of their parents' feet, though Eli's annoying explanation is "It's your age."  Evan kindly pointed out that Kendall's eyebrows looked swollen too.  Kendall wondered if he sat on an air hose, which sent both of us into fits of maniac giggles of exhaustion.  Thankfully, that comment was lost on our impressionable young sons.

Good night.  Time to rest these old people feet.
More Brazil stories to follow...

Wednesday- Market Day

Today Kendall and I took Eli, Evan, Naomi and Joshua to the market. Once we got past our discomfort at being the foreigners, it was lots of fun. We may have overdone it with the big bag of fruit we bought, but how can you resist real fruit that hasn’t been shipped green thousands of miles?

For lunch we stopped at a little stand selling “pastel.”  These were deep-fried pastries full of one of a huge variety fillings. 

It took us forever to figure out what was what.  Naomi helped translate, but even so, I was surprised how lost I was with the language.  Our Spanish helps us a lot because Portugese is related to Spanish.  So I can read something or listen in on a conversation and get an idea of what is going on.  However, I’m finding that conversing is something altogether different.  But a smile goes a long way. J  Finally, we figured out which pasteles we were ordering and enjoyed sitting in the crowd eating.  In fact, the crowd seemed rather focused on us by the time our orders were in.  (Eli, especially, tried to become invisible, but it didn’t work.)  People were very friendly and seemed to enjoy the novelty the foreigners offered.  The women making the pasteles must have really liked us (or the diversion we offered), because when we went to pay, they told us we get one free pastel.

Speaking of the novelty of foreigners, 4 children so close in age seemed to also offer a bit of novelty.  People really like kids.  Delton told us ahead of time that Brazil is very mother-friendly.  So my big belly along with a small crowd of children didn’t help us blend in.  Several vendors seemed to enjoy seeing so many children appearing to belong to one family.  One had a conversation about it with me.   (I think).  I tried to explain to him that only 2 were mine.  Another one started counting as we filed past him.  When he got to Kendall at the end of the line, he laughed and shook Kendall’s hand, congratulating him.  We waited in the shade of another vendor’s fruit stand while Kendall went to buy a watermelon.  He had fun figuring out which children were Brazilian and traded a quick language lesson with us, teaching us to say “strawberry” in Portugese and learning the word in English.

Here Kendall and I enjoy coconut water back at Delton and Fernie's, a treat we often enjoyed straight from the tree while living out in the country in Costa Rica.

Soccer and Giggles

On Tuesday, the 4 (5) of us ventured out on our own.  We followed directions to a really nice park with a path, playground and soccer field. 

Evan, especially, really wanted us to have a family soccer game. That boy thrives on games and family time.  This filled that boy's love tank for awhile.  (Remember the photo from Monday evening at the beach?)  He giggled incessantly, making it hard to stay upright and play soccer.  Kendall told him, "You take after your Uncle Ben."  Not that closely related, but apparently sharing the same giggle gene.

Eli the Social Butterfly, on the other hand, was not as eager to leave the cousins and hang out with just his little family.  I overheard him saying to Evan when we got to the park, "I know.  Neither one of us was that thrilled about this trip to the park.  But....Go with the flow."  Nevertheless, I think it was good for him too.

"Action" Shots

Looks like real action...doesn't it?

And we can't leave Twila Fern out of the action shots, now can we?

After our little soccer game, we went to a restaurant for lunch.

The boys were rather unadventurous and stuck to plain rice and beans, but it was delicious.

Walking down Delton & Fernie's street:

At their house, waiting to be let in the gate: