Tuesday July 19, 2011

Okay let's emphasis something I did not....but the group decided it would be good to arrive at the worksite by 8 am. That means we have to leave the hotel by 7:30 am. Therefore, I need a wakeup call at 6 am. Those who know me know that I do not like to wake up early and I prefer to have a leisurely breakfast and get out the door before 10!

That being said......MY WAKEUP CALL DID NOT HAPPEN! So I get a phone call at 7 am from my mother....'Where are you?' Of course the first words out of my mouth....in a room with a very straight shooting christian guy...was 'Well SH*T!'

Needless to say, I apologized while throwing some clothes and racing out the door and down to breakfast! Thirty minutes later, I have shoved food down my throat and somehow, successfully grabbed everything I needed for the day. In my drowsy stupor I had even remembered to throw in my toothpaste and toothbrush into a bag! Hurray for making it out the door and on time!

We arrive at the worksite and I'm still a little grumpy. Still, it's a full day of work ahead. As far as the day goes, it has already become fairly routine. We all scatter to our positions and begin working on our various tasks. A group is designated to build and measure jigs for creating the window panels and wall panels. Another is measuring and cutting timber for trusses and Dad and I are still working on the wooden plate. The cramped lot means space is at a premium and everyone seems to be working on top of one another, but somehow things are getting done and progress is starting to be made! By the end of the day Dad and I have cut, sanded, chiseled, filed, sawed, and attached the plate to the foundation! That means tomorrow....it will start looking like a building!

Now don't think I've forgotten to talk about the most important part of the day....THE FOOD! I mean it's simply incredible that we have 2 homecooked, made with love meals including desserts that these beautiful Brazilian women serve us everyday! I tell you that in and of its self is a blessing and worth the price of the trip down here!!

Lunch was an amazing homemade lasagna with a ham variation as well as a chicken variation!

Lightly steamed green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower

Pan Fried Beef and Onions

Fresh Mango (heavenly)

and Feijoda with Arroz (black beans and rice)

***I am on the quest to find out how they cook their beans...and I will find out they are INCREDIBLE!**

"What about dessert?" you ask.....

Mousse de MARACUJA (passion fruit)!!! AHHHHHH!!!! When I saw this I nearly jumped for joy! Fresh custard/pudding topped with Maracuja glaze with the seeds....YES YES YES!!

Mid-Day Snack

Homemade Carrot Cake with chocolate icing......life is good....and sweet here in Brazil :-)

Feeling surprisingly refreshed after a long day of eating and working. Nana and I take quick showers so we can go about and explore the neighborhood. Not very many of the shops are open, but the weather is perfect and I really haven't had a chance to explore too much of the neighborhood. It almost seems to be one big park! The sidewalks are nearly all tiled with black and white stone in varying mosaic patterns. More updates to come :-)

Monday July 18, 2011

The first day working on the site is not the most glamorous. It's the day where we organize and plan, we gather the materials, and semi-confusion rules for the first few hours. We were discussing the plans for the day until nearly 11:30 when the materials finally arrived. As soon as the van pulled up, we all rushed to help unload. We soon found a problem with the lumber. Some of the boards were too wide for our plans and because they were custom cut for the job, we couldn't send them back. So we had to revise our original plans to compensate for the different dimensions. Just one more hurdle to overcome!

Dad and I were appointed with the task of putting the wooden plate around the foundation. I helped Dad with this the last time we were in Campo Grande, Brazil. So we were both familiar with the responsibility. I won't bore you with specific details of what has to be done, but basically there is a wooden plate that is screwed to the foundation walls. On this plate the walls, trusses, basically everything attaches to and rest on this wooden plate. So it is a semi-thankless job, but an integral...perhaps even the most important job that must be done.

We selected our wood for the plate and then started to gave it to the staining team to prepare. Meanwhile we measured, and prepared the foundation. It seems like an easy job but when the foundation walls are curved and sometimes not level, it's important to correct those things as much as possible.

Before we know it, it's lunch time! Which is one of my FAVORITE times of day. It's a time to gorge myself on authentic, homemade Brazilian food! YUMMMMMY!! For our first meal we had 'estrogonofe' which is a Brazilian stew. Today's selection was 'frango' or chicken! Accompanied by a cooked piece of carne (beef) with onions on top! We also had arroz (rice) along with boiled potatoes, beets, and what I call sawdust (which i can't remember the correct name) but it's SOOOO GOOD! And we had watermelon for dessert! Everything was DELICIOUS!

After lunch we were all renewed and ready to go back to work! At the end of the day to look around the site, not much had changed. Still we had much of the staining done and 1/4 of the plate was installed. For a first day of work, I think we accomplished a great amount and were able to prepare many of the pieces of the puzzle!

Most importantly, at the end of the day, our hosts were gracious enough to offer us a light dinner of hotdogs with a tomato based sauce with corn and some soft drinks! Light and delicious! More food and progress reports tomorrow!

A Full day in Brazil

Sunday July 17, 2011

Ahh what a refreshing feeling to wake up and realize that you are in another country! The possibilities of the day are endless and adventures are guaranteed! Luckily, I didn't set my alarm until 9am, so I am well rested and ready for the day. And I do have to admit, the beds in the hotel are wonderful, so getting up is difficult. Still, I make it into the shower and down for breakfast.....

A little unsure of what to expect, I opened the doors and find a smorgasbord of food (yes I used the word smorgasbord)! None of this continental breakfast....fake orange juice and perhaps a stale bagel and cream cheese. No, the Brazilian breakfast is amazing. There are petite slices of deli meats and cheese with a vast array of breads and rolls for little sandwiches in the morning. There are scrambled eggs, bacon, CHEESE BREAD (so good), for your more traditional meals. There are also fresh and sweet pineapple, papaya, and melon. Along with a small selection of cereals and sweet breads and other sweets. I have often wondered what the 'continental' part of a continental breakfast was....now I know...it means cheap!

BUT WAIT....there's more!

Along a side table, there is freshly squeezed pineapple and orange juices along with BRAZILIAN COFFEE! If you have not had Brazilian coffee, you have not fully experienced what it is to be awakened by a fresh cup of caffeinated goodness! They say ignorance is bliss and although you may THINK your morning joe is tasty and dependable, the Brazilian coffee is like nothing you've ever tried! Brazilian coffee is sweet and strong and I consider it the oil that revs up my motor in the morning and gets me ready for the day!

I sufficiently stuff my face and down nearly 3 coffees. It was as I had not eaten in a week and my tongue took on a life of it's own and wanted to taste every bite! I managed somehow to pull myself from the breakfast table and waddle back to my room. Thankfully there is an elevator ;-)

I went upstairs and had to resist the urge to lay back in bed. I checked my watch and realized it was time to head downstairs for our first devotion. The entire group joined to rally our spirits and our faith to prepare us for the task ahead! Today was the day we would see the worksite where the chapel was to be built!

We all climbed in to a passenger van and were told it was only a 'short ride' from the hotel to the worksite.....it tooks us 30 mintues! Happy to have finally arrived, I slide open the side door and leapt out of the car. The first time seeing the worksite, one would think...'There's nothing here!' And it's true! There is only a concrete slab with about 3 feet of concrete/masonry to outline the walls and the position of the doors. But the excitement grows when you look at this simple masonry box and realize that in a few short days a building, a chapel will be in its place!

I looked around and before you know it, we were led to church member's house for some coffee and to meet a handful of the members of the church. The coffee and snacks they prepared were wonderful! We all were enjoying our food when Oseaus began to reveal to us exactly what the catalyst was that created the confusion before our trip began. He was visibly shaken and emotional, but after hearing his tale, I could feel the conviction of our group rise! We all knew that this was a much needed place for this new church to gather and we had been lead to the right place!

It seemed like only a few minutes had past, and we were whisked away to the church service at another member's home! The Brazilian homes I have been in may not have been much to look at from the outside, but what they do have inside, they take care of! They are proud of what they have and incredibly warm and eager to open their homes to us! It was a great service and everyone was so eager to shake our hands and give us hugs. You could feel the gratitude that filled the room when each member walked through the door! It is so incredibly exciting to know that you are a part of something special and wonderful! I can not wait to start tomorrow....

Arrival in Brazil

Well well well....I can't believe I haven't utilized this blog since 2007! I have renewed interest at the moment and want to keep everyone involved on my trip to Brazil!

We departed Knoxville on Friday morning excited to start our journey. My family and I left the house around 10 am EST. After nearly 3 flights, changing planes, 9 hours in layovers, and passing through Brazilian Customs (and some unexpected excess baggage fees). We arrived in Curitiba, Sao Paulo Brazil around 3pm Brazilian time (which is one hour ahead of eastern time) on Saturday afternoon. So let's see....3pm in Curitiba is 2pm EST. So we traveled for approximately 28 hours we finally arrived at our final destination!

Upon our arrival, we were greeted with open arms and expectant smiles by Pastor Oseias, whose church is hosting our visit. We divided the luggage on a small, shortbed truck and some in the bus. With the luggage, literally piled in the bed of the truck and everyone squeezed into the van, it was on to our hotel. Room being at a premium on the bus, I volunteered to sit atop a stack of luggage for the 'short ride' to the hotel. After traveling for so many hours without much rest, we were all ready to unload our luggage and lay down! Little did we know that we would spend nearly an hour on our 'short ride' to the hotel. If I had known it was going to be such a long trip, I would never have volunteered to nest upon the baggage!

Regardless, a few minutes later we were all in our rooms, thankful to have a place to lie down! After a quick survey of the room and despite my exhaustion, I know the best way to overcome jetlag is to power on through the day and then go to bed early in the evening! My grandmother and I walked around the beautiful public square that is just across our street. Simply taking in the scenery and in search of a good meal! Apparently in Brazil, most stores are closed during the midday on the weekend so there wasn't much to see.

When we finally headed back to the hotel, it was time to go in search of a real meal. The doorman Jose was extremely helpful and suggested a local pizza place that was very close. We walked the two blocks and found a gourmet pizza parlor. Ordering was a bit of a challenge in regards to the language barrier, but the waiter was extremely patient and helpful. The food was INCREDIBLE! We shared a large pizza and since it had finally grown dark....it was time for....AHHHH a night of much needed sleep!

We returned to the hotel and the bed was too inviting to pass up! After over 36 hours of being awake.......ZZZZZzzzzz