Redefining the Luxuries of Life

Last weekend I got my first "day of rest."  It was actually a day and a half because here we only leave to rest once every 2-3 weeks.  I went with Erica, the other American, to stay with some friends she made during a cultural dinner a couple months ago.  We started by going to the mall to pick up a few things I decided I just couldn't live without and then her friend picked us up and we went to a party.  It was fabulous--beautiful house,  chic Brazilians, delectable food, and even a little beer.  Plus wi-fi!  We made oursleves at home and they were delighted to have American girls there.  The next day they took us to the beach and out for a nice lunch before sending us on our way back to the Fazenda.  I was in such awe of their genorosity and the splendor of it all, then I realized that this wasn't any different than any given weekend back home.  I wasn't given anything that I hadn't already had, that I haven't already chosen to give up for a year.  In fact, there were plenty of times back home that I had ever better things.  So why after only 9 days in the Fazenda did it seem so luxurious?  I guess in that short time I've already come to know how spoiled I've been all my life. I never dreamed I'd live without anything I wanted to eat or drink, or that I'd have to take cold showers and wash my clothes by hand, or that I couldn't just call my mom whenever I wanted to talk to her.  The simplest things are now so special to me, so luxurious.

As thrilling as the time of rest was, when we got back to the Fazenda I found that I was even more thrilled to be here.  I walked into the chapel and felt like I had come home.  I had missed it.  All of it--the tranquility of the country, the joy of the children, the peace of having Jesus so tangibly present.  This is luxury: to have peace, joy and a loving community.

...although talking to my mom is a luxury that I do miss dearly.

Please pray for me to grow in this community & to learn to speak Portuguese fluently.  And please email me your prayer requests: sunnywallsings@gmail.com 

xo,

Sunny

First photos

I've put some photos on picasa, but haven't put any captions yet.  Still, you can enjoy them, if this links works.  If not, let me know and I'll post them directly on the blog:

https://picasaweb.google.com/103680117011724976751/July242011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

xo

Videos

I've posted 10 short videos of the Fazenda on my youtube.  Here's the link to the first one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix_gxLJ4x-c

From there you should be able to watch all of them on my account.

I have lots of photos to upload too, but I thought the photos would be a better start.

Enjoy!

Life in the slow lane

So i havent gotten into the rhythm of a schedule yet, which means i have to sit here in this little room on this foreign computer to type all my emails and blogs...please excuse all the typos and random mix of thoughts. I am certain it will get better and I will get more organized in the next week or so.

I figured this week I would share with you some of the things that I find very odd here...

1. the Brazilian nun who is my roommate has more shoes than I do

2.  we dont have a mirror in our bathroom, or anywhere else for that matter.  some houses in the fazenda do so i will buy one when i go to town.  ive been using a 2 in square one and while i dont necessarilly need a full length mirror i would like to see my entire face at once

3. bats run on our roof at night--all night.  at first i thought they were rats and i asked a girl and of course i had no idea what she said and the word she used wasnt in my portuguese dictionary.  i had a dream that night that she had said `ratas bananas` which in my awful portuguese means banana rats and then i saw huge yellow rats falling from the trees.  thank God it was a dream.  but the bats are real and now i sleep with earplugs so im not freaked out all night.

4. we dont have a coffee pot.  we make coffee by pouring hot water through a filter with coffee held over a thermos.  despite this difficulty i still drink 3-4 cups a day.

5. i am starting to speak portuguese with a french accent.  there are some french boy scouts (i didnt even know there was such a thing) here for a month doing service work.  they are not expected to learn portuguese (like i am) and so all the french people living here (and there are lots) speak to them in french.  last night at my house we had 6 people at our house for dinner.  1 spoke portuguese and english, 1 spoke portuguese and french, 1 spoke french and english, 1 spoke only english (me, I can understand portuguese, but it´s not great), 1 spoke only french, and 1 spoke only portuguese....you can imagine the conversations!  Add to that my sparse knowledge of spanish and italian and you can imagine the mess of words in my head.

6.  it took me nearly 3 hours (of non stop manual labor) to do 5 days worth of laundry today.  and it was only my laundry.  i have a lot to learn...oh and an hour later it started to rain.  an extra rinse cycle should be good right?

other than that, it is beautiful here.  the landscape is like a dream and i have been very fortuante that the weather is amazing.  partly cloudy, only a little rain, breezy, nice and cool.  there is always music in the fazenda.  someone is singing´, playing the flute, violin, guitar, or recorder, or in some cases (like when all the french scouts sings together) howling like happy wolves.  Ive had no problem jumping right in and singing my american songs :)

this weekend I should be able to post some photos and video.  i have a great one from my welcoming party when everyone was singing to me :) 

i miss you all dearly (and my washing machine, espresso maker, pillow top bed, etc), but i know that this is the sort of life I asked for...for a little while at least.

tudo meu amor (all my love),
Sunny

I have arrived

Got to the Fazenda after dark last night because my plane out of the US was late and so I got to spend 4 hours in the Rio airport--not as exciting as you might think.  So it´s beautiful here and everyone is fabulous!  I nearly strangled myself with my mosquito net last night and I´m pretty sure my bed is foam over plywood so I consider this camping.  Plus we don´t have glass in our windows, we eat outside, and we can´t put any toilet paper in the toilet--none, not ever!  So totally camping.  I think the  internet is powered by two old rabbits and the keyboard is all screwy in Portuguese, so excuse any typos.

They let me sleep in this morning and then Erica (the other Americana) gave me a tour.  Lunch soon, then siesta :)  Everyone is impressed with my Portuguese even though it´s mixed with a fair amount of Spanish and Italian.

More to come and photos next week...

love,
Sunny

To leave in order to go

And at once they left their nets and followed him.  Matthew 4:20

I was thinking of this bible passage today as I sold my car and moved the last few things out of my house.  In my case I wouldn't say I've done it "at once," but I'm leaving my stuff and following Him all the same. 

Father Theirry, the founder of Heart's Home, wrote in a sending forth mass to some of the first HH missionaries that they were "to leave in order to go."  Yes, I suppose I can't go forth and follow Jesus without leaving my home.  He writes, "If you have today the impression of leaving a lot, soon you have the impression of receiving much more."  It has been a tearful weekend--tears of joy and laughter, but also tears of sadness as I say good-bye to those I love.  I know in leaving I'm not leaving this love behind.  It goes with me and will grow even stronger in me.  It's also been said "you cannot give what you don't possess."  God has given me such an amazing abundance of love in my family, friends, and parish and now He is offering me something more: emptiness.  The empty hearts of the people I will meet in the Fazenda and the neighboring favelas will be there for me to fill with love.  And my own emptiness, in my loneliness and longing for my family, He will fill with His love.  Times like now, when my heart is heavy I know it is because it is full.  This is a chance for it to burst open and overflow with love.  

Independence Day

This morning I woke up with a view of the ocean and reflected on my independence.  It's such an amazing thing and I am clueless as to life without it.  And yet, I can see how in some ways I've taken my independence too far.  It can be a great temptation, to be independent.  So often I've been described as being independent and I've taken it as a compliment, but how often has my independence driven others away?  "If you want something done right, do it yourself," is a favorite expression of mine.  So what does that mean, I'm better than everyone else?  I don't need anyone's help?  I can do it all myself???  Ah, vanity...

To depend on others is to recognize their strengths.  In doing that we recognize our weaknesses.  It's humbling to admit someone is stronger than you in someway and to ask for help.  Humility isn't something Americans in general strive to achieve and I am certainly not one to ask for help.  And yet we know we are stronger when united, when each person can use their strengths to achieve a better situation for the whole group.  Community living depends on the whole community working together, be it a family, a few roommates, or a group of missionaries.

I'm spending my last quiet, relaxing weekend for a looooooong time at my favorite little bay.  Last night, after a few days of plans and parties, I asked my parents, "what's on the agenda tomorrow?"  "Nothing," they replied.  Ahhhh!  What bliss!  What a fabulous way to celebrate our Independence Day.  So I'll swim in the ocean, visit with my folks, eat shrimp tacos and drink cold beer because next week when I arrive in Brazil with the vocabulary of a 2-year-old with only the memory of my comfort zone, I will check my ego at the door, and learn to love not being so independent.  There my new favorite phrase will be "Me ajuda, por favor!"

Happy Independence Day!