I’ve been here a month, a little over now, and sometimes I think “Holy mackerel! It’s already been a month?” while other times I think, “It’s ONLY been a month?!?” Time is ungracious, I know this, but my time here has already been fruitful as I’ve learned many things I imagine would’ve taken much longer to learn at home (if ever!):
1. To Say “No”: Ok, maybe not what you were expecting from someone who’s vowed to spend 14 months in the service of others, but it definitely has its merits. Especially when I recognize that I am a child of God, created for a purpose. Having confidence in my mission, standing up for myself, and being true to my heart is all done in glory of His creation.
2. God’s timing is perfect. If He revealed His entire plan to me in the first month I was here would I be able to handle it? No, of course not.
3. Everyone has goodness in them, but no one is all goodness. We all have our talents and faults.
4. How to pick a lock with a fork, which comes in very handy when I lock myself out of my room. (For the record, I have not broken into anyone else's room.)
5. The difference between coco (coconut) and cocó (poop). And lots of other useful Portuguese words.
6. How to cut grass with a machete. (FUN!)
I’m settling into a routine. For starters at least, since I’ve come to understand that flexibility is a virtue and things change around here as the Spirit wills.
Monday am: make breakfast, morning prayer & mass, study Portuguese, do outside work around the Fazenda), adoration (personal prayer time); pm: rosary, school of community, more outside work , cook dinner, singing lessons
Tuesday am: morning prayer, clean the house, adoration, take care of Aparecida (a 15-year old autistic girl); pm: go to the nearby village Passagem to visit the poor, evening prayer & mass
Wednesday am: make breakfast, morning prayer, work outside; pm: rosary, adoration, study Portuguese, my hour of internet (YAY!!),evening prayer & mass, cook dinner
Thursday am: morning prayer, cook lunch for todo o mundo (that means “everyone” but literally translates to “all the world” which I find amusing), clean the house; pm: adoration, clean the cafeteria w/ Irma Miriam, study Portuguese, evening prayer & mass
Friday am: make breakfast, morning prayer, adoration, study Portuguese, clean the chapel w/ Irma Josette; pm: every other week go to Lar Vida (a home for disabled people) on opposite weeks help restore the school house, cook dinner, evening prayer & mass
The "outside work" has previously been called "trabalho dos homens" (work of the men) so they're going to have to start calling it something else (Oh sheesh, I didn't even realize that I'm imposing a "politically correct" mentality! How very American of me!) I'm permitted to do this work because I have more experience mowing lawns and fixing things than most of the guys here and because I know how to paint a house and weld. I also am going to start driving and once I know my way around I'll drive the kids to and from school one day a week, which takes up the whole morning.
Erica is the other American girl here and I thank God for her every day. She’s been here since January and has been so helpful as I learn to adapt in my new home. Every other weekend Erica and I have our time of rest. We leave either Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and return Sunday afternoon or evening. So on Saturdays and Sundays that I am here I am to help with the weekends activities (people usually come to visit on the weekends), make dessert for todo o mundo on Sunday, make the flower arrangements for the chapel, clean, play with the kids, etc. Also on the weekends, or whenever I have extra time, I am to work with the horses. I have some experience with horses (very little, but around here even a little experience at something makes you an expert). For staters just brushing them and trying to get them used to more human contact. Eventually we want to buy a saddle and be able to ride them, which would be an absolute miracle since they’re wild horses.
Oh, and at some point during the week I have to do my laundry. I've redefined my idea of "clean" which means I don't have to wash my clothes quite so often (hey, when in Rome...) so I only need about 1 hour per week to do laundry. I fit it in when I can.
As you can imagine, I've had my ups and downs adapting, but I am content. One day in frustration I asked God "Why am I here?" He replied, "you're here because I asked you to come here," and that is enough for me.
...and where else could I say things like "I saw a monkey in my coconut tree." and "The sister (nun) has the machete." (true stories!)
May you all have enough,
Sunny
