Being home seems like a dream! Where did all my time go in
Brazil? Where did all my HOT and sunny weather go? I was so sick of it… but now
I’m thinking I should’ve brought a little of it along home with me. Oh well
I’ll be headed to Florida in a few days for a family vacation. What more could
I want then a few weeks with quality family and friend time before I get back
to work.
Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things that I have
done in a really long time. It was harder than saying goodbye to go to Brazil
because I at least knew when I was coming home. I don’t know when I’m going
back. But someday I do plan on going back to visit them.
My last day in Juazeiro was very difficult. I knew there
were lots of goodbyes to be said. I had already said goodbye to my school and
students and co-workers etc. I thought that was difficult boy was I in for a
surprise. It came time to say goodbye to my current host family. They were
getting ready to leave to go to a wedding. They said all these nice things and
how I’m always welcome to come there whenever I want. Then it came time for me
and Juh (my host sister) to say goodbye. We hugged had a few tears and then we
both really cried. It was hard saying goodbye and I KNEW I had a lot more to do
the rest of the night. Ana, who was my first host sister, picked me up and we
went to her cousins house said some goodbyes and then met some close friends to
go out to eat. They were all so nice and making me laugh. What I needed for
sure. After that it was time to head to the bus station. They all came there to
say goodbye. We took some pictures and then went down to wait for the bus. When
it pulled in I was like no this cannot be our bus I want another ten minutes at
least! So we checked our luggage and I turned around and started through the
line saying my goodbyes and giving hugs. They all said lots of nice and
encouraging things. I know that it was God speaking to me through them. I
wouldn’t change that goodbye time I had for anything. It meant the world to me.
Thank you to all my friends who were able to make it there that night. It was
super special to me!
My last week or actually about 5 days that I spent in
Fortaleza were very relaxing. On Sunday we went to Croco beach and we spent a
lot of time just going out to eat and at the mall laughing and talking about
life. On Tuesday night I had to say goodbye to another one of my close friends.
She was so dear and left me a nice note in my suitcase that I found later. Once
again, another God thing (God things were becoming more common as I was
trusting in Him for strength throughout my entire trip and I’m hoping that I
will only receive more of them as I trust Him more during the rest of my life).
Friday, was such a hard day knowing that I would have to say one more goodbye
and an important goodbye it was. I was not looking forward to it at all and it
came so quickly. I am glad that the hard part was all behind me after that. I
was really looking forward to seeing my family and friends at home again.
Looking back at my time in Brazil I realized how important
my time there was. I learned so many different things about myself and changed
so many things in my heart. God really spoke to me through the people there. I
feel really blessed to have had this opportunity to go and serve God and learn
so much about myself and life in return. No, it wasn’t always easy there were
hard times when I wanted to be home and things like that. But in the end it was
TOTALLY worth it and I would never change my time there or do it differently.
Saying all that, I want to encourage anyone that might be thinking about going
somewhere and do sometime in service to go for it. You will be a new person
from the inside out. Brazil is an
absolutely beautiful country from the people, to the beaches to the food. I am so
glad that God took me there. If anybody is interested in going there and
helping out at the school let me know. She can always use the help! You won’t
regret it.
It was so weird my last week there thinking that I’m going
to be home this weekend. It still feels like a dream, a REALLY cold dream. But
it is very good to be home and there was nothing like landing in Philly and
seeing my parents for the first time and arriving home to have my friends
surprising and attacking me. It was one of those moments in my life that I will
cherish forever in my heart. Now I have to get some things done and get ready
for some vacation time in Florida.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, cards, and e-mails
while I was in Brazil. They had blessed and encouraged me so much! It meant a
lot to me and has definitely helped me through.
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