Tuesday July 24th 2012

Hello everyone! Trying to update before dinner. It's Pizza, and hopefully ok like Wednesday night. As long as its not mall pizza!

It was hot today. We were sweaty just from the tour.We started at 9 AM and went just a short drive to begin our tour. Learning history and heritage and seeing several Synagogues around the district. Including the first one in Olindia shown below.

There was intermittent shopping in local shops along the way. We climbed a water tower for a beautiful view 360 degrees around and could see the earth curvature.

We headed to the van and drove across town to the project, where we had delicious hamburgers again (back by special request of Zack) and some Mango Mousse! YUM! It was work time at 1:30 and we had to stop at 4:30 where we continued again to move some soil, and Zack and Carl moved a foundation footer 2 feet over for a bigger kitchen.

We made a quick video and it's uploading to the Brazil Partnership as I write.

Tomorrows schedule consists of devotions by Carrie at 8:00, departure to project at 8:30, devotions with the kids at the Shade and Fresh Water Project at 9 until lunch. The afternoon consists of a break, visiting a helper's family (Caio) and then playing soccer with him and his friends in the neighborhood at 3 (Zack and Carl). We depart back to the hotel at 4, and depart to Pastor Fernando's church at 6:30, for a 3 hour Wednesday evening service. Small church of about 20, so we are bringing some visitors! The team almost doubles the population.

The views today are beautiful and many of you may have had the opportunity to see a paradise near or far...but today with rich houses in the historic district, the downtown near the rivers, the slumps on the hillsides, and mother nature with the ocean wide open was truly breathtaking!

God is here. God is there! Our God is an awesome God and is and can be everywhere! This team is living proof of showing and believing in that!

Ok, Round 2 of Phase 10 is requested to have been set up, so will be in touch tomorrow!

A : See Details(Google Map)

A new day in a new week past half way.

Well, the sickness is behind us, we pray, and we have started the work week again. Apparently I over worked the crew last week, and so they put me down with food poisoning at the mall to catch up on some rest. Apparently it worked, minus me feeling horrible, and at Zack's and Lindsay's expense!

We had a late start today as a catch up of the weekend. Those sick Saturday were able to see the beach and enjoy a walk. Others caught up on sleep, and the rest moseyed around. We had devotions at 11, thanks to Bonnie, and were told to be dandelions and keep an open perspective during our journey today. We then caught the van at noon to the project where we had lunch, and headed to work. We continued to move soil around from trenches and piles to level rooms and assist the masons. There will be a video tomorrow of site progress.

Speaking of the site... Please join the Facebook Group Brazil Partnership if you have not already done so! There you will see pictures of us, our friends and random updates.

We worked until 5 today and headed back to the hotel for chicken noodle soup supper and a walk to the ice cream parlor with Andressa, before the soap operas came on at nine. The rest eventually joined in a game of Phase 10, where we just paused for another night.

I need to get more photos but the tablet was being used, so I'll try tomorrow. The video will be made and it will tell a lot.

We tour the city of Olindia first thing and then head to the site to continue our quest. My percentage of returning to the states stands at -34.583% on a 0-100 scale. Most of us are at or near 100% health, mentally however, I'm not sure, but physically I think the team is back!

From the sea shore in Olindia, good night folks!

~Carl