The end

So I guess this is the end then. Where I conclude the chapter.

Probably no-one is still reading at this point, so I can be as honest as I want ha

Could you tell that this month changed my life? Day by day I think I have become a new person of sorts. Not just a new person, but a little more mature and a little more secure in who I am created to be.

Instead of going on for ages, I'll just sum it up with this one anecdote:

One crazy night I met this guy named Jonathan, and we got to talking about our lives, and faith and deep stuff like that.

At one point in the night, I asked him point blank: "what are you living for?" He replied, and then shot the question right back to me.

Without pausing, I said the first thing that came to me (it was about 4am at this point).

My response? One that I will never forget. One that I think actually articulates what this trip was about, and who I am.

I replied, "I'm living for holiness, life, love and service".

Brazil was the catalyst for me. To start to understand who I am, to test my limits, to realize a dream of mine.

I highly encourage anyone else to do a trip like this. Honestly, if I can do a month alone working in a dangerous city speaking a new language, you can do that life changing thing you've been thinking about.

For real.

Praise God for the experience. I know it was and is a part of His good plan.

: )

Sunday, revisited

It was my last day in Rio, and I feel really satisfied about how it ended.

After an early night on Saturday (we had all you can eat pizza and were too full and tired to do anything) it was easy to get up in the morning. Dani, Lucy and I met up and headed to the Ipanema street market, where I made my first ever 'big' art purchase. I was fairly nervous, spending a significant amount of money on a piece of art - I'm so glad I went through with it though. It depicts the favelas and it holds a lot of meaning for me. The vibrant colours, and textures - the emotions and complexity of life in the slums.

I'm standing next to the artist in the picture from yesterday's post.

After the market we sat in a picturesque little coffee shop and people watched for about an hour, until it was time to go Gabriel's house (Dani's Brazilian friend). We had planned to watch the World Cup soccer, and were pleasantly surprised when it turned out that Gabriel and his friends had prepared us a huge home cooked pasta meal. Food, wine, soccer, and some new Brazilian friends for the afternoon felt like a fitting way to end my adventure.

At 5:30 pm I rushed home, quickly packed and said my goodbyes to the people living at my guesthouse. I will really miss them...

I don't want to bore you with flight details, so I'll just say that my flights were great, and I actually managed to sleep for about 7 hours. The best part of the flights were the people I sat next to. For my journey to Houston, I sat next to Rosemary, a Catholic nun who was visting her sisters in South America. It was fascinating getting to hear the work that she and her sisters are doing around the world. Beautiful and sacrificial is the only way I can explain it.

Then, on my way home to Vancouver, I sat next to a psychologist who specializes in post traumatic stress disorder. He is currently working on a new theoretical model of treatment and I felt a little proud to be able to help him with some suggestions and ideas as we talked about the model. Hey, my psychology degree wasn't completely useless for once! : )

Finally, after travelling for almost 24 hours, I arrived at YVR. It was great to see my family. Isn't it funny how some things can change so much in the span of a month, and yet other things remain exactly the same?

Anyways, I'll stop now before I launch into a philosophical post : )

Thank God for a safe trip and a safe month spent in Brazil.

I'll post some more pics and a summary of my thoughts tomorrow....

A nun, a psychologist, and a lovely last Sunday...

I'm pretty exhausted from my flight so instead of posting words, I'll just do a couple photos of my Sunday afternoon.

I'll explain tomorrow : )

People above: Dani, Lucy, me, and the Brazilian boys who made all the food. Plus, me and the artist. Like I said, explanation tomorrow...

A little more detail...

Like I said I would, I'll expand now about life in the favelas. I'll try to keep it simple though, and only stick to overall impressions and highlights. I could get really philosophical and write for 10 pages but I'll refrain for your sake : )

So you know how you hear about missionaries who go to extremely poor parts of the world, and come back to report that the people they interacted with are actually the happiest, most generous people they've ever met?

That turns out to be true.

I found that the children, the adults, and even the teenagers in the favelas tend to have a beautiful attitude towards life. Maybe it's Brazilians in general, and maybe the perfect weather helps people to naturally be in a better mood, but it's blatantly obvious to me that the people in the slums are more content that most Canadians.

I had a long talk with Haley and James about this, and the way I summed up my observations was as follows:

It seems like it's Christmas time every day here. You know how at Christmas, everyone is generally in better spirits, more generous, more friendly, and more animated? Well it's like that all the time with people livings in the favelas.

Everywhere we looked, people were smiling, and truly seeming to enjoy and relax in the moment they were in. Yes, people have their regular day to day mundane activities, such as taking the kids to school or grocery shopping or sweeping or whatever, but the difference is that you get a vibe of ease, instead of tension. This sense of being content is pervasive in the community.

So I guess I should clarify - it's like Christmas, but without the stress.

And secondly, the people actually want to be your friend. I'm not talking superficially, like oh let's hang out once, and then we can keep in contact on facebook; I'm talking let me have you over to my house for a meal and if you would like to stay for a week you are more than welcome to. They open their hearts at the drop of a hat.

I feel as though the people live without masks, like many of us do in Canada.

They don't have a lot, so they don't have a lot to hide.

I'm blessed to have been able to have seen this different way of life.

Out with a bang

It was our last day of volunteering at the favela today and we ended things on a real high note. Dani, Jordan, Haley and I finished the painting that Steph and I had stenciled out earlier and it actually ended up looking quite cool.

The kids were excited and happy to help out and the community leaders showed a wonderful display of affection for us.

In the afternoon, we didn't participate in any co-ordinated activity, but instead just 'played' with the children. Dani had bought face paint and nail polish and I had brought stickers and souvenirs from home so we just shared presents and laughs.

I'll write more about the favela later, right now I'll post the pictures so you can get a sense of it all.

Photos above:

Late night cookies and Coke

Currently it is 4 am and I just packed away about 9 or 10 little cookies, and I'm finishing up the Coke Zero that Rachel left behind from the other volunteer house. Today has been a very long day, but a good one. I'll cut to the chase, since I have to get up in 3 in a half hours.

Highlights of today:

-getting my nails done again and having a lovely chat in Portuguese with two of the ladies who work there. I'll post pictures of them tomorrow if my camera works (the lens won't focus properly sometimes).

- relaxing at the beach with Dani

- dancing with the kids at the favela. Because our favela leader didn't turn up for our afternoon session, we joined in on a dance class in the big community centre.

- having INCREDIBLE sushi in Leblon, the posh area in Rio, with Haley and James (the other Canadians), Dani (project partner), Lucy (my room mate) and Ze (a local Brazilian that we made friends with).

- after dinner we went to a local club. However, I was not informed that this club is known for attracting a gay and lesbian crowd, and I was quite confused as to why these girls kept wanting to dance with me. Ha! First time for everything in Rio it seems. I wasn't even drinking any alcohol, and it took me about 15 minutes to finally catch on that there was a reason those girls were so friendly.

My last day tomorrow at the project! I can hardly believe it.

The photo above is of us: Me, Ze, Lucy, Dani and Gabriel (Dani's friend)

Scared for the First Time Here

When I told people about coming here, and about how I was going to volunteer in the favelas, I had many, many people warn me about the dangers I would face. So far, it has been perfectly serene - I was actually beginning to wonder what all the fuss was for.

Today though, was a different story. There was a police raid about 2 minutes after we arrived at the project. I'll try to explain the situation as best as I can:

- we were immediately told to get inside the community centre and hang out, until we had the go ahead to leave

- we could sense the seriousness in the air and the general feeling of masked apprehension. It was strange to see the local residents, not smiling.

- the most tense moment for us volunteers is when we walked between these two buildings, to get Haley (she was in another room) and the girl leading us was earnestly scanning the windows and buildings closest to us to make sure the police weren't aware of us.

- we got Haley and one of the main community leaders escorted us out of the area. We kept our heads down and tried to walk at a normal pace, as we passed by loads of police with machine guns, ready for action.

As we were walking, I asked the girls how they felt on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being totally fine and 10 being Oh God I have to run for my life. We all agreed that we were a good 5 or 6 on the scale. I was extremely relieved when we walked out onto the main street to catch the bus.

And Mom, if you're reading this, please don't worry too much. The community leaders were very conscious of our safety; they were wonderful and calming. The picture I'm posting is of the community leader who walked us out, we took the photo while waiting. She explained that this kind of thing (police raids) happen about 3 or 4 times a month and it is an unpleasant part of life in the favelas. Plus, the raids don't always lead to violence or conflict. It's mainly a drug sting, but as a precaution, most people stay indoors, in case anything does go down.

Anyways, we escaped unscathed, which is all that matters. Things should be back to normal tomorrow : )

Afterwards, we headed to the beach again, and I got the chance to go for a long run. It felt so good to hop into the ocean when I finished running - I love wearing my teeny Brazilian bikini and floating around in the waves to cool down. I'd post a picture of me in my bikini but I think it would be much too scandalous ha. Here, it's completely normal, almost expected!

I thought I'd post a fun picture of the typical Brazilian guy on the beach to neutralize the seriousness of my posting today. Enjoy!

A run, the sun, the sea, goodbyes

I was anticipating today and I wasn't disappointed.

I managed to get up early at 7:15, and went for a long run at Flamengo beach (the closest one to my guesthouse). I am not normally a 'morning person' but after falling asleep at 9pm the night before, I was ready for some action.

I particularly enjoyed feeling like a local - jogging along with hundreds of other Brazilians, in the soft morning sunlight.

Then, I met up with Rachel and Dani and we slowly made it to Ipanema Beach. We found Haley and James and I finally got to swim for a while. Every other time I've been to the beach I have been wearing makeup, preventing me from swimming with my head under because mascara and contacts don't mix well. This time though, I planned ahead, and didn't wear any mascara. It was superb. The water is fairly warm and exceptionally clean and the waves are a lot of fun to play in. Yes, that's right, I said play. Whatever! I hope never to be too old to be able to frolic in the sea : )

We all stayed at the beach until it was time for Rachel to go, as she is flying home this evening. It was sad, having to see her off. It's funny how attached you can be with someone you've only just met a couple of weeks ago.

Anyways, highlights of today:

- sitting at Big Nectar, waiting for Dani and Rach, and having a little conversation with a pre-teen girl waiting for her Mom. My Portuguese may be limited, but it's still workable.

- recognizing people on the streets. I had this one really nice waiter at a restaurant stop and say hello to me this morning, because he remembered me. The friendliness of the people is unbelievable.

- buying sunglasses from a vendor on the beach and managing to haggle down the price. I never usually have the guts to do that!

Photos above: of Rachel : ) "It's good, but it's bad, you know"

Picture Time!

I got a bunch of great photos so I thought I'd post them now while I'm here.

I'll write about my day later tonight.

Photos above: At Ipanema Beach. The adorable couple is Haley and James. It's winter vacation here, hence all the people at the beach on a Tuesday afternoon.

Full Day

Today was a regular Monday - as normal as it gets while working in the slums of Rio de Janeiro.

Highlights of today:

- having Haley along for the project today. Her Portuguese is better than mine and it makes things so much easier with her around : )

- painting the wall murals in the favelas. I can't wait to get a picture. Honestly, they look terrible, like a 4 year old did them. It's hilarious. I will not be signing my name or country underneath, that's for sure.

- having a nice long lunch with Dani, Haley and Jordan (another new volunteer, from Texas).

- doing arts and crafts with the kids this afternoon. I love the hugs they give. I also love it when they call you Tia, which means Auntie.

I'm tired, but a good tired. A worthwhile day.

Beach day tomorrow!

Photos: old ones, since I didn't get any pictures today. I apologize for the blurriness of the first photo, it is that way because I snapped it while we were rocketing along in a bus. Not bad in my opinion!

Some of the awesome volunteers: (Left to Right) Fleur, Shane, Me, Victoria, Rachel, Danielle, Lucy.

Cutting my own watermelon

Today was another marvelous day.

I'm sitting here, in my room, with the dull pounding of music that is coming from somewhere in the neighbourhood, thinking: I don't deserve to be this happy. I almost feel guilty for having such a good time here in Rio. Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Ha!

I guess it's that I don't want people to think I'm bragging on my blog, how every day is fantastic and I'm having the time of my life. Yes, while that is correct, I also have down times.

It can be exhausting trying to converse with people in Portuguese, I get cranky with some of the volunteers occasionally when I am hungry and tired, and I very rarely get the sleep I need.

So don't get too jealous when I post about today. My life here is not perfect by any means.

However, life is a lot of fun right now, and I want to share my experiences. I do appreciate you reading. : )

Today then - Sunday.

Evan, Lauri and I made it to church this morning, even though we were half an hour late. We accidentally caught the bus going the wrong direction. I was glad we went though, because it was a neat service to attend - we took communion. Apparently Baptist churches are the same around the world: grape juice is the communion drink of choice, and not wine. I had to laugh : )

After church, we headed to Ipanema Beach. Lauri and Evan and I managed to find the rest of the volunteers and we all chilled together.

Highlights of the beach:

- sitting in the hot sun but not getting burned because it's winter sun here. Absolutely divine.

- running into this local Brazilian guy that Dani and I had met before. He is 18, and from the local slum neighbourhood. The special thing about him though, is that he is quite smart and has taught himself English so that he could find a decent job, to try and escape the drugs and poverty of his peers. I was not only impressed by his motivation but his natural friendliness and generosity. I especially liked it when he gave me a bag of traditional Brazilian cookies, with no strings attached. Just because. (Turns out the cookies were kind of gross, but it was the thought I'll remember).

After the beach, we hit up the market. I loved walking around, looking at the beautiful jewellery and art and clothes and bags. I will definitely be back next week, with more money.

Then, this evening I made myself a huge healthy dinner. I felt so proud, to do it on my own. And it got me thinking...

these past couple of weeks have really changed me as a person. I honestly feel like I've grown up enormously. While I was sitting at the table, cutting up watermelon for dessert, it dawned on me - I'm doing this on my own. Entirely.

I've always had my dad or mom or brother or boyfriend to cut my watermelon (I'm generally useless at cutting large objects) and this is the first time I've done it by myself. I could go find the gardener if I was desperate but that would be pretty lame. So I suck it up and figure it out. And it is awesome.

I knew coming here would be a new chapter in my life, but I didn't expect how happy it would make me.

Praise the Lord.

: )

The pictures above: At church - A lady I met who can speak English and translates, Evan and Lauri and I. And Ipanema Beach.

Saturday

Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

This is what it entailed:

I woke up late, because I'd been out late the night before with everyone, at this posh place, called 00 (Zero Zero). It was fun, although highly expensive. I think the most memorable part of the night was when Steph and I stopped in at Big Nectar on the way home (roughly the equivalent of a Tim Hortons, but Brazilian) and we got told by a stranger that we probably shouldn't eat too much if we want to remain pretty. I told him we could eat whatever we wanted, thank you very much. He didn't say anything after that.

So this afternoon I hung around by the pool and swam for a bit. Then, I was slightly adventurous and caught my very own taxi for the first time in my life as I had plans to meet up with some Canadians. Yes, hard to believe but true. I've only ever caught taxis with other people. Luckily, the cab driver knew where I was headed, and no awkward baby talk questioning in Portuguese was necessary.

I met Haley and her boyfriend, some fellow university students from Vancouver who are doing thesis research here. Long story short, Haley will be coming with me to my project on Monday for research, and we wanted to meet up and hang out before she came to the favelas. We had a delicious late lunch in a neat, retro restaurant.

Afterwards, I met up with the rest of the volunteers for dinner at an all you can eat pizza restaurant. The best part, by far, is the desert pizza at the end. Oh wow it is good. Strawberries, chocolate, ice cream, candy, everything yummy you would like to put on a crepe (that's essentially what the dessert pizza was like). I definitely got my money's worth!

Now on to random thoughts/comments:

- I officially have decided that I do not enjoy watching soccer. I think the men are kind of weenie. They dive, they whine, they exaggerate and it's boring/frustrating. Plus, the pace of the game seems slow and I can't stand how the players are tiny on the screen. Not nearly as interesting as hockey in my opinion. Sorry Dad!

- Rio is a city of dogs. True fact. It seems like everyone here owns at least one dog as a pet, if not two. Sadly though, it doesn't seem like pet owners in Brazil are diligent about grooming and walking. I don't think I've ever seen the two dogs at my house or the other volunteers' houses get a proper walk.

Anyways, I'm going to head to bed early, because I plan on going to church tomorrow morning.

Thanks for reading!

Photos above: us at the pizza place and me walking up the 187 stairs we have to do everyday. I did them 3 times today.

Quick update

Even though Brazil lost in the Fifa World Cup of soccer this morning, the city remains quite upbeat. I think most people had expected to party today, and are going to continue to be festive, regardless of the score.

We watched it at the beach again. I managed to get one of these pictures by holding up my camera behind me. Love it!

After the game I came back and went for a run at Flamengo beach. Running by palm trees and feeling the warm ocean breeze was like a dream for me. It felt so good to exercise, since I've missed a week due to being sick. I think it's probably been over 2 years that I've gone that long without running.

Sometimes the days feel extremely long here, and sometimes one day feels like a couple of hours. Yesterday, I had to be reminded that it was Canada Day - I completely lose track of dates and live by the sun - literally. I don't have a watch so either I ask people the time, or just estimate based on how low the sun is in the sky. I like it that way : )

Going out tonight with everyone. I'm excited!

One of those days...

that you rarely get the chance to have. A day that you will treasure, one that you reminisce about. When you are sitting at work, looking out the window into the grey cold and you think, oh yea, there was that time when I was content with my life, with everything. Happy.

Three reasons why today is a day to remember:

- I got to see the Christ the Redeemer statue with a great group of volunteers

- This afternoon at project, I experienced one of those moments that I had prayed for - true connection and beauty with the children as we laughed and played soccer and danced and talked.

- Going grocery shopping, making myself a nice dinner, talking with my room mate, Lucy, and skyping with my friend James. Seems simple, but it is hugely important for me. It's about learning how to be independent, making new friends, and keeping old ones. It's a shift in my life that I am navigating, with God's blessing.

Here are some photos:

(See Dad, I actually do work!)

: )