Fish in a Reflection Pool or The Return to Brasília

Esplanada in Brasília would be the National Mall of Washington D.C. It is a huge area with a very open, flat space in the middle of all the monuments. In the dry season the grass dies and dust easily floats across the field. It also serves as the center for any large exhibition from concerts to the World Championship of beach volleyball. Because of the large number of people that will be there, trash in the corners is not a stranger. While walking around some of the reflecting pools that sit near the National Museum, I wasn't surprised to see trash on the bottom. What did surprise me was the 5-6 carp that were living and apparently growing because of their large size.
Even with all the improbability, hope is like carp. It's tough and you find it in unusual places.

How do you describe the feelings of returning to a place that has so defined who you are that it is hard to remember who you were before? How do you describe returning to the place where you had so many trials, so many victories, suffered so much and have never been so blessed? It’s a very complicated feeling.

When we began to descend on the airplane, I began to get a little emotional (I am my mother’s son) and it felt that I was 19 and fresh out of the MTC. As we waited for the bags to come in, I kept looking at the doors and remembering seeing President Pizzirani for the first time. But I can’t describe how wonderful it was to be in the Rodoviara (bus station) and look down the field and see the congress building. It felt like I had come home.

It’s the dry season right now and so the tan, brown fields of Brasília are a stark contrast to the green trees of the rainforest. It reminds me of when I was in Gama and watching every morning to see if a could would appear and for almost two months I didn’t see a cloud in the sky.

Walking the roads and riding the buses again feels like I haven’t been gone a day. I can still find my way around and all the names of the landmarks I used to get around are returning. While I was playing tourist on the Esplanada I actually was asked (and was able to give) directions to people who looked pretty lost.

Alfredo and his family have taken better care of me than any hotel staff ever could. I am so happy to be back with a family that helped me so much and to be able to talk and laugh with them. They still call me ‘Elder’ or ‘Barton’ and that’s okay. I didn't think I would ever miss the title of Elder, until we took the missionaries’ lunch over to them last night. They still live in the same house where I lived at the end of my mission and did trades at the beginning. When I started to ask about Elders I had known they didn't recognize any except for Elder House and Elder Robinson. I'm not even old, I'm ancient, buried mission history. 

Returning to the areas where I served has been one of the most interesting situations I have ever been in. Traveling alone gives me the chance to think and observe without having to explain or share. Walking down the streets I remember specific houses and the people that I met or passing under a bus stop and remembering being stuck there after my umbrella broke or seeing a sand tornado and remembering trying to clean red dirt out of my shirt afterward. It was like living a hundred stories at once. I would look from story to another and it was one of the coolest things I have ever lived.

All has not been fun and games. On Monday I visited one of the areas where I felt that I had the most success. I will be honest, I was pretty devastated. I was able to visit one of the members that had really helped us out and they shared how all of the people I had taught had stopped coming and then disappeared. Others stopped coming the moment the Elders after me started giving them a little more space as they finished the new member lessons.
I know that my mission wasn't based on the number of people, but hearing that news really hurt. It felt just the same was when members of my own family have fallen away. As I was leaving the members thanked me for my service and example. As I rode the bus home I kept thinking "What service? What was the point the if the church didn't grow?".
For the next few days I didn't leave the house as I worked on the 15 page essay for the Kennedy Center to report on my internship and finish a few more assignments. But part of it was also my fear to visit more areas and find the same scene.

Today I went to visit Gama. Gama is the city that I stayed the longest, 5 transfers between two areas that are separated by about 10 blocks. Gama was the hardest city where I served, in all aspects. Health wise I went from 220 lbs to around 170 lbs and I also went senior in Gama. I also had the chance to serve with Elders Fillmore, Craig and Terra, so it was also one of my best areas for companions. We worked so hard, even with all the problems.
While in Gama Leste with Elder Terra, we were going through a rough transfer. Christmas was coming and we were hoping for a Christmas miracle. While brainstorming ideas during weekly planning, Elder Terra turned to me "Elder Barton, we could sing Christmas carols at people's door and ask to come back later". I don't sing. Elder Terra didn't sing. But we were out of options. So we started singing.
While singing in front of one house we received 3-4 addresses. Only 1 really expressed real interest, Conceição. Over the next few weeks it never worked out for us to teach her and her family. Elder Terra was transferred and Elder Craig and I continued on.
Things didn't improve. One day after an appointment fell through, we passed by Conceição's house and I told Elder Craig, "Let's try here one more time". This time it worked out and three weeks later:

The next day I was transferred to São Sebastiao. Elder Craig continued and baptized everyone else in the photo.

When I went to lunch today I wasn't feeling well on the bus. I was trying to think of what I ate and there wasn't anything that was grabbing my attention. After a few more minutes I realized that it was nervousness. I had only heard from others about how Conceição and her family were doing. As we sat down to eat lunch after some very excited hellos, I asked "How are you doing?", dreading the answer "Great, but we don't really go to church anymore". Conceição looked at me and smiled, "Everyone here is firm and we're at church every Sunday and reading the Book of Mormon".
That's joy.
While things aren't perfect or easy, things are going well. Conceição, Roberta (to the left in the photo) and Rinata (to the right) are working on the men of the family and preparing to go to the temple by the beginning of next year. It was a great visit.

Study Abroad-Epilogue

The end of study abroad came so much sooner than I thought it would. How do you write about this last month and a half when so much has happened. But we'll try.
The last month and a half I have:
-traveled to 7 Brazilian states (8 if will count São Paulo next week)
-gone to mass in a church that is older than the United States
-drank more Guaraná than is humanly possible
-been awed by the expanse of the Amazon river rainforest
-held a sloth and a caiman
-been part of a winning Water Polo Football team-the Ravenclaw Raiders
-watched Ronaldinho make a goal
-painted two houses
-walked 7 miles in flip-flops
-met the most amazing people.
The best part of this trip has been the people. Joe, my roommate and the study abroad group have been great and we have had some great times together. Saying goodbye wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. It was similar to the feeling my mission group had together in the airport when we all went our separate ways, you know you'll all meet up again, but you were together for so long.
There was the Jones family that took such good care of us, I hope they have a wonderful time in the United States with their family. They made my time in Recife, especially the time that I wasn't feeling very well, much more like being at home.
Vanessa did an amazing job of coordinating, teaching and taking great care of us. I know I'm not the only one who would be pretty sick if not for her advice and motherly care. Never has so much done by one person.
The sertanejos, the favelados, CCJ, the many people who went out of their way to help us, they all are part of the fabric made up of the amazing people who were a part of this trip. As complicated and different as Brazil is, there is always the warmth and goodness of the its people.
Anne Frank said "It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality. It's a wonder I haven't abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. I simply can't build my hopes on a foundation of confusion, misery, and death."

I believe that this might be one more way to describe the people of Brazil. 
So even though this is the end of study abroad, I can't help but feel that it is only the beginning.  

To touch a caiman

Every muscle in your body freezes up. Your vision starts to focus only on the eyes. Your mind gives its two cents "Those eyes are just like the velociraptors from Jurassic Park". Vanessa's words come into your head "Good idea, bad idea?" and you think, "No, it's a Josh idea". Then there is that split second decision and you go for it. Your hand touches the back of the four foot long caiman. There is an eternal pause before the caiman starts to move and you can't tell whether it will turn to bite your hand or dive and run.
This is the five seconds of what happens during my newest hobby here. Caiman hunting. You attract the caiman using bread or meat and when it gets close you touch it. Or try to catch the small one. It's a really quick way to get your heart racing. DON'T WORRY MOM, NOTHING HAPPENED!
It was one way to interact with nature.

We also had the chance to see two two of the most defining characteristics of the rain forest, the Amazon river and the trees. We went to the point where two rivers-the Rio Negro and the Rio Solimoes met and officially begin the Amazon river. Because of the differences in the temperature, speed and density of the two rivers for several miles they run side by side.

Afterwards we went up a small bayou/lagoon that feed off the two rivers to eat at a floating restaurant. There were lots of monkeys which I will not talk about, because of my strong feelings against them. If you need a reason, go watch Rise of Planet of the Apes. Just wait!
But afterwards we also went to see a family that has a pet anaconda and sloth. I stayed well away from the anaconda, but the sloth was such an amazing mix of wookie and muppet. It was actually pretty strong and for a few seconds it hooked one arm around my neck and caught my wristband with the other. I thought he was trying to cut my throat with how strong and sharp his claws were, but he didn't, so I'm writing this blog.

I bet the monkeys put him up to it...

Later that day we went on a hike/sauna through the forest for about an hour and a half. It was one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen. There was little sunlight as the trees grew taller and taller. It felt like every pore on my body was sweating and you had to pay attention to the group or you could still be in there.

We didn't see any large wildlife, but it was still amazing to see the bugs and see how dense the forest is. One thing our guide showed us were some ants that can be used as natural bug repellent and scent dampener to hunt. You put your hand on the tree that they live in and let them swarm your arm. You then crush them onto your skin and they leave a smell that hides your scent.I tried it and the feeling of them crawling all over my arm was pretty weird. But it did leave a nice smell. I think that when I have the capital I'll start: Antz Brazil-natural cologne for natural men. I think it will be a big hit.

Up a river with a pink dolphin

The Rio Negro is a very dark river because of all the peat built up by the tons of foliage left in the river from the rain forest. It’s so dark that when you look at your hands they look orange and you can barely even see your toes. Imagine how surprising and exciting it is when a river dolphin comes out of the darkness to see what you are doing in its world.

 The river dolphins are quite different from the ocean dolphins you see at Sea World. The Amazon river dolphin has evolved sharper and longer teeth with a narrower beak to be able to better feed in the dark river. They also have poor eyesight and it looks like they don’t have eyes. Unlike the bottlenose dolphins in Sea World, they also are genuinely interested in seeing what you are doing. We had a time where we able to touch the dolphins while they were fed and then we had a little time to swim around and most of the dolphins stayed close. I touched 4 or 5 just floating around. You almost never saw them, but they would touch your feet and hands. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

                The dolphins feel different from the dolphins from the ocean. Instead of a hard rubber, the river dolphins feel like soft gel. The males are a little darker, but some of the females, especially the pregnant one (her name is Sophie), are a pink-white color. There can be nothing so amazing as seeing them float up to you out of the darkness and for them wanting to know more about you.

                We ended the day with going to a set of movie that was about a rubber plantation. The owner lied and cheated and even killed people to use poor European immigrants as his slave workers. It was a tragic but very interesting story. It reminded me of Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. We saw how they collected rubber by cutting diagonal lines and slicing a cup into the side of the tree to collect the rubber sap. They would then smoke the rubber and put it onto other rubber to make a 30-50 Kg ball. The amazing thing is that is actually bounces when you drop it!

 

Random story-the rubber trees of Malaysia and Southeast Asia were stolen from Brazil and smuggled by the English. As the number of rubber trees quickly grew in Asia, the Brazilian market was collapsed by the cheaper Asian rubber. The Brazilian rubber industry creped along until 1941 when Japan invaded Southeast Asia to gain access to the natural resources found there, among them rubber. With the United States and the Allies needing rubber to fuel the war machine, they bought Brazilian rubber to win World War II. Cool huh?

Into the Amazons!

There are days that you won’t forget because of the people, place or event. Those are great and I am a firm believer that every day, week, month and year should have at least one of them involved. I may not be able to able to go to Goblin Valley every weekend, but having game night with my friends can be just as rewarding. Then there are the times that are so completely amazing words just can’t describe the experience.

                The Amazon rain forest has always intrigued me. Home to my favorite animal, the jaguar, it has been a place of adventure in my mind since I pulled out Amazon Trail 3^rd Edition out of a cereal box. Imagine the Oregon Trail, but fishing and trying to collect pictures of all the animals along your journey. It’s time to tell the truth about what you’ve heard…It’s all true! It’s amazing and I don’t even know where to begin.

First, the temple really does sit right on the river. You can see it from our hotel/camp on the other side. 

We passed by it on the way to the pier and it is very stunning.  We crossed the Rio Negro and it took about 20 minutes to get across to our hotel on the other side. About the river, it looks more like a lake than a river. It is incredibly wide. Technically it’s not the Amazon river because the Amazon river forms when the Rio Negro (the river we see right now) and the Rio Solimoes meet together further downstream.

                Our hotel looks like something out of a film. The cabins are built over a small pond with a balcony overlooking the water. Here is a picture of some of our friends that live here in the pond. 

It is pretty hot and steamy so I am always looking for chances to drink water or be in water. After a rousing water polo/football game in the pool, we headed out for our first activity.

                Piranha fishing. No worm here, straight beef cuts . after all that you hear about piranhas you would think it would be pretty easy to catch them with meat. That depends on which boat you went on. Our group was large enough to have three boats. If you were with Fitzgibbon/Ortolano crew, it was pretty easy. If you were on our boat…we only caught 4. But I still had a wonderful time. There are many fish that enjoy beef here, so the trick to catch a piranha is luck (whole principal of fishing, it’s like a lottery).I didn’t catch any but it was amazing to see all the birds and to float into the trees.

                I also watched the other fish carefully eat the meat off my hook without biting. After many attempts of trying to disguise the hook, I decided the fish were just too smart for that. I told the group in my boat “This will make a great Sunday school talk about the temptations and how we think we can eat just what we want without the dangers, but we will get hooked!” An hour and a half later, I was still watching those feet selectively eat off my hook. Moral of the story, you really can do whatever you want and not pay the negative price. 

                After that we went looking for caimans with a light. Our boat didn’t get one, but one of the other boats did and we got to hold it (her to be exact)! It was really still until it got to me and I was surprised at how strong it was for being so small. I was able to hold on, but she peed on me. That made it even funnier and I couldn’t stop laughing that I was holding a caiman. Imagine a leather bag that could take a “bite” out of theft.  

Afterwards we headed back to our hotel in the dark and it was beautiful to see the water fly by. There is a full moon (or at least almost full) and the water looked like glass, broken by our ripples behind us. Pretty amazing. And that was only day 1. Stay tuned!

100% original photo-no alterations whatsoever

Opera in the Amazons

The Amazon rain forest. The name itself draws images of an impassable expanse of towering trees, dangerous and exotic animals and plants and Native Americans who continue to live in the same way their ancestors did before 1492. At the heart of the Amazons sits Manaus. Manaus is a huge city, almost 2 million people and a center of tourism and industrial power. If come to Manaus expecting to find a small city lost in the Amazons, you will be very mistaken. Shopping centers, banks and skyscrapers are just as common here as any other city in Brazil.
In the middle of the city you will find an opera house. The Amazonas Teatro was finished in 1896 and was constructed with materials from all over the world that were shipped up the Amazon river to reach Manaus. It is really an amazing piece of architecture and design that is used to show the story of the area with European and native influence.

After taking a tour of this amazing building we were able to return in the evening to attend an opera concert. It was the pinnacle of globalization:South Koreans that live in the US (New York) that were signing in Italian/German in Brazil.  It was a wonderful concert and the singing was amazing.
Tomorrow we head out into the rain forest, so after an hour boat ride we should be there. Sorry for the poor quality of photos of the opera house, my camera doesn't work so great at night.

Bounce back!

Okay, I'm not dead or in a coma. I have been sick so that is why there haven't been as many blog posts. Not because I haven't had time, but a sick person's blog usually isn't worth reading. Unless they are one of those people who give inspiring stories about finding faith in God and learning to love their families. I'm not one of those people. Hearing about my renewed gratitude for toilets isn't inspiring. So after heading out from Salvador, we headed to Fortaleza. That night I felt so sick I didn't even see Batman. Yeah, that sick. I worshiped the porcelain god for the next few days. This morning we headed out to Manaus. Manaus is the state capital of the state Amazonas. Tomorrow we head into the Amazon rainforest for a few days so today is a day inside the city of Manaus. Manaus is home to almost 2 million people and you would never know you are in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. We went to see the theater that was opened in 1896 and it has building materials from all over the world. Tonight we are going to try to go to a musical event there. It is beautiful and at the time they had to ship everything up the Amazon river to get here.
That's about it, just a quick update.

Salvador

We’ll do a quick recap up until now. We left Recife for Salvador, Bahia on Monday. I wasn’t feeling very well but the flight was smooth so I came out okay. We rested up and this morning we headed out to explore Salvador.

Salvador was the first capital of Brazil and is one of the most historic cities in Brazil. Salvador was also the heart of the Brazilian slave trade and the modern movements for the Afro-Brazilian culture started here. There were times among the shops and buildings that I felt that I was somewhere in Africa where they speak Portuguese, like Angola or Mozambique. There is a very definite pride among the artisans of their African heritage and culture.

We started by exploring a fort that was the first constructed by the Portuguese when they arrived in Salvador in 1501. It also has a light house and a museum and it was really interesting. One of the fun things about the museum was seeing many of the nautical instruments that I used and learned about while on the Europa in 2001. I think the sea is an amazing and powerful thing and the ability of ships to be able to navigate and return home is an absolute miracle.

We headed into the center of the city where many of the largest churches and political buildings are. At the center of it all is the Basilica, where the Portuguese royal family had Mass while passing from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro in 1808. Salvador is a spectacular site with the sea full of cargo ships on one side and the hills rising right out of the water on the other. Many of the main squares are located on the side of the hills that drop a hundred feet, so it is really beautiful.

Large cities are usually beautiful buildings with very expensive stores and monuments, palaces and theaters. Yet one thing that usually comes to mind with large cities is also the number of homeless, begging and destitute people. The two paradoxes are very striking. The person who lacks nothing, the other who lacks everything.

In Salvador this is especially true with the contrast of the large, beautiful churches that are coated with gold inside; with the person asking for money in front. With so many people with very strong African descent it is the continuing tragedy of colonial exploitation and slavery. The church was built upon the wealth made by slaves and today the church makes the money while the slaves have continued, only in different jobs.   

We went shopping at the Mercado Modelo which is located on the sea front where they used to unload the slaves and hold them before selling them. There were a lot of nice crafts and decorations, but nothing really grabbed my attention until the 100% cotton traditional shirts and shorts. Which I bought and they are the best PJs ever. I’ll send a picture later.

We finished the day by going to a special Mass where they combine Catholicism and traditional African deity worship practices that have become attached to particular Catholic saints. It was really interesting, like a Southern Black Baptist with a Catholic Father. It’s interesting how Mass can be so different all over the same country and geographic region.

That’s all the updates. This blog post will probably not be posted on the date it was written because we have to pay for internet and I am cheap.

Game Time! Epilogue

I went to our "End of Recife" social tonight and everyone was asking about the game and I was sharing about how much fun it was. Vanessa asked how it was to see Ronaldinho play and I gave her this "What are talking about?" look. I was under the impression that he was playing for Flamengo from Rio de Janiero, but what I didn't know was that he was traded several months ago. So I watched him play and score a goal. Without knowing!
I remember pointing out a player that was giving Sport a lot of trouble to Cristina and Brady, and thinking that Ronaldinho must have influenced his hair style. No shoot Sherlock, because it was him!
So enjoy this gol that I didn't quite fully appreciate at the time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RHMkJUfh-c

Game Time!

Me, Cristina Cowley, and Brady Squires

Putting on a soccer jersey is always something special. It's like putting on a super hero costume with a bit of religious zeal involved. There is something magical about walking to the stadium surrounded by people wearing the same logo, same colors and wanting the same thing. The scream that everyone joins in when you (not the team, you)score is something you can't describe, but something you have to experience.
Today I went to my first soccer game in Brazil and it was amazing. The team we went to watch is called Sport and they are from here in Recife. The other team was Atletico-MG from Minas Gerias. Sport is right in the middle of the pack while Atletico-MG is the leader. Atletico-MG won 4x1, but the first half ended at 1x1 and it was really intense. Sport scored first and it went nuts! Banners, cheers and everyone jumping up and down. It was very interesting to see the differences between Brazilian style tactics to what I usually see watching MLS or European style soccer. The counter attack was the name of the game and it was interesting to watch how the game was a lot more fluid than the build up attack. The ball handling was amazing and many times when I thought the player should pass, he just took it in himself.

To describe and understand part of my experience we'll have to return to earlier in the day. As our last field trip in Recife (we head out to Salvador on Monday) we went to the Museum of the Man of the Northeast. It was a very interesting museum to show how complex the Northeast is by highlighting historical influences such as the Portuguese, Dutch, Native Americans and Africans along with current driving influences such as religion and economic/educational differences. I thought it was interesting that by taking a cross section of the what the Northeast is and how it has become so was something that seemed simple but it is really complicated and multi-leveled.In an earlier blog I mentioned that whenever I feel that I understand Brazil there is always another mask, another layer.

Back to soccer. So we went and bought our tickets and went to go eat. After we ate we headed back to the stadium. One thing that I learned about Brazilian stadiums (and probably most foreign stadiums) is that security is much more important than fan accessibility. Each area is separated from the other by fences and police lines so it felt like there were four stadiums,each based on ticket price. Because we bought cheaper tickets we had a specific entrance we needed to go enter through. Because we didn't quite understand this and because of poor directions we ended up going through security three times before we got through our right gate. Security isn't quite what we think of at professional sports in the United States. There were riot police in full gear checking people, confiscating anything that could be a weapon or thrown. When we tried to pass through the ticket gates for the higher end tickets the police just looked us up and down, but when we went through our gate (the 'poor' person section) they had the guys pull up their shirts to make sure we didn't have anything concealed.

I'm not saying this to show how MLS stadiums are a much enjoyable experience, but to highlight how the lessons I learned about in the museum were being shown in real life. The differences socially and economically are very real and alive. Even soccer itself, an English game introduced to Brazil, has become 'Brazilianized' to the point that Brazilians differentiate between American Football and 'Brazilian Football'. What appears to a simple experience, watching a global game, turned out to be a lesson in culture and the effects of history and society.        

Chicken Port

Today was another tourist day. We went to Porto de Galinhas, Chicken Port, and played around the beach for the day. Porto de Galinhas has natural pools that form with the low tide where fish and sea animals wait for the tide to come back in among the reefs. So we feed the fish and swam around for a little while before chilling on the beach, playing soccer and tanning/sunburning depending on who you are. You can guess which group I was.
  We were playing soccer with a ball that probably weighed .000001 lbs and so any gust of wind and the ball went crazy in the air, but it was good fun with the tide coming in. It's so interesting how we are treated as a group in the tourist zones compared to the smaller cities further inland. In the tourist zones we are approached as targets while in the interior people are generally more curious about why we are there.
 I'm not feeling so great, probably a combination of something I ate and sunstroke. Or I have malaria or dengue. So if I'm not in the hospital, I'll write again tomorrow.

Old Recife

Today we were back in class and it was really interesting to discuss the differences between our trip to the sertão and the trip to the beaches (aka tourist trip). While I learned a lot from both, there were some pretty big differences. More on that later on the trip. I am writing a paper for my internship so I will probably share parts of it as it develops.

In the afternoon we went around Old Recife (Recife Antigo) and it was amazing to see all the older buildings. Some were even older than many of the buildings of the 13 original colonies of the United States. One of the most interesting things I have seen on this trip is the Synagogue Kahal Zur Israel. Because of the Inquisition and political persecution many Jews that had converted to Christianity in Portugal had immigrated to Brazil. Under the Dutch occupation of Northeastern Brazil these Jews that had practiced Catholicism on the outside and had secretly practiced where able to openly practice. The Dutch, even being Calvinists, allowed more open expression of other faiths. Under this time period of 1630-1654, the Jewish community prospered and built the synagogue. When entering into the synagogue the guys of the group put on kippahs, so it was interesting to see how much of what I had learned from World Religions last semester came back.

The caption on the bottom says "Road of the Jews"

Afterwards we went to one of the oldest churches in Recife. Capela Dourada or 'The Golden Chapel' is plaited over the molding with a thin layer of gold and it is stunning. There are many wooden statues inside that look like stone or even flesh. Some of the older statues of Jesus have actual human hair from worshipers in the 1800s. The Baroque style is unique because among the complex decorations are native fruits from Brazil like pineapple and caju, so it is often called 'Tropical Baroque'.  

Well, I had some great pictures I wanted to upload. But they didn't, so go to Facebook!

Hold the Fort!

This post won’t be posted on Facebook, not because I don’t want everyone to read it, but because I never want people to feel awkward when I talk about them. I don’t know if I am strange (strange in this way, I know I am strange), but I always feel uncomfortable when people are praising me or when I am receiving recognition. This seems to happen especially with good friends, where you have had a great moment or time and you want to express how much they mean to you.

                The past few days were amazing to be with the group and to get to know everyone better. At the same time it was great to still have contact with the friends and family back home (or around the world), and know that I have really been blessed with such great friends and family. Pat yourself on the back for being part of my life.

Okay, now back to business.

Today we all woke up tired, sore and sunburned from yesterday so we took the morning easy. After checking out of the hotel we went to a fort that has guarded Natal since 1599. The name of the fort is 'Forte dos Reis Magos' or 'Fort Wise Men', because the day the fort was started is a Catholic day to remember the Three Kings who brought gifts to the baby Jesus. I really enjoyed the architecture and enjoyed learning more about the fort. After that we headed home on our bus and we got home safe and sound tonight.

      

Genipabu Beach

Today in Natal we had quite the adventure. It was a soccer-beach-dune buggy-speedo wearing type of day. In the morning some of us got together to play beach soccer, which was so much fun. While it is a lot harder to run around after the sand gets broken up, it was really competitive. Later we went to a beach called Genipabu. I think my first child will receive this name. The beach had amazing sand dunes behind it that ran straight into the ocean. It was really breathtaking, one of those picture perfect beaches. The sun is so powerful here and so even with my hourly sunblock applications I still burned. But it was worth it.

                

Thanks Blogger

We also were able to go on a crazy dune buggy ride. We had 1 in front and three on the back, sitting on top of the cushion. It was amazing to fly over the dunes. I went with Natalia, Vanessa and Berkeley and it was hilarious to hear Vanessa scream. Behind some of the sand dunes there are some lakes that are caused by the rainfall that collect for several months before evaporating away. It was an amazing landscape, with the sea on one side and the lakes among the sandunes. 

                When we got back, I was feeling really sore, sunburnt and my knee that had been ripped open was not looking pretty. I thought about going to bed before dinner, but then a sand soccer game was organized. Soccer is my Odysseus Siren where I just can’t resist.  It was an intense 3 vs. 3 game that lasted for about an hour. We ended the game at 3-3 and I had two goals. It was fun to see all of us improve as the game went on and by the end we had a great passing game going on.

                Then (wasn’t this day awesome?) we went to eat at a rodizio de pizza, which is like churrasco, but with pizzas. Think Tucanos meets pizza. It was amazing and it was fun to laugh and talk about the day. Tomorrow we are going to go to the more cultural parts of the city and then head home to Recife. With all that we have been doing the past few weeks with class and with the internship, it was nice to have a few days of relaxation and playing. I have really enjoyed trying to find the balance between work and play on study abroad, where trying to understand when one is most important to the experience. I know both are, but I also believe that there needs to be a balance. If we saw all the cultural events and wrote reports on everything about Brazilian culture it would be something really worth doing; but with being able to play and see some of the natural diversity and making friendships is something that cements the lessons learned in the classroom with the foundation of a worthwhile life.

So even with a beat up and ripped open knee, stubbed toe, sunburns all over and exhaustion, I am very happy.        

Two Religions, One Faith

Today was a great day. We went to church at a ward in João Pessoa and we increased the attendance by at least half. It was a good service and I sat next to a man who was visiting, so I tried to help out with the hymn book (you would be surprised how tricky it is to read one) and what to do during the passing of the sacrament. It was nice to be doing something so familiar.
   We then went to some of the Roman Catholic churches that are in the center of the city. They are over 250+ years old and it was amazing to see them. Northeastern Brazil is a treasure trove for Tropical Baroque art in the churches and the detail is amazing. The ceilings were painted with scenes from the life of St. Francisco and the reliefs of Christ and Mary were beautiful. There were several of the statues of the broken and dying Christ on the cross and I had to stop and think about them. True, they aren't what I think of when I think of the Atonement, but they are a representation to some of the mission of the Savior. So while it may have been very striking and graphic, it is a representation with great detail of the faith of many millions of people.
Here are some pictures to show you what I mean:

Look at the ceiling

It was amazing to see how old the churches were and the art was touching. While we have many differences with other Christian faiths, we have many important things that we have in common. One of my favorite talks is the talk "Faith of Our Father" by President Uchtdorf from April 2008. Here is an extract from that talk:

The Faith of Our Fathers

I marvel at the different backgrounds of members of the Church. You come from all walks of life—all cultures, languages, political circumstances, and religious traditions.

This multiplicity of life experiences has caused me to reflect on the message of one of our hymns, “Faith of Our Fathers.” In the refrain, these words are repeated: “Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to thee till death!” ³

The faith of our fathers—I love that phrase.

For many members of the Church, these words bring to mind valiant pioneers who abandoned the comfort of their homes and traveled by wagon and on foot until they reached the valley of the Great Salt Lake. I love and honor the faith and courage of those early pioneers of the Church. My own ancestors were living an ocean away at the time. None were among those who lived in Nauvoo or Winter Quarters, and none made the journey across the plains. But as a member of the Church, I claim with gratitude and pride this pioneer legacy as my own.

With the same joy, I claim the legacies of today’s modern-day Church pioneers who live in every nation and whose own stories of perseverance, faith, and sacrifice add glorious new verses to the great chorus of the latter-day anthem of the kingdom of God.

When my own family contemplates the phrase “faith of our fathers,” often it is the Lutheran faith that comes to mind. For generations our ancestors belonged to that denomination. In fact, my son recently discovered that one of our family lines connects back to Martin Luther himself.

We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God, even without having the fulness of the gospel. We lift our voices in gratitude for their selflessness and courage. We embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father.

We believe that it is a fundamental human right to worship “Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” ⁴

This idea that the faith of our ancestors has brought us to the point where we could receive the gospel is one that I love and feel is important. My own family coming from Roman Catholic background has helped me to better understand and appreciate the art, architecture and symbols.  

We then drove on to Natal, which translated means "Christmas", so it's Christmas time! It's been a really fun trip, so hopefully I can put some more photos on (hotel internet is terrible) soon.

Regroup and Move Out!

The past few days we have been trying to regroup from the many adventures we have had. We washed our clothes, read our assigned essays, wrote journals and blogs and tried to relax. The doctor ordered a dose of The Amazing Spider-Man, so we went and watched it yesterday for about $4.50 on a Friday night because students get half off in Brazil. I loved the movie and it was funny to see how they translated some phrases in the subtitles.
 But today we hit the road again and we are in João Pessoa, Paraíba! It is the furthest east point in the Americas (go check out a map!). Brazilians say the sun is born here and moves westward. We are traveling by bus but this time there were no small buses so we have a 40 person bus for 21 people. Yeah, we are really comfy.
We arrived at the hotel and spent the afternoon at the beach. I worked on a super sand castle project with Joe, Jonathan and Sara Boyack.


The boy that is helping us is a local and his name is Wellington. So we called him the Duke of Wellington. Here is a link if you didn't understand that one http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Wellesley,_1st_Duke_of_Wellington
We had a nice dinner at the Praia da Jacaré where they had live music. We just got back and are starting crash. Or maybe we will play a game. It was a fun day. Tomorrow we will go to church and then move on to Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Elder Bruno, we used to play chess games together when we were living in Paranoá lives there so I hope to meet up with him.

Oasis in the deserts of our lives

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope three photos can give you a sense of what the sertão is. It reminds of Southern Utah but with less rainfall. We are really blessed in Utah to have the mountains to retain so much of our water in snowfall, but here the water quickly sinks into the ground. Where the water isn't close to the surface it is very dry and inhospitable to plant. It is hot and the sun is very strong. But for three days I had the chance to learn not only about the sertão and the sertanejos (the people of the sertão), but also about life.

We left Recife early on Monday morning and drove for almost six hours. The coast gave way to green farmland and green farmland gave way to baked red ground. We arrived at Afogados da Ingazeira and had a chance to relax, which was lovely because I wasn't feeling too great from the car ride. That afternoon we had a chance to talk to Mario, one of the directors in the region for Diaconia, the NGO that we have been working with. He explained many of the difficulties that are prevalent in the Sertão such as: unemployment, lack of education because children have to work on the family farm, lack of infrastructure and sanitation. He went on to explain that what Diaconia does is identify families that can be helped by helping build or develop technology systems around the farm to help conserve water, money and production costs. Whenever they build a system (like a cistern or one of the ones I will show you) they make sure the owner learns how to manage and even make more.

On our second day we went to two farms that Diaconia had been working with. The first farm we met the family of Ivan. Walking through their farm it felt like we were in a different part of the country. The land was green and growing. They grow a lot of fruit and process and package the fruit pulp all at home. They take the pulp to market and sell it and it is really paying off for them. They have a system of collecting rainwater and storing them in a system of cisterns that helps them save water so they don't have to rely on underground wells.

The rain falls on this cement pad and runs right into the cisterns

Ivan and his family were really gracious in taking a large part of their day to show us what they had been able to accomplish. He shared a lot about his feelings of being able to work smarter with the land, instead of competing with it. He also shared something that hit home really hard. He showed us the small 3 room house they had shared for many years, and they were recently able to construct a larger home because of their profits. He told us that he was the first in his region to start growing fruit and processing pulp at home and that some of his neighbors had started to try it as well. I thought "That stinks for business, to have to compete with your neighbors." But than Ivan said something that really sank deep. "I'm glad that they will have the same opportunities as me".

Fruit Orchards

That idea of finding something that works well and sharing it with others and hoping that they have the same success gave me a lot to think about. I know that competition is a good thing, that it drives improvement, but to be able to hope that others have the same success as you do is something we as Americans, Westerners and Christians, and most importantly as Children of God.

Ivan (back right with the cap) and his family

We then traveled to the farm of Valmir and his family. They had a much smaller area, but had developed it really well. They had planted larger plants and trees and underneath them they planted plants that aren't from the area and they are able to grow underneath with the shade. They had a large vegetable garden and sugar cane and it was able to sustain their family. The irrigation system was very impressive. Valmir showed us how he grew one type of vegetable, then another type and then would plant more of the first type. He doesn't use chemicals against bugs and does this so that if bugs attack one part, they won't be able to get the entire crop. It was a really interesting idea.

Valmir shared a little about his philosophy of living in the Sertão. He talked about changing your way of living instead of trying to change the environment. I think that is one of keys to living and enjoying life is that instead of trying to change what you can't, you change yourself. Valmir can't change how often it rains in Brazil. He told us that it is supposed to rain from May til August. But the rain stopped in June. Instead of worrying about that, he did his job to store as much water as he could. If we worried more about what we will do than about what is happening around us, we would be able to find a lot more personal success.

The rain gutter collects the water and puts it into the cistern

Yesterday we went to a school that serves as a chapel and where a youth group meets. Because of the unemployment a lot of youth will leave for the larger cities. Usually conditions aren't much better there for a person without a high school diploma. To help them Diaconia helps organize a group that uses seeds and nuts from the Sertão to make jewelry. They showed us some of what they have made and we bought some because it was amazing. I'll show you when I get home.

Materials for making jewelry

I learned a lot the past few days especially about the importance of 1)taking advantage of opportunities that come, 2)changing what you do, and not waste time on trying to change what you can't and 3)family is important. All the groups we talked to mentioned the importance of their families, whether is was working, playing or providing for, it was all about the family. I'm grateful for the lessons I learned and can apply that I learned from the sertanejos and their harsh, but beautiful land.

Edge of the Waterfall

I'm not a very extreme person (other than my utter hatred and contempt for snakes and sweet pickles). I have been called bookish, predictable and even boring. While I have often viewed myself as cautious and it is true I love my dependable schedule, today, I was extreme.

Today, I went rappelling down Bridal Veil Falls.
"What? You're supposed to be in Brazil, how did you manage that?"

Fear not citizen, I will show you. (If Blogger will let me, if not, go to Facebook for the full collection)

In Portuguese Véu da noiva means "Bridal Veil Falls

Bishop Jones took us out to Bonito, Pernambuco which is about two and a half hours from Recife. Around the city are about 9 waterfalls and we saw two of them. We were able to drive through the countryside and it was really something to see. In the US we sing about 'Amber Waves of Grain'. Here in the Northeast of Brazil they could sing about the 'green waves of sugar cane', because the stuff grows everywhere. Which makes sense because it was the staple crop during colonization and is still a major economic force.

Sugar fields

When we arrived at the waterfalls, it was really pretty and there were some large pools above them. When we got down to where the water forms the Brazilian Bridal Veil Falls, we decided to rappel down them. The local guides were great and gave us a crash course in rappeling (they also went down with us) and I was really excited. About two seconds after turning around and starting to lower myself down I remembered something. I am terrified of heights. But it's a little late so I kept going down. After about another minute, I slipped a little bit and I went right into the waterfall. The shock of the water was pretty intense but there was something that clicked inside my head where I wasn't afraid anymore.

It was a moment where there was earth underneath me, water on me and air behind me and I was the connection between the three. The rocks were slippery where the water wasn't directly pounding down and so I had to find my way down between the rocks and powerful water. With the guide helping us out and helping on the ropes to make sure we didn't slip too far, it was a great experience. 

Doug Porter and I making our way down

It was such an adrenaline rush as we made our way down that afterwards my knees were shaking. We went to another waterfall afterward and it was pretty tall, but they didn't let people climb too far off, so it was a bit of a bummer after the first one. We headed back to Recife and Bishop treated us to a dinner at a great restaurant along the way. It is always great to get away from the city and see the countryside. It reminds me a lot of some of the cities I served in, which is always a great feeling. This next week we are heading into the Sertão on Monday-Wednesday and so it will be interesting to see one of the driest and poorest parts of Brazil.

The Last Full Measure of Painting

Today we headed out to CCJ to finish our painting project and it was quite the day of painting and moving furniture. We were so tired we grabbed a taxi instead of riding the bus and I kept drifting off. It is very difficult for me to fall asleep when I am not in a bed, so I know I am pretty tiredadfadflkj. Sorry, I fell asleep on the keyboard for a minute.

It felt really rewarding to see the difference in the place and I hope that it can help them feel more at home with their many activities with the community. I feel good with what I was able to help and it sure was great to be able to see some tangible evidence of what we are trying to show and do.

My painting shirt today

The Web of History

Today we got out of class at 12:00 and went home early because of a bus strike. Bus strikes are so great, it's just like the mission! You can't go anywhere and if there is any buses you have to fight for a spot and then your know how it feels to be canned. Those poor peaches and sardines.
Today was my presentation about Gilberto Freye and his ideas about 'Racial Democracy'. It's a complicated mess of ideas about race and who Brazilians are. It went fairly well, but I always forget words when I present in Portuguese.
  Vanessa tied up what I was talking about by moving it from its application in Brazil to its application amid other theories of racial "superiority" that resulted in the clash of cultures and race during World War II. She is really good at showing how history doesn't happen in a vacuum.
  I have come to see history as less of looking at the past, but how you look at the present and understanding how it came to be. The popular metaphor is that "He who doesn't learn history will repeat it" may not be completely correct, but there are definite cycles and patterns that seem to happen over and over. While history may not predict the future, it can certainly give us a possible view of what could be. History never "just  happens" but is a long and interconnected web that always connects.

Take the American Revolution for example.

Why did it start? English colonists in North America had differences with the English government.

Why? Over taxation and lack of representation in Parliament

Why did England do that? To pay for the 7 Years War and the costs of fighting France and Spain and the costs of maintaining the Empire.

Why did England fight Spain and France? Over differences in territory and control around the world, but especially in the Americas.

What differences did they have? England was a Protestant country while France and Spain were predominantly Catholic and..........

Did that help make my point? You can just keep going on and on.

History to me is like looking at a giant mural. To understand a mural at a first glance is usually difficult because so many objects compete for your attention. You need to look at each individual object and then put them together to understand the mural. History is not one set piece, but many pieces connected by common themes.

4th of July

Happy Independence Day! Today we went to ABA for class and we had a 4th of July party with the students we met yesterday. There was a representative from the US Consulate and she gave a little speech and shared President Obama's 4th of July message to US government employees working overseas. It was nice, but she said that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson was serving as minister of France at that time. He was key in writing the Declaration of Independence though. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.

Sometimes this Blogger thing is garbage...but you get the idea of my butchered photo

In the afternoon we went to the center of Recife Antigo (Old Recife) and went to a fantastic book store. It had a great selection of books but each price tag reminded me of the price of a society where few people see reading as a recreational activity. Books are very expensive in Brazil so I only bought one that I wanted. It is about German U-Boat attacks on Brazilian ships that helped Brazil enter the Second World War on the Allied side. I'm hoping to buy several more off Amazon when I return home. 

After that we went on a boat ride up the river to see some of the historic buildings and bridges. It was really beautiful and there was a guide that shared a lot about the history of Recife. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures I took.

Legislative Hall

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