“Fish and visitors smell in three days.” Benjamin Franklin


Visiting blogger

So I have been given the daunting and very important job of writing Emma's blog this week. She has given me her full confidence to write whatever I wish... so all the stories she has been keeping from you of her life here can now be revealed... but then I remembered I have to sleep in the same bed as her so I think I had better stick to the truth and live to tell the tale.

This week has been quite a quiet 1, well compared to the past few crazy one's, but yet I think we all still feel like we've done a good few all-nighter's, so have been very blessed to had less on as I don't think we would have made it to today otherwise.
Emma and I both have had a few emails this past week checking we are ok with the rain in Rio: surprisingly enough we are, as Rio is just a weeeee bitty away from Recife, but saying that we have had our fair share of heavy rain this week. Hitting a high on Saturday when we were off on both of our 2nd beach trips, joined by the wonderful step team again. So sunbathing, sandcastles and volleyball didn't quite happen, more like dodging in and out of any building that would let us shelter from the rain, to then give up and just hit the beach anyway. Emma and I had a beautiful walk along the beach in the rain with very impressive clouds and whompers of waves, by the end of it we couldn't work out if we were soaked from the rain or the sea- but we enjoyed ourselves so that's all that matters. Then off to the 'hippy market' which unlike 1 of the guys thought, is Not a market selling hippies?! Hammocks galore were bought and 5 of the girls purchased some nice matching lycra-type 1-piece tops and shorts, unfortunately Emma and myself were short of money by this point and had to pass, I'm sure everyone at home will be disappointed by this. We had an amazing all you can eat meat feast lunch, so octopus and chicken's heart has been experienced, could have been worse but won't be rushing back for that part, though higher up my list of favourite foods than chicken's claws which Fatima our Brazilian mum whipped up for lunch this week.

Things at the project are coming along slowly but surely, the outside walls have made progress, so half of the wall is now aqua blue and the rooms inside are almost all done with base-coats. So then the more exciting things like mural painting will be ready just for me leaving I'm sure. This week has taught some of the men that women do actually know how to paint and sand, though they have been trying their utmost to prove otherwise, I think us 'gringos' are definitely opening the Brazilian men's eyes to the fact some women are able and willing to do physical work (though painting isn't exactly the most laborious of tasks), but they are learning as well as us becoming more willing to let them help us. 4 boys from the sister project came along to help this week, which was a nice encouragement and they seemed to enjoy it- ok so maybe we bribed with ice-lollies, but that was more because I wanted 1 and felt bad eating in front of everyone.
There is still alot of work to be done, including needing a new roof unfortunately which may be pending for a while, but still lots to get on with and I can see such a difference just in the 2 weeks I've been here.

Friday's activity day from my outsider view was complete mayhem with lots of crazy kids, but they were having a ball. Whereas Emma and Hannah thought the kids were behaving really well compared to how they used to- so shows that I haven't been around that long. I think waterballoons will have to sent over in the tonnes they loved them so much, everyone was suitably soaked, including the pastor's hyper rotweiler, the idea of a controlled waterballoon team game was given up pretty swiftly to give way to 'every man for themself', including a mob of 20 kids following me into the bathrooms because they didn't believe all the balloons had been handed out already.
The kids are beautiful, hyper, enthusiastic, challenging and wonderful all at once and they completely and utterly love Hannah and Emma and if they were able they would be at the project all day every day pestering them. They have both made an incredible impact in the community already and everywhere we go people are shouting Tia Hannah/Emma (Auntie...). The kids seem to enjoy having a new person to pester, especially now its someone they can laugh at her lack of Portuguese, though saying that, as soon as I able to converse a sentence or 2 with them they automatically think you are fluent- not quite.

Nights off this week were good and varied, involving another good holiness booster with a youth service in another church, a brief visit to see the step team- well 2 hours travelling there, an hour and 1/2 spent with them then hour and 1/2 back and trip to the cinema with a friend from church. 'Date night' was rather funny, if even more so by the awkwardness of realising the Portuguese subtitles were not translating completely correct.
We are currently home alone with no 'parents' for 4 days, so who knows what the next few days holds... I mean cleaning the house for them of course?!
Becky

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