At the Atlantic

We left Wednesday morning and headed south through some still different landscape in Brazil. It was beautiful rolling farm land. The one I have shown here is a huge field bordered with Eucalyptus trees. There were fields of wheat that had just been cut next to green fields of wheat. There were corn fields and big beautiful gardens. We saw one field that we think was cauliflower. We arrived at the school that my aunt and uncle founded just about lunch time. Mr. and Mrs. Pauluci greeted us warmly and I could tell Mrs. Pauluci thought I looked like my uncle.It was good to have the Buckman's there to translate. After a nice lunch we started a tour of the grounds. A number of the students are learning English and some speak it quite well. One of the Senior married young men took us on most of the tour. We saw all the classrooms, the two dorms, the library, the office with a memorial to my Uncle Paul, the chapel, the married couples housing, the soccer field, the place where some chicken houses are to be built to use as income for the teachers, the beautiful grounds. We met several people along the way that had known my aunt and uncle. Later in the afternoon they took us into town to the cemetary where Paul and Viola are buried. You will see a typical cemetary here in Brazil. They are very crowded and all graves are above ground with one casket on top of another at a grave site. It was well maintained although the Paulucis plan to clean the tile on the grave.

They wanted us to spend the night with them so be brought our suitcases in and got settled. After a light supper of pizza we went to the chapel for one of Mrs. Pauluci's Freshman class reports. They were giving a final report on the last journey of Christ. Each person had a part and they used power point to illustrate what they were talking about. It lasted about an hour and was good although you could tell they were very nervous.

We had finally hit the cold weather we had been hearing about for the last three months. It was cold that night but we had heavy blankets on the beds. We find it interesting that the people are cold and say they are cold but they don't heat up the little heaters they have in their houses.

Yesterday (Thursday) morning Larry took pictures of the kids in their classes and even taught one Senior class because the teacher was not there. He showed them a DVD we had gotten at Complei about infanticide. These students were fascinated. They don't come from indian tribes like the groups we had been with before. They are from cities so do not really know how the indian tribes live. Larry and Mr. Pauluci talked a lot about the school and how it was run. I think they helped each other. Maranata is a very well run school with 40 students and over 400 graduates. But they need to get into villages which Larry could help them with. There is a school near Taunay that needs the organization of this one.

I was offered the opportunity to speak in their chapel on Thursday so I gave my testimony and a little devotional and then Larry finished up with a little thought. Everyone seemed happy that we were there and wanted us to come back soon. We headed out after chapel for the coast.

Again we saw different landscape. I didn't get pictures of all the mountains (really large hills or small mountains) that we went through but it seemed like the landscape changed as soon as we went across a state line.

We got to Carituba and finally met up with a German Mennonite Missionary that works for HCJB. He has the guest house we are using here at the ocean. It was very cold there. We had to wait at their house while Larry went and got some money changed. The wife was wearing a coat in the house and thermometer in the living room read 58 degrees. And there as a heater right there in the room! She gave us blankets to bring down to the house with us. So Fay and I wrapped up in them in the back seat.

The trip to this beach house was an hour and half and we were starting at about 9 at night. It was down hill almost all the way. And very curvy.(I am sure whoever was on the prayer list was praying last night. Between the road, the big trucks and the dark it was not a pleasant trip, for me anyway.) Anyway we got to Guaratuba and got our stuff in but discovered the water tank was empty. Cal and Larry got it and other things turned on while Fay and I made beds. It was cold but not as cold as up on the higher area.

This morning we walked down to the beach and watched the waves come in. Although it was overcast it was still beautiful. The wind was cold but bearable. We found a nice grocery store to get some food supplies and a neighbor helped Larry get one of the toilets in the house to work. We also walked to a great restaurant that we plan to frequent again. Then as we walked home we discovered this internet cafe. So Larry and I are working here. Cal has been walking some different places and reports back now and then. I imagine Fay is reading.

Cal and Larry bought some fresh scrimp this morning and they have promised to cook it and clean up. We will see about all that.

I need to go now and send a note to my grandson. Today is his 11th birthday. I am not sure how long we will be here but I should be able to send you another addition on this blog.

Several people have asked when we will be returning home. We will be leaving Campo Grande on September 29 at 11:07 in the morning. We are scheduled to arrive in Evansville, September 30 at 4:45 pm. Neither of us are looking forward to the 8 hour flight from Sao Paulo to Miami so you might remember that in prayer.

I had better go. Have a good evening.