Best Day
Ohhhh Kayy. We are entering the last week of my time in Brazil. And my wildly fluctuating emotions are making it an interesting time so far. :) I have not been keeping up with my blog as I should have. I have been gone and traveling and now experiencing computer issues. Nothing serious, just mildly inconvenient.
I want to take a momemt and tell you about my best day. I don´t have statistical data if it was actually the best day of my life. I´m just saying from beginning to end it pretty much rocked.
I had my last boat trip a couple of weeks ago. The team was from my own church from LA, Bel Air Presbyterian. It´s such a big church that it turned out I only knew two people on the team! I got to meet some great new friends that I´m excited to see again. So Thursday was my favorite day. It actually starts with Wednesday night. We had a bit of a share night because Pastor Djard was leaving the next day. Several people shared about special moments they had with villagers and strangers and how God had used them in other´s lives. Now, I know I´ve had an amazing time here in Brazil. And I think I´ve been a help to teams that have come down, but I didn´t have those "This is why God brought me here" moments to share. I couldn´t think of one. So it was a question I was asking God that night. I´m getting crazy blessed. Am I being a blessing??
The next morning started like any other. We headed into the village for VBS. There were maybe five to seven kids. Slow morning. Suddenly, one of the team members comes to sit with me. "Can we talk?" I love to talk! She had some questions about sharing her testimony that spiraled into a great discussion about faith in general. Of course by that time, I was like, lets go outside. We talked for a while and it was just one of those great conversations where you connect with someone you barely knew 5 minutes before. We ended with prayer, and I felt like I had been helpful. Thanks, God! As soon as we said Amen, another team member came up and sat with us to talk. Three words into the conversation, she was in tears. The trip on the boat can bring a lot of things to the surface and sometimes we have no idea what´s really going on. But we were there for her and were able to encourage and pray for her. Again a surprising conversation and I was so glad to be let in to these two women´s lives. Great morning and a little answer to that question from the night before.
In the afternoon, we parked the boat in a beautiful lagoon and about the time I was settling in for an afternoon of quiet reading, Captain Rai (pronounced "Hi") said we could go swimming off the back!! I ALWAYS go swimming. I don´t know if it´s just the water or the Amazon or the extra oxygen of the rain forrest that makes me kinda high, but I feel AMAZING in the water. I mean, there were pink dolphins swimming near by!! You want to see a happy girl, just throw me in the water. I stayed in so long that when I finally forced myself out (I could have stayed another hour honestly), everyone was a bit concerned about the sunburn my face was now sporting. More than a bit. I was ordered to apply aloe liberally and remain on the boat as the team went into Silves to invite people for church.
I thought I would help out in the kitchen. But they said they didn´t really need help. So I started reading a book on prayer which turned into a really sweet time of actual prayer. I sat out on the back of the boat in the afternoon light of the BEAUTIFUL river, listening to Yo-Yo Ma and talking and listening to Meu Deus. It was very nearly perfect!!
Now, the Bel Air team had brought walkie talkies, the kind you buy at target and take on road trips. They didn´t have long range capabilities. But they had turned out to be pretty fun. Karl, co-leader of the team and my friend from high school youth group volunteer leader days, had left a walkie talkie with me and it crackled to life. "Cron-Zon!" (for Corrie Cron in the Amazon) I heard. "We´re headed back in 40 seconds for food." That´s what I swear I heard. It seemed a little specific, but I said, "Copy" and told the kitchen the team was headed back.
Suddenly Karl himself is RUNNING down the side of the boat to me with a tiny plastic cup in his hand. The plastic cup contained, NEARLY liquidized ice cream. Only the center remained somewhat solid. Karl was doubled over, catching his breath and sweating profusely with the ice cream in his outstretched hand. "I said!" he said, "Meet me out front in 40 seconds with a spoon!" The team had stopped in town for ice cream and not wanting me to be left out, they bought me some. However, with the Amazon heat and humidity rapidly starting to take effect, Karl had broken into a run. He ran the whole way back to the boat. :) Do I have awesome friends or what?
Church that night was ridiculously hot but really good about protecting your dreams and the things God has given you. When we got back to the boat we had a surprise birthday party for Dana. And get this! She had two cakes. A chocolate mousse amazing-ness thingy. AND the kitchen had made her a tunafish sandwhich cake. It was awesome. Obviously, the tunafish cake was to be eaten first. duh.
The the night ended with a series of wonderful conversations about the dreams God has planted in people. It started in the dining room, then moved to the top of the boat where we watched as the crew hunted in the night for aligators (Jacaré!!). One was so close to the boat, Zezinho almost nabbed it!! Then a few of us moved to the front of the boat which by this time had moved from a smaller tributary onto the huge Amazon river itself. It got later and later, but I was in full melodrama mode of it being my last trip on the boat ("Eyes. feast your last on the moon over the water! Arms, embrace for the final time the cold metal of the Jota Jota"). I hated having to go to sleep and miss a single moment of the boat sailing at night. Fortunately, a friend or two felt the same and we stayed up talking until the bright moon set and the billions of stars came out to be seen. People, God loves me in a way I may never fully understand or be able to explain. I finally dragged myself to my bunk when the crew turned in around 3:30 am. I don´t recommend this as a pattern because breakfast is at 7am. :) Also it´s kinda against the rules.
The day was full of lovely moments, any one of which would have made it a great day. But having them all together, one seemlessly flowing into the other.... it was more than I could have ever imagined or asked for. I miss the boat. I do. But I don´t feel like I missed out that week. I feel like I made the most of every moment on the JJ Mesquita. And, strangely, that the JJ Mesquita made the most of every moment with me.
I told ya, I´m in full melodrama mode.
I want to take a momemt and tell you about my best day. I don´t have statistical data if it was actually the best day of my life. I´m just saying from beginning to end it pretty much rocked.
I had my last boat trip a couple of weeks ago. The team was from my own church from LA, Bel Air Presbyterian. It´s such a big church that it turned out I only knew two people on the team! I got to meet some great new friends that I´m excited to see again. So Thursday was my favorite day. It actually starts with Wednesday night. We had a bit of a share night because Pastor Djard was leaving the next day. Several people shared about special moments they had with villagers and strangers and how God had used them in other´s lives. Now, I know I´ve had an amazing time here in Brazil. And I think I´ve been a help to teams that have come down, but I didn´t have those "This is why God brought me here" moments to share. I couldn´t think of one. So it was a question I was asking God that night. I´m getting crazy blessed. Am I being a blessing??
The next morning started like any other. We headed into the village for VBS. There were maybe five to seven kids. Slow morning. Suddenly, one of the team members comes to sit with me. "Can we talk?" I love to talk! She had some questions about sharing her testimony that spiraled into a great discussion about faith in general. Of course by that time, I was like, lets go outside. We talked for a while and it was just one of those great conversations where you connect with someone you barely knew 5 minutes before. We ended with prayer, and I felt like I had been helpful. Thanks, God! As soon as we said Amen, another team member came up and sat with us to talk. Three words into the conversation, she was in tears. The trip on the boat can bring a lot of things to the surface and sometimes we have no idea what´s really going on. But we were there for her and were able to encourage and pray for her. Again a surprising conversation and I was so glad to be let in to these two women´s lives. Great morning and a little answer to that question from the night before.
In the afternoon, we parked the boat in a beautiful lagoon and about the time I was settling in for an afternoon of quiet reading, Captain Rai (pronounced "Hi") said we could go swimming off the back!! I ALWAYS go swimming. I don´t know if it´s just the water or the Amazon or the extra oxygen of the rain forrest that makes me kinda high, but I feel AMAZING in the water. I mean, there were pink dolphins swimming near by!! You want to see a happy girl, just throw me in the water. I stayed in so long that when I finally forced myself out (I could have stayed another hour honestly), everyone was a bit concerned about the sunburn my face was now sporting. More than a bit. I was ordered to apply aloe liberally and remain on the boat as the team went into Silves to invite people for church.
I thought I would help out in the kitchen. But they said they didn´t really need help. So I started reading a book on prayer which turned into a really sweet time of actual prayer. I sat out on the back of the boat in the afternoon light of the BEAUTIFUL river, listening to Yo-Yo Ma and talking and listening to Meu Deus. It was very nearly perfect!!
Now, the Bel Air team had brought walkie talkies, the kind you buy at target and take on road trips. They didn´t have long range capabilities. But they had turned out to be pretty fun. Karl, co-leader of the team and my friend from high school youth group volunteer leader days, had left a walkie talkie with me and it crackled to life. "Cron-Zon!" (for Corrie Cron in the Amazon) I heard. "We´re headed back in 40 seconds for food." That´s what I swear I heard. It seemed a little specific, but I said, "Copy" and told the kitchen the team was headed back.
Suddenly Karl himself is RUNNING down the side of the boat to me with a tiny plastic cup in his hand. The plastic cup contained, NEARLY liquidized ice cream. Only the center remained somewhat solid. Karl was doubled over, catching his breath and sweating profusely with the ice cream in his outstretched hand. "I said!" he said, "Meet me out front in 40 seconds with a spoon!" The team had stopped in town for ice cream and not wanting me to be left out, they bought me some. However, with the Amazon heat and humidity rapidly starting to take effect, Karl had broken into a run. He ran the whole way back to the boat. :) Do I have awesome friends or what?
Church that night was ridiculously hot but really good about protecting your dreams and the things God has given you. When we got back to the boat we had a surprise birthday party for Dana. And get this! She had two cakes. A chocolate mousse amazing-ness thingy. AND the kitchen had made her a tunafish sandwhich cake. It was awesome. Obviously, the tunafish cake was to be eaten first. duh.
The the night ended with a series of wonderful conversations about the dreams God has planted in people. It started in the dining room, then moved to the top of the boat where we watched as the crew hunted in the night for aligators (Jacaré!!). One was so close to the boat, Zezinho almost nabbed it!! Then a few of us moved to the front of the boat which by this time had moved from a smaller tributary onto the huge Amazon river itself. It got later and later, but I was in full melodrama mode of it being my last trip on the boat ("Eyes. feast your last on the moon over the water! Arms, embrace for the final time the cold metal of the Jota Jota"). I hated having to go to sleep and miss a single moment of the boat sailing at night. Fortunately, a friend or two felt the same and we stayed up talking until the bright moon set and the billions of stars came out to be seen. People, God loves me in a way I may never fully understand or be able to explain. I finally dragged myself to my bunk when the crew turned in around 3:30 am. I don´t recommend this as a pattern because breakfast is at 7am. :) Also it´s kinda against the rules.
The day was full of lovely moments, any one of which would have made it a great day. But having them all together, one seemlessly flowing into the other.... it was more than I could have ever imagined or asked for. I miss the boat. I do. But I don´t feel like I missed out that week. I feel like I made the most of every moment on the JJ Mesquita. And, strangely, that the JJ Mesquita made the most of every moment with me.
I told ya, I´m in full melodrama mode.
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