TAM AGAIN!

First, our rodeo bull died. Latter that fateful afternoon day he died. There really was something wrong!

Second, I am getting sick of our internet. I know I should be happy that we even have internet.

Third, Austin is sick for the first time in I don't know how long. We have been blessed that no one has been sick but this kid has got it bad. I hope no one else gets it.

Fourth, I miss my family and friends!! I can't stress that enough. It SUCKS being out here. I am trying to change my horrible attitude to something so much more attractive.

Fifth, I love my kids. They make living out here bearable. I could not do this without them.

Sixth, I am looking forward to the weekend. We are going to Brasilia to visit friends. So ready to bust out of here. And to pick Spencer up at the airport on Saturday night.

Seventh, I miss my wonderful husband. I hate it when he travels and he has been doing way too much of it lately. I am hoping the next trip we can go as a family some place wonderful!! Wonder where?????

Eighth, the reason for the title, Spencer almost didn't get to go on this trip. Which would have been very bad to miss!!! He left Sunday. Before he left for the airport he checked in online. Everything seemed just fine. When he got to the airport he learned that his flight was cancelled!!! He got dropped off so he was without a car. It took us 4 hours to figure something out. He stood in line 3 times to get help. No one was helping him. The earliest they said they could get him to Chile was Thursday. Since his meetings will be over on Wednesday that was not going to work. I can't even put into words how frustrated we were and how helpless I felt. I know I complain about him being gone but I didn't want him to miss his meetings. Finally, he figured it out and found a flight. He had to book two separate tickets but he made it just in time on Monday. He was supposed to land in Chile Sunday night at 11 instead he landed Monday morning at 11. It was crazy and it was with Tam airlines again. I am beginning to think we should not fly on that airline.  

1 vs 5

I had a prompting today to wear tennis shoes. I had it a couple times. It was just a thought "you should wear tennis shoes." Well, I didn't listen. I justified it by thinking it is hot, I hate tennis shoes, and I am only going to the learning center what is the big deal. I convinced myself and put sandals on instead. Then a different prompting came I felt I should leave the kids at home and just take Austin to class. For some reason  I didn't gave that one a second guess.
My first class got over and the second class was walking over. I went outside with Austin to wait. On one side of the building is a road and across the road is a fenced field that happens to have bulls in it. One class member, Francisco noticed there were vultures flying around a bull that was laying down. We all, 5 of us, went over to see if he was OK. He was laying right next to the fence. Well, I guess we got a little too close for him. He leaped through the fence. It was like one second on his side and the next he was in our faces. I think I yelled!! Francisco took off running and Austin did too. Austin said as soon as the bull came through the fence he looked right at him. He thought for sure he was coming after him so he took off. I , remember I am wearing sandals!!!, tried to run. I felt like is was running on ice. My feet were moving but the only direction I went was down. Yea I fell straight down, it hurt and I froze. I couldn't move I was yelling NO, NO, NO! I look up and see Austin in the learning center. I looked to my left and saw Heyter on the ground with the bull standing over him. I had no idea what just happened  I think I was still yelling NO!! Just like in the blink of an eye the bull was back on his side of the fence. Heyter and I both stood up together saying are you OK to each other. We were both fine. Austin and Francisco came back over to see to see if there was any damage done. Coming from Ademir and Heyter, the 2 that stayed to fight, it went like this. As soon as the bull came through he charged Ademir. Ademir took him by the ears and threw his head to the side. Then the bull went after Heyter. He charged but didn't touch him. Out of fear Heyter fell to the ground. Then the bull leaped back to his side.
After we all got together I think fear took us over that the only thing we knew to do was laugh. We all were talking telling our side of the story. We were a little in disbelief of what just happened. We got washed up and class was cancelled. I am so grateful I listened to that second prompting. I can't even begin to think of what would of happened if all the kids were there.
What did I learn? I will never get that close to a bull again. AND!!! I will listen to my promptings no matter how silly they seem. I don't know if I would of been able to run out of there. I think I would have because those sandals were so slick!!
One more thing to add!! Neil, my father in law, thought sandals were not shoes. I think it drove him crazy that I always wore them. We would be ready to walk out the door and he would say to me "is that what you are wearing?" Kind of in a tone like will you please go put on some real shoes. I think in the beginning he didn't know what to do with this CA girl. After I calmed down a bit today his voice was in my head "you should of had some real shoes on." Not in a I told you so way. In a way a kind father would say, I wish you listened. The first thing Spencer asked me was "what do you think my dad would of said to you?" I told him I don't have to think I KNOW!!!
 

One year in Brazil

It has been one year today since we moved to Brazil! REALLY!! It has flown by. Almost everywhere we have lived the first year was the hardest. I think WA took less time to get use to living there and Argentina was an instant love. With having past experience with this I am looking forward to this next year. I just know it will be better then our first. I feel I have to love the place before it is ripped away from us. If we moved from Ill at our year mark, we were super close, there would have been no tears over that place. I am so grateful our second year happen it was what I needed. Not only did we need to stay but it opened the door for one of my favorite friends to move to WA. Everything happens for a reason. At CA year mark there probably would have been a couple tears to fall but the following 3 years was a huge blessing to our lives. It is always the people!!! I have friends who I consider family. They are the reason the tears fall when it is time to move.  
Brazil has been the hardest on me. I pray that I can see the blessing of living here. We are happy and strong but that doesn't mean it has been easy.
While in Argentina during a Sunday School class these scriptures jumped out at me. It was a time that I needed it the most. I moment where I felt like I was the only one in the room and the Spirit was speaking right to me. These two verses I have read a lot before but they never touched me like this before.

John 14:27 ...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

I have looked back on these two verses a lot and pondered about them. Heavenly Father answered a prayer that day. He knew I needed to hear these words. That if I believe them and allow the Spirit to help me he will. As I look back this is one experience I will treasure. I have learned to relay on the Lord. I know the only way to make it through this is with Him. Our family has been blessed. I know one day we will look back on our days, in Brazil on the middle of a farm in the middle of nowhere, and know this was when our family grew the most. I am grateful for this time we have to live in a way we never have and probably never will again. 

Winter?

We have been living in Brazil for almost a year, hard to believe. (in just 3 days we will hit the year mark) We have experienced the seasons of Brazil. Let me tell you I can get use to this. We were warned how cold it gets here in the winter yet no one has heaters. I should point out that this info came from the locals who most had never seen snow in their lives. Really winter does not exist here. At least what I would call winter. This is what the weather is like. October and March are the hottest months, with almost braking 100. Between October and March is the rainy season. Like the midwest but with more rain. This is when most of the nasty bugs are out and scorpions. We haven't seen a scorpion in months. With all this extra moister you would think it would be humid but it is not. Some days you can feel it a little but it is extremely bearable. The temp is usually 80s - 90s. It is green and beautiful with everything alive. Now March to October is the dry season. We did miss the coldest month, July, but I really can't  imagine it to be that bad. There were some days where I wore a light jacket. It gets very dry and dusty. The only bugs we've seen are tics. They seem to really love Madison and Austin. Everyday they would come in with at least one on them. I never got one, never in my life have I. Dakota and Dillon only got a couple. They finally sprayed a couple weeks ago and we haven't seen one since. The temp is in the 70s and the wind howls everyday. Fires start with hardly any help. Every weekend we go to town we see a fire or evidence of one. Last week our neighbors lost a whole corn field. Spencer sent our water trucks over to help but with it being so dry it was impossible to save the field. We had a couple fires over the last 2 weeks but they were put out fast. It is pretty much shorts and sandals weather year round but you don't want to because you will get eaten alive. Not too bad! I could do without the bugs, they are the worst. If we lived in town, where the bugs are not as populated, it would be paradise.

TAM airlines

I really don't believe this could happen in the US. Spencer is traveling this week. He flew to Argentina with a layover in Rio, well he was supposed to have his layover there. He would joke with me saying that is the closet he will ever get to that city. I really want to go and I just might drag him there. Anyways, he received a e-mail on Monday, informing him of flight changes. He was leaving Tuesday morning at 5 and returning Today. They changed his flight for today. He is now flying into Sao Paulo, he has 5 hours to change airports and to get checked in to fly home. You would think that is plenty of time but the 2 airports are about a 2 1/2 hour drive through the city. If there is traffic then it would take much longer. He was not happy! He was to get on a bus for the transfer but all the buses would put him in too late and he would miss his connection. He did his best to argue with the TAM airline people. They told him he could take a taxi and they would reimburse him, it would cost 200USD. That was not acceptable to him. They argued some more and he ended up paying for a change in ticket fee of 150USD. Nope the airline would not forgive the fee. They said by law they couldn't! This is the airlines fault and they didn't really help. I am so happy that we are not with him, that would be a disaster. What do you think could airlines in the US really be able to get away with this? I don't think so! On the bright side he is getting home 3 hours earlier.



By the way right now I keep hearing macaws flying around my house. The big blue and yellow ones. I will never get use to seeing these beautiful birds. It is always exciting when we hear them coming and watch them fly. I hope to capture them with my camera. They are hard to sneak up on.

A proud moment

I have many proud moments, like when it comes to my kids and husband. Living here is HARD but my family is growing stronger everyday. That makes me proud. The moment I am talking about has to do with the learning center. This is one of the most positive places for us. It feels so good going everyday and serving. When we leave from here it will be one memory that will stay with us. Last Thursday the first class that started learning English, back in November, finished the Daily Dose program. This is huge and such an accomplishment for these 4 employees. We had a party yesterday to celebrate this achievement. They all 4 want to learn more. So today we started a new program. It will be hard and challenging. I hope they stick with it and progress even more. Such a proud teacher! 

Did I mention we LOVE going in everyday. I believe it saved us from going insane!! 

School for all

WOW! Can't believe it has been a month since I last wrote. Well we are here and alive! We started school 3 and half weeks ago. I guess if you have been wondering where we have been, that is where, school. This was my year!!! To have all my kids in school. To think I will not experience that for 6 more years, I can't, I just can't. Don't get me wrong I LOVE my kids and I know we accepted this freely and willingly but I was SO CLOSE. I try real hard not dwell on this. SO the kids they are doing great and loving school especially Dillon. It has been a challenge to keep him on task. He wants to do what he wants to do. The other day he didn't do a worksheet and when questioned about it he said I didn't want to do it. Sometimes I wish we could get away with not doing something just because I don't feel like doing it. Then he will do more then he was supposed to because he felt like it. He keeps me on my toes and busy. I wish I could see him in a real kindergarten class! The days are going by so fast I can't keep up. Before we know it it is dinner time. Usually by 2 in the afternoon we are finished with school. To help us stay busy in the afternoon we started doing centers. Rotating every half an hour doing something. The first and second station is studying Portuguese and reading the scriptures. Then we go for a walk and last we read. This is all done alone besides the walk. It has been great and has helped us so much. The kids love to learn so why not do it all day. Dillon and Madison watch the scripture stories put out by the church. They beg for them if they have down time. Then we worry about dinner. Just like that the day is over and so am I. This is what we have been doing for the last 4 weeks what about you?!!