Sunday

I will be so excited when I get internet in my house. I have not seem to really find a place on base that works well. I didn’t even attempt to get on yesterday. Perhaps it was the way the wind was blowing this morning but I was able to check my IrisMin Account and got messages from Amy Eaves, Flo, and Carla. My sister sends me all the details from home and they bless my socks off. I hope to get into a routine where I can write you all back and fill you all in with more details on things that are going on. Yesterday I went on a very long early morning walk with a visitor from Australia, Sue. It was nice to have a walking companion and we got a great work out. I can tell that the people here have warmed up much more to Western visitors than when I was first here. In 2007, walking for exercise would have been difficult. It is not a part of their culture and it we drew lots of unwanted attention. Now, we were not that big a deal and everyone just politely greeted us. We walked again this morning and met a family of a young mother with 4 children under 7 coming to Iris for morning church. So we helped her by hoisting two on our backs and brought them all back with us. I dropped my little one off at the church door and ran up to my house to take a shower and came back down for church. 

Last night I wanted to show Robin one of the best kept secrets of this area. We hitch hiked, much against her will, but the best way to travel around here and got dropped off a little down the road from a small “resort” just off a dirt road near the beach. The minute she saw the view, she forgot about fussing at me about jumping in the back of a truck and in trusting my broken Portuguese to get us safely where we wanted to go. The sun set there and she even cried at the beauty. I almost cried when they brought the full of flavor, variety, oh so delicious food to the table. We had a dinner I will never forget. It has been so good to have a friend here with me. It was nice to have a place to sit and talk and share and analyze and pray and eat. 

I was for some reason, exhausted after lunch today. I think the weather and all the changes and the move and the travel and everything is catching up with me. I had no energy. It is hot here but nothing like it can be, but still hotter than I guess I am use to. Also, I really have not stopped to have a day of rest in a long time. My final weeks before moving were so full and intense and there are still so many of you who called that I never even had time to call back. I never had even 30 minutes in my days prior to move to just be able to make phone calls or write. I rarely spent more than 2 nights in the same place. I have felt like I have been running a marathon for months now and the race to get here is finally over and I have to stop for a bit and catch my breath. Yet, I did hit the ground running here too. I have made trips into town and had meetings and had kids over and been jumping in the back of flagged down trucks. So I just woke up from a nap. I still haven't swam in the ocean. Cassandra and Steve arrive on Wednesday and I look forward to their arrival. As does my friend Sophia. We met in mission school. She is incredibly creative and artistic. We have had the idea for a long time about setting up a www.etsy.com account with handicrafts, dresses, bags and other things our girls make. Not as much to make money but to teach the girls that they can create their own fashions. The fabrics here are unique and beautiful and could fit in www.anthropologie.com. We just want to see what could come of assisting them in creating something unique. Sophia is Koren and a foodie, more reasons I adore her.