My View

So, I have a beautiful view from my balcony.



Seriously, now. Breakfast to this? I'll take it.


Let me change that first sentence. I had a beautiful view from my balcony.


A hotel is in the midst of being built on the property behind the Alcance.
This doesn't mean there will be a comfortable place to stay. It means there will be yet another place for men and their mistresses to meet. This will be a place where cars pull into the hotel, completely hiding the car, so as not to be identified. Most likely, it will have a name like "Blue Love Hotel" , "Aphrodites Hotel", "Good Time Hotel" or something equally classy.


Ever since I got here, in January, I have been watching the building process and every time I have breakfast on my balcony I pray that the Lord would change the hearts of the people constructing it, that Brazil would turn from this industry, and if it is constructed, that the children of the school will be protected physically and spiritually.

That was until this morning.


This morning I woke up and went out to my balcony to have breakfast and saw THIS:


A second story.

SERIOUSLY NOW!?

Not only are they building a shady motel behind my apartment, but now they are obstructing my view!

Dude. I was not happy. My food couldn't be swallowed. How many stories up are they going to go?! Errgh. My breakfasts are forever ruined.

And then I realized how I was acting. I am way more angry about this stupid hotel now that my view is obstructed...my view. A beautiful view, yes....but still. A view.

My prayers before were requests. My prayers today were demands.

What the heck? If I thought it was wrong before, why were my prayers casual? It's not any more wrong now, but it's in my way...so, now my prayers are persistant. If I really loved the people constructing it, Brazil, and my students...wouldn't my prayers be more insistant just at the idea?

And how often do I actually pray like this?
Why do we pray casually until our personal view is obstructed?

Just hangin out by a moat full of sand dollars, that's all.

The last couple of weeks have been eventful. They've included a professional soccer game, a group of Americans, and the beach.

The soccer game was awesome.

I've been to one other soccer game. It was great fun. But it was different. Our host took care of us. It was mellow...at least not a bordering on a stampede...and the stadium didn't shake.

But this game was fun. After running down the street and finding tickets, we were hearded into a gate as we held our ticket high. We gave our tickets away and were directed up the stairs. Problem is that there were about a thousand people trying to get up the stairs simultaneously. Never in my life have I been in such close quarters with that many sweaty men...and I grew up playing sardines with 8 brothers.

As we worked our way through the corridor, our group held tightly onto each others' shoulders. At one point, people were closing in from both sides. In my mind I turned into a PowerPuff Girl, put my hand on their big, nasty, sweaty faces, and shoved as I shouted "Nope! Not gonna happen!". As the guy to my left tried to pick himself up out of the stampede of people that had decided to step on him, in leau of going around his flailing body, the guy whimpered "Wow. This girl's strong." I looked at him, shook my head, and said, "Don't you try to break our line, Buster!"

Ok. It may not have happend exactly like that. But the point is that there were a lot of people and everyone wanted to go to the same place. It was intense. And I had PowerPuff powers.

So, we finally ascended the stairs and found some seats.
Wow! Was it a beautiful field! Big and green.
And guess what? It had a moat around it! Yeah! A moat! I wanted to go play on it, just for that.

Our team lost. But it was a good game. With lots of pretty saves by the goalkeeper.

A couple days later we headed to the beach. Coquerinho is a stunningly beautiful beach. We all got sunburned and found live sand dollars under our feet. Amazing.

Hi Message!

So, I had this assignment due tonight. A little known fact is that, I, Emily Taylor, am a perfectionist. Sigh...I hate turning in work that I don't have a complete grasp on. But after way too many hours of work, it was turned it. I wasn't happy about it, though.

Then I got home, where I found a message from my brother, Andy, and my nephews, James (5) & Josh (3). Seriously now. Best.message.ever.

The words in italics were said to me. The rest were overheard amongst the men.
James: Umm...Hey Emily, I'm sorry I didn't call you in three days. Ummm....we're at home on a rainy day. It's almost Spring. Soo, we're just sittin' on the couch and readin' books right now. This is your nephew, James. Bye!
Andy: No! Let Josh talk.
Josh: 'Ello! (long pause)
Andy: Leave a message.
Josh: Hi Message!
Andy: No. Say "Hi Emily"
Josh: Hi Emily!
James: Say "This is Josh"
Josh: It's Josh.
James: And now say a lot of things that you know.
Andy: Say "We miss you".
Josh: We miss you.
Andy: Anything else?
Josh: Her not answering me.
Andy: And ask her if she...say "I want to build a fort when you get back"
Josh: I want to build a fort when you get back.
James: Did you see the frog?!
Josh: Yeah.
James: Dad!
Andy: And...how...about...you hope she's doing alright.
Josh: Are you doin' alright?
Andy: And say "I hope you have a good sleepin'"
Josh: I...
James: And tell her that we hope we get a Frosty sometime when she gets back.
Andy: Say "goodnight".
Josh: Good night!
Andy: And say I love you James.
Josh: I love you, James!
Andy: No James, say "I love you, Emily".
James: I love you, Emily!
Andy: Alright say buh-bye.
Josh: Buh-bye
Andy: Bye Emily!
Josh: How you turn dis off?
Andy: You press this. Press this button.

How could I be frustrated after hearing a message like that?