Well I promised I would write more so here it goes. Brazil was absolutely amazing. I loved it. Every minute of it.... minus the nasty bug bites that caused my ankles to swell to balloons and have now left scars, but they just added to the excitement. I have told so many people that I would have happily stayed in Brazil and missed the plane back to California. The people, the culture, the lifestyle, the simplicity. I loved it all. Sure there are corrupt things going on down there just as there is up here, but I felt like I fit in. Talking to people about Jesus was easy there... I found myself excited to go out to do evangelism and dreaded the time in hotels. I wanted to sleep little and soak it all in. I wanted to go out on the town and see what life is like and I loved being welcomed into homes to share a meal. Aside from a few times where we were dragging upwards of 15 or 16 suitcases down the cobblestone roads and through parades trying to find our way around and keep everyone together I didn't feel like a foreigner. Sure I didn't speak the language, but it hardly seemed to be a problem. The baseball camp was fantastic... sure i know absolutely nothing about playing baseball but I got to hang out with a lot of kids for those very full four days and loved it. They were full of energy and many of them were full of attitude, but they heard the gospel.. and they kept coming. It was so neat to see them so excited about baseball... they would show up to camp over an hour early. It was amazing. Curitiba was different. We hung out with their church and it was a blast. We got to attend their church retreat and just hang out and play soccer and sing songs and get to know them. I loved it.

Then I came home. I was culture shocked and became so irritated with Americans and how vain we are. I was hearing Solomon in my head saying that it's all vanity. Yet guilty as the rest of them the first stop on the way home was starbucks. I wanted to turn around and go back to Brazil, but this week has been a good time of really wrestling with God. I am supposed to be here right now. I have been wanting to move for going on a year, but still I remain. I like SLO, but I have the desire to go do something else... but God has me here. I need to stop looking to the next step and enjoy where the Lord has me. HE has me in thriving ministries and in a mission field. I am learning to rest in the Lord where I am. I have moved around a lot and although it's the easy option I am choosing to stay put because God is making it so clear that it's what His best is. I want His best!

I learned so much in Brazil. GOd rekindled my passion for Him. I am stoked to see what God is doing and where He's taking me even here in San Luis Obispo. God is amazing!!