November in Brazil

NOVEMBER 17 

It has been a long time since I last wrote.  It took me a while to adjust to my return to Brazil.  It is shell shock all over again.  Here I go. I so enjoyed my visit to Wichita Falls.  I got to see my precious son, Ben, go to Grace Church, see The Last Straw beautifully decorated for Christmas, and see many precious friends.  I was spoiled by my K-group with dinner & goodies in my room, I got to shop with Ben at Sam's and Market Street and eat dinner with friends at all the places I have missed so much.  Thank you Susan Threlkeld for the shopping & the cookies.  For everyone's time I am most grateful.  What a treat to have Red Lobster again and Jean's Tasty Burgers with Onion Rings.  Oh my!  I visited my doctor's and got mostly good reports.  I need to watch my blood sugar a bit closer but my weight was down and he was pleased with that. I then traveled to yet another doctor in Atlanta and had some scary moles removed and spent a couple days with Gail and Drake Saylors.  The blessing was that all the summer clothes were REALLY on sale and that is what I needed.  I was able to get many cool clothes for less than half what I would have paid if they were fresh off the racks.  God is so good.  Then I was off to Mom's and a wonderful 2 weeks with her.  She is doing great except for pain in her back and just Tuesday was given an epidural to try to relieve some of the pain.  I sure do hope it works and so does she.  Her quality of life would be so much better if that pain wasn't there.  We watched TV (Food Channel), visited with my cousins, Angela and Brenda Gayle, visited with lots of friends, shopped a bit but mostly spent quality time together.  I have really missed that a lot.  Meredith got to come for a weekend and that was so much fun to have 3 generations together.  I left on November 1 to come back and it has been a good 18 days so far.  I got to meet with our friends and deliver surprises from the states.  I especially enjoyed delivering the licorice to Ben Rodgers.  He was most pleased.  We have grilled with the Atkisson's and the Rodger's and I got to go to a birthday celebration at Kyle Ice's Home for Nancy Goulding.  We had such a good time driving there.  It is in a community called Valinhos and it took us around 30 minutes to get there but it certainly was a great trip.  I finally told Mary Cavese that she would ride shotgun on the way home.  I have never been a good map person but Nancy was most patient and in the end we did get there ok.  Kyle & Sam's house has 13 bathrooms.  It is just another "Beverly Hills" type home.  Guest house, Pool, Barbeque area (with bedroom & bath) and the most beautiful yard you have ever seen.  I understand now why she sticks close to home most of the time.  Plus it is really a drive.  She is always so sweet to give me rides and now that I know how far she comes I am REALLY grateful. I am back to taking Portuguese class, working on my rug, and visiting my favorite restaurant, Romano's.  It will be lonely as Mary & Joe Cavese are celebrating his 60th birthday on a cruise around South America (rough life), Kyle Ice is visiting her Dad for two weeks and Nancy is going with her husband to Switzerland.  I guess they are paying me back for being gone 3 weeks.  Some good things are on the horizon though:  We pick Katherine and Jim (John's sister & her husband) up at the airport on Saturday morning and we will go to the beach & to a village shopping.  They will be here a week.  We will totally ignore the fact that Clemson and South Carolina play on Saturday especially since Jim is a law professor there.  Then, Meredith and John will be coming for Christmas.  That will make the time fly by. A lot has happened the last couple weeks.  Shirley & Larry now have 14 grandchildren with the arrival of Champ Reeves and Kinsley Kate Canter.  We lost a dear friend from Wichita Falls, James Hickman.  His wife Nelda was one of my bosses at The Last Straw.  What a sweet man.  It is hard to be so far away when something like this happens.  Another birth that has brought me great joy is Kendall York, Ashley Aiken York's new little girl.  It is a great treat to look at Her Blog every week to watch her change.  While I was in Chattanooga one of my Dad's dear friends passed away.  He and his wife were really there for me when Daddy was sick so I was very glad to be there for his wonderful service.  It was done by my childhood pastor, J. Ralph McIntyre and was a precious, sweet service. 

We have seen two answers to prayer.  1:  The Fore's crate had been sitting in port in Sao Paulo since June.  I told John to call Hank Carter at First Baptist, WF, and tell him to get people to pray.  That next DAY they called to say it would be delivered the next week.  We rejoice.  It was delivered on Tuesday and it was like Christmas at their house going through the boxes.  2:  A couple we have met here Francisco & Marisa Salles (in their 60's) have had to move out of their apartment and sell their car because he does not have a job.  This very bright man (educated at Vanderbilt with a PHD) is very humbled as he has known great jobs before and made much money.  A friend from their church gave them an apartment to live in here in Campinas.  They were going to lease one of their parking spaces to make money.  Each apartment has 2 spaces.  The man that wanted to lease their space was looking for a man with his degree.  He brought him an application.  He may be able to start work in January.  Isn't that just wonderful???John had a wonderful time traveling to plants in Europe with his co-worker, Paulo.  They visited many beautiful places and met many nice people.  He is still struggling with the Portuguese Language.  Please pray that we would pick up this language so we can communicate with the wonderful people here in Brazil.  Our teachers are most patient with us but it is the most difficult thing John and I have had to do in our adult life.We have made our first big purchase here.  Probably our only big purchase.  We bought a bed and desk.  Thanks to Jan Rodgers who went with me and Cynthia Fore.  It was an ordeal and would have truly put me over the edge were it not for her calm nature.  After trying to use 4 cards we finally had to call John to bring a check.  Mike Rodgers also came for support.  It took all five of us to buy the bed.  Oh MY I hope it is comfortable! There is 3 hours difference EST and 4 hours difference CST now. When you FALL back we FALL forward.  Also, it is SUMMER HERE.  I thought after I went on the mission trip with Grace Church that I would never take a cold shower again.  Now I take 2-3 a DAY!!!  I miss you all very much.  I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  There is so much to be thankful for.  I am especially thankful for you, our wonderful family and friends.