Trips to Brazil are always full of surprises. Yesterday, Judy Hampton and I were treated to an impromptu tour of Manaus by Pastor Deonisio, and Luna, complete with fish markets, clothing boutiques, and coconut juice. It is entirely possible that Judy and I saw all 2 million people in Manaus on our 5 hour jaunt. It was mot edifying.
Not surprising is the weather here in Manaus. Unlike other aspects of our trip, the heat and humidity has been incredibly reliable. However, even that has an upside. I've always wondered whether it was physically possible to melt, and now I know: almost.
And of course, I am always surprised by the extent of the love and generosity shown to us by our Brazilian hosts. Sometimes our work seems like such a small offering to deserve the amount of gratitude and friendship that the Brazilians shower upon us. But these people have incredibly deep reservoirs of kindness to share, and just being here reminds us that we all have the capacity to live like that. The people here give us something to aspire to.
Today I started to paint a mural of the Shade and fresh Water Project logo. At least 50% of the paint ended up on the painting surface, so I consider today a success.
Tomorrow we all head out to see a bit of the Amazon on a boat. We have concocted several ways of smuggling home jungle animals, so no one should be surprised when we bring our new friends to church. Open minds, open hearts, open doors, right?
Jenna Cook
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