So here in Brazil it is natural and part of the culture to drive at least 20 miles over the speed limit. It is also natural to not watch where you are going and to change lanes without ever putting your blinker on or checking your rearview mirrors to see if anyone is there. I have had a few near death experiences and have learned to appreciate my friends driving ablilities and my own driving ablities back home.
I have also seen a difference in the way things are priced here in Brazil. Everything is SO expensive! I tried on a dress I really liked and it was 150 reis which is like 80 bucks American. This dress would be like maybe 30 dollars in the US. What a rip off. SO buying clothes here is out of the question unless its at the Hippy Fair! The Hippy Fair is a huge outdoor flee market with all sorts of hippy-esk items that can be bought at low prices. I am very excited to hopefully go there tomorrow!
Another huge difference is the amount of poverty surrounding Belo Horizonte. There are dozens of slums in which the houses consist of 2 walls attached to another 2 walls attached to another 2 walls. You could not even call them homes. It makes me incredibly sad to think about everything we have in America and the amount of stuff we have and yet we are still not satisfied with it. Why cant we be happy with our 4 bedroom 3 bath houses, our nearly new cars, closets full of clothes, and just all the stuff that comes so easily to us? We definitely do not need all of it to live. My prayer is that I would focus so much less on all that useless stuff that won’t even be coming with me to heaven and focus on God being my everything. I want to live with such a fire and passion to see God’s kingdom advanced and all of the stuff is just a distraction from my real purpose of being on this earth. This is my prayer for everyone who calls themself a Christian. If you have time look up the song “Albertine” by Brooke Fraser, it has been my theme song for this trip! I love it.
Me and Brittany outside of the girls little “Chalet”.
