thanksgiving week in rio...highlights!

I am so grateful for my final full week here in Brasil. As I wrap-up here and head home on Wednesday, here are just a few highlights of this past Thanksgiving week…

- Time with both groups of friends on the streets on Monday and Tuesday. It was a special time to share some words of thanksgiving to them and give them the bracelets I bought for them. A few of the kids shared their own words of thanksgiving to Deus (God), which was a testimony to me.

- I visited the Candelaria Cathedral in downtown Rio. In 1994 eight street children were murdered in front of this church. The death squad most likely included police and had the support of local shopkeepers to remove the “thieves and nuisances.” In front of the church there are eight body profiles painted on the sidewalk, as a reminder of what happened over ten years ago. It was an impactful time inside and outside the church. I will have more on this soon…

- Rich, Rebecca, Jenna, Ben, and I went on a retreat to the beach town, Saquarema, about two hours outside of Rio (Wednesday-Saturday). This beach area is well-known to surfers here in Brasil. It was nice to get away for some rest and quiet! The town was peaceful and the beach was empty! Our hostel/hotel was right on the beach. Just what we all needed.

- Wednesday night (Thanksgiving Eve) our worship time was in a room overlooking the ocean…it just doesn’t get any better! Something about the sound of the waves, the ocean breeze, and the saltwater smell refreshes and gives me life! We sang songs of thanksgiving and gratitude to God, reflected on Psalm 116 using Lectio Divina, and shared what we were thankful for. I landed on this verse…”Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7).

- I facilitated another day retreat with God on Thanksgiving Day. We all took several hours alone with God. What a great day to have time and space for this!

- Thanksgiving night our feast was a fish dinner at local restaurant on the beach! So great to share a meal around the table with my friends here.

- Our traditional Thanksgiving meal was on Saturday at Jenna’s place. Yes, we found a turkey! Everything was covered….stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie, and more. I provided the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce, which I brought with me from home. I was impressed! Some Brasilian friends joined us for the afternoon and evening….Ludmila, Rilo, Clayton, Andre, and Tiago. It was extra meaningful for me to spend Thanksgiving with these new Brasilian friends, since I am leaving soon. The hard part was the goodbyes when the evening was over, since it was my last time to see many of these new friends.

- No Thanksgiving weekend is complete without shopping (ha!). So, I even got that in on Sunday, as I finished up my Christmas shopping here.

A full, special, and memorable Thanksgiving week here in Rio!