Risking it all, I’m going to start with some possibly good news and then I’ll delve into where I’ve been for the past week. No, the good news doesn’t have to do with the immigration process, but I do hope that this latest development will leave me in better communication with all of you.
Today I got tired of the confusion of Cesar trying to get an internet worthwhile and took matters into my own hands. Wattyna (my sister-in-law) and I went to Apanet (our current provider) and, little did I know, the owner is her ex-boyfriend (on good terms). So she decided to stop and talk with him about our connection issues and he said he’d work with me directly. When he found out I had some background in designing websites, he said he knew several people looking for websites and that maybe we could work out a deal and I could earn some spending money (I can’t earn anything significant because of my visa, but I don’t think trading services counts… right)? Soooo…. I could get the best or pretty crazy good internet here for a very low price and/or something to keep me occupied (that I actually like to do).
Now, I’ll try not to do the day-by-day of this past week or many of you might fall asleep, but my sister-in-law from Brasilia (Marli) came in town and it’s been fabulous. She’s amazing and I’m liking the ideas she’s thrown out not just to help make things easier for me and better for our marriage, but we might spend a week or less in Brasilia before I go to the States. Cesar needs to take the car there no matter what, so I’ll go with him. Flights are cheaper from Brasilia to Sao Paulo than from Maraba, the closest airport to Tucuma. I hope to be able to see some sites there and a bit more of Brazil before my brief return.
Most of my time this past week has been on the farm, soaking up Marli’s wisdom, learning some new recipes and trying to keep Audrey out of the chickens (the kids kept leaving the door only semi-closed and she would get in and chase the chickens everywhere).
Cesar and I, in the past few days, have had some pretty good discussions and I’m hoping we can re-orient the errors we’ve made and move in the direction we’re now moving. We’ve had some impressing purchases that we think will, with patience, really pay off. I can’t say I’m not financially worried; I’m especially worried about our business in the States. I’ve heard some economic news that worries me quite a bit. But all we can do is move forward and be wise. So… That’s this week’s prayer request– progress in wisdom.
Much love and missing you all, but hopefully soon I’ll have an internet that will keep me in contact 100 times what I’ve had since my arrival in Brazil.