Mondays...

I have needed to remind myself a few times today that it's labor day in the US. I have also needed to look at the calendar multiple times because I never thought it would be 90 degrees on a daily basis in September. I will only get more confused as the days go by and it gets warmer and closer to summer.

Yesterday was a wonderful day to relax, and was much needed. I slept in and then Gwen and I went to lunch at Pastor Bianco's house. There are 3 pastors of Igreja Missionaria Central: Jhonatas, Bianco, and Israel. The Bianco family had us over for lunch and it was nice to spend some time with them. After lunch I returned back to a nap. Who knew knew I could sleep so much, but I think I need to grab as much of that as I can, especially still having a sore throat. The city is really loud, so I don't think I sleep very well at night as I'm getting used to the sounds of trucks and motorcycles roaring by my apartment. Brazilians are very late-night people, so there is basically commotion 24/7. Fun, and not a problem until you start waking up every hour on the hour when you only have a few to sleep.

This morning I went to the seminary office to help Gwen with some filing and check-writing. I'm still hoping to begin studying Portuguese this week but it looks as though there may be some schedule conflicts. Those are still being looked into. After a morning at the office we went to the Monday missionary prayer meeting. I finally got to meet the rest of the folks with OMS. I had met some here and there, but it was nice to sit and spend some time with other people who are with the same organization. I look forward to seeing more of them, at least next week at prayer meeting.

On the drive home I was talking with Gwen about my favorite topic: my visa. The longer I'm here, the more I start to think that I will be coming home in November. I have no idea why I wasn't given a five year visa and it frustrates me to no end and quite frankly makes me sick to my stomach. I really need your prayers that I would firstly trust what in the world God is doing because everything points to the fact that I need to stay in Brazil for longer than a measley 90 days, and secondly that I could renew the visa that I have. There is now a question of whether or not it is renewable, meaning I would have to go back to the US and repeat the application process. That would be incredibly impractical, considering airfare, and maybe impossible. I'm so frustrated about that and I think it's because I'm holding onto it too tightly. I need to let it go and allow God to handle what He can handle. But I am so worried about that - even moreso now that I am here and I know what I will have to say goodbye to.

I wish I had more exciting things to talk about, but the truth is that it's hard sometimes. I'm really lonely because I'm stuck in this muted cell called "the English language in Brazil." I won't pretend everything is easy and great and all smiles, but I will never deny that I am right where I am supposed to be. I just have no idea what God is doing. No idea at all.