And Three Weeks Later He Returns From Hiding

Ooops, I kinda forgot to post on here for a while. This is my last day in Brazil, so luckily I have one more chance to catch you up on the last three weeks of my trip. First of all, my internship at SBT became more busy leading up to the finale of Idolos. That's my excuse for not posting for so long, so I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. About a week before the show ended, I was assigned with the task of taping for a special "Behind the Scenes" peice that will be on the Idolos DVD when it comes out. It was great experience, but it kept me busy throughout every day because I always had to be ready to capture what was taking place behind the scenes of the show's production.

About a week ago, the show ended, and so did my internship at SBT. I spent most of the last week resting, which was a good change of pace from living/working at SBT 24 hours a day for 5 days a week. By now I've had more than enough rest, and I look back on my last week wishing I might have made a little more of an effort to do something productive. I did manage to spend some time volunteering at Escola do Futuro, the school that my Brazilian friends at Liberty graduated from. That was a good experience, because I felt like I was giving back just a small portion of everything the people in this country have done to welcome me and make me feel at home.

During the last week, my friends have been asking me, "Is there anything else you want to do before you leave Brazil?" As I look back on my two months, there is only one thing I wish I could have done that I didn't. I never did anything signifigant to help the poverty that is such a visable problem here. I guess I could console myslef by saying the money I gave to the church here will help, or I could say that time I spent volunteering at the school will make a positive impact in the lives of the kids I met. But I look back on my experience here, and I can't think of anything I did that will make a tangible difference. I guess the small things every day count for something, but I feel like there is more that can be done. I still don't know exactly what can be done, because if I knew, I would do it. At the very least, I think I've come to this realization: I'm going to have to come back to Brazil.

My adventure doesn't have to end when I get on the plane tomorrow. I remember about a month ago, I was standing in the streets of Sao Paulo and taking in everything around me...the way everything felt different than it did in the United States. I thought to myself, "How adventurous!" Then I realized, I shouldn't have to be in the middle of Brazil to appreciate the adventure that life holds. The adventure was much easier to see in that moment, because my surroundings were out of the ordinary. But I had an epiphany: every day has the opportunity of being an adventure, regardless of where I'm living. His plan is our adventure, and it always will be our adventure, as long as we choose to follow Him wherever He leads us. I have a feeling He will lead me to Brazil again, and I have a feeling that He will allow me the priviledge of helping others while I am here. But I don't have to wait until my next trip to live an adventure. There is an adventure waiting for me every day, I only have to wake up and choose to follow the One who will lead me to it.