Past Month and a Half

Alright, so I've been super slow in updating since I got back from my trip to the interior - in fact I've been to Peru and now back for a week since getting back from the interior. I've sat down to update this at least 4 times now, and the fact is, I just don't know where to start after over a month in the interior. So let me start with just an overview list:

• I traveled about 1300 miles by boat on the Amazon.
• I saw some of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen - I tried uploading some pictures here on the blog but it was taking forever.
  
• I saw plenty of Toucans, Macaws, Monkeys, Snakes, and Freshwater Dolphins.
• I ate alligator, chicken feet, piranha, açaí, fruits that I have no idea what the names are, fresh Brazil Nuts and lots and lots of fish and rice!
• I made this food called farinha - it's a big deal down here!
  
• I played soccer, a lot.
• I preached 7 times - in Portuguese - for as long as 40 minutes one time!
• I took apart the engine of a Rabeta - it's the preferred way to get around the river, an engine that you connect to your canoe.
• I also got to pilot a rabeta for a good two-three hours on our way back from a community one day.
• I heard a lot of Eminem and Rihanna, Hey Soul Sister by Train, and some classic Linkin Park (my favorite).
  
• I was a translator for a group of Americans for about 4 days.
  
• Then I went to Peru for a training where I ate all the American food that I've been missing these last few months - Donuts from Duncan Donuts, Chips, Salsa and Fajitas from Chile's, Chicken from KFC, and Pizza from Papa John's.

So what exactly did we do?
We first went to a town called Alverães. Our stop there was only supposed to last about 2-3 days in order to talk with some missionaries there - unfortunately boat schedules aren't always the most reliable and we were stuck there an extra week before heading out to Santo Antônio do Içá. We stayed there for two weeks. We visited a few river communities while there, and met some current American missionaries that are also living out there. Then we headed out to Tefé, which is right next door to our original destination of Alverães. We were here during Carnaval, which is more or less like Brazil's version of Mardi Gras. We met an American team there and did a whole lot of evangelism. As I said earlier, I was a translator for the group! Then we came back to Manaus. I was here for about 4 days and then I went off to Peru for 5 days of training and, as I said, eating!

Prayer
"Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!" Psalm 67:3-5
Pray these verses over the people in Santo Antônio do Içá.

That's the quick of my last month and a half. I could go into more specifics, but I know that people a lot of times don't like long blogs, and a lot of the stuff we did was very Brazilian, I wouldn't know how to succinctly explain it all.