Day 8: 

"A true friend shows love at all times, And is a brother who is born for times of distress" Proverbs 17:17. Service from 10-6, meeting at 6:15, dinner at 10, and picking up our 5th roommate from the airport at 11. No wonder we had a meltdown in the street tonight! The overwhelming feeling of being a fish out of water- swallowed up by the unfamiliar and engulfed by the anxiety of feeling unsure and uncomfortable hit us tonight like a ton of bricks.

The service day began with search work like I had never done before. Walking down streets and speaking in intercoms, asking in Portuguese if any foreigners lived in the building or if anyone knew if there were native English tongues in the area was frightening at first. As the morning progressed, I learned that once you get past the initial frustration and fear of getting a response in Portuguese, search work was actually quite fun and interesting. In the afternoon, I joined a Brazilian sister, Beatrice, for a study with a college student from Greece. It amazed me how much they both knew about history, philosophy, European authors- I felt so uneducated and very small at that moment and time with my limited knowledge of American history and lack of cultural experience. After a while of their "small talk", Beatrice had asked her student, in a friendly and playful tone, when she had planned to come to a meeting. At this, I was shocked to hear the girl's response that she was scared to go for fear that she did not have the proper knowledge! Here she was, quoting Homer and Socrates, reciting political and historical facts like it was nothing but the Bible and the meetings scared her and made her feel uneducated?! Suddenly, I felt a new appreciation for what knowledge and training I do possess. I did not feel so small. Instead, I felt a certain joy and gratitude to have chosen the path that I have and I was excited to show somebody else the way- to teach them about the most important thing there is to learn.

At the meeting tonight, we were all feeling the effects of the full service day- the frustration from the  language barrier, the miles of walking up and down the cobblestone streets, the hours of searching for somebody who could understand us. It is, in the English speaking congregation, the norm to make service plans on Saturday after meetings for the week. This is because the group only meets Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:30 in the afternoon so any other days are up to you to figure out. Such a desperate situation to be scheduling your whole week; bouncing between people you just met and have some degree of difficulty understanding, passing emails back and forth, trying to read territory maps... I'm pretty sure I had a panic attack at that moment and all I could think of were my friends and family back home- the comfortable and the familiar and the loved. 

So, Proverbs 17:17.  As we awaited the bus to take us back to the apartment, I discovered that I was not the only one in a state of panic. We cried, we laughed, but ultimately- we decided that we will get through this together. Our reliance is ultimately on Jehovah, in His hands, and we are here to support each other and grow stronger despite the struggles. We have made it this far- one week down. Tomorrow, I will get to know Tanisha, the newest edition of our small family and we will tour the historic museums with Fabio, Patrick, and Cassio. It will be a fun and promising day; day 9!