Oi!

Hi! I made it to Brazil! It looks like I will not have internet as much as I thought, but I want to send a quick update on what I have done so far. I do not have long, we are getting ready for a big party here tomorrow for the children at the center.
After I arrived in Rio, I was met by Mr. Way, the assistant director here at the center. He is originialy from South Caroline, but has lived in Brazil for 47 years as a missionary! He is a very kind man and has been very good to me. We drove right away to the center. On the way I was shocked to see the favelas everywhere. Favelas are large areas full of shacks, they go up the side of hills and are all stacked on top of each other. They go on for miles and miles. The poverty in these areas is like nothing I have ever seen before. We drove striaght to the center, which is located at the bottom of a favelas. The Center has been here for years and they have a good relationship with the people that live around it. I got a quick tour and then we headed to Camp Clay, a camp that is apart of the center. It was about two hours away and that is where I go my first taste of how people drive in Brazil! People, bikes, motorcylcle-like things, and cars all seem to use the same space. People drive really fast and do not really follow the traffice rules! The camp is way up in the hills and it was a little scary going up the curvy roads that are so close to the edge, however it was worth is because the camp was one of most beautiful things I have ever seen! Banana bushes, avacado trees and all kinds of plant life everywhere! After our trip to camp I was really tired so Dr. Bonfim (the doctor at the center) took me to the home of the family I am staying with. Their home is right on Copacabana beach! It takes about 2 minutes to walk there from the apartment! The home is really nice and the family has been extremely welcoming! I went to bed really early on wednesday night!
I got up thursday morning and Dr. Bonfim and his daughter Vivan were there to help teach me how to take the bus! After breakfast (bread and coffee, really strong coffee) we headed to the bus. I learned how to take the bus and we rode together to the Center. We hung out at the center for a little while (Vivan gave me some portueges lessons!) and then we rode back to my family´s home. I spent the evening with Isa and Sara, two members of the family I am staying with. We had a girls night! We walked on the beach, went to see the propsal (in english with subtitles), and then went for pizza! Oh! and I had my first fresh coconut milk! they cut the top off and you drink the juice and then cut it all the way open and eat the coconut, yum!
This brings me to today, which started with my first bus ride by myself to the center! It was not as bad as I thought, though it took me about 45 minutes to get a bus to stop and pick me up. You have to wave like crazy and throw yourself out into oncoming traffice to get them to stop! It is about a 30 minute bus ride to the center. Today, I have been helping get things together for the garage sale tomorrow they are having along with the party! As I was going through the clothes and sorting them, I laughed because they were from churches from South Caroline, North Caroline, and Alabama and I recgonized things from the t-shirts. There was a Davidson baby outfit (thought you might like that Rachel), Auburn shirt!, UNC shirt and many other things from the US. We also did some decorating for the party. Well, I have to run, but thanks for all of the prayers!