Dreams, cement, sunshine and discipline.

What a week! Tuesday was a day, especially. It all started on Monday...

Mar came home from Spain. Good to have her back. She gave Susy and I the 411 tonight, all about how we're here to serve, they want to give us enough to do, we're here to leave our mark with the children, it's not easy, we can't be spending all our time on computers and such like, separated from the children. It was good to hear - gentle but firm, just what I needed. I have a real weakness for spending countless hours doing nothing on the computer. The first week and a half here was good for me as I kept to a discipline of being with the children in the afternoon/evening, then having time to myself and God. Then Mar went away, and left me her computer. I was becoming comfortable, and that's not why I'm here. So, it was a gentle but firm reminder, and so I've kept off the computer for this week (also, having Mar back means she is using her computer, so I don't really have the opportunity to do so...) I told her how I've been feeling as well - that I realised I was getting comfortable, but also that I felt I wasn't being given enough to do, and I thought some of the ways things were done were a bit weird. Like how the children are treated/disciplined - not necessarily the way I've been brought up or the way I would do things. I have to remember that they have been here for 10 years doing things, so they do know how to handle the situation... I can have some say in things, though.

Monday itself was spent re-cobbling a path up to the volleyball court. This blog should also be being written on a shiny new Acer laptop, which I was going to buy for 99€ on Monday! However, I then discovered it was 99€ for the first month, followed by 36 months of 36€ instalments. So, more like 1400€.

For the rest of this week, we've been surfacing a new football pitch/all weather sports thing, because the people who first did the cement layer didn't do it very well so it's uneven so there are places where water collects. Next we're putting down astro turf. It's all been mixing cement and to and froing with 'barrows of the stuff. Heavy, heavy work, but a good opportunity to 'go to the gym' haha! It has also been REALLY hot here (probably aided by the fact that we've been working hard...), and I keep forgetting that it's still February! I got sunburnt on my nose, so freckles are on their way. Wicked dan. Sr Jorge (the guy doing the surfacing) apparently said I'm very good at mixing cement. That's quite cool. The pitch has been basically funded through donations, including 23000€ from a transport company whom we don't really know! Not quite sure how they found out about the Refuge - maybe through the internet or something - but they had money and said 'We'll give you this towards the end of the building work' so it's being used for the final bit, I think. Awesome!

I had such a weird dream the other night. Dom, Josh and I were swimming in the sea and we had an umbrella. We were all praying, and a storm came, we cried out to God and a lightning bolt hit the umbrella and it was taken up to the sky, just like in a sci-fi film or something. Then, I was at an house party and some clouds came over. I had the most incredible sensation of excitement and anticipation knowing the God was about to speak - I was going to hear Him! I was standing outside in the mud, when the mud infront of me bulged as if there was somebody underneath. Then I heard Him say, 'Joshua, son of Jaybel [or jezebel or something, I can't quite remember], tunnelled between the Israelites and the Ephralites.' And I heard the number 'twenty two'. I mean, what on earth does that mean?! I read Joshua 22, which was actually really good, but nowt about tunnlling, so I read every verse 22 in both Joshua and Judges, and there was still nothing. Very,. very odd. I was so convinced it was a dream from God - I can even remember thinking at the time 'I must remember this because it is God speaking to me'.

I've been feeling culture shock this week. I never wanted it to come, but I guess I always knew it would. It's not the greatest thing. 1 Peter is continuing to invade my quiet times (which have been far more regular this week :)). In particular, 1 Peter 4 v8 is great: 'continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins' - transgenerational forgiveness, anyone? Naomi also told me to read 1 Peter 1 vv 3-9 which I'd read before but hadn't been back to it for a few weeks. It was bang on target to tackle me how I'm feeling right now.

Wednesdayday afternoon, we listened to Vivaldi's 'Spring' with the kids (then some Beethoven on Thursday) and we had to draw what we imagined listening to it. I drew a chap and a lass walking under a big tree. He wore tails, she wore a petticoat and held a parasol. Miguel saw it and was amazed, so took it to Loida who showed everyone and they were all like 'Wooooow!' and now Miguel has kept it. Then in the evening Jorge asked me to draw him a tree. How funny.

I've also been given a timetable to work with the kids - Monday to Wednesday evenings I spend an hour with the older kids individually doing English, because they're all doing badly at school, apparently. Then I spend 45 minutes doing sport with Jorge (and I guess anyone else who wants to join) because he needs to get fitter. It's good to have some direction.

We're going to Coimbra on Sunday, which should be fun, and on Monday there's a carnaval which we're all getting dressed up for and going to! Very exciting! The kids have gone off to a camp today until Tuesday, so we don't have anything to do here. It0s really nice to have a big break...

Até logo! x