June 14, 2009

Kristin here. Okay it's been a while since we have updated this. So I will start where I left off.
Thurday. The final day of medical clinic. The morning was a little slower than normal. Lindsey, Collin and I started the day sitting in with Dr. Chuck Taylor. It is interesting to sit in and listen to the people. Then we moved to the vitals. We took blood pressure and weight. Lindsey had a little friend help her. A little boy would not leave her side. He pressed the button on the blood pressure thing for her. So cute! Then it was lunch break. Lindsey and Collin stayed at medical clinic throughout the remainder of the day. They said it was more crowded in the afternoon. They were at vitals most of the day. From what I heard, all went well and Lindsey's little boy stayed by her side! And at the end of the night when they got in the Kombe to leave, he tried to leave too. Lindsey had to tell him he couldn't come. :( I was not at the afternoon clinic. Instead, I went to help out at a VBS at the church in Guadalajara. Steve took a group of us to lunch, then dropped us off at VBS. We did crafts, games, bible story, and snack. It was great to see the smiles on the kids faces! Everyone returned for dinner and down time at the Alcance.
Friday. Three new team members arrived for construction and English camp. We got to sleep in! Yay! We didn't have to be ready to leave until 10:30am. We then drove to Recife for a day of shopping and a Brazilian steakhouse. We started at the mall. A different atmosphere than what we had been in. Things were very expensive. Most clothing items cost 100 hais or more, which is about 50 dollars. Lindsey, Collin, Alyssa, and I all walked around together. Lindsey bought one shirt, and I bought a dress. One of the few reasonable items we saw! Oh and the coolest things we saw...kids in inflatable balls running around in water. Looked like so much fun!! Then we went to a Brazilian steakhouse. There is a salad bar and some sides that you can go get, then they bring meat after meat to your table. Yum! Then last but not least...dessert! So many options...cheesecake, chocolate cake, mousse, and much more! We were all stuffed after that! Next was the beach. There were little booths with handmade items. We did some shopping there, then walked over to the beach. White sand, and clear water. Wonderful! We didn't have much time there, but it was lots of fun! Our final stop of the day, the airport. Six of our medical team members left. It was sad to see them go. We had lots of fun serving with them throughout the week!
Saturday. Construction day #1. We had lots of cabinets that had to be painted white. That was the main task for the day. Lindsey and I were not the best painters either...we had more on us and the floor than we should have had. :) We also had some laundry to do, so we got that done during our down time. Also during the day there was a Pastor Conference going on. Collin decided to sit in on that. To finish the day, we went for a swim and hung out around the Alcance.
Monday. Relaxing day. Right after breakfast, we went to the blanket shop. They had everything. Purses, hammocks, blankets, place mats, etc. We all got a little something. Then we can back to Alcance. After lunch, Collin went outside to help with the cement for the putt-putt course. He helped the guys mix and pour the cement. Lindsey and I painted one last cabinet. Then we read our books and took a nap. After dinner, we had some down time. Karine (Tele's oldest daughter) let us borrow some nail polish, so we painted our nails. Then we learned to play Bohnanza. Seth, Kari, David, Rebecca, David and Alyssa all played as well. Lindsey won, but I think that was mainly because everyone helped her! :) That concluded our day.
Today. After breakfast, we made another morning stop, only this time to the flip flop shop. It is just down the road, so a group of us walked there. We didn't buy anything, but it was fun to look. When we got back, we had some work to do. Lindsey, Collin, and I all went out to help with cement for the putt-putt course again. Mixing, pouring, and leveling. We worked on that til lunch. After lunch, preparations for English camp began. Signs had to be painted, and other small tasks. Now we are just enjoying some down time. Tonight...we are going out to dinner to a place called Boca Loca. I have heard it is amazing, but I will have to let you know after I try it.
Once again, I think I caught you up to where we are. The next 3 days we will be helping with English camp. It starts at 8:30am and goes til 4:30pm. Please pray for us throughout these days, and also for the campers who will be attending. Also, I have been down some today, because I have not been feeling the best. Please pray that I could get back to good health, and that Lindsey and Collin would stay in good health. Thanks for your continued support.

Also, Seth added some pictures to his facebook, so check them out!