2009

The very first words I spoke in 2009 were in Portuguese. The very first thoughts I thought in 2009 were in Portuguese. The very first dream I dreamt in 2009 was in Portuguese (at least half Portuguese, and the other half English). That may not sound like much to you, but to me it’s something incredible special. Something that I honestly cannot explain. To think of how much I have grown, learned, and experienced in this last year astonishes me! God has taught me so much, He has broken me down at times, but always builds me back stronger. The reason I am who I am today, the reason I have grown so much in this last year, is all because of God. I have been blessed in SO many ways, I cannot get over it. And all I can do is respond with gratefulness to Jesus Christ, my everything.

Well, I spent Christmas here in Brasil. It was different, for sure. I’m not sure if it was to different from America as a whole. It wasn’t quite as commercialized. There were lights, and some music, and commercials etc., but not quite to the extent that we have in America. It was however like America in that it was all just about getting presents. Yes it is about family as well, just in a different way. Sometimes I feel like its more of a fake family time, but maybe its just a cultural difference. Here, family time is having a big party with everyone. Its by getting dressed up, using the right manners and etiquette, always having a smile on. It’s a big thing. Back home we wake up Christmas morning, with bad breath, messed-up hair, PJs, no make-up, and huge smiles showing our gratefulness that we can all just be together hanging out, no matter what we look or smell like. To me, it just seamed less intimate, less like real family. But as I write this, I am starting to see that it may not be that Brazilian families love each other any less, but rather they way they display it is simple different, because of culture. Brasil is about appearance, looking your best all the time while America is about being casual. I am realizing that the way Brazilians live, celebrate, love, and have family time is not necessarily worse, or better, just different. And yes, I may prefer my snow covered, bad-breathed Christmas’s, but that is merely a matter of opinion. I did enjoy Christmas here, and they do have some different traditions, its just not the same as home. One thing that I missed a ton was that there was no aspect of Jesus at all. It was all about presents and Santa Claus. I really miss the Christmas emphasis, the part about Jesus. And really it shouldn’t be a “part” about Him. He is the Reason. I missed that, a lot.

Well, the way they celebrate here is by having a huge family get together on the night of the 24th; opening presents, hanging out, playing games etc. Then at 12:00 am that night, they have a huge dinner as a passing into Christmas. It is very different, because here people celebrate mainly on the 24th at night instead of the 25th. For my family we went to my host mom’s side of the family for the 24th. Everyone was there: grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. We celebrated well into the night and came back home around 3 am. The next day, the 25th, we had a huge “lunch” at my house for my host dad’s side of the family. This “lunch” lasted from about 2 pm until 10 pm. It was good, but a little long and I was for sure missing home. Thankfully, I was able to skype in with my family as they had Christmas back home! That was great. Ya it was a hard time, I did miss home a ton, but I also enjoyed my time here. The hardest for me was one night after Christmas when everyone was over at my house in CO. The Sealys, the Newells, the Jones, the Mathews, the Goulds, and of course my whole family and the fiancés of my two oldest siblings were there! Tons of my very best friends were there, people who I miss so much and wanted to see so bad! And they were having a waltz/swing dancing night. Probably one of my most favorite things to do! I got to skype in and talk with people and watch for a long time, and that was great, but at the same time hard. Because it was evident, very evident that I was not there. After I hung up I laid in my bed, totally alone, and cried a little. After a few minutes I thought to myself, ‘you know what, I am here in Brasil. And I cannot change that right now. I cannot be home tonight. I cannot change my circumstances, but I most certainly can change my attitude. I can most certainly look on the bright side and just be thankful for the ability to see them and to talk to them at all!’ God really gave me a peace and a gratefulness that was such a blessing to me. The next day, I was surprised with a box from my family! My mom had put a bunch of little gifts inside. My brother Judd and his fiancé Nicole also wrote me the best cards in the world! It put such a big smile on my face and really gave me a great start of the day. It was truly a blessing and a “God thing” that it arrived the day after Christmas. I really needed that.

New Years, on the other hand, was probably the best New Years that I have ever had! I went to a big sports club called Minas Tenis Clube. My friend Morgan came with me and my whole host mom’s side of the family. We arrived pretty early, about 8 pm, so that we could get a table. It was pretty slow at first. We just walked around looking for things to do. There wasn’t much going on and not many people had gotten there yet. Well, around 10ish a band started playing some music. To my surprise and extreme excitement, they were playing swing music and all the best oldies! Morgan and I ran to the dance floor screaming and broke out the best swing dancing moves that we knew. We danced until almost mid-night to groovy swing music, slick songs from “Greece”, and electric 90’s dance songs. It was so incredibly fun! Right before mid-night we ran back to the table where everyone was waiting for the countdown. Soon after we got back to the table, the thousands of people present roared the loudest countdown I have ever heard! Seis, cinco, quatro, tres, dois, um, FELIZ ANO NOVO!!!!!!!!!! It was amazing. That’s when Morgan said, (in Portuguese) “Hope, do you realize that the first words we said in 2009 were in Portuguese!?” Wow what an amazing end to an amazing year. A year full of struggle, growth, hurt, love, and most importantly a really, really great God!