Light in the Forest

João and I are working on getting back in shape (together) and now that I am really over my virus, we tackled getting back to more regular walking last Monday. After a couple of discouraging days of traffic, noise and heat, he had the bright idea of driving up to the Tijuca National Forest. The temperature is much cooler there and it is so soothing to hear birds instead of cars. Now it seems we are addicted. We just keep going back, even though we have to drive 14 km to get there. We are trying out different paths and routes, all with caution, as there aren't many makers, so I have downloaded maps and instructions and we are taking only the asphalted or easy/well marked paths for now. Our eventual goal is to get in enough shape to climb the Tijuca peak, the highest peak in the Forest. It's not considered even a hard climb, just about an hour, with 117 steps carved into the rock to reach the top. I know, however, I wouldn't have the resistance to keep climbing right now. The other day, I took a look at the path and it looked pretty rocky and a pretty steady walk uphill. Today we did about a 2 mile walk, with a pretty steep incline and I my legs are very tired, so I know I have a ways to go yet. We found a nice little path in the middle of the woods that was very very easy for me (which I needed after the hike up). I was just disappointed that the swinging bridge was just way too swingy (it's actually broken) for me. There are no safety precautions here, so you just use your own good sense (or fear) to guide you.
We crossed a creek on one of the trails the other day, and as I walked on the rocks, one started to move on me. I was quite startled, but heaven only knows why because the water wouldn't even have covered my ankles it was so shallow.
I cannot begin to tell you how tranquilizing it is to see the green, smell the leaves, hear the monkeys and feel the wind. At times it is downright dark and chilly (I have gotten shivery a couple of times) and then you come to a clearing and see the sun come out. The beauty takes your breath away. I have taken that to be a metaphor to where I am right now. I must learn to enjoy the chill, so I can anticipate the thrill.
I will try to remember to carry a camera (along with water, towels, food, matches, etc.) so you can see some of the sights with us. I hope someday to even see the famous monkeys, sloths, quatis (relatives of racoons) on the trails. I don't care to see the snakes. I have seen glorious butterflies and birds, but it's always too dark or too quick a glimpse to photograph. Hope you enjoy the sites along with us and that you too have your Light in the Forest today.

At long last

Thank you for not nagging me that I haven't written anything for a long time. It's not that I have abandoned my blog (not this time, at least) or that nothing has been happening. Frankly, I have just been sick. Don't know with what, but wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy! It's been a month now and finally I can get out of bed in the morning without the sensation of lifting dead weight. Most days getting out of the bed was about the best I could do. I didn't have energy for anything, not even to watch TV. I suspect a case of the flu, with a nasty cough that has decided it likes me and taken up semi-permanent residence. Yesterday, however, I actually cleaned at the house and went walking, so although I was really tired at night, it seemed a more normal tired.
I like writing in English and my blog is basically one of my few outlets for that, so I have missed it. What energy I mustered these days, was for preparing meals, getting dressed (my family thanks me for that), my speaking engagements (incredible, but I had 5 speaking engagements during this period) and breathing! I had to turn in a book I have been writing (it's a Vacation Bible School), but I had to give up on that project and rework the publication date for January instead of July. I just couldn't do it.
Here I am again, however. I just have to write about our experience this past weekend. We flew up to Vila Velha (yes add that trip into my super high energy level!) where his parents live, so that João could perform a "wedding". It was just a fabulous experience.
Lest you think it strange I tagged along, let me explain that the couple had been a part of the young adults that I participated in and also led back in Vitoria (which is just across the bay from Vila Velha) back in 1984-1988.
João performed the ceremony because he had been invited to do their wedding back in 1986, when he was their pastor. Because of circumstances that were very sad, they were unable to marry in the church. They married at the courthouse, but she, in particular, always wanted a church wedding. Finally after 20 years of marriage, they decided it was time to realize that dream. So they invited us to be there and participate in the wedding. It was so so beautiful. Their 18 year old daughter was the ring bearer, their 16 year old son entered with the "bride" and their 10 year old daughter was the Bible bearer. Everything was like a dream, as it was so beautifully done.
There was even a wedding reception afterwards. I decided that this is the way to go. Skip all that expense when you are young and don't know what you want (or if the marriage will even last). Once you are established and know who you are and what you really want, then you do your church wedding. Everyone was so deeply touched, that there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Even my hard-hearted (hahahaha) husband who has done hundreds of weddings, was having to dab his eyes. By the way, in the photo of the reception, João is sitting beside a gentleman for whom he performed his very first wedding! The other couple are good friends of João from his very first church (back in 1977). She is the sister of the "bride". We do live in a very small world, don't we?
It was very warm (to avoid the "hot" word) and so we were thrilled there was air conditioning in the church, although with an outdoor reception, we did get in our fair share of sweating.
I have been struggling with the weather. There are days I wish I could teleport myself back to Canada. I have seen the -35 and found myself drooling. At times I feel like the heat is sucking the life out of me and I am dying. I don't mean to be over dramatic (okay, yes I do), but for me the heat is life destroying. I have prayed that I would adapt and learn to love the heat and stop complaining. That hasn't happened yet. I know I need to change my attitude, but when I get hot I just want to lay down and die! I have decided this is to be my thorn in the flesh and must learn for God's grace to be sufficient. To say his grace is not sufficient to learn to deal with the heat is to sin and deny God's grace is sufficient, so this is a really big issue for me. I know it sounds trivial, but you cannot imagine how hard it is for me to face even small day to day tasks knowing the temperature is over 100. This morning when we went walking at 8:00 it was a mere 85, with a heat index of 109. That's at 8 AM. Imagine 3PM! This is a huge, huge battle for me, so when you pray for me, pray about this, since it affects every single aspect of my life - physical, emotional, and spiritual. They guy who said "don't sweat the small stuff" didn't live in Rio, obviously. I am at a total loss of how to learn to live in joy when I am miserably hot. No that is not true. It truly is God's grace. God's grace to you.