Winter time and the living is windy

This week João had a speaking engagement in Cabo Frio, which is a beach town, so of course I made the supreme sacrifice to go with him. It is only a little over 2 hours from Rio, but you seem to be in another world entirely. The white sand dunes, blue sky, mountains in the background, the sound of the ocean, all of it makes you forget the noise and crowds and hectic life in Rio. It was a great overnight getaway.
We left a couple of hours early so we could have a very late lunch on the beach. When we arrived around 3PM, we were absoluely starved. As we parked on the beach, we saw them carrying up a large fish. That's where we want to eat lunch we thought! We had a crabcake appetizer with fresh coconut water to stave off the hunger pains and then we had wonderful fish and shrimp. All that for less than half of what we pay in Rio. In addition we were eating right on the beach, watching the wind surfers, being peppered with salt water and hearing the sea gulls. The only fly in the oinment is that we were cold. Yes, I know I am whimpy, but it was around 60 degrees and very very windy. I actually enjoyed feeling all shivery, for a while anyway. We walked for a few minutes after lunch and enjoyed the beautiful beach. Brazil is so blessed with so much beautiful scenery.
The worship service was to celebrate 30 years of ministry of a seminary colleague of João. There was a crowd at the church, that included around 40 pastors from neighboring churches. It was a wonderful celebratory experience. After the service there was dinner for all. Now get this, the service ended at 10PM! We ate supper around 11:30, since the dinner was elsewhere in town. I enjoyed the company and the chit-chat, but by midnight I was fading fast.
The church hosted us at a charming little beach hotel. The owners were so nice to us (even waited up for our late arrival). We had a really good night's sleep and then had to head home the next morning. What a great break from our usual routine, however. Isn't it great to have these little intervals in our life? I didn't know the pastor in Cabo Frio, but I was delighted to get to know him and his wife. They are lovely people. I saw a number of people I knew from years ago, as I used to travel so much and preach all over. I am still discovering the fruits from that work. That is so great and so much fun. People look at me... scratch their head and then you see the light dawn. Peggy Fonseca... ah, weren't you Peggy Smith? Guilty on all counts. I don't miss the constant travels, the perpetually open suitcase, stress of travel and all that, but I do miss making friends from all over Brazil. Everything, all decisions, come with a price tag. I am more than happy to remember those friends and retouch with them once in a while, and at the same time continue to invest in my very own eccelsiastical community. (How's that for some big words?)