Renaissance!

Well if you have tuned into the blog today, you can see that there have been changes on the homestead! New template, new picture, new music (last post). I guess I'm just starting to embrace all this changing that's going on in my life! Oh yeah, you can kind of see in the new picture, but I have short hair now! Since that is a crap quality picture (50 kb?! how can you make a picture that small?!), here is a better shot of short haired-Ann.



Right now I'm worn out. I feel like I've sent 100 emails today trying to get last minute stuff taken care of. Of course the Lord has provided for each need perfectly. Isn't it a great feeling when things fall into place? But I still feel like I need to email and call 100 more people before I leave. Unlikely to happen, but I have good intentions. And we all know how much good intentions are worth.

In case I don't get around to posting tomorrow (another one of those good intentions), I'll fill you in a little on some of the general ideas of my trip. I say general ideas because I am growing increasingly reluctant to give out many details of my life on the internet.

I'm leaving Thursday and arriving Friday morning, then meeting my good friend, Jonathan. We'll be traveling around the state of Sao Paulo visitng mutual friends for a couple of weeks. Then I'm settling into a city called Itu, where I'll be living with a friend and helping her out some, and also trying to learn the language. I think I have said this before on the blog, but this trip is for me to try to get more realistic idea of what living in Brazil would be like and if I can hack it (or want to hack it). Oh yeah, and I'm coming back late August. Trying to max out that tourist visa. :) I'll have plenty of computer access for emailing (so you can write me at: myfirstname dot mylastname at gmail dot com), but I'm not going to make any blog promises. I will definitely post an "I made it here okay" blog, but I'm going to wait and see how I feel about posting as regularly as I currently do.

Oh yeah, one thing I do want to mention is that I am very thankful that I will be at the Guanabara Church in Campinas for the last Sunday the Graves will be there. Some of you know the Graves. They have been missionaries in Brazil for almost 20 years, and have done so much for the church during that time. They kind of adopted me and the other LSTers as another kid during the summers I was doing that. I've really seen the kids grow up over the years. This is what they looked like when I first went:



And this is what they look like now:



Aren't they one of the most beautiful families ever??? :)

We've shared lots of laughs, some sad goodbyes, and some happy reunions. They've fed us and loved on us and always welcomed us with open arms. They even came to see me when I was in the hospital last year. What a wonderful treat that was!!!

I love them so much and appreciate so much the blood, sweat and tears they've invested in missions. It is my prayers, and I hope it will be yours too, that they are able to relocate in a place where their wisdom, knowledge, and experience will be put to great use. Se amo muito, meus amigos queridos.