Feels like home

This morning we actually did wake up early though judging from how tired we were last night we thought we'd sleep forever. The little pousada where we're staying served a great breakfast and Gina got her first taste of umbu juice. She also practiced how to say "foi muito bom, obrigada" so she could thank Luzia for the wonderful food.

Umbu translates to "Brazilian plum" but Gina says it tastes nothing like a plum.

As Gina and I climbed the tiled spiral staircase in our hotel and emerged onto the roof, I had a wonderful feeling of something familiar that I hadn't seen in such a long time. Salvador has such an eclectic mix of modern, new buildings right next to dilapidated poverty. It's so good to be here.

Rio Vermelho neighborhood

One of the things that I couldn't miss was visiting the mission office where I spent 9 months of my mission. The office is in the same place but has received a much-needed remodel inside. I asked a lot of questions about the areas where I served (and where many of them had served too). They asked a lot of questions about my experience, life after the mission, and what it's like to be back. Gina's doing a great job listening to all the Portuguese being spoken and I'm doing my best to remember to translate for her. We also happened to be there when the mail was delivered with Christmas packages; we certainly saw some happy faces.

Ahh, mission life.