The culture shock has been incredible. I've been in other countries before, but I think I was able to handle the culture differences easier because I knew I was going home in two weeks. This time it's different. I'm actually living in Brazil for a while and that knowledge seems to make it harder to swallow all of the differences.
The food is different (somewhat more bland and drier than I'm used to); bathrooms are bit different (you don't flush your toilet paper- it goes in the garbage); I'm using a different currency when I go to the stores; the climate is warmer and much more humid than my body is used to (my skin always feels sticky to some degree); the streets are dirty and somewhat cobbled together in places (it's best to watch your step); buildings are so close together, you can literally reach out your bedroom window and touch the house next door; and the list of differences go on.
At school, I'm teaching two brand-new-to-me grade levels. It's going to take some time to figure out how to balance the two and make sure all students get what they need. All of my students are English Language Learners. None of them are at grade-level in reading or writing. Their lack of vocabulary makes it interesting when I'm trying to teach as I often have to break things down even more than I would in the States because of the language barrier. I just can't use the same vocabulary I would use with native English speakers. On top of that, the kids have had a lot of changes in the last two weeks. I am the third teacher they have had this year, and the second in the span of about two weeks. I'm hoping that we'll be able to find a rhythm in our classroom this week.
I did get to go to the beach this weekend with several of the other teachers, so that was nice. While it was just a tributary of the Amazon River and not the ocean, it was still nice to enjoy the sun, the sand, and watch the tide come in. We all needed to relax after a crazy week in the classroom.
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| Such a relaxing view! |
Even as crazy and hard as the week has been, I have had a supernatural peace that has kept me calm throughout all of my flights and through all newness. Typically, I would probably be a mess by now with all the new stressors being thrown my way. In my heart, I know this is where I am supposed to be at this time. God is already opening the doors to share His love with my students and I'm excited to see what happens in their hearts throughout the school year.
