Fortaleza

Last month Mario and I sat down to decide how we were going to use some flight miles that Mario had, so we decided we wanted to go to Fortaleza. Our first honey moon was very fast and we didn't get to do anything we really wanted to do, so we decided that the beginning of September would be the best time to go before things got really hectic at the base and with all the other things that we already have planned for the next few months. We also wanted to visit the base in Fortaleza...which greatly encouraged us. Here are some pictures of our time in Fortaleza....

 At the airport ready to get on our first flight together ever! At the airport the mom of one of our staff from Goiania (Rita) was there with here daughter to receive us...

Fortaleza is rich in art...here is a display of artwork in the beach front. Fortaleza has the greatest number of fine handcrafts in the world such as this lady is making! This year the women of a craft center decided to try to enter into the Guiness book of record with the longest hand stiched craft in the world! They take turns knitting every day, they have already reached a length of over 800 meters. Every where you go you see a lady knitting. This lady here was quite friendly and she even let me knit a little! This is another art work that is very popular in the region where the rock formations produce naturally colored sands because of different minerals... Some of the workd is so intricate, that it's hard to believe it is made by only sand! Here we are at the colored sand mountains... Here is a work of art that I made on the spot with sand that I got right there. You can see how different it is here.

We also took a trip on these dune buggies that took us to 3 different beachesIt was so much fun!

This is a natural fresh water spring that flows from the rock right in front of the ocean!

and a cave that the sea dug out with time.

and here's just an cool shot I was able to get...too bad it was dead.

Here is Rita again, who was at the airport to receive us. At the beginning of August she lost her husband (and Jefferson his dad). We contacted her in Fortaleza and later in the week she invited us to her home where we were able to pray with her and encourage her. 

On Friday we went out to visit the YWAM base in Fortaleza. Mario spent a few hours talking to Steve, an American who is the director of the base there, to get some ideas and see what he has done that has been helpful in leading the base. I spent a lot of time with his wife and their 6 kids (ages 16 to 2 and a half). It was an encouraging time for all of us.

Saturday morning Mario was asked to give a word to the kids of a soccer school that the man in the picture runs through YWAM. 

At the end of August Mario realized that he had some miles accumulated so we decided to take a week to go to Fortaleza where we were able to get a special deal on a hotel in front of the ocean. Turns out God had prepared a big surprise for us there and looking back we can see that the Lord directed us to go there at the right time to experience Him in a wonderful way...