hi...sorry to keep you all waiting... some questions to answer first...I don't think there were any sharks at the beach where we were...the water was really shallow way out, and they didn't have anywhere marked off at all, so I think it was ok. If I knew that there were any...trust me, I wouldn't have gone in. I'm so terrified! My sunburns are better, now they are nice brown, but itching soooooooooo badly! So cold here now at night. Last night I think it was 13 or 14 C...we were freezing. Allana is using her hat and mitts now. So funny. From now on I will be staying in Àguas Lindas every Wednesday until Fridays at Joyce's house. The lady who is teaching at Vôo Livre in Graça's place doesn't like to do lots of driving, so she decided to stay over. And I have no way of coming back and forth, so I'll stay too. On Wednesday's and Fridays, it's English as usual, and on Thursdays Sadie teaches music and knitting. I can help with the music, but knitting???? You've got to be kidding me! But, she wants me to learn so I can help to teach the girls. Also, she wants me to teach them how to make friendship bracelets, so I think we're going out to buy embroidery floss one of these days so we can have lots for the girls. I like helping at Vôo Livre, and I love the kids. And I know so many kids on Joyce's street, so on Wednesday night, I sat outside and talked with 6 of the kids there for about an hour and a half. It was good, because I missed them alot! On Thursday night Joyce took Sadie and I to Pastor Claudio's church...it's very tiny but they have big hearts! I had an opportunity to say my testimony, to tell them about my life and how it's been growing up as a Christian. Joyce translated for me, but it was so good. We sang some hymns, and prayed, and that was it! But they are so friendly people, and have such a love for God! Friday morning classes for Sadie and I didn't start until 10:30AM, so I had a chance to hang out with two of Joyce's neighbour girls. Both of them are about 11 or 12 years old. But they had to go to their school to get something(it was a holiday for them) so they found a bike for me at one of the neighbour's houses and we biked to their school and back. OH my goodness, I don't know how they ride these bikes everywhere. The handlebars were so far away, and the bumps on the rode made it so uncomfortable. But it was fun, anyways! Sadie is funny. In Àguas Lindas only the main streets are paved, so she trys to find a way to get to Vôo Livre only on Asphalt, because she is so afraid of ruining her cars in the potholes on the dirt roads! Hilarious! We got so lost yesterday...and I couldn't stop laughing! I helped Sadie make dinner on Thursday night. I got to crush up garlic, peel manioch(which is so difficult to do), and cut up some chicken. It was fun. Last night I returned home, and it was so good to sleep in my bed again! I missed it. But last night the whole family(except for Cris and Nathan) went to the Expo Brasília for a little bit of southern brazil culture. People from the south are called Gaùchos, and they have traditional costumes and stuff that they wear. They had all sorts of shops and stuff selling different things from the south, clothes, handiwork, knives...anything really. Also they had fresh grape juice and wine...the grape juice was so good! There was even a girl in barefeet dressed up in this beautifully embroidered white dress, with her hair all done up in the cultural style standing up on top of a barrel crushing grapes with her feet! It was so cool! Dani said to me,"i hope she washed her feet before doing that!" She and I laughed and laughed! We ate dinner there too, and got home at 1AM in the morning. Here in Brasil they don't really have a scheduled bedtime, and so even Dani's baby and Allana came along. Of course they fell asleep, though, because they were tired. It was lots of fun. We also ate fruit in a bowl with melted chocolate all over it! So good but very very rich! Well, I should go now...I think today Andréa and her boyfriend are going to his cousin's birthday party barbecue and she's taking me too...I haven't even gotten ready yet! so I should go...but I will talk to you all later. wait...I forgot to say that the World Cup of Soccer started yesterday. The first game was between Germany and Costa Rica, and Germany won 4 to 2. Brasil's first game is on Tuesday, and so it is going to be CRAZINESS here!!! Stores will shut down and everything in order to watch the game and I'm not even joking! You should see how they've decorated. Every street has streamers from telephone pole to telephone pole, people have painted their garage doors with the Brasilian flag, and they've even painted some of the sidewalks too! So, I want to feel patriotic too, even though Canada's not in it...I'm making a bracelet for myself with red and white colours, so I don't forget my home and native land! But, don't get me wrong, I'll be decked out Brazilian for sure on Tuesday, that is a fact! ttyl, thanks for your prayers for me! Love, Ashleigh