Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 12:10:41
Subject: Adventure...

	Thanks, everybody, for the prayers.  I am doing very well.	I am
still adjusting to the culture a little bit, but for the most part I have
got the hang of things and I even feel comfortable much of the time.
Language school is going well.	My Spanish background is helping with
vocabulary and such.  I am not always tired anymore because my ears and
mind have adjusted to hearing Portuguese all the time.	The last week has
been great.  What I want to share now is a story about my first real
adventure here.
	It happened last night.  I went out to eat last night with all the
missionaries and our national friends.	Usually when we go out someone
takes me home afterwards.  However, no one was able to do this so I was
just going to ride the bus home.  No big deal.	So after dinner someone
dropped me off at the language school so I could catch the bus like I
normally do.  I sat the bus stop for 20 or 30 minutes (I usually only wait
for 5).  I was getting a bit anxious because I thought perhaps my normal
bus wasn't running this late (about 8:30 PM).  After awhile a bus pulled
up and a dude leaned out the window and said "Centro Rodoviaria" (Central
Bus Station).  Finally a bus to take me to Centro (the place I always go
to catch a bus to my final destination).  It wasn't my normal bus but it
was going to Centro so I didn't really care.  After awhile of riding I
could tell we might not be going where I wanted to go, but I decided to
ride it out to see.  The bus finally stopped.  I wasn't going to get out,
but the attendant looked at me and motioned and I said "Centro?" and he
nodded yes so I thought perhaps it was down the block.	I told him my
Portuguese was bad and asked if he could give me more directions.  He
motioned for me to go down the block and hang a left.  I thought, "Well,
maybe this is where I want to be, I just can't see the stop from here
because buildings are blocking my view."  I told him thanks and went on my
way.  After going down a few blocks and going left I came to the stark
realization that I need to go to "Centro Termino" (Central Terminal) not
"Centro Rodoviaria."  A little bit of panic set in and my adrenaline
started pumping.  I kept walking and moving with a purpose because I
didn't want to look like a tourist or anything.  After all, I was in the
seedy part of downtown at night in a city of 1 million and had no idea how
to get home.  I went inside the bus station to look for anything of help -
no luck.  I walked around the block and looked for any busses with
familiar route numbers - no luck.  Then I remembered my phone card (you
have to have a special card to use the pay phones here, they don't take
change).  I pulled it out and called one of my Brazilian teachers.	I
tried to explain where I was, but I had no idea where I was so my
explanation was poor.  I told her I would find out some more information
and call her back.  So I hung up the phone and went and found out the
exact name of the station.  I went back to the phone and stuck my card in
- it was out of credits (it was a cheap phone card apparently).  The
adrenaline was really pumping now.  My only means of communication was
severed.  "I guess I could just walk around all night and try to find my
way back," I thought.  I decided that would be a last resort so I went
back into the bus station and found a phone card machine (praise the
Lord).	After I got the card I went back to the phone and called my
teacher back.  She didn't recognize the name of the station and asked me
to get the name of the street corner I was on.	So, I hung up, went and
got the street names, and then called her back.  She said she would be
there in five minutes and wanted me to wait on the corner.	I said "ok."
Five minutes later I was sitting in her car and on my way home.  A pretty
fun little adventure and one that I am glad I can laugh about now - it
could have been worse :)  My mind was racing a thousand miles an hour and
I was throwing out constant prayers.  God is always faithful.
	Thats all for now.	
	Please continue to pray for:
		Language acquisition
		Developing friendships with nationals

Justin