Goodbye Salvador, Hello Goiania

A city of skyscrapers

Well yesterday was one of those heartbreaking/breathtaking days as I spent my last day volunteering at the day care center. It was really tough saying goodbye to the precious ones. Lacey, my counterpart and I made them a parting gift, with a composite of all their drawings that they did for us over the week and a message in both portuguese and english  saying Saudades we will miss you, we love you, Tio Scott and Tio Lacey. We were then presented a heart shaped card by the teachers which had all the kids thumbprints. Then it was time to say goodbye, a heartwrenching experience. This 43 year old man had to do everything in his power not to break down and cry when he left the kids. I worry about them. I wonder how they will grow up. Statistically, things are not good for children of the favellas, but with all the love they get from Tia Mira and all the support they get from Cross Cultural Solutions, maybe they will have a fighting chance.  I hope so. They are too precious and God does not make junk. The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing on the beach, culminating in watching the sunset by the lighthouse, and watching the crowd break into applause as God and Nature put on an incredible light show. I woke up this morning really early and returned to the same lighthouse to get pictures as the sun rose over Salvador, Bahia and to say goodbye to the town where I served and was served.  Then it was the hectic travel day. I had a flight to Sao Paulo with a connecting flight to Goiania. It was one of those mad dashes but I made it to the plane.  Arriving in Goiania, my luggage did not. So my first evening in the city was tracking down the luggage. I was mildly annoyed but was aided by the pleasant staff of TAM Airlines and Comfort Suites Flamboyant, and my luggage arrived around 11 pm.  I can´t complain. Tonight I am sleeping in an air conditioned suite with hot and cold running water and all the amenities of a hotel. Where are Yuria, and Bruna, and Raissa and Wesley and all of the other children of the favella sleeping tonight. More volunteers will come, and they will be loved.  But I will never be the same man again. Not after this week.  So tomorrow I see what fun Goiania has to offer, and Monday I am off to Brasilia, the capitol city of Brazil. There is still a lot left to this trip. But I left my heart back at the day care center.