Elliot York's Blog#1

Hello to all my friends and family...

Everything is going great here in Brazil. I am learning many things about God and getting a new realization of how amazing He really is.

NIKO:

Niko was probably the highlight of the program so far. We spent 4 days camping with only a tarp over our heads for shelter. The nights were terrible because it always rained and water got through, but the day-time activities made up for it. We did some trust activities as well as teamwork building activities.


The best part of NIKO was the 8 hour (plus) hike. It was very fun, but VERY tough. I really wasn't tired the first couple hours, but then my energy level dropped like a 10-pound block of fruitcake. There were some rare views that I will never forget. We pretty much hiked up and around a mountain. When we got back it was an exhilarating feeling knowing that I walked that far.


One the way back home, our bus broke down. We had to wait about 4 hours for a mechanic to come with another bus. Most everybody slept in the bus while waiting while the rest of us stayed up talking outside. After a while a friend of mine and I started joking around and making rap noises with our mouths. It was no more than 10 minutes when we had 20 people in a circle outside the bus dancing and singing. It was a really fun time and is one of those things that you won't forget.

For those wondering what it's like down here: It's beautiful. The nature is quite different. Many different types of trees and wildlife. There are some really nice waterfalls and such to visit. The food is great. There are these places called "Chas-ca-rias" (forgive me, but it is really hard to spell) where the waiters bring out different types of meat about every 20 seconds (My personal favorite is the Pecanya).

Sorry for not having any pictures, but it takes a very long time to upload due to slow internet connection. Good day to you all and I'll see you in July.

Chao,

Elliot