Another incredible day! Winter in Porto Alegre is beautiful! Or at least it was today... It reached all the way up to 81 degrees this afternoon, but with the beautiful breeze it was amazing.
The day was as diverse as the people and architecture of this beautiful land. We started off rather formal, a meeting with the Secretary General of the ACM of Rio Du Sol, the area we are in. They have 13 ACM's, I think... I am not as sleep deprived as I was yesterday, but honestly this morning feels like a lifetime away. He is a most delightful gentleman, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet him in St. L, so it was even better to meet him a second time in his country. He was so kind and attentive to the kids, asking them their thoughts, hopes and cares. He also took the time to explain the Y mission as it applies here... just like it does at home. The view from his office was breath-taking!
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| The Government buildings in Porto Alegre |
After the visit we were taken on a tour of their school. The kids were on holiday, so there were very few there. Only the day care kids were still there. We got there as they were eating lunch. It was amazing to see the smiles in the eyes of the staff and the kids. I really loved the laughter and excitement.
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| Small villages built by the kids |
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| Mural painted by a famous local artist in 1994 with all the assets of the ACM |
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| Beautiful mosaic tile in the business office |
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| Kids decorated the door for the World Cup |
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| Class room |
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| Class room for older kids |
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| The Student Council is doing a coat drive for one of the other ACM's |
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The view from the day care playground... It was beautiful!
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After a nice lunch at the ACM's restaurant again, we headed over for a "play date" with the day care kids. The initial game was to allow our group and the children to get used to each other, and then it was time for some serious soccer. First mixed in with the kids, as we played a soccer play off. Those little ones sure take things serious!
One of the teams even scolded our goalie for making a point for the other team. It was rather funny, and she quickly had them playing goalie, who needs to worry about langauge barriers! Not our teens. The kids were wonderful and so many spoke English, breaking down a bit more of the challenges. It was a sight to behold!
Next challenge taken and accepted was their counselors against our team... it was a valiant fight, but I am fairly certain the kids cheering for the USA team was enough to spur them on to beat us 2 to 1....
It all ended wonderful with a group photo to celebrate!
After some rest, we took off to explore some of the city. I am fairly certain that we are going to be sore tomorrow! This town has some serious hills and stairs... San Francisco would be proud.
Next stop dinner at the ACM and the a few of our girls played volleyball while we rested. Back at the Hostel we are all resting, waiting for the soft Brazilian rain to start falling... Tomorrow we head to the Socials...
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