This is Adrienne writing today:

I want to tell you about out host families in Aracaju. Can you imagine having a visitor, who doesn’t speak your language, for whom you now do everything (drive to, pick up, house, feed, launder, introduce to your family, entertain) for a week! Yes, Brazilians do just that, with élan!

In Aracaju, I stayed w Dr. and Senorah Joao Santana. Clarissa with Paula and Lelah Gomes, Joe w Dr. Rosemary, and Jacque w Ramon and Monalisa. We thought we’d won the lottery, but they acted as if they had! Such gracious and welcoming hosts! (Can you imagine a week w me in YOUR house?) Even as we drove away Monday morning, Dr Santana called to remind me that should we need anything, he’s the man to call. Guess what: all our hosts said it and mean it!

After meeting with the Rotary Club Presidents Monday lunch here in Fiera de Santana, we were swept away into new host homes, again greeted as their family. Clarissa and Jacque are together, Joe and I have our own host families. I’m most familiar with mine, so let me tell you: Dr Jurace and Uyana Dourado, and their two children are amazing. Neither Jurace nor Uyana speak any Inglais, but the computer provides good translation. That and facial expressions and hand gestures really do work!

They have 2 children: Daniele, also a dentist, and brother Davi, one year from graduating dental school. Both have some English competency (I have LITTLE Portuguese), and when you add a computer translator, it works!

I feel like the most revered aunt they might have as a guest. Wednesday, for example, I needed to meet with my wonderful Team (yep, occasionally there’s Team business, blogging and other stuff that needs to be attended to.) The Dourados hosted us on the patio, with warm welcomes, hospitality, fine food and drink. Then next day they hosted everyone for a fabulous lunch. Then invited us all back for our “free” day this weekend. YES!

Onto the wonderful Rotary Clubs! Tuesday we had lunch with the Rotary Club of Fiera de Santana. It’s a larger club, with so many terrific community projects. We then met w the Rotary Club of New Horizon, a small dynamic club that, uniquely, doesn’t meet over a meal. The next day they toured us to the center they sponsor in an impoverished rural area. Using the lure of youth soccer, they’ve successfully engaged boys, girls, their parents and community in activities that strengthen and support all residents. We also visited a cultural center showcasing indigenous music, at risk of extinction. Visit them at www.quixabeiradamatinha.com.br

Another meeting at lunch with the Rotary Club of East Fair in a Brazilian Steakhouse, the kind a few of us have been lucky enough to see imitated in US. Wow!! We were toured through the Fiera de Santana Art District, and finished that night with a dinner meeting w the Rotary Club of Subae.

Re our presentations. As well as we planned and created our presentations, we knew immediately we needed to tweak ours. Our audiences vary in size, location and room amenities, but one thing is constant: Many of the Rotarians have no English fluency. On a bus ride, we spent 3 hours reducing our power point slides and more importantly, the words that accompanied each. Paulo Gomes (thank you, Paulo!) translated the power point into Portuguese. While we’ve had interpreters so far, with Portuguese written on the slides, we can manage unaccompanied as needed.

OK, I’ve been long winded, but there are still 2 things I need to state. I am overwhelmed by the hospitality, effort and personal commitment of our family hosts, the Rotary Clubs, and the countless hours that go into making our vocational and cultural experiences resonate so personally with us. This is amazing! My second point: I love my GSE Team: Clarissa, Joe and Jacque are each the consummate ambassador, achieving a perfect performance and pitch in every situation (despite intestinal or mosquito issues.) They are THE BEST!

It’s 12:45am, tomorrow’s already here, and the sun will be up on our new schedule before I know it. Good night!