hurry up and wait

Now's the stage where we waited.  Over the next 2 months we slowly and painstakingly figured out all the junk that makes life run smoothly: internet service, cell phones, fixing the oven, finding a maid (hallelujah), getting the company car, buying a second car, getting the gate fixed, getting the hot water fixed, getting the water leak fixed...and the list goes on.

The crazy and sad thing about Brazil is that it is SO expensive to live here (cost of living in Sao Paulo is higher than NYC or LA) but maids are still so cheap.  I don't know how this society hasn't revolted because of the huge disparity.  Minimum wage in Sao Paulo is $300USD per month!  That said, we can afford a (well-paid) maid.  Lana comes every day from 7:30 - 4:30 and cleans.  She is wonderful!  Lucy hasn't warmed up to her yet, but that's not saying much since she generally doesn't like ANYONE.  We are hoping she grows out of that charming trait before she goes to school.

So needless to say, Lucy and I had a lot of time to goof around on the iPad until the bomb dropped...church callings!!!

Of course, Ryan and I were really hoping to fly under the radar at church.  Turns out, we are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to piano playing in church.  Ryan got called to be the Primary Pianist, which he is rocking at.  He has a real gift for piano.  Despite his one year of lessons when he was young, he can sit down and play most things.  I got called to be the Ward Pianist!  (that's not an excited exclamation, it's a holy crap exclamation)  You need to understand that I quit piano when I was in 6th grade and have never learned to play a hymn in my life - despite trying periodically.  I bawled when they asked me.  I think they interpreted that as an outpouring of the spirit but it was just actually that I was scared out of my mind and completely overwhelmed.  My non LDS friends must be wondering why I do this even though I don't want to.  The answer is simple.  In our church you do what you're asked to do as well as you can do it.  The lucky thing is that nobody is very picky.  I stumble through 2 hymns every Sunday after 15 hours of practice during the week and nobody seems to mind.  Ryan picks up the slack and plays the ones that are truly beyond me.  I've learned 12 hymns so far.  If there's ever a time for this it's now - full time maid and no crazy perfect expectations at church.  I'm becoming grateful for the opportunity.  I still gripe, but I see that it's a good thing.

Thank goodness for my sweet friend and neighbor Maartje who let us borrow her keyboard while our piano takes 3 months by sea.