I spent most of the morning working on the March issue of the magazine. Went home early to spend some time with Micah. Helped him pack some. He has to catch a bus tonight to Belo Horizonte in order to catch the plan tomorrow there and come back to Sao Paulo for the international flight. Said they wouldn't let him just catch it here.

Ana Paula (Anibal's wife) came by the house for a few minutes to see Micah. Was very nice of her.

After he got on the bus, a young man in an obviously altered mental state wanted to board. There was a lot of discussion between him and his brother (?) and the driver and helper. They finally let him on, but I won't be sorry to hear that the three policemen on board have put him off down the road.

Anyway, we're back to four in the (in-house) family again.

Our car was quiet on the way home.

Dear Lord, you are in the swirling galaxies and in the smallest components of DNA. Your overarching plan takes in and accounts for every detail. Let me not lose sight of the larger picture, while still caring for each brush stroke that contributes to the whole. Let me give attention to every person, let no sin in my life go unchecked, let every word be purposeful, let every thought be tied to our Master and his mission. Amen.

After a strawberry almondshake Vicki left me at the office this morning and I continued my catch-up from the trip. I still need to send 30 hymnals to the church in Mococa. Sr. Nelio had emailed me a couple of weeks ago, and then called (11 p.m.!) a couple of nights ago.

I nearly finished my Cloudburst poem for tomorrow. Hope the remainder falls together.

Micah was doing some shopping and chores this morning, so Vicki called and asked if I wanted to eat lunch at home. Rice and beans! Along with zucchini and salad. My kind of eating.

We're talking about me taking the car in the mornings, going home for lunch, and leaving the car with Vicki in the afternoons. Being a one-car family is a challenge.

Leila had her flute class this afternoon, and swimming class this morning, so she's getting back in the routine. She likes her new teacher, since he calls her by her name instead of some cutsy term of endearment.

Since Micah is leaving tomorrow, we ate out tonight at the new burger place, Gordao. I had a light chicken sandwich, and it served me well. Plus apple juice.

I finally called Anibal's house to say we'd gotten back. I'd forgotten he's in Lorena teaching from Monday through Wednesday, but Vicki and I talked to Ana Paula for some 50 minutes. By that time it was after 11 p.m. and time to quit for the day.

God who dared imagine a world peopled with creatures of free will and initiative, let us be bold today to live by your holiness, grow in your grace, and discover new ways to proclaim the eternal truths of the gospel! May the Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ motivate and move us to go courageously forward, opening new territories and discovering new souls for the Kingdom. Amen!

I slept this morning until 9 a.m., but lay in bed until 9:30 when the phone began to ring. Vicki and I chatted with Micah at the table over paozinho, the small Brazilian bread baked fresh daily, and Earl Grey tea.

Gilda, of the music school with which my office shares an entrance from the street, called this morning to say the door handle had been broken off again, so I'd better take a pair of pliers to open the door. We're studying what to do about replacement.

At the office I answered emails, read the accumulated mail, and took care of other details. I finally got my weekly Forthright article done, somewhat different today than usual.

The owner of my office space, sr. Ricardo (and Gilda's father) dropped by to say the architects below me are willing to give me the space next to my office on the second floor. They access it by a circular stairway which will be closed off. I'll remove the wooden partition separating it from me. For that space I'll pay an extra R$100,00 (about US$40), not a bad deal. Sr. Ricardo also mentioned they're going to build a roof with transparent or translucent tiles over the landing between me and the music school. That'll keep the rain from collecting on the landing and infiltrating the architects' space below. The latter are drawing up the project. It'll be a nice addition.

Vicki and Micah were out shopping and offered to pick me up on the way home, so I quit early today (about 5 p.m.) and went home with them. The boys went to the work-out gym when they got back. Leila started back her swimming this afternoon, too.

They'd gone by the post office downtown, and Vicki handed me The Scripture Standard from the UK. My poem "Both Prayers and Pains" was published in the January edition. It's in its 71st year of publication. I was pleased to see it.