Hi everyone,

Ruth-ann and Anne here at the internet cafe (ie small room with 4 cubicles in our hotel). we have the duty of typing the latest blog as everyone else hits the steam room, or hot tub or cold outdoor pool, or plays some pool or the new hot card game that is all the rage amoung MCEC peace loving mennonite youth - BANG!! a wild west game where you are either trying to protect or shoot the sheriff - you can imagine the fun.

So this is our night of luxury - Tobin and Anne (me had booked us into the cheapest yet safest hotel at Foz de Iquacu but discovered once we were at conference that our tour guide had put us in the best hotel in the city - we kept it a surprise until we pulled up tonight and after many days of being really amazing at whatever sleep setting was before them our youth are literally experiencing luxury - hot showers, only 2 to a room, warm comforters, pillows - yes no sleeping bags and mini travel pillows YIPEE!!! It has already brought about some good dinner conversation about all we have and take for granted and how it really is something that we get even one night of this before we are back in a camp setting.

From a leaders perspective it feels like our upgrade was a small gift from God (ok a really big gift!) as your teens have faced each cold shower or no shower or crowded bedroom with great attitudes.

Cassy is on the mend after her really bad bacterial stomach episode which included a nice stay at the Baptist hospital for the day yesterday as she was rehydrated from . . .well you know . . . she was a real trooper about it all and the youth were more than happy to have her back with the group last night - there was much hugging and well wishing.



Adventures of the day - Emma found money then Emma dropped money into toilet - along with other droppings and therefore had a pricey BM worth $6 US flushed down the toilet - we have all thanked her for this great story that had us in stitches after dinner. Parents please remind your youth to flush their toilet paper once they get home as we have discovered that in South America toilet paper gets put into the basket beside the toilet - this only makes Emma´s adventure that much funnier as she knows better than to put any paper object into a toilet - JK Emma - we love you!



We had a great visit to Itaipu Dam with many photos taken by all - it was great to have some free time after days of herding youth like cattle from one place to another. We awoke this morning at 4:45 am having gone to bed at - wait for it - 9 pm !!!! yes parents they really do sleep before midnight and can get up early - try this at home and remind of their days with C2G. The bus picked us up a mere 45 minutes late and we we off - a fantastic buffet lunch.



We really thought you would love to hear that after all the notarizing of documents and authentications of the notarizations and authentications of authentications and all the costs that accompanied this - they never once asked leaving Paraguay or entering Brazil at either check point to see the documents - sigh - but had we not had them they no doubt would have asked.

It was quite the experience to get off the bus at the Paraguay side with our guide and Tobin and I carrying 44 passports and all the paperwork. The traffic was speeding all around.



You should see the number of people on motorcycles!.



Our tour guide as we hit the Brazil side of the bridge crossing countries pointed out to leaders and youth alike the smugglers outside our window lowering goods over the bridge to waiting boat below. You should have seen us hanging all on one side of the bus gawking out the window - ruth-ann and I thought the bus might just tip over - I think Aaron got the best photo of the smugglers - apparantly they nicknamed this road Ant Road as people had backpacks full of smuggled goods tossed over the bridge. - We really are learning so much.



Supper tonight was another buffet meal - we are celebrating having vegetables!

Tomorrow the Falls and then a long drive to Witmartsum - you might not hear any more news until Thursday night when we hit Rio de Janiero

no doubt the stories will abound!



Again loving this time with all these amazing youth and the leaders aren´t all that bad either - in fact we are enjoying ourselves far too much.

Everyone does miss home sometime during the day but we have really bonded as a group - more than we would have thought possible.



Signing off to post some pictures for you of our day

love your youth and leaders