day 5 - in rio

We left the hotel early this AM to head toward Rio to be closer to the airport. On the way, we stopped in a small coastal town and took a schooner ride for the day (really suffering for Jesus, huh?). We sailed off the coast around several small islands, had lunch on one of them, and arrived back about 6 hours later. It was a much needed time of relaxation after a rigorous week. Then we continued on to Rio and arrived just before 10PM. From what I was able to see at nighttime, it´s a huge city. Kinda strange to see a city that is a lot like New York City but located on the beach. We´re staying at a youth hostel downtown. Tomorrow, we´ll get to go to some shops and then get to see Christ the Redeemer, the famous statue overlooking the city that has recently become one of the new 7 wonders of the world. I´m looking forward to that. Then we fly out tomorrow evening, and I should arrive back in Raleigh a little after noon on Sunday. Thanks so much for your prayers during this entire campaign. They really made the difference.