Souza Stories

Thank you all for your prayers over our recent visit to the U.S. Everything went smoothly and it was such a blessing to get to spend time with family and friends before the big move to Ecuador in just 4 MONTHS! It’s getting close!

Since we were practically AWOL from social media during our entire trip, here’s what we were up to during our time away.

Can’t you tell it was a great flight from the faces in the first picture?! Actually, the kids all did really well. The big two are pro flyers (I think this was their 20th airplane!) and Clara did really well in her carseat for most of the flight. If you ever need tips for flying with kids, we’d love to pass them along but the basic rules are: there is no fool-proof plan, you make it up as you go along, and it will all be over eventually. Oh, and take lots of snacks.

 

We arrived in the US with no issues and were all so excited to see the grandparents (and, ahem, chick-fil-a)!

Our first stop (after chick-fil-a) was the Brazilian consulate in Houston to finish the paperwork for our kids to become official Brazilian citizens. We had a small hiccup on the consulate’s end and weren’t able to complete the process that day so we did the next logical thing…go to space!

Well, the NASA Space Center in Houston, that is. The kids had a blast.

In the middle of all of the unplanned, we were really surprised to realize how much we’ve changed in just the past 8 months. For example, our ability to handle stressful or uncomfortable situations has really increased by living overseas. Because we live every day here in Costa Rica with just a little bit of underlying culture stress, when you take that away back in the States, we’re able to handle a whole lot more “extra” stress than we can when we’re here. Which is a really nice feeling after feeling like you’ve barely been keeping your head above water for 8 months! We give all the credit to the Lord as He continues to grow and stretch us out of our comfort zone (something that especially I (Maddie), am not a fan of!). We know that these changes in our personalities and the way we view life and handle stress are just more preparation for what He has ahead of us!

The next day, with the Lord’s favor, we were able to complete the registration for these cuties to be Brazilian citizens! Notice the process of Clara’s independence…

 

The next few weeks were filled with family and friends…Easter celebrations, science museum trips, cousin playtime, a train ride, visiting grandparents, catching up with friends, and so much more! Here is a really quick photo overview.

 

We also had a few other paperwork issues we needed to handle while being in the States and those went smoothly as well. Again, thank you for praying.

Our church in OKC provided a night for us to share with them and for them to pray over us (of which I have exactly zero pictures). It was so refreshing to our souls. Thank you, Crosstown family!

One of the most encouraging things about the whole trip is that by the end of it, we were all ready to come “home”…to Costa Rica! Praise God for that huge answer to prayer that we, and our kids, felt a sense of missing this place that at times still feels so foreign to us. That is exactly what we prayed would happen!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Until next time,

Maddie