Sleeping in a hammock
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What better way to take a nap than in a hammock on a beautiful summer day?
Did you know that the sisters working in the Brazilian mission not only took naps in hammocks but also slept in them at night? They arrived in Brazil in 1957, but it was not until the 1980s that the sisters were able to sleep in real beds. Some of them, however, preferred to continue to use the hammocks. According to Sister Rose Allard, S.G.M.: “Most of us got used to the hammock very easily, we were fine if the hammock was wide enough, and we knew how to lie down diagonally. I, personally, had more difficulty readjusting to the bed!”.
Even after the arrival of the real beds, the hammocks continued to be used by all for afternoon naps. According to Sister Allard, it was cooler than the bed!
In this picture, you can see Lucille Chamberland, one of the founders of the Brazilian mission, in her room at Alcantara. Notice, above the hammock, a rolled up mosquito net which was very useful to protect oneself from mosquitoes and bats.

