Things I learned while in Brasil

Don’t flush toilet paper Only turn the knob a little way on if you want a hot shower Traffic does not stop for pedestrians Don’t make coffee with faucet water Don’t let children peel and cut hundreds of bananas Don’t ever ride on a motorcycle in Sao Paulo If you don’t understand, smile, shrug your shoulders and give a thumbs up Americans stand out like a sore thumb The juice here is fantastic Look at the bottom of the carton – if it has a 4 on it, it means that it has been reopened and sealed 4 times Drivers don’t stay in the lines on the road Be aware, roads merge without warningIt’s impossible to be on time for anything Don’t put contact solution in your eyes Kids will swarm you if you have a camera You can hug any kid on the street Rotten fruit and veggies smell really bad It’s very hard to understand the concept of organization Sandwiches for breakfast? You can’t change your major at university or you start over You may not eat dinner until 10pm Traffic may take 15 min or 2 ½ hours And you thought soap operas were cheesy in the states… The glory of dubbing Pollution is terrible here Everything is gated Carrying suitcases up hundreds of stairs is a workout Just because they bring food/appetizers out without asking doesn’t mean it’s free What’s a meal without beans and rice? Most coffee is ¼ coffee and 3/4ths milk – but still tastes better than in the states Don’t buy a lot of groceries when you have to ride the bus Hang on for your life while riding the bus Don’t sit in the back seat of the bus – you’re most likely to fly out You don’t have a personal space bubble There is a mall on every corner Lines take forever – especially the post office You must be able to parallel park You always have dessert after dinner Fireworks are expected to be heard from somewhere every night There are bottles the size of a boat in the river? No matter how much you eat, you’re still hungry It can be 80 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the same day Don’t ever go to Rio if you don’t know your way around Speed bumps mean you should just go faster over them Pt Cruisers are luxury cars here If you wear a jersey, expect someone to boo you Kids seem to move around whenever they want in a classroom Kids are only in school ½ day Don’t go for the handshake it’s awkward Glasses are fashionable It’s really easy to make friends The have a sweet nursery area in the malls for moms who need to nurse There is great food here Brasil is a cool place

Brasil Internship Summer 2008

My experience here so far: Well first all I’d like to say thank you to anyone who has put me in their prayers. I know that it is God’s plan for me here in Brasil. And also, I would like to thank you all for the financial support. I wouldn’t be here without you!! So I have been here one week. It has totally been a different experience than my time here with our group last year. But, not in a bad way – just on a different level. I came here expecting a lot and thinking that it would be the same as last year. But the fact is it’s totally different being here on my own. It takes a whole lot more courage to talk to people, to be confident, to not be emotionally exhausted. When we were here with a group, there were translators and I didn’t feel far away from home because we all stuck together. We were so busy everyday we were here, there was no time to get exhausted or feel distant. I am not trying to sound negative at all – this was my purpose of coming here alone. To put myself in a place where I have to put my trust completely on God and people I don’t know for comfort. And that’s it. God has taught me a lot. He has taught me how important it is to be close to Him and confide in Him for guidance and direction. He has taught me that even though at times I may feel unimportant here, he is using me to impact someone’s life or even several. I hope that I can open doors for more students like me to spend time here and to be involved in the significance of this community. The family I stayed with my first week was so welcoming. They treated me as one of theirs. I met so many of their friends and family and they were so happy to meet me! Senhor David (my “pei”) was an English teacher so he helped me with my Portuguese because Jane (my “irma”)and Semae (my “mei”) do not speak English – which that in itself has been an important lesson. I’ve realized how little I listen to people and how selfish I can be. Most of the time I talk about myself and can’t wait to get the next word in and barely even listen to what the other person is saying. Here I have had to listen to every detail of what people are saying because I need to understand them. So anyways, I’ve learned a lot about the language and the culture in just a week. So far, I helped Vila Andrade organize their church library and I am getting more involved at Project semear with the Compassion Children. Many of them remember our group from last year and have asked where the team is. I am basically trying to use “teaching” English as a way to conversate with them. They teach me the Portuguese word and I in return teach them the English word. It was a little slow going at first, but the children have started to open up to me… Please continue to pray for me. Pray for the opportunity of change in this community, Pastor Marcelo and the people to have open hearts to God’s word.