Hello my brothers and sisters,
I hope you are all well. I'm very happy to talk to you and share my experience with the wonderful team of Tucano volunteers who visited us here in Brazil. We even still have Benjamin with us!
On Thursday 11 July, at 3pm, our brothers landed at Confins International Airport, in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte. I, Washington (project worker) and our friend and sister Samara, went to welcome them.
We waited anxiously for them to arrive and when they finally showed up, we immediately went to hug them. My brothers and sisters, I don't know if you've ever met a Brazilian in person, but our culture is always one of hugging and being very warm to visitors. I hope that one day you can have the experience of being welcomed by us here in Brazil!
We then took them to the house of Christians from a local church in BH, where they would be staying for the weekend.
However, like many things that have had their schedules altered over the weeks, this one also underwent last-minute changes. The initial idea was for the brothers to spend Thursday and Friday in a house of their own, to rest from travelling and to get to know each other better, since they didn't know each other. However, the house reserved for them was no longer available on those days, so the volunteers had to split up into pairs and were hosted by brothers from the church in three different houses. It was a big challenge for each of them, due to the tiredness of travelling and the culture shock, which was quite intense.
I didn't have much contact with them this weekend, but I wouldn't see them again until Monday 15th.
On Monday, I met them in the morning. They were tired from the weekend and their ‘social battery’ needed more time to recharge. In short, we saw them trying to adapt to the project and get to know each other a little better. We saw God at work in every detail: in the laughter, the tears, the afflictions and the victories. The week didn't go exactly to plan, as we had to combine the team's activities with those of the Good Shepherd Project. However, it was very fruitful: they participated and interacted with the families of the community served by the project, they played football, they played games, they took part in all the workshops, which helped them to connect with each activity.
I have to be honest, my brothers. I'm here to build a relationship with you and share my experiences and visions of Brazil in a transparent and honest way. I saw the character of each volunteer being moulded by God, and I can't help but mention that there were frictions and reality clashes between them. However, I feel that God was at work in everyone's character, including mine and my wife's. He worked wonders in our lives.
On the second weekend, thanks to your help, Good Shepherd organised a trip to Serra do Cipó, a region 90 km from Belo Horizonte, with stunning natural landscapes, enchanting waterfalls and a perfect environment for rest and relaxation. The team needed this time to adjust and align ideas. We rented an extra car to accommodate everyone, totalling eight people, four in each car.
The journey was an adventure! Google Maps suggested an alternative route, as the usual one was congested due to Friday night traffic and an accident. We opted for the alternative route, but regretted it. We took endless dirt roads, full of potholes and dust. A stretch that should have taken 30 minutes took over an hour. My wife, Ana Luiza, is terrified of dirt roads and became tense, as did Annie and Lizze, who were in the car with us. The situation got worse when we came across a family with their car stuck on a hill. I had to get down to help, while my wife prayed in English with the girls, even though she couldn't speak the language. It was a funny scene, but despite all the mishaps, we reached our destination.
I would describe this weekend as ‘marvellous’. We walked around the village, met waterfalls, restaurants and incredible people. We had moments of fellowship, shared experiences with God and life stories, got to know each other better as a team and started a friendship. I thank God every day. Our life is very good, even with problems. The Lord takes care of every detail and surprises us with transformed lives all around us. This experience in Serra do Cipó demonstrated that nothing can separate God's people: not mountains, oceans, governments, kingdoms, powers or principalities. Even though we congregate in different denominations, we saw that God's people are one. We serve the same Lord Jesus Christ. The return trip was uneventful, taking the conventional route, and we even stopped for an açaí at the traditional ice-cream parlour in the neighbourhood.
The second week got off to an intense start for the team. We had a breakfast meeting with Lucas, the project coordinator. I need to pause to talk about him: Lucas is a man with a huge heart and is very blessed, but when it comes to talking, brace yourselves, my brothers, because he likes to talk, and he talks a lot! But he is a great man of God, with vast knowledge and experience in our community, having spent 14 years coordinating the project. He has accumulated many impactful stories of each person who has passed through the project, and some of them were shared with the team: stories of lives lost and also of people transformed by Christ, as well as his own journey to the project and his experiences with God.
This conversation had a profound impact on the team. Honestly, it was difficult for them to absorb so much information at once. Some cried, others preferred to isolate themselves to reflect on their lives and the testimonies they had heard. Personally, I didn't expect such an intense reaction. Alice was very impacted, Annie showed strong empathy, and Samara, who was responsible for translating and leading the team, tried to stay strong but couldn't always hold back the tears. After this experience, everyone found their own way of processing the information.
The next day, there were still signs of the emotional crisis, but God was moulding each person's character. Each volunteer dedicated themselves to the activities they identified with most, some quieter, others more participative, each dealing with the challenges in their own way. By this stage, everyone had more freedom with me. Lizze and Annie called me brother, Ben and Jamie hugged me and Alice, always very polite, greeted me enthusiastically.
I need to emphasise a few important points. We received many volunteers from the BH church to help with the translation, both in the first and second weeks. And something marvellous is happening with the presence of these volunteers: a couple have become so enamoured with the project that they have offered to give English lessons to the people they help and some of the team. That's marvellous, brothers! To see that the presence of the Tucano team is not only edifying for them, but also for us, is a work of the Lord that is already bearing fruit.
I want to emphasise, brothers and sisters, that during the week the team adapted better and better to the activities, naturally evolving in the process. I won't go into detail about each activity, as my aim here is to give a brief account of the general context of the team's experience and of my own life.
To summarise, the second week was transformative. The team already knew more about the project's work and participated more actively in the activities, each choosing the workshop they preferred. They had already formed friendships and were very much at ease, being able to move around the neighbourhood, supermarkets and building material shops.
Now I'd like to talk a little about the character of each team member and how I've noticed a transformation in each one. I want to stress that this is not a judgement, much less a criticism, but just an observation from my point of view.
Starting with the boys, let's talk about Benjamin. When he arrived, we realised that he was quite introverted and quiet. I also noticed that he was a person with a practical attitude, who didn't like fidgeting or being in groups. I believe this was due to the fact that he was in a completely different country and culture, as well as not knowing the team well. But, my brother, what a joy to see you now! I realise that it's not English custom to hug people so much, but our way is to hug a lot, and Benjamin was very ‘English’ in that respect.
He's very different now. He's more communicative and hugs like a Brazilian! Before, he was more embarrassed to talk, but now he's not. The children at the Casa Lar won't get off his back. I think this has been a great school for him. And there's still a lot to look forward to, because he's still with us and is increasingly open and available to do the Lord's work in our community. I pray to God that this time in Brazil will remain a lasting impression on his life. In addition to all these positive changes, Benjamin has also become more confident and independent. He now feels more comfortable taking on responsibilities and making decisions. He is also more involved in Project and community activities, which has helped him make new friends and feel more integrated. We are very proud of the progress Benjamin has made during his time in Brazil. He is an incredible young man with a bright future ahead of him. We know that he will continue to make a difference in the world and touch the lives of many people in a positive way.
Now, when he arrived, Jamie showed himself to be a young man with an open heart for service and a lot of smiles. He was willing to do anything and was one of the first Englishmen to visit us who was good at football. When he came to play with the boys who were being looked after at the project, no one thought he would do well, but suddenly he scored an almost Olympic goal and everyone started cheering him on, shouting ‘gringo, gringo, gringo!’.
Jamie is a promising young man with a bright future ahead of him. He is intelligent, talented and hard-working, and has great potential to make a difference in the world. I'm looking forward to seeing what he achieves in the future.
Moving on from the girls, I want to talk about Alice, a polite and shy young woman when she first arrived. Despite her shyness, Alice enjoyed trying to speak Portuguese and made an effort to communicate. She was a dedicated student, but sometimes found it difficult to connect with people.
Over time, Alice found herself and adapted very well. Her Portuguese evolved a lot and she was able to communicate in an exemplary way. What's more, Alice has an incredible talent for drawing. I was surprised by the quality of her artwork. I felt that she was already in tune with the place and was up for any activity, always participating enthusiastically. Ailce is an inspiration to us all. Her journey is an example of overcoming and resilience. She faced challenges but never gave up. She is a bright and talented young woman, and I'm sure she has a bright future ahead of her.
Annie arrived in Brazil with a contagious energy and an incredible willingness to take part in the project's activities. She was very able in Portuguese and that made us very happy. Annie reflected a lot on her testimony through our lives. She showed herself to be a very empathetic and cautious person. Annie found herself more and more. She has an incredible heart, is very attentive, affectionate and high-spirited. She's an incredible young woman who has captured our hearts. My wife and I welcomed her as part of our family and she evolved a lot during her visit to Brazil. She came home revitalised and with a promise to return. We are very happy to have met Annie and to have had the opportunity to share our lives with her. We know that God has a marvellous plan for her life and we can't wait to see what the Lord will do through her.
Elizabeth, left a deep mark on our hearts during her visit to Brazil. From the very first moment, there was a special bond between us, as we share the same religious denomination. Her dedication and enthusiasm for the project's work and activities were inspiring. She loved communicating in Portuguese and happily celebrated every word she got right. She has a sharp sense of humour and is able to laugh at herself. We feel that her faith has matured during her stay in Brazil, and she has made it clear that she wants to return to the country. We believe Elizabeth has the potential to be a great team leader in the future. Her presence filled our hearts with joy, especially those of my wife and I, as she considered us as siblings. We believe that God has great plans for her life and that she will continue to be a blessing to all who meet her.
Now, my brothers, I want to share a change that God has made in my character: that of welcoming the brothers into my home. On their last weekend here in Brazil, without any prior planning, they all ended up spending Saturday to Tuesday at my house. Something my wife and I hadn't had the freedom to do before, because we didn't think our house was good enough to receive them. But that's exactly what God worked in us. The team felt at ease and told us that they felt at home, which surprised us very much. It showed us that the question is not how much we have, but how willing we are to serve with what we have been given. We made lunches, dinners, barbecues, played games, talked a lot and even bought a cake and sweets for Samara, Annie and Lizze's farewell.
They, in turn, cooked for us as a token of gratitude, which filled our hearts with joy.
Back to last week's routines, everyone was already showing how much they had matured and changed as a result of their experiences in the project. This week, we visited Morvem's institution in Itabirito, about 75 km from Belo Horizonte, and concentrated on painting the façade of the project office, which turned out amazingly beautiful and colourful.
We had a marvellous time with the team. I told them to enjoy every moment, because it would be difficult to do it all again with the same people. We experienced incredible moments of reflection, compassion, empathy, joy and mercy, which will mark our lives forever!
This visit showed me that I don't need much to serve, just a willing heart. It's enough to serve with what we already have, because that's how we give due value to what God has blessed us with so much grace.
I look forward to seeing the next team and hearing from those who have visited us.
With affection,
Rogério Muneron.
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