When I arrived in São Paulo, I was excited to get to the Metodista University and see the faculty and students from Roberts. We arrived during lunch and saw our students seated throughout the eating area, comfortable and looking as if they were a part of the community. As we greeted each other, the stories of host homes, learning Portuguese and shadowing began. Students had found a rhythm of living in São Paulo. It was exciting to hear!

Over the next few days, I listened as each student spoke in Portuguese and presented their final presentations. I was impressed with and proud of each student! On Sunday, we attended two churches where four students shared their experiences. What a blessing! This trip changed the lives of our students, and they will return home with a stronger Global perspective and understanding of who God is in the world. This is an example of how students at Roberts connect their head to their heart and engage their hands. This is transformational education.

But this trip was more than observing the change in students; there was a change in me. My own experience in Brazil has drawn me closer to understanding who God is and how He is moving in our world. The visit allowed me the opportunity to understand that despite language and location challenges, we serve a God who continues to move. I return to campus asking the Lord to continue to open my heart to what I need to learn from my time in Brazil and to create more opportunities to bring our communities together.

Obrigada Brasil!

~Dr. Deana Porterfield

This is not a vacation.

On a vacation, you search out the best, most beautiful experiences for your relaxation and pleasure. It is your opportunity to step away from reality, to hold the world at a distance, and elude all of your cares for those few glorious days before it all comes crashing back on your shoulders when that time is spent.

This is not a vacation.

When you immerse yourself in another place, another culture, with people who live and think in ways that open your eyes to new truths about the world, you change. That doesn’t happen when you hold the world at arms length, and you certainly will not experience that at Roberts Wesleyan College.

In my brief time in Brazil, I have witnessed the transformation of these young, inspired students. They came prepared with academic accomplishments, perseverance and a readiness to absorb every opportunity and chose to step away from what was known and comfortable, and to embrace this big, beautiful and unique world that God has created. They leave as better students, better citizens, and better equipped as sisters and brothers in Christ.

These are not the young, second year college students who left the United States, some for the first time in their lives, three weeks ago. They have been transformed. That doesn’t happen on a vacation.

That happens at Roberts Wesleyan College.

At Roberts Wesleyan College and Northeastern Seminary, students do not simply receive a credential that becomes a bullet point on a resume. Here, students find an atmosphere that broadens their understanding of the world, invigorating their God-given intelligence, and, as Dr. Porterfield says, “Connects your head to your heart, and engages your hands.”

This is now a community of international travelers, global thinkers, and they will be world changers.

And to them, we say, “Obrigado.” Thank you for being a part of the Global Honors Program at Roberts Wesleyan College.

When people hear words, they respond cognitively. Words change people. Language is needed to make this response meaningful. God created the world by speaking. Thus, the universe needed language to understand God. That language is the laws of nature. I study physics to learn part of the fundamental language of God. As a pastor, I want to teach people to hear from God in all his languages. In Brazil, God spoke to me in a new language: the language of hospitality and kindness. I will take this new perspective and language with me.

~ Jared Sittig

Communication in Brazil is completely different than communication in the United States, and that’s not just because they speak Portuguese. As an avid communicator it has been frustrating and challenging for me to be unable to fully express my thoughts and emotions to people in words, but Brazilian culture has taught me that words are just one small part of communication. Brazilians use their bodies more avidly to communicate meaning that in Brazil communication takes on a much broader definition that includes physical practices like dance and Capoeira. However, my greatest challenge has also become my greatest gift as Brazilian people have taught me that you don’t need to say something to convey something.

~Cheyenne Zaremba

This trip to Brazil has really opened my eyes to all the poverty and injustice in the world. However, amidst the poverty, there is this strong sense of community that nothing can hinder. I have learned through my time here that less is truly more. Less wifi means more purposeful conversations with those around me. Less materialism means more community and authentic living. Less comfort means more gratitude for what I do have. Less reliability means more trusting in God. When I am lessened, God has the ability to do more.

~Brianna Torrell

I have fond memories of being always joyful and enthusiastic when I was younger. As I “matured”, this light in my heart began to flicker. On this trip to Brazil with the Honors program, God graciously and excitedly displayed His joy for me to see and soak in through His people in Brazil. Their smiles are contagious; their jokes are priceless, and their enthusiasm is inspirational. From our time with our host families, to our Portuguese professors, to our experiences in different Free Methodist churches, to our day of a cancelled flight and a stunning complimentary hotel stay, God has designed Brazil to showcase His joy in a way that I will never forget.

~Bekah Benson

Upon a little reflection, I am surprised to realize that of all our experiences in Brazil, my favorite was probably that of simply holding conversations with strangers. There was something quietly heartwarming and curiously pleasant about reaching out or being reached out to in a strange place, and I can still recall the kind faces of several people – complete strangers – who, despite my stumbling efforts to breach the language barrier, left imprints in my memory and a little smile in my heart. For many of us, this trip has prompted an unprecedented boldness to try new things; for me, the blessing of reaching out is one ‘new thing’ I hope to bring back from Brazil.

~ Nathan Cannon

When I give something to someone I always feel like there has to be a reason. Whether they have done something to deserve a gift, there is a special occasion or anything else there always seems to be a reason. I never seem to give unconditionally. However, my time in Brazil has changed my view on giving. So many people here have given me things without me doing anything to deserve them. They give unconditionally. No moment captures the unconditional giving of this culture for me more than when I was given a Palmeiras flag after we watched them play. I did nothing to earn this gift. It was given out of a genuine kindness that I one day hope to possess. Brazil has taught me that I can give without a reason; that I can give unconditionally.

~Elliot Lawrence

Honors Class at our Closing Ceremony 
– Image Courtesy of Vanessa

There is something about experiencing something “other” with a group of people that brings them together. In our case the Honors Class experienced an “other” country and culture, and from those I have talked to, everyone seems to agree that we have grown closer as a class. Before this trip we had been part of the Honors Program and as such we had taken one to two required classes together per semester. Needless to say we started out quite familiar with each other, but as this trip has progressed I have seen friendships bloom that did not exist before.

Bekah Benson being great
– Image courtesy of Rebekah Distaffen

I am sure my dear readers can relate to the experience of having multiple classes with someone and not exchanging more then pleasantries with them. On his trip I have had wonderful conversations with people whom I had previously only exchanged a few words, and that has been a wonderful opportunity. Bekah Benson took this to the next level asking everyone in the class to tell her five things about themselves she did not already know. I admire what a great idea this was and how many beautiful conversations she was able to foster. On our beach day many people expressed how happy they were to have the time to hang out with people they might not have normally hung out with.

Dancing with Friends
– Image Courtesy of Dr. Kovach

Beyond growing from the pleasantries level to the friendship level with some members of the class, I have seen existing friendships grow and deepen in new ways; ways that only such a unique shared experience can grow a friendship. I have certainly grown deeper with my friends, be it exploring one day with Rebekah Distaffen, running into the ocean with Kayla Richardson, or having deep conversations on the back of the bus with Julie, Jared, and Chris. These are experiences one cannot get simply by sharing a class with someone.

Kate and I with an avocado baby
– Image Courtesy of Cheyenne

But the most meaningful friendship I have seen grow has been my friendship with my housemates, Cheyenne and Kate. We have struggled through trying to communicate in Portuguese that we need unscented laundry soap together, we have had tapioca pudding parties and played hearts late into the night,

Cheyenne Eating Mango
– Image Courtesy of Kate

we have died laughing as Cheyenne attempts to cut an over ripe mango (and succeeds in making a huge mess), and laid on the ground star gazing as Kate points out the Southern Cross. Cheyenne and Kate have taught me to slow down and enjoy the company and peace of a relaxed night after a full day, and they have gone on adventures with me as our host sister, out of the blue, takes us on a tapioca run at 9:30 at night.

Cheyenne, Kate, and I
– Image Courtesy of Kate

My experience in Brazil would not have been the same, nor as wonderful, with out them. Thank you Cheyenne and Kate for being a wonderful family.

And thank you to the whole Honors Class for being so amazing. Y’all are great friends and I am so blessed to have been able to share this experience with you.

-David T. Wilkenson

Group photo taken the first night we were in Brazil.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” wrote American author A. A. Milne. At this moment in our trip, Milne’s quote particularly resonates with me because it is time to say goodbye. We are not yet leaving Brazil, but we are leaving our host families and the Universidade Metodista de São Paulo which have been our home for the past two weeks. As I reflect on our last day in São Bernardo do Campo I cannot help but recall all of the “firsts” that seem to have occurred only yesterday: my first time flying on a plane, my first time visiting a foreign country that speaks a language I do not know, the first time meeting my host mom, and the list goes on.

Watching final presentations.

However, I am now also forced to reflect on the “lasts” that I have experienced. Yesterday, we attended our last day at the Universidade Metodista and gave our final presentation here in Brazil. When we went home, we had dinner with our host families for the last time before packing our bags and preparing for one final sleep in beds that now feel like our own. We said goodbye to the Brazilian friends that we made at the university and made sure not to miss out on what could be our last chance to have açai. This place that once felt so foreign now feels like home, and just as it was hard to say goodbye to my home in the States, it is now hard to say goodbye to my home in Brazil.

Across the street from the Universidade Metodista is a restaurant called Rei do Hambúrger (Hamburger King) where I—and many of the other Honors students–have become regulars. Rei do Hambúrger has the best—and cheapest—açai within walking distance from our school, and it also has the kindest staff who have come to recognize us as students. Yesterday, my roommates and I went to get açai one last time and had the same waiter that we have had every time we’ve gone to Rei do Hambúrger for the past week. We don’t know his name, and he doesn’t know ours, yet we have still come to form a connection over a simple exchange and some smiles while ordering food.

A photo with our friend from Rei do Hambúrger.

Using a combination of basic Portuguese and Google Translate we told him that we were leaving São Bernardo do Campo but that we appreciated how kind and patient he was while serving us food. In response, he told us (with the help of Google Translate) that he would miss us coming in to order açai and that he hoped we would come see him when we came back to Brazil in the future. Not if, but when. It is instances like these that have come to have the most impact on my experience here in Brazil by reminding me that while relationships are sustained through communication, they are built on the recognition that every other person is just as human as I am and deserves the same amount of compassion and respect that I desire.

In Milne’s words, saying goodbye to all the beautiful people and places in São Bernardo do Campo that I have grown to love is hard. Yet, I recognize that having a hard time saying goodbye also means that I have been lucky enough to have been touched and transformed by a people, a culture, and a country in a way that I could never have imagined.

-Cheyenne Zaremba

Last week, my host family took me to a youth conference at their church, and that was truly an amazing experience. This conference happens once a year so they brought in well-known speakers and worshiped for about 3 hours straight. Seeing everyone cry out to God and pour out their hearts in worship gave me chills. They didn’t care what they looked like or how they sang, they gave all they had to God because He was deserving of the praise.

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

Yesterday we went to a night church service near São Paulo, and I had a similar experience. When we arrived everyone was so hospitable and made us feel at home. People would come greet us with a kiss and say, “God bless you”. When the worship band began to sing, everyone was jumping up and down, dancing, singing and crying out to God. The tambourine and the beat of the drum carried the energy. The amount of passion and zeal is what made the music come alive, and I could feel God’s presence in that place.

When the song, “The Great I Am” came on, the lyrics hit me. They sang

“Aleluia, Santo, Santo, Grande eu seu”  “Alléluia, Holy, Holy, The Great I am”

 I just closed my eyed and soaked in this moment. Joy and praises filled the room. Raising my hands in worship, I pictured people from every nation coming together singing as one to God. We are all united under a common prayer. No language barrier can separate us, all that matters is that we are worshipping the same all powerful God.

-Bri Torrell

A sample of the meat at the Churrascuria

After church, we were treated to Brazilian barbecue and then took a trip to Ibirapuera park. As always, I was carrying a Frisbee. Some of us tried throwing it around, but we were all so fatigued from the beach and the soccer game the day before that we couldn’t do it. We did get to go to a physics demonstration about diffraction, refraction, and lasers at the planetarium in the park. I got to light a match with a laser. Super fun!

Me lighting a match with a laser

Demonstration on fiber optic cables

Then we loaded up and went to the second church of the day. We were told that this would be a bit more of a charismatic service than the first, but I could not have been prepared for how incredible it would be.

I was struck by three things about the service. First, the music was so well done. It was loud, but the noise was power not pain. We all agreed the base player was one of the best we had ever heard. All but one of the songs were Portuguese versions of worship songs I’ve sung in my own church, but these had a charismatic Brazilian twist that brought me back to my gospel church background from my early childhood. Music hasn’t had me going like that in a long time!

Second, these Brazilians pray beautifully. When the pastor prays, it’s like an invitation for everyone to start praying. The room erupts, and God gets waves of worship at 500 words per second. In my own church and among my friends I never understood why people waited to pray in turn, but now I know not everyone does. It was so moving to be part of a church deep in prayer together. I felt so at home.

Third, the hospitality of these people has no rival. There were three times of greeting within the service, one of which was designed for groups to pray together, and they included us.  A group gathered with a few of us and all started praying at once. At the end of the service we were called to the front and they prayed over us.

Today started out with too little sleep, too much soreness, and a bad mood, but ended with a blessed heart. Fatigue was washed with the Holy Spirit, and we were energized by the joy of these people. I have not felt as at home as I did tonight anywhere else in Brazil. God used the people of Brazil to give me a dose of home right when I needed a sleep substitute. I was refreshed and blessed by the Lord’s beautiful people.

~ Jared Sittig

The day started super early, 6 am to be exact, so not my definition of the best way to start. However, we got to the bus on time, even early! And off to the beach, we went. The drive there was BEAUTIFUL! We drove through forests, past swamps, mountains, cliffs, and more! We even drove over the trees! It was amazing!

Driving through the mountains, and you can see the road we had already driven on

We finally got to the resort, and I was itching to get out of the bus and on to the beach before the impending storm. Alas, we did not beat the storm to the beach. Instead, we visited their educational center where I got to play! They had interactive exhibits of some of the wildlife around the resort that were preserved in resin or just in drawers waiting to be picked up and examined! They even had a real skeleton of a whale that had gotten beached on the SESC reserve!

Amber, Elliot and I checking out the whale skeleton

The whale skeleton from behind

When the rain lightened up I was able to go with some of the Environmentalists to another educational center in the restinga! I touched every plant I could… -even the awesome palm trees with spines on its stem and leaves. (Don’t worry, Dad, I was careful!)

A palm tree that has spines on the stem and along the leaf edges

While there I learned the importance of the restinga. The restinga is between the beach, mangroves, and mountains. Its main purpose is to protect the mangroves and forests, but unfortunately, it is first to be destroyed. Therefore, SESC is working to preserve this area and the biodiversity and services it provides. The amazing part of SESC is they don’t just work on the science, but they work with the community to connect the people with the land again. They even have agricultural projects that allow people to come in and use the services of the restinga, such as learning about the plants they can use for food and medicine. It was really interesting to see all the actions SESC had in place for the environment and the community. Shout out to the environmentalist who presented to us and spoke about his expertise all in English!

After I lollygagged back to the bus we went to have lunch where I had a meal that included no meat! I. Was. So. Happy. I love Brazilian food, don’t get me wrong, but something they seem to lack in their meals is vegetables. So when I found the vegetables I loaded up!

Sand Dollar

Snail shell

After lunch, we finally made it to the beach. The sand was so soft and sprinkled with grains of mica; it was beautiful! We played volleyball, then went exploring and swimming. Amber and I found sand dollars, sea snails, and shells while investigating the wildlife of the beach. Afterward, we played frisbee and I got nailed in the head twice, but I only got a small bruise. Finally, before it got too late I went swimming in the waves. It was so refreshing!

When it was time to go, I attempted to wash the sand and salt off my body and mostly succeeded. We ran to the freezing bus and napped our way back to Metodista where we got picked up to go to the soccer game. Although we were exhausted we had a great time at the game and our team, Palmeiras, won! All in all, it was an awesome day, possibly the best one yet, to top off a pretty great week! Can’t wait to see what’s next!

IMG-0034

~Hannah 

Enjoying coconuts on the beach with Nanda and Luciano

We spent the day with the rest of the honors group at a beach resort in Bertioga, São Paulo. Although our adventure began with a morning stuck under pouring rain in a pavilion looking at a whale skeleton (don’t ask), the sun eventually decided to shine and the rest of our time was filled with much needed rest and relaxation. A few highlights of the day included Luciano attempting to teach me to dance (to no avail — that would be my fault!), running as fast as possible into the refreshing salty ocean water and enjoying its notable warmth (or coldness, if you’re a Brazilian who is used to 75 degree water), and realizing that it is completely normal to pack your toothbrush when going to a beach and take time to specifically “escova os dentes” (again, if you’re a Brazilian).

While all of these activities combined to make a memorable day, no combination of moments could compare to the gratitude I had for the love my Brazilian friends showed me. As soon as I mentioned that I would be coming to Brazil, both of them immediately started to make plans for when they could see me, even though they each had to travel at least 2 and a half hours to meet up with our group, including a flight from a different state and a long car drive. When we finally did get to see each other today, Nanda and Luciano patiently waited through the rain for the sun to arrive, swam with me even when they were cold, and took the time to get to know my friends as well.

Throughout the course of this trip, I have come to realize that this love is characteristic of not just those who previously knew you or had some obligation to serve you, but it is a cultural standard. Whether it is through the willing smile and conversation from a stranger in the university dining hall, or the caring hugs and kisses from host family members, Brazil’s people have made me feel incredibly welcome in this country.

I got to see Nanda’s mom, too!

I truly hope that I can bring some of this love back with me as well.

~Kayla Richardson

Photo by Kate Wagner

I’ve found so much happiness here in Brazil and I think that has to do with me learning to let go. Letting go of control and letting God guide me… Letting go of my need for a plan and allowing everything to happen on its own time… Letting go of the walls I have built up and learning to be vulnerable… Letting go of anxiety and allowing myself to feel excitement, to feel joy.

Kayla’s pictures captures my joy perfectly

Brazil has helped me to learn to find joy in the simple things. In feeling like I am a member of the family at my host ‘home’… In learning how to make dessert from my host mom, just as her mother taught her… I’ve found joy in buying a coconut and drinking out of it (even if I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would) while seeing beautiful art and in seeing tiny babies in the hospital.. I’ve found joy in sitting in the trunk of a car at Toyota and in long drives where I can see the sunrise and the sunset and all the beautiful people who live here.

Thanks for snapping this pic of me in my happy place, Bri:)

Today, I found joy in playing in the sand like a kid and swimming in the ocean. I was as happy as a clam (pun intended) hunting for sand-dollars on the beach and rescuing ones that weren’t picked up by the water. I found joy experiencing God’s creation and the sheer beauty of this place with my friends.

Everything I have done here has been a new opportunity to find joy. I’m so thankful that I can experience this complete joy with the friends that I have grown so close with on this trip. They’ve been with me as I’ve laughed and cried, and as I’ve grown. As I have learned to let go, I have had a support network all around me. My class has become my family and that’s something that I never imagined would or could happen.

So, as I go into our last week in this amazing country, I am recognizing that I have grown tremendously, ever since a few weeks ago. I am so thankful that I can be on this amazing journey of growth and discovery with so many people who love and support me. They allow me to be me, as I let go and find my joy.

Kate takes the best pictures:)

With a Joyful Heart,

-Molly Perrin