I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Matthew 25:35b “Lord of the Rings?! I LOVE Lord of the Rings!” My new friend Camila was practically jumping up and down in her seat with excitement over our mutual interest. Camila, Brenda, and Grayce were just three of the student aides Read more…
To say I was excited before getting to Brazil would be an understatement. However, that level of excitement could not compare to the state of pure awe and amazement I currently find myself in. You might be thinking, how can someone who has only been in a country for one Read more…
I have traveled a lot in my life. I’ve been on a plane every year and I jokingly refer to the airport as being my third home. Every time I get ready to travel I find myself getting into a proud mindset as I think “I’ve done this before. This Read more…
After arriving in Brazil and taking a very peaceful bus ride to the university, we finally had the moment we had been anticipating for a long time… we got to meet our host families. At first, I was a bit nervous, not knowing what to expect. When I got off Read more…
I have traveled to seven countries in my lifetime, so traveling to Brazil did not seem intimidating. I was ready for the long plane rides and no sleep, but what was different this time was that I was going to be living with a host family. The thought of living Read more…
As my mother always says “Maggie is such a social butterfly, she could spend a whole day talking to a wall and not get bored.” For someone who loves to socialize, who would have thought having a conversation would be so scary? I thought it would be easy until I Read more…
Over the course of the past two days, there have been many “lift-offs.” In other words, I would say there have been multiple “firsts” that have taken place, both physically as well as spiritually. Two days ago, I had the opportunity to travel on my first international flight. I saw Read more…
It’s been 28 hours since we left Rochester and our travel weary bodies were eager for the end of this first stage of our journey. When the bus pulled onto campus, the thought of arriving seemed like the best gift we could receive. However, as we stepped off the bus, Read more…
The end of the semester always brings many emotions: stress, relief, excitement, sadness and many others. This year I am feeling them all! I am finishing my grading, preparing for summer responsibilities, and finalizing Brazil trip details. These are all the same major responsibilities I had last year, but there Read more…
