I’ve always found it fascinating how each of us has sacred spaces. Those few places that offer a deep sense of peace, safety, and belonging. Maybe it’s your favorite coffee shop, a quiet morning on your porch, or the familiar rhythm of baking in your kitchen. There’s something holy about those ordinary moments when your soul can just be.

But that’s also what makes travel uniquely challenging because when we step away from home, we leave those sacred spaces behind. The places that ground us are no longer just a few steps away. And yet, in that space of unfamiliarity, we open ourselves to finding sacredness in places we never expected.

Today is Sunday. Back home, my Sundays are familiar; coffee with my family, worship with friends, church that feels like a second home. That rhythm has become one of my most treasured sacred spaces. But here in Brazil, the day unfolded differently.

Our host parents weren’t home in the morning, so we had a quiet start, sleeping in and reading our Bibles. The stillness felt different, but it was meaningful. When our host dad returned around 1:00, we went out for lunch. We took time to catch up, share stories, and reflect on the days that had already gone by. Afterward, he took us to his favorite popsicle place, just a simple joy, but somehow, it felt like another sacred moment tucked inside the day.

That evening, we went to church with our entire group.

I’ve been to church in other countries before, but it never ceases to move me. There’s something so powerful about worshiping in a room full of people whose language I may not speak, but whose God I know. The songs may sound different. The prayers may be said in another language. But the Spirit is the same.

There, in a small church thousands of miles from home, I was reminded, that sacred spaces aren’t always about location. Sometimes they’re simply where God meets us, in community, in worship, in shared joy. Though we come from different countries and backgrounds, and even though our daily lives look nothing alike, we are united in the sacred space of God’s presence.

And maybe that’s the most beautiful part.

Even though we each carry our own sacred spaces from home, we are part of something much bigger. Sacred spaces can be found in quiet mornings and loud worship, in stillness and song, in popsicles and prayer. Because wherever God is, there is holy ground.

Categories: Brazil 2025

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