Hey friend,
Right now, I’m in Brazil. I’ve been here for three weeks already and have learned some things so far.
1. Brazilians love to touch and hug. A lot. And a kiss on the cheek is common too.
2. Puxe, pronounced “Push”, actually means “Pull”. I still get confused sometimes…
3. Most Brazilians love Açai cream, but have never actually seen the açai berry before.
4. God really, really loves this country.
This is my third time to Brazil and it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful these people are, on the inside and out. I prayed for months before coming, for Brazil and these beloved people, and every time God would show me just how huge His love was for them.
A few weeks ago, some people from a church here invited me to join them on an outreach to a homeless shelter. We met the owner, a woman named Zizi. Her smile was so contagious! She gave up everything, her home, her job, to open this shelter, yet she had such joy. About six years ago, she read in the bible how Jesus says to care for the homeless, and she said if this is what Jesus said to do then she wanted to do it. What a beautiful heart!
We were able to share about Jesus with some of the men staying there, and how much God loved them. Many were brought to tears, and so many decided they wanted to receive God’s love for them. We sang some of our worship songs and then, they taught us some of theirs. It was so fun. We even were able to baptize one man with a bottle of water!
Afterward, we had lunch together and laughed and shared stories about our lives. My portuguese is still in progress, so I didn’t understand everything but sometimes you don’t need to know all the words to be able to communicate. I think it meant a lot to them just for us to be there and listen. They shared stories, their time, and their food. They treated us like guests in their home.
They didn’t have much but what they had, they gave.
I feel like so many in Brazil have this mindset. They share, they celebrate, they live and they love.
I know I came here to serve this country and these people, but what I wasn’t expecting was the way they have taught me to love. So far, I’ve seen so many people here who know how to love well.
Yet, I know there are so many who feel unseen and unknown.
I hope Jesus will take our hand and lead us to them. Then, we can give them a hug and a kiss, and tell them they how beautiful they are and how much God loves them.
Keep praying for us here!
Till the next adventure,
Katya
