One Year in São Paulo, "What a Ride"

As I try to put into words my first year as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Brazil, I cannot help but think of the following quote: "What a ride!" My life has been up and down, careening left then right, full of mistakes and bad decisions, and if I died right now, even though I would love to live longer, I could say from the depths of my soul, "What a ride!"- Mike Yaconelli

My first year has been just that a wild ride.  It has been full of adventures, new beginnings, frustrations, heartbreaks, loneliness, new friends, and new discoveries and most of all a full surrender and faith in Jesus.  

I can only describe it as a similar reality to a one year old child.  This past year I have had to learn how to speak again, find my way in a new world, rely totally on the kindness and experience of others, try new foods, make new friends, and surrender my need for control.  Just like a one year old I discovered a lot about the world and myself.  Sometimes I cruised around on my own and sometimes I feel flat on my face.  Some days might have been hard but it was always an adventure and an experience.  One I would not trade.

Here are just a few of the things I did this last year.  

• Stayed with Brazilians and other Missioners and got to know the city.

• Spent three months at language school & continued with a tutor in Portuguese

• Visited a group of teen moms.

• Started helping with health groups in two woman prisons.

• Visited a school where another missioner was teaching and sex education.

• Went to the Quilumbos (land of the descendants of African slaves)

• Started working at the Centro do Juvenitude (a center for youth)

• Moved into an apartment with my roommate Catherine.

• Went to a summer course and was put in the oral expression class and did great.

• Went to Joao Passoa and Rio

• Went to my first Carnival

• Tried to learn to Samba (still don't know how too)

• Learned to make homemade soup and cake from scratch

• Made new friends and began new relationships 

It has been an exciting and tiring year.  But overall a good one.  I feel very privileged to be a missioner.  I look forward to my second year.  A year I hope to be able to communicate better and make more of an impact on the people I am so lucky to work with.



In the words of Mike Yaconelli "You cling to Jesus, you give your life to him, it will be wild, it will be dangerous, it will be unpredictable, but man will you know how to dance".  What a privilage for me to be able to dance this dance in Brazil.  I pray my time here makes a difference for others.  I know it has made a big difference in my life, and for that I am grateful. 

This year I hope to dance better to the Brazilian beat.