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Jessica's Brasil Experience
Jessica's Message
In Brasil, they have a specific word for
a final goodbye – they call it a “despedido.” Strangely, we do not
have a word for it in English. Since my despedido in Brasil, I have
enjoyed every minute of time with my family; I have been thrown into
the beauty and bustle of the holidays; And I have begun to readjust
to the excesses and the strange familiarity of my country, my city,
my home. I also miss Rio immensely. There is another word in
Portuguese that we don’t have in English: “saudade.” It means a
deep longing, a nostalgia. I have great saudades for my people in
Brasil. I miss the community there. I miss living in the ‘hood. I
miss working among the poor and loving on the least of these. I
miss having a great sense of purpose to my day. I miss experiencing
Jesus in unique ways. I even miss the hot Rio sun.
Being back home, having some time to
reflect and debrief, I have realized just how much I learned while
in Rio. I learned what it is to live with simplicity and compassion
and grace. I learned to live flexibly, moving with the Spirit. I
learned what it is to live the life of a pilgrim, a long-time
traveler. I learned what it is to wait patiently, about "the
wonder of waiting, the tingle of anticipation and the deepening of
longing, the hope of imagining the improbable." I learned what the
difference is between doing and being and that being is so much
better. I learned that "the One who calls you is faithful."
Just for fun, my 10 Favourite Things
about Rio, in no particular order:
-
R$1 abacaxi (you can get a pineapple
in the hood for one real, which is like $0.60)
-
"Tia" (this is Portuguese for "aunt"
but it is used as a term of respect and endearment for a female
friend, volunteer, or passerby...I miss hearing the kids call
out "Tia, tia!"
-
Pipas (kites - the boys in the ‘hood
fly kites from the roofs of the houses to pass the time...it is
a blast to watch and a beautiful ornament for the sky)
-
O mar (the sea - enough said. I love
the sea.)
-
"Beautiful-zinha" (a nickname my
Portuguese teacher and friend gave me...a combination of English
and the Portuguese diminutive, which has been adopted by my
whole community here, essentially meaning "little beautiful
one")
-
Cóco sorvete (coconut ice cream -
delicioso! The best ice cream flavor here!)
-
The Sisters and volunteers of
Missionaries of Charity (they are a crazy crew when you get them
together, but I love them dearly and miss the moments of love
and grace)
-
Havaianas (I refer to Rio as the
Flipflop Capital of the World...Havaianas being the number one
choice of flipflop, worn by rich and poor alike)
-
Brasilian hospitality and greetings
(there is nothing like the warm embrace and friendly welcome of
a Brasilian, even a stranger... they greet with a hug and a kiss
on both cheeks, which I grew to love.)
-
The Projeto Ester mural (it was an honor and a privilege to
complete a mural at the Ester Project...despite some water
damage, it turned out beautiful and the ladies of the project
love it. I could not imagine a better way to leave a bit of
myself in Rio.)
Foto's of
Brasil
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