After three weeks in Brazil for our International Immersion trip, we are back at Impact 360 Institute. We have had plenty of time to rest and catch up with our family and friends, and tomorrow starts our return to the normal Impact 360 schedule. We have been back in the United States for a little over a week now, and I am still pondering the incredible things we did and saw in Brazil. The Lord was so gracious in allowing us to experience every single moment, both the good and the challenging.
In our final week in Brazil, Team Lobo Guara was able to help with Overnighteen, a camp put on by Lifeshape Brazil to encourage teenagers in their walk with Christ and share the gospel with unbelievers. The theme of the camp was “Sempre Preparados” or “Always Prepared” in English. With this theme, we focused on 1 Peter 3.
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
1 Peter 3:15-16
We expanded on the theme of always being prepared in various devotionals, breakout sessions, and sermons. The campers heard messages on engaging unbelievers, apologetics, and the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, and the study of the Bible. As a current Impact 360 Fellow, I (Tyler Kerr) was blessed by all these messages. At Impact 360, we had already studied and put into practice all these topics, but relearning about all of them was a refreshing experience.
Beyond our times for sermons and devotionals, we also created relationships with the campers. We had time for scavenger hunts, water games, and free time around Agua Viva, the farm where Overnighteen was held. The campers ranged in age from 15 to 18, and because we were so close in age, we easily formed relationships with them. While Overnighteen was a short camp of only four days long, it was one of the most remarkable experiences of our time in Brazil.
After Overnighteen ended, we had about six hours of just our team at Agua Viva; we spent this time debriefing everything that the Lord had done that week and realizing that the end of our time in Brazil was upon us. We took a walk on the dirt road leading to the farm and got to marvel at God’s creation in the quietness right before the other three teams arrived. We used these last few moments to enjoy each other’s presence and friendships. Our team created a special bond during our time in Brazil, and over our debriefing days, we had the opportunity to share just how special each member was, and how grateful we were for each other.
God used our trip to Brazil in many special ways. We not only had the opportunity to serve those in the local communities but also to serve our teammates and create deeper friendships with those on Team Lobo Guara. Even though we are all back at Impact 360 now, these memories we made in Brazil will be those we remember for the rest of our lives; God has been so kind to allow us to have this experience and to experience His global kingdom.
With Gratitude,
Tyler Kerr