Entering a new country means stepping into unfamiliar rhythms, cultures, and languages. For most of our team, arriving in Brasília marked our first real experience outside of American culture, so these first few days away from home have been an adjustment for a lot of us.

As soon as we arrived, we realized that there was going to be a challenge when it comes to communication. However, right after we got off the bus, we were warmly welcomed by some wonderful students who are part of the Lifeshape Brasil here in Brasilia. Despite our differences in culture, we have found that what unites us is more important than any confusion in language– that being the person of Jesus Christ. Even though we may not all look or sound the same, we are all still united under the same God. One of the little things that we have noticed while we are here is how truly loving the Lifeshapers are, especially how eager they are to learn English just as much as we are to learn Portuguese and their culture.

We really saw the Lord move when all of the Fellows and Lifeshapers came together for worship. Since the worship was being led in Portuguese, it was often difficult to sing along to the music, but it was beautiful when we could recognize the melody of the songs and worship the same God in English.

We were also blessed to see the Lord’s wonder and creation when we went to Chapado Empario, a nature reserve just an hour away from where we are staying. One of the most common things that we kept hearing from all of the fellows about Chapado Empario was how cool and exotic all of the birds were. C.E. is a very well-run nature preserve, with all kinds of animals from Toucans and Parrots to Donkeys and horses. What capped this expedition off was a beautiful 4-hour hike, where we saw multiple beautiful waterfalls, some of which we were able to swim in.

“I can see God all across nature, especially bodies of water. Experiencing that in Brazil and not just in the States is a great reminder that God is present everywhere.” – Kyron Holmes (Resident)

We are so excited for our next few weeks in Brazil and all that God is going to do. Pray for us this week as we are moving into host homes, as well as working with a church here in Brasilia!

Austin Wiggins & Henry Anderson
Fellows, Class XX