Day 1: We Arrived Safely!

Well, after 24 hours of travel, 5 airports, 3 different airplanes, and two van rides later... our humble group of 12 faithful disciples arrived in Belo Horizonte tired but happy to have made it all together safely. Originally, our work in Brazil was slated for a small outpost in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. However, after a turn of events, Teca Greathouse who is the in-country missionary for the United Methodist Church decided that it would be better for our group to serve in Belo Horizonte with a project that has been established brick by brick over the past twenty years in cooperation with The Shade & Fresh Water Project and a blitz build of 250 homes with Millard Fuller of Habitat for Humanity. Teca shared with the group that when Habitat committed to partner with the project 3,000 families applied for a home. Over that year of planning, Teca worked with the community and they set the criteria of who most needed a home. Mothers of single children, families with children under 12 years of age or who had special needs took precedence. Today, the community has changed for the better and the slums, which are still visible from our rooms, are becoming less a part of the landscape.

For the next week, our group is making their home in a simple but lovely complex that is connected with the project. It is reminiscient to me of some of the cloistered communities I have seen throughout the world for monks and nuns. Each of us has a simple wood frame bed and mattress and bathrooms are down the hall. Most of us are in shared dormitory style rooms overlooking a lovely courtyard of flowers and what appears to be open space for the children to play in. We will break bread together at 5 pm and then head to one of the local churches for worship at 7 pm. Apparently, Brazillians gather for worship in the evening on Sundays (the photo above was taken on Sunday evening as a number of the children who attend the project read from the Bible).

Tomorrow, we begin our work painting the exterior buildings and putting a roof on the dormitories where we are sleeping! Some of us have served on many mission trips, others are leaving the country for the first time -- all of our hearts and lives are being woven together into the fabric of love.