The last several weeks have gone by in a blur.  There has been so much in preparation for a new adventure…  at the end of March I traveled to Brazil with several of our juniors and seniors.  It was my first time out of the country (I knew and have been affirmed that going to Canada doesn’t really count).  Everything seemed to be smooth sailing until just a few weeks before departure.  We had great stress over getting visas approved for students under 18, but we pressed through the challenge.  My super-prepared and mostly organized self had a difficult time not knowing every detail of what would happen - the schedule, knowing exactly what to and how to pack, how to answer questions, etc.  So, it was a little uncomfortable even in the preparation stage.  Because you have to know - I don’t willingly do much that I’m not SURE I will succeed in.  For example - I don’t play basketball beacuse I’m no good.  I don’t really enjoy playing Monoloply with my dad because it’s almost certain I will lose.  I have sworn off snow skiing because of several devastating falls.  I choose not to face all situations that require confrontation for fear I might be wrong.  And so I knew in signing up for this trip that I was up against some big unknowns and I had no I idea of what to expect.

We received our visas and passports the morning of departure (nothing like cutting it close) and all traveling was a breeze.  We flew overnight and immediately headed off to meet some new people upon arrival in Sau Paulo.  You can read a few more details about our days on David’s blog (www.davidmccaman.org) because he updated fairly regularly to inform families at home what all was going on. 

It was an experience like I’ve never had before.  I hardly knew what to expect each day as we traveled to a few different areas, met different people, did different things, ate different foods, tried desperately to understand a different language… I feel like I did a lot of observing.  I watched as our students learned about a new culture; I watched as children ran down filthy dirt roads made of rocks, sewage, sharp objects and went in homes that were constructed and filled with whatever they could find.  I watched the missionaries continue to build lasting relationships with people who didn’t have much hope; I watched Brazilian young adults study Scripture and extend their zeal for Christ through everything they did.  I watched our group smile, laugh, play and hug children and people who didn’t understand much more than the fact that we were there to help and care.  I watched as several of our teenagers worked harder than they may ever have planting trees, shoveling gravel, sanding walls, and learning to be flexible.  I felt often as though I was living in pages of National Geographic or whatever current magazine is publishing Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s latest service (haha).

And here’s what I saw…  This is what loving is all about.  This is what serving is all about.  It’s not about what’s easy.  It’s not about what’s comfortable (because a lot of the week I sure wasn’t).  It’s about seeing God’s creation and noticing their needs.  It’s about realizing that Jesus served the poor and healed the broken hearted.  It’s about continually doing things to grow in your relationship with God.  And the more He shows you of His world, the more He shows you of Himself.  And the more God shows me of Himself, the smaller I become.  He must become greater and I must become less (John 3:31).  I am confident in knowing that God has designed me to work with teenagers in America, but I am also confident that He needed me to go beyond my bounds to learn and grow.