Every day leading up to my flight to Brazil, I kept asking myself: What am I doing? Did I really hear from God? Should I be going to Brazil in the middle of Covid?
Who was I kidding? I’ve been travelling despite the pandemic since last October! I flew from Kingston to California, flew from California to Maryland, drove from Maryland to Virginia, and now I was flying from Virginia to Fortaleza.
So I found myself sitting on a hard metal chair in the exit area of Terminal 3 at the Fortaleza airport, waiting to be picked up. My sister appeared like the angel who came to rescue Paul and Silas from prison. All my remonstrances faded away at first sight of her. We were together and it was good.
We held hands for the entire 4-hour drive to Sobral, as if we both wanted to make sure that it was real. For me - I was in Brazil with my sister; for her - her sister was really with her in Brazil. She had been alone in Brazil for almost 7 years and finally someone from home had been able to visit her.
Now I have time to reflect - lots of time actually, with me being an English-speaking gringa (foreigner) among Portuguese speakers. Observing my sister, she has completely immersed herself in this rich culture. Sometimes she even speaks to me in Portuguese until she notices my blank stare and then she switches over. I'm learning Portuguese… some. My preparation using Duolingo has helped a bit, but being able to say, "eu bebo cerveja" (I drink beer) won't help me presently.
So pray for me on this next adventure, would you? Pray that while I'm here I'll remain in expectation of what God has in store for me in Brazil.
