The Brazilian people tend to be quite friendly and welcoming. They also tend to be more relationship oriented. This means that relationships are valued more than time or tasks, which can be difficult for us Americans at times. But there is much that we can learn from them in being more friendly and hospitable. The people at the School signed up on a meal schedule to have us over, so for the first few days, we didn’t have to eat at home. The noon meal is usually the biggest meal and supper may not occur until 7 or 8pm (19:00 or 20:00….they often use 24 hour time). In American culture, at the dinner table, we constantly ask for people to pass various dishes to us. In Brazilian culture, they don’t want to inconvenience anyone, so they may reach or get up and walk around the table to serve themselves.
It is hard to believe that we have only been in Brazil since Thursday, because so many things have happened and we have much to think about. We were slightly worried about going through Customs, but the lady believed that we were moving to Brazil and she waved us through. Even at the airport in Brasília, we experienced some Brazilian culture. The airport was fairly crowded and most of the seats were taken at the waiting area for our gate. Then our gate was changed to downstairs. The downstairs section was even more full and there were people standing on all sides. After giving our tickets to the gate agent, we got onto a bus that would shuttle us to our jet. In the United States, most people have a large bubble. In other words, they like to maintain a lot of personal space. Brazilians don’t seem to mind being quite close to one another. In fact, many Brazilians tend to stand quite close when they are talking to you. We have been received here with much excitement by the Brazilian missionary candidates, staff, and fellow Portuguese learners. God provided a house for us to rent that is near the school where we will be receiving most of our language help. The way people build their houses is part of their culture. In the United States, houses are usually framed with 2x4s, insulated, sided, and drywalled. Roofs are often shingled and floors are often carpeted or made of a laminate. Our house, which seems fairly typical here, is made of brick and plaster. The roof is made of clay tiles and the floor is all tiled. No one uses carpet here. From the street, you would immediately notice that every house has a brick wall or fence around it. Our neighbor even has an electric fence on top of his wall. Windows usually have metal bars on them to guard against intrusion. Thankfully, this small town seems more safe than other parts of Brazil. The Brazilian people tend to be quite friendly and welcoming. They also tend to be more relationship oriented. This means that relationships are valued more than time or tasks, which can be difficult for us Americans at times. But there is much that we can learn from them in being more friendly and hospitable. The people at the School signed up on a meal schedule to have us over, so for the first few days, we didn’t have to eat at home. The noon meal is usually the biggest meal and supper may not occur until 7 or 8pm (19:00 or 20:00….they often use 24 hour time). In American culture, at the dinner table, we constantly ask for people to pass various dishes to us. In Brazilian culture, they don’t want to inconvenience anyone, so they may reach or get up and walk around the table to serve themselves. We are getting settled into our house and trying to get all our documents in order. On Monday, our language learning advisors took us to a larger city, where we bought a lot of kitchen stuff in the morning. That afternoon, we went to the Federal Police and spent the rest of the afternoon trying to complete the list of requirements to register my wife’s visa here. On the way home, a large storm with lots of lightning rolled in. It knocked out the internet at the school and may have fried some electrical equipment. It continues to rain today. We even found ourselves riding through the rain on a bike with my wife riding on the back, holding an umbrella. She had a prenatal appointment today, and the bike ride occurred in order to see the hospital facilities during visiting hours. I also purchased a couple of large appliances today. All in all, it has been a good day. God continues to supply all of our needs.
5 Comments
3/20/2014 12:50:43 am
Hello you two (almost three),
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Jamey and Robyn
3/20/2014 07:56:51 am
So glad to hear that things are going well for you and to see such a cut pic of the 2 of you. We made a trip to Hawaii and are in the airport waiting to return home to our kids. We continue to pray for you 3, you are very much missed, but it is so exciting to see how God will use you. ♡
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Beth and Frank Bechler
3/22/2014 11:00:54 am
Brian & Rachel,
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Jennifer Minier Albrecht
3/24/2014 09:11:08 am
God bless you both! I have a friend who grew up in Brazil as missionaries! She said she would be more than happy to talk of her experiences and the culture! So excited for you as you embark on the marvelous adventure!
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Joshaven Potter
3/24/2014 12:08:34 pm
Its very comforting to know that you are have had a pretty easy first real step into your ministry!
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AuthorWe are normal people who believe that God would have us serve Him in Brazil. We are saddened by the existence of people who do not have access to the gospel due to their location and language. We want to live among such a people group and plant a church among them, shepherding the believers as they grow to maturity. Archives
November 2019
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