Saturday, June 03, 2006
Informal FMS Brasil Reunion (November, 2005)
The following happened before some of the previous entries, but I did not want to leave it out:
In November 2005, two of the former Franciscan Mission Service (FMS) missionaries visited Brasil. Fred and his Brasilian wife, Roseli, and Patrick made it to the house where I´m living with Brothers Rodrigo and Sergio. Together we set up the artificial Christmas tree and decorated it with lights and ornaments. Later that evening, a group of Brasilians from a land reform association (APR) that Fred and Patrick worked with came over for dinner and a celebration party. It felt good to be in the company of those who had been here before me as missionaries and those who I will be learning from as I live in Brasil. The party lasted well into the early hours of the following morning.
Later in the day, I met up with Patrick and we traveled via bus to the town, Araguari, where I met yet another former FMS missionary, Dominic, and his Brasilian wife, Ana Cristina. It was good to meet them, to get a tour of Araguari and converse about what led us to Brasil as well as various other topics. The following morning our stomachs welcomed the warm French toast and Aunt Jamaima maple syrup Patrick brought for Dominic. I enjoyed taking a tour of Dominic’s and Ana Cristina’s home, which Dominic designed and helped construct. Soon after, Patrick and I set off to catch the bus back to Uberlandia. As we waited on the side of the road, Dominic, on his bicycle, rode up to us providing us with a paper bag full of sandwiches and fruit for our travels. Patrick had asked if I would like to accompany him on his visits to the various land settlements where he worked during his 3 years. So, after a short stop in Uberlandia we would be hopping on another bus to travel to several places in the region.
As Patrick, Dominic and I waited for the bus, we saw Fred walking towards us on the sidewalk. After a good laugh, we hung out for several minutes due to the bus´ tardiness. Looking back I can’t help but think it was all part of a plan for us to have a good FMS Brasil Reunion. And good it was- There is even a picture to capture the moment. Shortly after the picture, the bus arrived and after hugs and saying so long, Patrick and I hopped on.
First Land Settlement Visits (November, 2005)
I thoroughly enjoyed and am grateful for my time visiting the settlements of Zumbi and Gil Branco. In between these I also had the pleasure of staying in Ituiutaba and meeting Tom (an Irishman), his Brasilian wife, Eliana, and their family. What a delight it was to be welcomed by them and to spend several days in such good company, sipping on Lyons tea, munching on crackers or bread and pomegrant jam (made by Patrick´s Aunt), conversing and one particular evening even reading and reciting William Butler Yeats poetry while sipping pinga (liquor made from sugar cane).
After Ituiutaba, Patrick and I made our way to the land settlement, Gil Branco, where we were welcomed by several settlers who knew Patrick. While Patrick rode on the back of Sr. Saul´s moto, I got a lift in a horse-drawn wagon. I sat between two land settlers, both older men and listened to some of their experiences of having squatted for years in the encampment before their plots were allotted. After a brief scare when the horse ran out of control towards the brush along the road, I arrived to the house where Patrick and I would stay for two nights, visiting the family Patrick had befriended during his years in Brasil. Sr. Saul and Dona Eva´s house welcomed us with much hospitality and warmth. Although their living arrangements were very modest, with a dirt floor, a couple rooms, and an outhouse, they seemed to be doing well with their land, animals and their produce. I even got a good taste of much of their produce, (manioc/yucca, chicken, papaya, corn) including coffee with milk-milk right from the cow´s utter (I asked to have my coffee the same way Dona Eva drinks hers, not expecting it to be directly from the cow into my coffee cup).
During the two days in Assentamento (Land Settlement) Gil Branco, I also met the sons of Sr. Saul and Dona Eva and their families. While at one of the son´s homes, the families decided to slaughter their piglet for lunch, in celebration of Patrick´s visit. It was truly a banquet. Despite the fact that the people we visited do not have much material goods or wealth, that did not deter them from offering so much to us. Their gestures and love towards us humbled me greatly and also encourages and challenges me to live more like them, with their offerings of love to the Lord expressed through so much generosity, warmth, hospitality towards others and their perseverance.
In November 2005, two of the former Franciscan Mission Service (FMS) missionaries visited Brasil. Fred and his Brasilian wife, Roseli, and Patrick made it to the house where I´m living with Brothers Rodrigo and Sergio. Together we set up the artificial Christmas tree and decorated it with lights and ornaments. Later that evening, a group of Brasilians from a land reform association (APR) that Fred and Patrick worked with came over for dinner and a celebration party. It felt good to be in the company of those who had been here before me as missionaries and those who I will be learning from as I live in Brasil. The party lasted well into the early hours of the following morning.
Later in the day, I met up with Patrick and we traveled via bus to the town, Araguari, where I met yet another former FMS missionary, Dominic, and his Brasilian wife, Ana Cristina. It was good to meet them, to get a tour of Araguari and converse about what led us to Brasil as well as various other topics. The following morning our stomachs welcomed the warm French toast and Aunt Jamaima maple syrup Patrick brought for Dominic. I enjoyed taking a tour of Dominic’s and Ana Cristina’s home, which Dominic designed and helped construct. Soon after, Patrick and I set off to catch the bus back to Uberlandia. As we waited on the side of the road, Dominic, on his bicycle, rode up to us providing us with a paper bag full of sandwiches and fruit for our travels. Patrick had asked if I would like to accompany him on his visits to the various land settlements where he worked during his 3 years. So, after a short stop in Uberlandia we would be hopping on another bus to travel to several places in the region.
As Patrick, Dominic and I waited for the bus, we saw Fred walking towards us on the sidewalk. After a good laugh, we hung out for several minutes due to the bus´ tardiness. Looking back I can’t help but think it was all part of a plan for us to have a good FMS Brasil Reunion. And good it was- There is even a picture to capture the moment. Shortly after the picture, the bus arrived and after hugs and saying so long, Patrick and I hopped on.
First Land Settlement Visits (November, 2005)
I thoroughly enjoyed and am grateful for my time visiting the settlements of Zumbi and Gil Branco. In between these I also had the pleasure of staying in Ituiutaba and meeting Tom (an Irishman), his Brasilian wife, Eliana, and their family. What a delight it was to be welcomed by them and to spend several days in such good company, sipping on Lyons tea, munching on crackers or bread and pomegrant jam (made by Patrick´s Aunt), conversing and one particular evening even reading and reciting William Butler Yeats poetry while sipping pinga (liquor made from sugar cane).
After Ituiutaba, Patrick and I made our way to the land settlement, Gil Branco, where we were welcomed by several settlers who knew Patrick. While Patrick rode on the back of Sr. Saul´s moto, I got a lift in a horse-drawn wagon. I sat between two land settlers, both older men and listened to some of their experiences of having squatted for years in the encampment before their plots were allotted. After a brief scare when the horse ran out of control towards the brush along the road, I arrived to the house where Patrick and I would stay for two nights, visiting the family Patrick had befriended during his years in Brasil. Sr. Saul and Dona Eva´s house welcomed us with much hospitality and warmth. Although their living arrangements were very modest, with a dirt floor, a couple rooms, and an outhouse, they seemed to be doing well with their land, animals and their produce. I even got a good taste of much of their produce, (manioc/yucca, chicken, papaya, corn) including coffee with milk-milk right from the cow´s utter (I asked to have my coffee the same way Dona Eva drinks hers, not expecting it to be directly from the cow into my coffee cup).
During the two days in Assentamento (Land Settlement) Gil Branco, I also met the sons of Sr. Saul and Dona Eva and their families. While at one of the son´s homes, the families decided to slaughter their piglet for lunch, in celebration of Patrick´s visit. It was truly a banquet. Despite the fact that the people we visited do not have much material goods or wealth, that did not deter them from offering so much to us. Their gestures and love towards us humbled me greatly and also encourages and challenges me to live more like them, with their offerings of love to the Lord expressed through so much generosity, warmth, hospitality towards others and their perseverance.
# posted by Rhegan Hyypio @ 1:52 PM 
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Hello Rhegan Hyypio! Browsing randomly through some blogs this afternoon I've come across yours and I enjoy it. Also, I take pleasure to know someone from the USA so well involved with the spiritual side of life. Great! My name is Jonice and I live in Paraná. Now I'd like to offer to you an address where you could possibly practice a bit your Portuguese and be pleased by its contents: http://amaralnascimento.blogspot.com (he's a friend of mine from Portugal) and if you wish to contact me for any reason my e-mail is jonicedaher@yahoo.com.br as I am a teacher of English I might be helpful to your learning Portuguese being able to answer some peculiar questions concerning the language. Have a good stay among us and congratulations for the social aspect of your job.
Kind Regards,
Jonice
Kind Regards,
Jonice
After an email from my aunt, correcting me on the fact that cow's don't utter ;-), I decided to leave the spelling mistake for humilities sake and just laugh at my udderly embarassing self ;-)
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