Tuesday - July 28

Saying good bye on Tuesday morning was very hard. We played one last round of Ninja. We packed the car. We embraced each other one last time and waved good bye for the last time as we drove away. 

I want to thank you all for supporting our journey to Brazil. I cannot tell you how valuable and special an experience it was for both us and the Brazilians that we met. The clothing and food that we were able to give made and will make a difference for so many families in need. The time that we were given to make friends will not be forgotten. 

Stay tuned for reflections and closing ideas about our pilgrimage. As with anything, it takes a while to process something like this, but I hope to share some of what I have learned and gained from this journey, and the rest of the group has been encouraged to do the same. 

Thank you once again,

Audrey Dawson

Monday - July 27

On Monday morning we took a boat to an island with an beach, Barra Velha. 

This visit was a nice way to wrap up the trip and get some more time in with our new friends. We spent the morning there. In the afternoon, we delivered some fabrics that had been donated to a church run organization, The Mother's Club. They teach mothers and children to sew and to make things, which can then be sold to help the families. They told us that over 800 families use their services!

Beautiful dish cloths spread out, for sale

A fabric covered chair...

Painted bottles, fabric covered milk containers, painted roof shingles...

We all bought up some of the beautiful handmade items to bring back home.

The night was cultural night at one of the smaller churches. 

Capoeira Dance

We got to see a local group preform, Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance.

We had a dance that night, too, and snacks, and we both shared music and dances from our cultures. However, finally, at 10:40, we were forced to say good-bye to everyone, most of whom would not be able to say a final good-bye in the morning. 

Sunday - July 26

We left by 10 AM on Sunday morning to visit three rural communities about 40 minutes from Nova Vicosa. We had mini prayer services in each of the churches there. 

One of the families that received a food box.

Jenna with children at community #1

Audrey with family at community #2.
Photo credit: Jenna

A family in the second community fed us all lunch, as well as cake and coffee. While we were walking the streets, visiting the needy families, we also got to try some popsicles. They were in cylindrical plastic bags, with flavors from strawberry and chocolate, to mango and grape.

Last of all, we visited the community that we spent so much time in two years ago. Their church had been renovated a little bit. Take a look below.

Their church two years ago.

Their church now - 2015

We gave the children our gifts and candy. We also gave the families some pictures from the last time that we were there of the children. It was cool to see the same kids, and how they had changed. The mothers and grandmother really enjoyed finding their kids in the photos. 

Families look at photos from two years before.

Photo credit - Jenna

Last of all, we made a stop at a small shanty town. The people there used to make charcoal from wood, and to sell it, but they live in poverty now because the city said that they couldn't do that anymore. Their livelihood was taken away.

That evening we went to Sunday mass at the larger church in downtown Nova Visoca. The church was packed, so that people we standing in the back and in the courtyard for lack of seating inside. 

~Audrey Dawson

Saturday - July 25

The last few days went by so quickly, but we are still going to tell you about them, so stay tuned!

Our bags finally arrived Friday night!!!! So, on Saturday morning we returned to the homes we had visited on Thursday/Friday to give candy and gifts to the children and families. We gave out another food box while we were out, and it turned out that the family was connected to another needy family that we had helped earlier, so it worked out well. The children really loved the flags, toy cars, bracelets, candy, and leis.

That afternoon we met up with our Brazilian friends and walked to the beach. We swam, ate popsicles (banana, avocado, corn, and tapioca flavored...) and eventually we played soccer.

Playing soccer on the beach...

 After mass, there was another dance. Aside from dancing with our new friends, we danced with some of the little girls and boys. It was a beautifully freeing experience to just be together and dance with the entire church community. It is something that we don't have in Vermont. It seems that when mass ends, it is easy to just rush home, but the community dances that we went to brought the community together and were eye-opening to us. Anna Burke pointed out that it is interesting to visit another culture, and to see how they approach their religion differently from the way we approach it, even though we have the same faith. It is good to experience different cultures so that we can make changes in our own lives. We can attempt to bring the passion, love, and community that we experienced in the Brazilian church to our parishes in Vermont.

Afterward the dance, we went to get Acai. It is similar to ice cream, but it is made with the Acai berry. In addition, sauces (like chocolate, strawberry, and honey) , fruits, and crunchy foods (such as granola, corn flakes, and nuts) are put on top. 

Friday - July 24

The first house of the day... it was a little boy's birthday.

We spent most of the day visiting more poor homes with our food bag donations, saying prayers, and singing. We went to the community near the St. Ann Church and another community near their school. A notable moment was went we went to an old man's house and prayed with him. However, he insisted that there was a family down the road that needed the food more than him and did not accept it. 

The man who gave his food up for another family.

After a lunch break we walked around delivering food until about 5 PM. 

We returned for mass at St. Ann's, which was just a square. sand-filled courtyard and 3 tents. After mass a live group began playing music and our Brazilian friends tried to teach us some dances. We danced until about 9 PM. When we left, most of the people that were still there followed us out, the majority of which hadn't been dancing, but watch us. It turns out that we were the life of the party. I'm sure they were all amused by our struggles with their dances. 

Thursday - July 23

 We headed into town later in the day to visit some families that were in need of our food baskets. We went to about 7 households, some with as many as 8 people, including sick family members and children. We read the day's Gospel reading in both Portuguese and English. It was about the need to focus our eyes, listen with our ears, and open up our hearts to understanding and loving God. This is relevant to our pilgrimage, as we must learn from our experiences and accept God and how he works through us to do great things. If we do not look and listen in order to gain something from this pilgrimage to take back into our lives at home, then there is not much point in going on such a trip. We also said Hail Mary and Our Father prayers with the families. 

Children in Nova Vicosa

One of the families that will receive a food basket - Nova Vicosa

Walking around Nova Visoca to pray with needy families.

Our group with the Brazilians at one of the chapels.
We also went to the beach briefly that evening. Here are a couple picture of us and the Brazilian teens that spent the day with us.

The ocean - Nova Vicosa

Dinner before going to mass.

Talking with our new friends after mass.