After 62 hours...

We finally made it from New York to Atlanta, Georgia.  We arrived in Atlanta around 11:30, and our next flight was scheduled to leave around 10:30 p.m. We had a lot of time to kill, so we took the train from the airport to downtown Atlanta, where we went to The World of Coca-Cola Museum. After walking around a museum for an hour or so, we had become quite hungry.  Conveniently there was a Hard Rock Cafe nearby.  We walked up a few blocks from the museum to the cafe and had dinner there, just in time to avoid the incoming rain. Finally, we returned to the airport to wait for our flight to Brazil.

Our plane arrived the next morning, and we had a couple of hours until our next flight. We were informed that 13 of our 14 bags were still in Atlanta. However, this allowed us to go into the city without any trouble, and we had the time, so we headed into Rio. Although we could only see Christ the Redeemer from a distance, we did visit a church called Candelaria (see below).

Pilgrims Stop: Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Candelaria 

Afterwards, we made a necessary stop to a street cart selling chocolate and sweet cream filled churros. Yum!

A little treat, chocolate and dolce de leite filled churros

Our flight left at around 5, and we got to Vitoria at 6, ready for a 6 hour drive to our final destination. We picked up our rental car. It turned out that the lack of our 13 bags was a blessing in disguise. The car may have had 7 seats for us, but there was hardly any room to speak of for even the bag we did have. 

So, we arrived in Nova Vicosa at 1 AM, with nothing much but the clothing on our backs. This morning we were visited by a large group of the church community from Nova Vicosa. We played Ninja and some other games, shared pictures, and had fun for a while. 

At midday we headed into town to buy some clothes, seeing as our bags are not due to arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. Here is a picture of us all in our new Brazilian clothing. 

~Anna and Audrey

We didn't get very far last night...

We were given a hotel room in New York by 1 in the morning. We left at 7 in the morning. We caught a flight and are currently in Atlanta, Georgia. More to come on our adventures here.

So close, yet so far away...

After our send off mass... July 19th

On Sunday the 19th we had our send off mass at Holy Family church in Essex Junction. The next day we left Essex at 10 AM to catch our 3 o'clock flight in Montreal. It was an uneventful drive up, but upon arrival at the airport we were informed that due to a delay of our first flight to NY, our planned itinerary would not work. Eventually, as the only other option included spending the night in Montreal, we decided to stick with our first flight (despite the delays) in order to get as far as we could. Right now, we are waiting in the airport for the flight at 7 PM that will finally take us to New York. By 11 PM tonight we will be in Atlanta. However, the next possible flight to Brazil isn't until tomorrow night at 10 o'clock (21st). We will be spending the night and most of tomorrow in Atlanta. Unfortunately because of these delays, we won't be able to visit Christ the Redeemer in Rio during our trip. Instead, after we arrive in Rio, we will be heading straight to Nova Vicosa. At this point we will arrive there as scheduled.

So, here we are. We've claimed a corner of the Montreal airport and are waiting it out. Who knows what adventures and group bonding experiences we will find in the next few days of travel. I'm sure it will work out for the best. At least it will make for a good story. Maybe tomorrow during our unfortunate layover day in Atlanta we will even visit the Coca-Cola museum, or perhaps we'll have time for a little run in the morning? ;) Keep us in your prayers. 

- Audrey Dawson

 Essex High School,

Grade 11

Montreal Airport

Vivo e Chutando

Inspired by World Youth Day (WYD) Rio in 2013, VT WYD has worked with youth to create a new mission and cultural exchange pilgrimage to Brazil.  During the WYD Closing Mass, Pope Francis spoke of sharing our experiences and not wasting them and charged us to go back to our parishes and shake things up.  Four youth took this message to heart, responded to the Pope’s call, and envisaged this mission pilgrimage. 

The journey is called “Vivo e Chutando,” which translates to “Alive and Kicking,” and is returning to Rio de Janeiro and Nova Viçosa, 20-29 July 2015.  We will spend five full days in Nova Viçosa, a rural area about 600 miles north of Rio, in the State of Bahia.  Although Brazil’s economy has performed well in the recent past, about 25% of the population lives in poverty.  Brazilian society, a mix of European, African and indigenous descendants, is also far from color blind.  Over 60% of Afro-Brazilians, many of whom live in the State of Bahia, live in poverty.

Two Vermont youth are returning to Brazil, bringing 5 others.  They have been collecting clothing donations for a few months and plan to purchase food staples in the local economy for the rural poor.  However, sharing material wealth is just one aspect of this journey.  The exchange between people will open the eyes of pilgrims and Brazilians alike to the reality that we are all one people, a universal community, under God.  We plan to tell our story, and who knows, maybe inspiration will strike again during our encounter with their culture that is so rich in faith and love…