I felt like I was in a foreign country.
Ever since I walked in I soaked up the sights, sounds, language, culture and
everything about these beautiful Brazilians. Latino-sounding music blasted from
the speakers making conversation impossible. A band with accordions and singers
lined the front of the stage. Stage right, there was a man dancing. The
designated dancer, I suppose, who was hired to set the atmosphere for the
evening. He was having a blast, and it was rubbing off on me. The white tables
and chairs were tightly packed and all the families had brought their own food
and drinks. I munched on an egg roll and gazed curiously toward the middle. All
the teachers in matching t-shirts were guiding little kids around. It was almost our turn to watch.
I hurried to scrunch up close to
the rope as the music thundered on. My eyes peeked over others in search of a
special little girl. Her classmates filed on ahead of her, and I saw the familiar
bright yellow skirts and gorgeous blue tops. I saw curly brown hair tied up in
precious pigtails and faces dotted with fake freckles. I heard Portuguese all
around among the children and their parents. Suddenly, blonde hair appeared
from amidst the Brazilians, and her milky skin shone bright under the lights.
Her smile was almost as big as the blue bow in her hair when she saw her Daddy.
She waved enthusiastically, unable to contain her excitement. The band on stage
behind them took a brief pause as the kindergarteners lined up in rows. A new
song began, and tears of pride slowly welled up in my eyes. Evelyn danced and
sang her little heart out that night. She laughed and smiled for pictures, then
repeated the performance on the car ride home and over the next few days.
I am amazed at the way Evelyn
adapts to a life in Brazil. One second I am playing in the sandbox with her
speaking English, and the next she is rattling off in Portuguese to her friends
and to adults. She doesn’t stop for a second, but converts her thoughts and her
words directly into another language. Sarah said that when she turned 5 years
old, she hadn’t spoken much Portuguese at all. As soon as she was immersed in “Conviver”,
her Brazilian public school, she was fluent within 2-3 months. All that
Portuguese had been welling up inside her for years, and Sarah knew it was just
a matter of time for Evie to start speaking like a natural. She was right.
What is it like to raise your
family in a foreign country? What parts of life remain the same as if you were
in the States, and which parts are drastically different? For David and Sarah
Carrel, I venture to say that raising their kids in Brazil has been a positive,
and somewhat “normal” experience for the whole family. Diving into the
day-to-day with them was eye opening, humbling and thrilling. We came back to
America feeling blessed in multiple ways.
David has always been someone
that I deeply look up to. His drive to work hard, reach people and achieve
great things is admirable. He truly is like David from the Bible because he
does NOT give up when faced with obstacles. My greatest privilege was watching
David teach Brazilians how to play American football. These natives grew up with soccer without much
exposure to American Football, so this is new and exciting for them. The whole
team can’t afford equipment yet, so only a few of the guys have their own
shoulder pads and helmets. They run routes, joke around with each other and
love the Hail Mary passes. When a touchdown is scored in scrimmage, it feels
like a bomb went off. The guys are thrilled that the play worked and they whoop
and holler for a few minutes. David sometimes plays quarterback at practice,
and does a phenomenal job. He is quick and when he takes off running, the whole
army of defense races to tackle him. His tattered college t-shirt lives on, but
not for long.
He has a passion to reach
people, and he always finds a way to relate to someone and convince them to
attend one of his events. I love his smile and the way he jokes with the
Brazilians. He is not afraid to do whatever it takes to get on their level and
make a friend. I watched him eat traditional “Buxada” which is also known as cow
intestines. He had a stomachache that afternoon, but he was willing to give it
a try! (Gross). He spends hours per week teaching English in a local school. He
drills those kids with questions, but makes them laugh and enjoy the journey.
To them it’s school, to David, it can feel like school too… but he goes through
curriculum even when he doesn’t always agree with it. He does whatever it takes
to have a chance to meet and reach people. He is in a new territory and will
try anything. No idea is too big or too small.
Sarah takes care of business
like a professional. We drove into town one morning and I joined her on her
errands. She bought foam for window seats, negotiated prices, and covered the
entire grocery store in seconds, all the while planning each meal for the week
in her head. I had trouble keeping up with the woman! I felt like she ran the
town and I should have been groveling at her feet. Portuguese flowed naturally
and without hesitation or question from the Brazilians. She plans play-dates
for her friends and their kids, and she runs nursery in their home on Sunday
nights for Bible Study. My greatest joy was watching her translate “Only a boy
named David” into Portuguese on the fly. We sang it in English first, and then the
little Brazilian girl attending asked to sing it in Portuguese. Sarah racked
her brain for each phrase. She looked at me puzzled, “There is no word in
Portuguese for ‘round and round!” She laughed and then made it work somehow.
The kids loved it! Her family is her number one priority, and she does not let
them down. Fresh fruits and juice, homemade desserts, and big hearty meals are
at their fingertips. She has taught her girls how to help her in the kitchen,
and Evie’s homemade Lemonade is on the weekly menu in their house! Impressive.
David and Sarah overcome
cultural barriers on a daily basis. Faucet water is unsafe, and purified water
is a luxury. Everything involving water involves careful planning and thinking
because they live in a desert area. Brazilians desire to practice English, so their
ears must be trained to hear the Brazilians and then respond in a way that they
would understand. Pronunciation is hugely important and often can interrupt a
somewhat decent conversation. David and Sarah constantly have to be translating
in their minds so that they can communicate clearly with their friends and
neighbors. They have to be patient as they pray for God to move through the
hearts of the Brazilians they are trying to reach. They literally have to be patient because Brazilians operate on a more
“leisurely” view of time and scheduling. They set boundaries for their family
and spend hours a day cultivating a deep relationship with each of their little
girls. David’s bedtime Bible stories are precious, and so are Evie’s questions
afterwards. Anna Claire loves the company in her home, and gladly gives out
hugs and kisses to everyone in attendance. They are blessed little girls.
David and Sarah may be
missionaries, but they raise their kids too. They have challenges as they are
on different soil and immersed in another language. They give up the comfort of
family close by so that they can grow the family of God. They work hard at
their jobs, just like us. They snuggle up, pop popcorn and watch movies on a
Friday night. They giggle at the dinner table and beg their children to finish
their food. They potty train and read books over and over. They patiently help
their children with their homework in a different language. They fight for what
they believe in and they do not give up easily.
They
make me PROUD.
Related Post: A blink of an eye: My short stint in the Amazon
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