Arrival in Brazil

It was a long...long...trip to Brazil. Our 8 hour flight turned into 12+ hours on the plane. As we approached São Paulo, they announced increasing thunderstorms and fog in the area. We circled the city a few times, but were eventually redirected to another town to refuel. We landed and just waited. Finally the São Paulo airport reopened and we arrived at our flight destination. 

We had arrived safely in Brazil!! Now it was time to go through customs...we had been instructed not to mention coming for a medical missions trip, but for tourism and social action. We didn't know what to expect. We followed the signs and had our immigration forms stamped. Now to customs....we walked through the aisles, expecting to get stopped and questioned at any minute. There were staff present watching us but no one was stopped. All of a sudden we realized we were outside the airport! What happened? That was it? God is good! 

However our trip was not yet over. We filed into a charter bus and began the 4 hour bus ride to the town of Campanha. It was much more comfortable than the plane! We sprawled out and rested well. Due to our late arrival, we had missed our lunch date at the pastors house. So we stopped at a restaurant on the way. As we quickly learned, a meal is not Brazilian without beans and rice! (I will continually mention this, but all the food is delicious!). 

That evening we finally arrived at the hotel, hotel Victoria. We were supposed to attended a church service that night, but arrived at the hotel only shortly before we were scheduled to depart. Many of us opted to stay in and attend the service the following night. We cleaned up and rested and then went for supper at the pastors home...at 10pm!! My Brazilian friends say this is not uncommon. Again, delicious food, including the beans and rice. :)

Finally we returned to the hotel. After around 40 (?) hours of travel...a bed never felt so good. 

Brazil bound!

Friday, June 5, I left my home at 7:30am to head to the airport. At first I was very excited! But as we approached the airport I felt myself becoming increasingly nervous, as it had been 10 years since I left the country. We arrived, I checked in, and had to say goodbye to my folks. I took a seat at my gate and was quickly engaged in conversation with 2 individuals sitting near me. One also happened to be a PT! She and I chatted and before I knew it we were boarding the plane. Nerves were calmed. God is good. :) 

As the plane ascended, I was quickly reminded of God's glory. If you've never had the opportunity to fly before, I highly recommend it!! Not only is it peaceful in the heavens, but God's power, creativity, love, and pure awesomeness cannot be missed. Just wow. It is breathtaking! Any nerves that may have tried to rise again were pushed even further down. 

The first flight finished without any bumps. Onto the next connection. Here I met the OT on my team for the first time! So fun and encouraging to start meeting these amazing people who share my faith and passions! We clicked well and soon it was time to board our flight. I took my seat by a middle aged gentleman. He was very pleasant and we spent much time chatting about travel, work, missions, and church. 

Around 6pm, we finally arrived in Miami, Fl. Cheri (OT) and I found our next gate and waited as team members trickled in. All fun people! I know it'll be a blessing to work beside them and get to know each of them. :) We grabbed dinner, visited at the gate, debriefed, and finally took off on our final flight around 9:40/10pm. São Paulo bound!!

Preparing for Brazil

As some of you know, I am getting ready to embark on an exciting adventure...in a couple days I will be headed to Brazil for a medical missions trip with HealthCare Ministries! It may only be for 10 days, but I couldn't be more excited. From the first moment I decided to become a Physical Therapist, I dreamed of going on a trip like this. However, I assumed organizations really only wanted Doctors and Nurses. A dear friend and mentor made me realize that wasn't the case! She, being a Nurse, had gone on a trip some time back with HealthCare Ministries and stated there had been a therapist on her trip!! I really can't describe my excitement at that moment. As soon as I got home, I searched the web for HealthCare Ministries and pursued the upcoming trips. For some reason the Brazil trip really stood out to me...but there were so many great options! I decided to email the organization and ask if they could use a PT on any of the trips this year. You guessed it, the response I received was Brazil! After prayer and counsel I decided to take the plunge.....and now it's only a couple days away!!

But why a medical missions trip? Why not just an ordinary missions trip? Good question. Graduate school (PT school) was very hard for me...there were many times I honestly did not believe I would get through it. But each time God would reassure me that He was carrying me through; that I had nothing to worry about. I learned to rely on God in a way I never had and He kept His promises to me. Not only did I survive grad school, but I passed my boards my first try and got a great job before I even graduated! Thank you Jesus! He gave me so much during that time that I did not deserve; I know I could never repay Him for all He did. However, I wanted to be able to use my skills in a way to bring Him joy; do something to say thank you. What better way than through medical missions? I am so thankful for this opportunity to use the skills He has given me to give back to Him! To touch the lives of His people...to be His hands and feet. It is only by His grace and provision that I am able to offer these skills, I want to use them for His glory.