Thanksgiving in Brazil

If you’re wondering whether or not I got to celebrate an American holiday, here in Brasil, the answer is yes. I was invited over to an American/Brazilian family’s house for the evening to celebrate with them and a bunch of other Brazilians.

The best pumpkin pie I have ever had. No kidding.

FOOD!

The food was pretty much what you’d see at a typical Thanksgiving dinner: Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, green bean casserole, all made from scratch and appetizers such as deviled eggs. The only non-typical food was that of a Brazilian favorite- coxinhas (basically a shredded chicken mixture, rolled in dough, which is then fried- delicious, then again, what fried thing isn’t delicious?) We didn’t have the typical cranberry sauce or anything made from sweet potatoes as those things cannot be found here. Even with all the great food however, I still found myself thinking of rice and beans (only briefly, though).

My favorite part of the day however was when Ramona (another American missionary- who has been here for 30 years, more or less, and is married to a Brazilian) told us that if we wanted to, we could write out what we were thankful for on a paper leaf and hang it on the tree she had made from a branch (my mom does this!) I love stuff like this. Traditions like this where we stop and take time to reflect, together, on the goodness of God.

 

This Thanksgiving, what am I thankful for?

Praying before our meal.

1. FAMILY here and there. I’m thankful for the “family”- being defined as families and people that have adopted me and welcomed me, and of whom God has given me here in Brasil and I’m thankful for my family in the states who will always be there for me with whom I can talk to about the spectacular and mundane.

2. PORTUGUESE. Honestly, sometimes I don’t want to speak or try to understand and though, at first, I thought of it an “injustice” that we would be celebrating Thanksgiving, an American holiday, in Portuguese (I was being a bit dramatic), it was a lovely thing. Though it’s not always easy, it is a part of my life now, each day I’m learning, and not just the language itself.

Youngest and the oldest.

Love these faces!

"Britt, we haven't played football for the last 5 years." was the response I got after asking if they had continued our family "tradition" of playing (American) football every Thanksgiving.

3. This SEASON OF my LIFE- Specifically in being single. (I wrote about this same thing almost exactly a year ago...)

While at the Thanksgiving dinner, missing familiarity and family, I looked around and found myself wishing I was like the young married couple sitting across from me- wishing I had someone to hold onto and an “automatic” person with whom I could turn to or talk with.

I looked to the left of me to the family with two young kids and found myself wishing that I was even like them- with children to look after and care for. God challenged me to not look around me and wish I had something I didn't but to see the beauty and the things I could be thankful for in being single.

Once I opened my eyes, my perspective changed. I saw that I could easily insert myself into any of the conversations going on, or I could choose to be a “fly on the wall” and quietly observe all that was going on around me. I could dismiss myself easily to go Skype my family and I could be lost in my own thoughts and talk with God about them. This is a beautiful season.

~*~

It was a great Thanksgiving spent in Brazil, I would love to hear how yours was spent and what you are thankful for during this season!

Now it is time to start thinking of Christmas... ;) What are your plans?

47 Reasons to Learn Portuguese

Inspired by a blog I follow, BrazilianGringo.com, I have come up with a list of 47 reasons I am learning Portuguese.

I am Learning Portuguese to...

1. Be able to communicate my heart

2. live and function in Brazil

3. Understand other people communicate their hearts

4. Ask someone how I can be praying for them and understand what they tell me so I can pray specifically

5. Be able to be understood by others when I pray in group or one-on-one settings

6. Accept direction the first time and not have to make someone say it s l o w e r and repeat themselves a bunch of times and then finally have to show me because I still don’t understand.

7. Write eloquently and effectively

8. Teach on a specific topic (i.e. intercession)

9. Communicate with the kids that come to our discipleship group

10. Order a sandwich from Subway confidently

11.  Understand people’s life stories, where they came from and how they grew up

12. Ask questions about Brazil’s history and understand the answers

13. Lead worship in Portuguese and tell the congregation where we’re going next with the song, pray in between, and share what I feel God is putting on my heart

14. Sing spontaneously

15. Participate in a worship band and lead a band well

16. Disciple others

17. Understand the settings on the washing machine

18. Write notes to my amigos Brasileiros

19. Understand the many ways of asking “Where are you from?”

20. Ask the boys (and girl) that attend our soccer training how they are and how their week was (and understand their replies)

21. Go deeper and beyond the “Hi, how are you?” and really know how a person is doing

22. Hear and understand a person’s life vision, dreams, and hopes

23. Blog in Portuguese

24. Understand messages sent to me by my Brazilian friends and reply to them promptly without having to use Google translate or my dictionary

25. Not have to carry my English/Portuguese dictionary with me wherever I go

26. Understand the questions the students, in the English class I sub in, ask me

27. Accurately translate into Portuguese what I’m teaching these students in English (I've told them the wrong thing before)

28. Help with translation (formally)

29. Lead a small group/ Bible study

30. Participate in a small group/ Bible study

31. Tell a person how much I appreciate them and what they truly mean to me in a way their heart would understand

32. Understand what is being said by the people I visit in the neighborhood, hear their stories, and learn about their family

33. Understand the message preached on Sunday

34. Understand whether or not someone is asking me, “How long have you been in Brazil?” or “How long will you be in Brazil?”

35. Communicate my stories

36. Answer the question, and tell the story behind the answer, “Why did you come to Brazil?”

37. Join in worship, singing with my heart rather than with just my brain (focusing on the words I don’t know, can’t pronounce, and the rhythm they fall into)

38. Understand the announcements being made and things being said during staff meetings

39. Participate in group conversations that are happening around me

40. Read the Bible out loud

41. Help “bridge the gap” (through translation and giving cultural information that pertains to language) for others that come to Brazil or for Brazilians who want to communicate to speakers of English

42. Speak, preach, and give devotionals in corporate settings

43. Translate my grandmother’s brownie and snickerdoodle recipe for friends who want it

44. Understand the jokes people tell me and be able to joke back

45. Journal in Portuguese

46. Think in Portuguese

And finally, I am learning Portuguese because

47.  I chose Brasil and I choose to speak its language