from Bogota, back to Brazil!

Well, finally I can say I have seen another country in South America aside from Brazil! I am back from spending two weeks in the beautiful capital city of Bogotá in Colombia. Bogotá is one of the world’s highest capitals, sitting at an altitude of 8,612 feet (2,625 meters) above sea level. My hometown of Seattle, WA is practically at sea level, and Sao Paulo is only at around 2,500 feet above sea level, so it was a bit of a transition—luckily just a minor headache the first day, and that was it. I was in town for a conference (more on that later), but arrived a few days early to have some free time – the best part of that was that I got to do so with two of my fellow Young Adult Service Corps friends, Ashley Bingaman (serving in Haiti) and Ryan Abrams (serving in Costa Rica). 

We hadn’t seen each other since our pre-departure training in July of 2012, so it was pretty awesome to have a few days to simply hang out and explore a new city! One of my roommates is originally from Bogotá, so we had plenty of recommendations on what to see. Ryan and I arrived in the afternoon on the 1st, so we went to our hostel & walked around the city before returning to the airport in the evening to meet Ashley. On the 2nd, we headed to the renowned gold museum, and then took a cable car to the top of nearby Monserrate – which boasted a beautiful view of Bogotá, as well as lifted us to about 10,000 feet above sea level!

Various items from the Gold Museum.

Left: Walking between the buildings at the top of the hill. Center: the view from the top. Right: artisan market on the hill.

The next day we adventured out to the city of Zipaquirá, an hour and a half or so from Bogotá, to go to the famous Salt Cathedral. All I can really say is it was super amazing. It's a huge underground complex of vast proportions, with carved stations of the cross, cathedral-like interiors that started as a chapel for miners to pray before working, and is just an all around awesome thing to check out if you're in the greater Bogotá area for a couple days.

 

Soon enough our free time  wound down, and the reason we were even in Colombia began -- the Global Episcopal Mission Network was having its annual conference, and Episcopal missionaries in Latin America were especially invited, as well as those from Province 9 of the Anglican Communion (which encompasses Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Puerto Rico & Venezuela.) Many people from Latin America & the United States made it, and the conference boasted some 90 participants, lay & clerical alike.

Also, Pacific Northwest! The next GEMN conference will be in Seattle, May 29-June 1st. Mark your calendars & participate!

The conference was an excellent balance of plenary sessions, workshops, small group time, and site visits. I will have a page-length writeup of the conference in my upcoming newsletter, but suffice it to say, I had a great time & learned a lot -- about Colombia, other churches & projects in Province 9 and Latin America, and met a bunch of amazing people!

Here are a few writeups from Episcopal News Service during the conference:

• Companions in faith & resources - in this one you can see a picture of my sister Elizabeth, along with current YASC-er Ryan Abrams and future YASC-er Ashley Cameron!
• 'Participating in God's mission'; GEMN wraps up in Bogota -- current YASC-er Ashley Bingaman & I are in the first picture of the article, and there's a quote from me further down in the article, too! :)
  
• Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori arrived for the final conference day & closing eucharist. You can read her (excellent) sermon at the link here!

PS: At this link you can see a compilation of photos from my entire time in Bogotá. 

I will be sure to include some further reflection & other pictures in my monthly newsletter, which will come out in a couple of weeks!

Well, it's been a while.

 Many thanks to the generous donation of the Diocese of Olympia & bishop Greg Rickel, which supports me this past month since I last updated.

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...and there are times I find myself at a loss of what to update, as life goes on -- luckily in the meantime, I've updated with a second newsletter (click the bolded text) filling everyone in on my second month here -- so you can read in more detail what's been going on this last month since I've updated.

Since I wrote this newsletter, I've also attended a round table discussion -- Church of the Holy Trinity plays host to near monthly discussions open to the community, varying topics each time. This last Saturday, with the support of São Paulo-based organization CAMI (Center of Support for the Migrant), I learned more about the issue of immigration in São Paulo. (I wrote a reflection of this event for my side project The Peace Blog - link to article if you click on the bolded text.)

I guess what's also exciting is what's coming up! May 1-11 I will have my first South American adventure outside of Brazil -- I will be attending the Global Episcopal Mission Network conference in Bogotá, Colombia. 

The nifty thing is that the conference is only from the 5th to the 10th, but it worked out to go a few days early to explore the city. As one of my roommates is originally from Bogotá, I got the local's lowdown -- but the more exciting part is that two of my fellow YASC-ers will not only be there for the conference, but also will be arriving on the 1st as well -- so we get a few days to hang out together and explore the greater Bogota area with Ryan Abrams (home diocese - North Carolina; currently serving in Costa Rica) and Ashley Bingaman (home diocese - Virginia; currently serving in Haiti).

What else, what else....this coming Saturday here in Sao Paulo's zona leste (east zone) in the neighborhood of Itaquera, I and a few others from the church will be attending the first ever ecumenical youth event -- the topic being religions as conductors of peace & justice, with confirmed presences of youth from various traditions, including Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Baptist, Orthodox & others. Confirmed on the schedule are some panel discussions on immigration (with our friend Pastor Nello Pulcinelli of CAMI), as well as a discussion on Israel & Palestine. As my home Diocese of Olympia (western Washington) has a companion relationship with the Diocese of Jerusalem -- plus having many friends from the Palestinian territories -- this is a topic near and dear to my heart, so I can only hope my Portuguese will be sufficient enough to get the gist of what's being said!

I think that's about it for now... I might have some more news to share in the near future, but it's still 'under construction' so to say -- that said, I would appreciate any prayers, good vibes & well wishes this coming Monday the 15th around 9am PST / 12 pm EST / 1pm local time here in São Paulo... later I'll explain why! :)

Ate mais / until more,
~ Nina

Life keeps going....

[Firstly, a thanks & shout-out to those whose donations have supported me in this time -- Nancy Smith, Wayne Lennon, Buck Ward, Lisa Mason, the Maksirisombat family, Vern & Marcia Holmes, and Eldon & Marcia Olson!]

I was waiting to write another post until I actually had something of more substance about which to update. Then I realized it's been a while since I updated!

 Work has been work -- not too much to say here. Lately I have been working on various projects -- some graphic design, some website design, some ongoing photo & video projects. This last weekend I had the pleasure to finally meet the Primate of the Episcopal Anglican Church in Brasil, Mauricio Andrade, as well as Bishop Francisco Silva from the Diocese of Sul Ocidental in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul. They were in Sao Paulo for the weekend for a meeting of the National Council of Christian Churches (CONIC) in Brazil. I had a lovely time talking with the both of them, and look forward to seeing them more.

Primate Mauricio Andrade speaking.

Another CONIC participant & Bishop Francisco

       

Provincial Secretary Arthur Cavalcante, Primate Mauricio Andrade, & Bishop Francisco Silva.

Prov. Sec. Cavalcante, Bishop Mauricio & myself!

  
Church of the Holy Trinity also hosts an office for KOINONIA - Brasil (Ecumenical Presence in Service), and I joined some of their staff last week to show church support at a demonstration for International Women's Day. I was later interviewed to get my thoughts on things -- see below the image to get the link for the translation! (We are currently working on some website issues with the parish site, to ensure that the page is indeed accessible outside of the country, so here's a screenshot of the Portuguese version!) Portuguese version available in Brazil here -

Please click here to be taken to the translation in English, hosted in Google Docs.

That's it for this update! Hope this message finds you well, and take care and all the best! Greetings from sunny Sao Paulo!

~ Nina

home again, home again

[I would like to thank Kathy Rood, Patricia Taylor, and Jennifer Daugherty, whose generosity & donations support me this week in Brazil]


Olá from São Paulo! 

My trip to Recife was amazing -- amazing weather (albeit a bit hot for me), and it was great to see the ocean again, as well as meet so many incredible people -- but I am starting to feel at home in São Paulo, so it was nice to come back. In true fashion for a Seattle-ite, the morning of my departure from Recife, it rained. Then the last two days I've been back in São Paulo, it's rained later in the day. Despite the torrential downpour the first time [actually caused some urban flooding in other parts of the city], I feel at home.

And no wonder -- Saturday marks my one month mark here in Brazil! Yet, I can't help but to be amused - I'm feeling at home enough that it almost feels like more time has passed. Then my language skills remind me that I'm still in my fledgling stages here -- my Portuguese continues to improve, but sometimes I can't help but feel very confused in other languages, even English!

For now, there's much work to be done, so this blog post will remain brief, but more later -- I'll try and snag some more pictures of the city to share, and work on uploading a variety to Picasa so I can share the link here and those who are not friends with me on Facebook can view them more easily.

Até mais! Until more!

What does it mean to celebrate?

(I would like to begin this post with mentioning how thankful I am for my home parish, St John's Episcopal church - specifically the Arts & Craft Co-op which supported my first two weeks in Brazil with their generous support. This next week, my remaining time in Recife, is supported by the wonderful David and Elisabeth Wold! Many thanks to you both as well, and greetings from the sunny NE coast of Brazil!)

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So, I didn't expect that things here would be so awesome. I mean, yes, I expected carnaval to be awesome, and it certainly delivered. I just didn't expect it to be so introspective, though. 

I've met many people from different countries and cultures, and traveled enough to know that Americans can be very different in some ways. I know I'm not the only person who's attested to our (and western Europe's, for the most part) concept of time, and this seeming necessity of always being busy, always working, always doing something.

I like to think that after some travel, after learning a few languages (and thereby also learning about the respective cultures in the areas in which these languages are spoken) that I've learned something. And I have -- the most important thing being is that I still have much to learn! 

For some carnaval festivities I went to the nearby city of Olinda. Colorful and historic, Olinda has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. Its cobblestone streets were jam-packed with people of all shades and nationalities, from party-goers to dedicated musicians, it was as though everyone had turned out for carnival - and in Brazil, that's pretty much how it seems to be.

And finally it hit me -- yes, carnaval has its roots in marking the advent of Lent - akin to mardi gras festivities in the US, one last big hoorah before 40 days of penitence, then Easter. But another thing dawned on me, something that I realized seemed very different, culture-wise, something that I realized was something I had to learn in my own culture as opposed to it being an innate characteristic.

It's not just that Brazilians know how to party, as a lot of people are fond of saying about a time like carnaval. But the feeling that I distinctly got yesterday was also: they know how to celebrate. 

I'm aware of the horrible things currently going on in the world, still going on, and I realize that my awareness of it is minimal in comparison to things that so many people unfortunately have no choice but to deal with every day. Looking out the window on the way back from Olinda to Recife, I saw the beautiful scenery and city scenes - including the occasional mattress and family scenes sprawled under tropical trees, next to the (on a good day) slightly less than pungent canals that traipse their way through parts of Olinda and Recife. Or the quick glance of a man on a bicycle pausing to talk with a family living under an overpass.

I realize that not everyone has the luxury of celebrating in the ways I do -- but I would be foolish to assume that simply because someone is at a different place in life than I am, in a different situation, means that they are not capable of celebrating. Indeed, I feel I've been most humbled by learning from people in circumstances very different than my own - sometimes feeling that they've learned some lessons in ways that I'm not yet able to understand.

But even so, this vivaciousness, this energy that I and so many others have encountered - during carnaval, but indeed in Brazil in general I'd say - yesterday I was finally able to put a word to some aspect of it: celebration. 

I remember reflecting some time back about advent, the time of holy expectation and waiting before Christmas. Lent is another such time. When so much of what we do is caught up in the necessity of the now, I like it when I have time to let time happen. When I have to wait. (Amusing, considering the time I had to wait before coming to Brazil!) But it's not just this boring, ho-hum, I'm stuck here waiting thing. It's not this pesky oh, I have to give something up for lent... yesterday reminded me that this -- all of this -- is also a celebration. 

And instead of having to learn to walk all over again, I'm re-learning to dance.

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

All finished with the federal police!

 So, after much work to get all the documents in order, my officially legal status in Brazil came just in time for my first experience at traveling within Brazil. I am in the coastal city of Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, until the 18th of February. There is much to love about this region -- the beauty (nearby Olinda is a UNESCO heritage site), the warm temperatures (in the 90sF/30sC) and just in time for carnaval, as well!

The biggest reason this Seattle girl was excited, though, is to see the ocean once more!

Really, missionary life isn't always like this ;)

...yes, the water was certainly a lot warmer than I was used to in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, but it was lovely to once again see water stretching out as far as the eye could see! Of course, warning signs about sharks were also kind of new, too...

This morning was a wonderful experience in learning more about another side of Brazilian culture: carnaval! Admittedly, when most people think of Carnaval, they think of Rio de Janeiro, they think of samba -- and yet there are more cities than just Rio that have events for carnaval. Really, who's going to say no to a chance to celebrate? In Rio and Sao Paulo, there are huge parades, with samba schools performing. Recife, for being in a different region, also does it slightly differently. The music (and related dance of choice) is called frevo, a lively mix of styles that's energetic, engaging, and inviting to all, regardless of dance skills (that said, little Brazilian kids totally outdid me.) Also, carnaval here is much more of a community celebration -- no grandstands, no cover charges - all about everyone being involved! 

 

Now before anyone gets too skeptical, yes, this trip is also work-related :) I will update in more detail later, but I have plenty of things lined up as per learning more about the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, or IEAB (handy acronym to remember! Episcopal Anglican Church in Brazil) in a wider sense [ie, beyond Sao Paulo], in a more regional sense, and learn specifically about the Diocese of Recife. More informação (information) later!

But for now, greetings from Recife!

Segunda semana / second week update

So, I am approaching the 2 week point here in Sao Paulo! There are indeed some things to share. Firstly, tying in with the last post partially about the tragedy in Santa Maria, I kept busy for a while working on writing or translating various writeups about the incident and the Episcopal Anglican Church in Brazil's (or IEAB for short) response to it. I had the distinct pleasure of writing a piece in summary that has been posted to the blog of the Episcopal News Service website (click here for the link) - and hopefully soon the Anglican Communion News Service will also have a similar writeup about the IEAB and Santa Maria.

Bishop Francisco de Assis (second from left) of the IEAB diocese of Sul-Ocidental based in Santa Maria, at an ecumenical service (Catholic, Lutheran & Episcopal presences) in Santa Maria days after the tragedy.

Slowly yet surely, I am getting used to aspects of life here in Sao Paulo. Then again, I know I can't run before I can walk! It's still a foreign country, a foreign language -- but I'm really enjoying myself. My new church family at Paroquia Santissima Trindade (Church of the Holy Trinity) is absolutely wonderful. The neighborhood in which I'm living and working is great, too. (Pictures at the end of the post!)

Things I like a little less are things I don't like much about life anywhere -- shortly after arriving, one of my wisdom teeth that had bothered me some months back decided to act up: perhaps a perfect storm of a few months' worth of problems in the making, tied in with airline travel (pressure changes), a change in altitude (Seattle's at sea level; Sao Paulo is some 2,500 feet above it)...who knows. So last week, I had the problem tooth extracted, and so far, no problem. Then I got stung by a bee on my day off... (not allergic, and local reaction is finally waning, so all is good).


Or as another YASC-er said to me, "Nina. You know, you CAN have times in life that aren't that crazy.."

All of that aside, things truly are really great. Everyone whom I've met here has been absolutely wonderful, and I feel comfortable in adapting bit by bit to Brazilian culture as I learn more. I'm also slowly yet surely learning more about my neighborhood (Santa Cecilia) and bits and pieces of Sao Paulo beyond. Here are a few pictures I took over the weekend: