Elizabeth is on mission in Brazil.

I have been surprised over and over again at the amount of gifts waiting for me here in Brazil. One of the biggest ones is the faith of people here, especially of our neighbors. There is an awareness of God’s presence here, even in the midst of the seemingly unsurmountable challenges of our neighbors. The response of most people I talk to here to the challenges of life is not, “Where is God in all of this hardship?” but “Thank goodness God is with me in all of this.”

One of our friends, Dona Maria, put it really beautifully for me one day when I stopped by for a visit with one of my sisters of community. When I asked her how she was doing, she listed off all the new aches and pains she’s dealing with more and more since she is getting older. At the end of the litany with a face full of contentment, she said, “Mais tudo bom aqui no barco com Jesus” which translates to, “But all’s good here in the boat with Jesus”. It is an incredible gift every time someone opens up the door of their home and the door of their hearts to let us accompany each other and remind each other that life is always more beautiful shared.