Brazilian Friends

Several years ago our little church was trying to figure out how we could hire a choir director.  We had a small, dedicated group that wanted to sing, but no one to lead.  The preacher said he would pray on it.  The rest of us figured someone would have to die and leave us a bunch of money before it would come to pass.  Since most were in good health and none of us possessing a bunch of money, we figured our chances of  having a choir director were slim.  Never underestimate the power of prayer. 

Through a friend of a friend the word got to the preacher that a small church college about 30 miles away had a group of music students that needed outside income to help them stay in school.  Negotiations ensued and an agreement was made that a student would come to work for us, but he needed housing.   My father had spent his last years in a trailer on our farm, which was now empty.  We volunteered the trailer.  Little did we know that that small act would open up a whole new world to us.

It turned out that the group of students were all from Brazil.  Somehow this little college had started a connection with the music community in Brazil.  They had for years sent some of their brightest and most talented to the United States to study and many came through this little school.  We have since learned that the colleges in Brazil are so over-crowded that it is almost impossible for even the brightest students to get in.  They value their education so much that they are willing to endure years of being away from their families to obtain an education.  They arrive, many speaking very little English, and are confronted with the trials of a new school, new language, homesickness and all the other challenges that face college students.  We didn't know any of this then, we just knew that our new boarder would be from Brazil. 

I think in the back of our mind was the idea that this was an undeveloped country and we were doing them a big favor by lending our trailer.  It wasn't until later we realized that our boarder was from a very cosmopolitan city in northern Brazil and probably thought he had been dropped in the jungle when he wound up on a farm in rural Kentucky.  We never made a farmer out of him but we made him family.   In the process we gained a Brazilian family complete with parents, siblings, and grandparents, as they came to visit.

In return they have opened up the world of music to us.  I love to sing, but I am probably the least talented in our small choir.  However, our young friend wasn't daunted by lack of talent he just proceeded to teach us how to sing.  I am amazed at how much we have learned and what we have done.  I once commented that he would confront us with impossibilities and then proceed to make us accomplish it.  Our little choir, sometimes only numbering 20 members has become well known for their outstanding music. 

Through our boarder and his friends and family we have learned about another culture.  They have enveloped us in their warmth and taught us about their lives and country.  I can't say I have learned Portuguese, (their language) but I can at least pronounce their names correctly, I think.  I have developed a huge respect for these kids as they polish their English first through taking English as  Second Language courses in college to practicing on us to finally being fluent enough to make jokes and poke fun at our Kentucky twang and slang.   We have been blessed to have them in our homes on holidays to cheer them in the triumphs of their lives.

Our young friend met and fell in love with a lovely girl at school.  They dated for the time he lived on our farm and we were honored to be a part of his wedding.  In Brazil instead of having just the young friends as groomsmen and bridesmaids, the couple is presented by special people who have been important in their lives.  Usually these are 5 couples who are seated in a special section to recognize their influence and honor.  We were so proud to be able to sit in this section and know that we had meant as much to him and he had meant to us.

He and his new wife, graduated with honors and have moved to Louisville where he is music minister for a larger church.  They have a darling baby that we have been lucky enough to babysit for when his parents come back to the area for performances or visits.  Before they left, they passed our church on to the very capable hands of another Brazilian musician who is continuing the challenge of teaching us music.

God certainly answers prayers in the most wonderful and amazing way.