Before leaving on our mission trip to Brazil, my husband Bill and I had heard people voicing the same question we were asking ourselves. “So what will you do there?” We knew the basic itinerary. We knew the Franciscan brother who would be one of our hosts. We knew his work was with small communities and agrarian reform. Other than that, we didn’t know much. The answer I settled into was, “We’ll tell you more when we get back.”

Our group of 22 travelers ranged in ages from 16 to 50-plus. Some of the high school and college students had met Brother Rodrigo when he had visited their elementary school. They had exchanged pictures and letters with Brazilian children over the years. At the invitation of their junior high teacher, they were coming to meet their pen pals in person. Building bridges of friendship would be our aim for this trip.

Our first introduction to Brazil was to big city life. On top of Corcovado, one of the highest hills in Rio de Janeiro, a massive statue of Christ the Redeemer stretches out his arms in blessing. The beauty of the city – nestled among the hills and bounded by ocean beaches – is apparent in all directions. The favelas – overcrowded encampments of poor people spreading up the hillsides – are readily seen as well. Christ’s outstretched embrace takes it all in while being a beacon of hope. That became our task as well.

The smaller inland city of Uberlandia became our home base for a week. We visited camps, settlements, schools, courts, farms, homes, and factories. We listened to people tell of their struggles and triumphs. We observed, asked questions, and learned. They questioned us and were glad for the ideas and resources we shared with them.

I spent one day going from school to school with a woman who was responsible for five creches, places for the children, ages 6 and under. Pictures, songs, and pantomime helped us to bridge the gap between Portuguese and English. While eating lunch with a group of about 20 young children, I realized the only sound was the scrape of spoons on plates. Children proudly showed me their empty plates before getting in line to serve themselves more beans, rice, and salad. Some older children took me on a tour of their garden where they help to grow fresh produce for school lunches.

We spent most of the week visiting land settlement camps in both rural and urban settings. Each community welcomed us with a ceremony that told something about who they are and how they work together. Sharing work, knowledge, and resources, groups of families are tending their land and their communities with dignity and hope.

One small group had suffered a discouraging setback a couple of months ago. They were close to receiving title for the land they were homesteading when police came and bulldozed their homes, their plants, and all their belongings. A more established group, which already had title to the property just over the fence from them, invited them to camp on their land. Brother Rodrigo’s eyes sparkle as he tells us this story. When people in need reach out to care for others in need, everybody benefits. And soon, we hear, their title for the land will be official and they can move back to the other side of the fence. Saplings and seedlings are ready to transplant as soon as they make the move.

Their knowledge of how to prosper on the land advances step by step. We saw the farm and retreat center where youth will learn skills they will use in leading their communities. The youths from the various communities will come together to work on animal and plant care, health care, environmental care, mediating differences, building skills, and identifying and creating solutions to the community’s needs.

The volunteers who work alongside Brother Rodrigo are lawyers, teachers, veterinarians, students, social workers, and more. They are people who know there is more to life than having personal needs met.