I meet the sisters Lea (20) and Luana Rodriguez (22) over a cup of tea. They have Jeanette (31) with them, who is a safe support and mentor for the two girls who have traveled outside South America for the first time.
We are sitting outside.
Heavy summer rain falls on all sides and makes drumming sounds on the awning above us. The Brazilian girls get to experience Norwegian summer at its best during BCC’s summer convention at Brunstad.
It is not a matter of course that we are here today
It is not a matter of course that the two young girls are here today. The sisters have been in the same class since they were children and have largely experienced life together. They tell of a good and safe childhood. They are also open about the fact that they have both had periods in their youth where they have withdrawn from faith and Christian life, and lived contrary to what they knew inside was right for them.
With some apparent coincidences, but also with the motivation to enter properly into a wholehearted Christian life under the good influence of other believers, the girls went to the neighboring country of Argentina. There they participated in a youth program that BCC’s mission organization supports.
We are putting the girls’ story on hold for now.
From South Africa to Norway and on to Argentina
Jeanette comes from South Africa, but in 2020 she married Norwegian Per Egil and moved to Hallingdal in Norway. In both South Africa and in Hallingdal, Jeanette has been actively involved in Christian children’s and youth work. She says that she likes people, and I find that she has a remarkably friendly and warm presence.
In 2023, Jeanette and Per Egil receive a request if they would like to go to Paso Flores in Argentina to contribute to the youth program there for a time. Jeanette says that they quickly became excited about the proposal. She does not hide that she would also like to imagine herself seeing more of the sun she was used to from South Africa. After all, this could sometimes be in short supply in the Norwegian mountain regions.
Personal connection with God as motivation
When they accepted the offer, it was still the couple’s warm hearts for young people and a strong desire that they can have a personal connection with God that was the main motivation. They wanted these valuable young people to also experience the joy and happiness that comes from following Jesus.
Jeanette says that she felt inadequate for the task, and that she thought a lot about who these young people were, with whom she would spend the next few months.
There were also some practical challenges that came with moving to a new country. They had to find good solutions for how Per Egil’s company would continue to be run without him present. Jeanette had to wave goodbye to the dream job she just looked like landing. And none of them spoke Spanish in the first place.
In September 2023, they get on the plane and travel to Argentina. The mountain home in Hallingdal is being replaced by a desert-like plateau landscape. At Paso Flores, they adjust to their new everyday life and work tasks. The couple says that they often feel small in the face of tasks and challenges that arise. They have to constantly remind each other that it is love that is the driving force and the reason they have travelled down there.
The hearts are tied together
The two Brazilian sisters and Jeanette meet for the first time at the youth program in Argentina. Lea and Luana’s mother tongue is Portuguese. Jeanette’s mother tongue is Afrikaans, but she has had to put a lot of effort into learning the Norwegian language.
Now all three of them are in a Spanish-speaking country.
It was easy to imagine that communication could become a challenge. At the beginning it was strange to have to do with each other without being able to talk freely together. Body language and Google Translate were used extensively.
Lea and Luana say that they were quite embarrassed at the start, and quickly retired to their room after the program for the day had finished. Luana says that at the beginning she had a notion that Jeanette did not like her because they had different ethnicities.
– Whaaaaat? breaks in Jeanette, clearly surprised to hear this for the first time now during the interview. As it turned out, Luana’s notion was quickly disproved. Jeanette kept in touch and asked them out on trips, coffee, visits and various activities. She also invited herself to them.
They laughed and joked, danced and were childish, but also attended the Christian meetings every week. The language skills gradually improved and communication became easier. The hearts were tied together.
Faith becomes a personal interest
– I have become more mature during my stay at Paso Flores. These months were very important to me. I have learned new things, lived with other people, we have done things together, Luana says gratefully.
She smiles a little and points out another thing that has been useful for them to learn: dealing with the clock. She says that it is typical in Brazil to be late. Jeanette and Per Egil had to work hard on the girls’ attitudes to punctuality. The girls laughingly talk about how the first months bore the mark of a culture crash in this area.
– But now we have become very good, assures Lea.
The girls also say that this year has been very important for the development of their Christian life. Faith has become their personal interest. They themselves want to live as Christians and be part of the church, not just because their parents are there.
Luana says that when her stay at Paso Flores is now over, she will continue on the same track and not go back to the life she lived in the past. She refers to a Bible verse that is important to her, namely Philippians 3.13
“[…] forgetting what lies behind and reach out for what is ahead”.
Great significance
I ask the girls what Jeanette has meant to them. I quickly understand that we are now moving on to a more emotional part of the conversation. Both girls have tears in their eyes.
– I have had many mentor friendships before, but never like with Jeanette, says Lea. – I felt comfortable around Jeanette and felt that I could be myself, we could work together and have a fellowship. Lea highlights an episode that made an impression on her: Jeanette came up to her during a meeting and said: “You are very important!”
Jeanette has also guided them and said things that made them reflect and helped them move forward. Jeanette clarifies that you can give exhortation and guidance but that in the end it is God who opens hearts and gives light, and therefore He is to have the glory.
It feels like a dream to be here
When asked how they feel participating in BCC’s international summer conference for the first time, they agree: they feel like they are dreaming, they can hardly believe they are here. In the past, they have seen TV broadcasts from conferences at Brunstad, but they agree that it is something completely different to be present in the hall themselves.
Lea says that on a personal level she has been in different situations and relationships, and that during the meetings she has gained strength in precisely these areas. Luana has experienced the same and adds: – Those who speak could not know that I am in this particular situation – but they read Bible verses or say something that fits my situation exactly and gives me light.
They also highlight the joy of making new friends and feeling a sense of fellowship by sharing the same beliefs and thoughts.
The girls do not yet know what they will do next year, but say they have faith for the future. But right now the “Brunstad summer” should be enjoyed to the fullest. The interview ends and the girls hurry on to their next appointment.
