Thank you, Brazil - A Leadership Fellows Global Immersion Trip Reflection from Rev. Lee Yates

In late May 2025, the 10 students of the third-year cohort of HELM Leadership Fellows traveled to Brazil for a global immersion experience in partnership with Disciples Overseas Mission. The trip offered a powerful opportunity to witness the work of global partners and explore faith, justice, and leadership in an international context. The following is a reflection from Rev. Lee Yates, HELM’s Director of Scholarships and Programming, on this transformative journey.

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As I child, I was fascinated by Brazil. I had started playing “soccer” and the only player anyone knew was Pele’. His yellow jersey and the Brazilian flag were vibrant and captured my imagination. As I got older, I learned more about the struggles that shaped Pele into an amazing athlete, leader, and cultural ambassador. Until I experienced Brazil for myself, I had no idea how much Pele’s strength and passion truly embodied Brazil.  

Much like the United States, Brazil is a nation with a complicated history, great diversity, and lots of contradictions. History unfolded differently in each country but the voice of indigenous communities, the role of enslaved peoples, religious nationalism, and challenges to their constitutional ideals are part of both nations’ story. Professor Magali Cunha did our introduction to Brazil, offering us different lenses by which to explore the nation’s history and current events. The most important, she suggested, was through the lens of resistance. The profound truth of this statement was evident throughout our trip. 

As we visited “Little Africa” with the Instituto Pretos Novos,  we learned about Brazil’s history with slave-trade, involving ten times the number of enslaved people as North America. We sat on an excavation site where the old shipping ports had been discovered underneath the modern streets of the city. As we looked up we could see the Christ the Redeemer statue in the distance. Our tour guide, who was of African descent, explained that Jesus standing outstretched hands was a dramatic from the imagery of God and Jesus associated with the colonizers and slave traders. 

The site we sat on joined the murals we saw on building walls, the slogans painted on signs and doorways, and the Instituto Prestos Novos museum and exhibit space, proclaiming a story of Brazil that is too often only told among those on the margins. They stand as signs and symbols of resistance to the divisive power of racism and the ever-present reality of apathy. 

As our week went on, we met with indigenous community, we met with health care workers, we met with students in internship programs. We met local politicians. We met fans cheering on their team. We met people trying to make the world a better place in the face of enormous obstacles. Poverty, drugs, violence, racism, and selfishness wrapped up in Christian platitudes all challenge the work they do.  Yet, they continue on, in daily acts of service and compassion. 

Resistance is part of being Brazilian. 

As the week went on, we got to watch our students engage with partners, guests, guides, and our interpreters. Their questions were insightful and on target. Their curiosity often turned into conversations and their compassion created connections – relationships. Questions about African religious symbols turned into a conversation around water and the feminine divide. Questions about health care sparked conversations about access, justice, and healing vocations. Our Leadership Fellows showed cultural humility and academic expertise in their individual fields. More importantly, they built authentic relationships with everyone they met. They came to care about Brazil’s people and hoped for a better world for them. Our Leadership Fellows also talked about the role they might play in creating a better world for everyone.  Some shared professional goals and others expressed personal aspirations. 

It seems that resistance is part of being a Leadership Fellow. 

As the week came to an end, and we started moving towards home, our attention became more and more focused on what we were returning to. Debates over the federal budget reminded us how little care many have for the poor, for children, and for those who are sick. Expanding ICE raids put the spotlight back on immigration and continual overreaches of power reminded us that much of what we heard about in Brazil is happening right here at home. We even heard a lot of folks using Jesus’ name to justify acts of marginalization and oppression. We came home to notices about churches holding vigils for immigrants and attending Pride events to stand in solidarity. We came home in time for Pentecost- a reminder of how the Holy Spirit connects us, even while others scoff and seek to divide. 

It seems that resistance is part of being a Christian.

Thank you Brazil, for all your lessons.