The Bethel University volleyball team is traveling together in Brazil from May 23-June 2. While there, the team will be playing top level club teams and running youth clinics in multiple cities. In addition, they'll enjoy several group activities that showcase the beauty and culture of Brazil. To see more photos follow the team on Facebook or @BethelRoyalVolleyball on Instagram.

Days 4-5 -  Sara Scherber and Rachel Dieleman 

Recap:
Wednesday morning we left São Paulo to head to Rio de Janeiro. We arrived that afternoon and took some time to explore the hotel and ended the night with some great dinner and a chance to shop at the night market on Copacabana Beach. Thursday morning we went out to enjoy the beach, and then we coached a volleyball clinic at a local public school. After lunch we headed up the mountain to see Christ the Redeemer Statue! After that we played a late night match against a team from Rio, and ended the night with some McDonalds!

What was good:

What was challenging:

We worked a volleyball clinic at a public school on Thursday morning, and that one was much more challenging as many of the children did not speak English, and none of us speak Portuguese, so it was more difficult to explain and teach to them.

Also, it was pouring rain and windy as we were heading up to see Christ the Redeemer. That was a little disappointing at first because we were worried we wouldn't be able to see the statue because of the clouds and fog, but luckily it cleared up. When it did finally clear, the whole crowd surrounding the statue let out a big cheer. 

What you learned:

We learned that being present and patient while teaching and working with kids is very important because that's how you can be the most effective and make an impact on them.

From Coach Hunt: 

Our time at the public school in Rio, Ginasio Educacional Technologico, was a real highlight for our team. The school is a gem in their public school system and the kids worked hard to understand all of our hand gestures and demonstrations, as they are very beginning English speakers, and none of us speak Portuguese. They were eager to spend time with us and practice volleyball skills, and our players brought great energy and encouragement. We really soaked up our time with them. 

The team will be moving on to Arraial do Cabo soon, a much smaller coastal town, which will be so much different than the big cities we've been exploring. More to come!