Gilson and the Hosana Family
A quick recap from my last two weeks in Minas Gerais.
For some context, this exchange started in April 2020 when I first met Gilson Hosana from Itamarandiba City on Zoom. I was interning for an ESL company and community called the Color Vowel Chart and was looking for a way to practice my Portuguese with a native speaker. My study abroad in Rio was cut short due to the pandemic and we were all stuck at home picking up new hobbies, working from home, and just trying to stay sane.
During the last 2 and a half years, Gilson and I met once or twice a week to review his classroom material and discuss the nuances between English and Portuguese. It felt like a friendship and partnership right away. Gilson’s determination to reach fluency in English continues to astound me. He dramatically improved in just 2 years and I greatly admire how much he studies in his free time. His passion for the Color Vowel Approach and the English language is beyond words.
At the beginning of this month, I finally met Gilson in person. Not only that, but I had the lovely opportunity to stay with his whole family for 2 weeks! Our first interaction at the airport felt strangely familiar and I could tell right away that the coming weeks would be such an adventure. The Hosana family home is a warm and inviting yellow, a color that fully captures the feeling of my time there. I felt at home, at peace, and a part of the family as soon as I arrived.
In the first week, we celebrated Gilson’s wife’s, Solange, birthday. She is such a hilarious and loving human. I like to call her super mom. Their three kids, Ester, Davi, and Yasmin all have such huge hearts and creative minds. Ester is a little rascal who loves to play tricks on people, tell wild stories out loud, and laugh all day. Davi loves to draw, give compliments, and learn little English words. Yasmin has the spirit of a true leader and the heart of an artist. She told me that she loves bringing people from all walks of life together and uplifting those usually left behind. She has this natural ability to make everyone feel included which is why I called her my translater since she would always take the time to repeat things slowly for me if I didn’t understand right away.
Another major highlight was visiting all the different kinds of schools and communities that Gilson belongs to. I visited Gilson’s middle school, a daycare, a church classroom, Yasmin’s high school, Gilson’s little kid’s school, and a children’s social center. I learned a lot about the rigorous schedule and extremely low pay for teachers like Gilson as well as the significant challenges that lie ahead with Brazil’s education system. Teachers like Gilson are a blessing to this world. He sacrifices so much of his free time and energy to study English so that he can better serve his kids.
I experienced more of the fruit of Gilson’s hard work and passion for teaching at the Mali Martin Social Center in Itamarandiba City. The center’s focus is to bring underprivileged and rural kids together to learn and discover new passions. Gilson was the first person to bring capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian art form) to the center and he worked there for nearly 10 years. At the center, Gilson and I also copresented on the Color Vowel Chart and our journey together with our online exchange. Below is a video of Gilson sharing with me his love and dedication to capoeira—his smile shined through the whole performance.
On top of his in-person teaching jobs. Gilson also runs an online private English school, English By Hosana. The school is growing and while most of the students attend his school for free, he hopes to get more paid students in order to better support his family. I had a great time attending a celebration for the students of English By Hosana and learned about the many reasons why people want to learn another language. Everyone I spoke to shared about how Gilson taught them so much, especially how to become more confident with pronunciation. Overall, the progress that Gilson’s made in just 2 years with English is wonderful and I am really looking forward to watching us both grow linguistically together.
My last night with the Hosana Family was emotional. In just two weeks, I felt so connected with them. Before dinner, each family member prayed out loud for my safety and growth and we all sang, ate, and embraced for the rest of the evening. Through each of their prayers, I could feel the strength and grace of their love and community. This month, I learned not only a lot about the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture, but also about how important it is to strengthen community, friendships, family, and give back in any way possible. I still feel so grateful every day that I was accepted here with open arms and I can’t wait to hopefully one day repay the favor and host the Hosana family in my hometown.
