Brașov, I wasn't expecting you.

When a foreign land feels like a return home.

Mission Team Brasov June 2025

I wasn’t expecting that.

But I have to say - it was all true.

And beyond.

The moment we were picked up from the Brașov airport, I felt something different.

The very first image reminded me of my first home, Brazil. The tall electric power transmission towers instantly took me back to childhood.

My brother and I used to joke that someone had thrown a basketball so high, it got stuck between the cables. We used to count those towers on road trips with our parents, from São Paulo to Uberaba - 500 kilometres of laughter, stories, and counting towers. And still, it was never enough to make two kids fall asleep.

That memory came rushing back like a wave.

I’m Brazilian (but I am a good person - it's just a joke!). My mom is from Minas Gerais - a beautiful, soulful state known for its food, its people, and its heart. There, hospitality is not a gesture; it’s a way of life. If you visit someone’s house, you eat. And repeat! If you don’t, it’s almost offensive. You’re not just welcomed. You’re embraced.

And somehow, Brașov gave me that same feeling. That same warmth. That same amor.

It caught me off guard - how quickly Brașov made me feel at home.

The welcome. The smell of fresh coffee. The food. The sound of laughter.

People offering not just their time, but their hearts.

It was about presence. Connection. Friendship.

Even the words spoke to me.

Casa (home). Amor (love). Familie / Familia (family).

In Romanian. In Portuguese. In feeling. In truth.

At one point, I found myself lying on the sofa in Laura’s garden. The soft wind, the gentle sun. And I told myself: “Oh dear… I need to hold my horses!”.

Because they were giving us so much, and I felt unworthy of that kind of love from people I had just met. But that’s the thing about love - It doesn’t ask for permission.

I could write for hours and still not capture what it meant to be there and live those moments.

Also, let me tell you about the CCB.

The Centrul Creștin Brașov is a church, but not like any church I’ve ever seen.

Because it’s not just a place. It’s a hug. A safe space. A new beginning for many who lost almost everything.

In this church, they built rooms to shelter Ukrainian families fleeing war.

Rooms to rest. To breathe. To dream again.

And not only this.

They built the same toilets available for the church's members to be used by the guests. No difference. No separation. Just shared humanity.

This is Christianity lived out.

I'm back to my second home, Horsham. But I am still thinking of you.

The Dagi’s good heart.

The commitment and devotion of Magdalena and Dennis.

The surrender of Laura and Danni.

The strength of Lacra.

The care of Adi.

Thank you for showing us so much love.

I saw Jesus in each of you.

With love and kindness,

Alessandra