Moline Rotarian Visits Exchange Student in Brazil

Moline Rotarian Gary Francque traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil on June 2^nd and attended the Rotary International Youth Exchange Pre-conference and the Rotary International Conference. After four days at the conference Gary traveled to the nearby city of Para de Minas to visit our 2013-14 Youth Exchange student from Brazil, Antonio Abreu – Leite and his family for three days.

 

The Visit: On Sunday June 7^th, Gary was met at Tancredo Neves International Airport by Antonio, his parents, Vitoria and Mauricio, and his Rotarian uncle Ronaldo Abreu. They then drove to Antonio’s home in Para de Minas where Gary met Antonio’s sister Veronica and boyfriend Alexandre and Aunt Vilma, and all enjoyed a feast of delicious Brazilian foods and drink prepared by Antonio’s mom.

 

On Monday Gary and Antonio traveled to the historic town of Ouro Preto, a 17^th century town known for its beautiful Baroque architecture and hundreds of gold mines, having been a focal point of the 18^th century gold rush and Brazil’s “golden age”. The pair toured Several Baroque churches and museums, and explored deep inside an 18^th century gold mine. Monday evening Gary again joined the family at the home of Uncle Ronaldo, where he and his wife Vilma prepared another delicious feast of Brazilian dishes and served Brazil’s national liquor “Cachace”.

 

Tuesday Gary and Antonio traveled to Belo Horizonte, a major city and the capital of the state of Minas Gerais, where they visited tourist attractions including Mercado Central, a huge marketplace, and the famous Minas Arena, the site of some of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Games.

 

As Gary posted on Facebook “Just concluded one of the most heartwarming experiences of my life with one of the most wonderful families I've ever met. Three days of delicious Brazilian cooking, touring awesome Brazilian historical sites, and being showered with genuine Brazilian family love. I will cherish this experience forever. Thank you Antonio and all of the Abreu - Leite family. Love you guys!!!”  

 

Antonio Update: Since returning home to Brazil Antonio has been hard at work preparing for entrance to a university by taking a series of university prep courses and testing to determine his eligibility for Brazil’s free college education. He hopes to complete the testing soon and qualify for a good university, where he will pursue his dream to attend medical school and become a physician.

 

Antonio’s father Mauricio is a salesman for a regional cheese distribution company and his mom Vitoria is a supervisor (assistant principal) at a local school. Antonio’s sister Veronica is completing her degree in pharmacology at a nearby university, and her boyfriend Alexandre (probably Antonio’s future brother-in-law) is a young lawyer in Para de Minas. Antonio’s Uncle Ronaldo Abreu, a local businessman, is a Para de Minas Rotarian and a coordinator for the Youth Exchange program. Antonio’s parents hosted a girl from Wisconsin while he was here with us.

 

See photos of Gary’s visit with Antonio on Moline Rotary’s Clubrunner site under Photo Albums/Gary Visits Antonio 2015.