Imagine, it’s 4 pm in Aracaju, Brazil. The sun is out and it’s boiling hot. People are commuting the busy streets in rush hour traffic trying to make it home. One man, however, is hitting the pavement running trying to make his dreams a reality.
He’s out there slugging through the heat and grind, approaching people in their cars stopped at traffic lights to sell them a sweet, delightful treat.
Now, you’re probably thinking if you were in the car in this situation, you’d be quick to not make eye contact with the man with candy or you’d turn to look the other way. Or even if he managed to start a conversation with you, you’d be quick to let it go.
But something to know about Lucas Valença is that he is a man beaming with energy and passion; once he gets talking it’s hard to get him to stop. He’s also a man with a dream to study abroad at Cumorah Academy and it’s a desire so strong he’s willing to do anything to get enough money to go there.
And with that energy, you just like many other people will listen to what he has to say because it’s his story that is powerful, it’s his story that becomes influential in your choice to still give him money though he has just asked you to take one of his sweet Paçoquinha treats for free.
It’s because in his eyes you know how deep his desire to accomplish his dream to study at Cumorah Academy goes. It’s because he lives this dream in his approach with the candy, with his smile, his energy, his charisma, and with his care for you as an individual. You can feel he has a passion to do something amazing in his life. That is why he needs to get to Cumorah. It is so he can discover who he truly is and what kind of life God can help him achieve.
Some months later, Lucas is a student at Cumorah Academy – living his dream. Many mornings, he is in the common room studying a sales book in English. He’s reading it out loud to himself to practice his language skills while he learns the art of sales.
Many evenings before dinner, he’ll be out on the patio watching the sunset – living for the moment and truly soaking in the experience he worked so hard to obtain. In that moment as his eyes capture the orange and pink glow of the sunset, he can smile in peace knowing it was completely worth it – but also know that this is the beginning of a new mountain he’s aiming to climb in his life. It’s a mountain that will take everything he has to climb – but the awesome part about it all is that he’s starting fresh here at Cumorah – his place where dreams begin.
Stepping Into the Unknown
Lucas grew up watching movies, becoming inspired to travel abroad and to see the world. When he heard about Cumorah Academy from a friend who attended a few semesters ago, he was intrigued.
The only problem was Lucas didn’t have enough money to go abroad and to study. So, he needed ideas to make more money.
After researching on the internet for ways to earn cash, he decided to sell a popular Brazilian candy on the street called Paçoquinha.
Though he was embarrassed at first to put himself out there in front of strangers, he decided to follow through on his decision to sell the candy. He persisted each day until he was making more money than he did at his previous job.
Entering the unknown is not easy for anyone to do – that’s why studying abroad is a very hard decision to make. On top of it, to try something that’s “unconventional” to make money to pursue the dream is also a step into the unknown. The important thing to remember though is that stepping into dark areas outside our comfort zones is what it takes to move in the direction our hearts and souls truly desire.
This willingness to pass into the unknown is one characteristic we can examine in Lucas. He has developed the courage to do things he’s unfamiliar with. Because of his choices to commit to such endeavors – he can be more at peace with himself. It’s because he discovers who he is in the process of doing hard things.
Going out to traffic lights whether the rain was pouring or the sun was out – Lucas gave his all to the work he committed to. It was truly a privilege for him to be out there doing something most people would not do.
Now every day, Lucas lives his life at Cumorah as if it’s a privilege to be here. It’s because the sacrifice he had to make to get here taught him more about what he’s capable of accomplishing in his life with a little persistence and willingness to step into the unknown.
Life At Cumorah Academy
Now that he’s here at Cumorah Academy, Lucas is making the most of his experience through living in the moment.
After making so much sacrifice, he is committed to making the most of this opportunity he’s been given as he sees it as an experience of a lifetime.
Lucas describes a little bit about his mindset,
“Before coming here, I was always anxious about the next step, the future that I forgot to enjoy life. Here, I have the experience to live in the moment, and in the present, I have the experience to connect with different people from different nationalities, and I have the experience to learn from different mentors.”
With all of these potential life-changing resources available at Cumorah – many students like Lucas are able to find deep fulfillment in their lives here on campus. This is all possible through living in the moment.
Cumorah Academy offers 3 months of learning in a Christ-centered environment. The time to commit to learning new skills is short but those who give it their all will find this experience to be one that will be remembered for decades to come in their lives. It can even be the experience that will shape the lives of future generations coming after them.
This is why it is important to live and be present at the moment while here for the quick 3-month ride.
Lucas is an example of this every day with his energy. He doesn’t focus on what’s missing here but he looks to be an influence of good where he’s at. Just seeing him on campus and being around him, you know he doesn’t want to waste any moment of it.
Learning From the Mentors
Lucas has taken full advantage of the opportunity to learn from the mentors while he has been here.
One mentor in particular, Saul Leal helped Lucas understand a deeper purpose for coming to Cumorah to pursue his dreams.
“In my interview with Saul, he gave me some ideas on how to move forward in my life and inspired me to know that my purpose is to serve others.”
While many voices in the world encourage young people to think only of themselves, mentors chosen to come to Cumorah inspire students to be givers instead of takers.
Lucas is learning to become a more generous person as he seeks to give other people his friendship, attention, and powerful insights, which he’s gained through the sacrifices he’s made to be here. He is a living example of what it means to take action in the process of change and growth.
Moving Forward
To put things simply, Cumorah is here to provide the foundation for its students to go after whatever they want to achieve. Any limitation of perception, thought, or belief students come here with is meant to be overshadowed by the encouraging environment of a student body hungry to change and improve.
Lucas has been one of those encouraging souls on campus who is pursuing his dreams. For him and many others, his life will be changed forever as he moves forward with the tools his 3-month journey at Cumorah has provided him.
When he finally leaves Cumorah Academy this December after the semester ends, Lucas will continue to strive to learn English through attending BYU and moving to the United States in hopes to continue to expand his international horizons.
He eventually wants to start a project where he can help other people find opportunities to go abroad and gain the same experiences that have been monumentally impactful for him.
Lucas shared a little of his experience in the clip below:
Written by Weylin Hollister
Photos by Natalia Lopez
Supervision by Kamila Uberto Fullmer
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