When I went to Germany on a youth exchange at the end of April 2025, I could scarcely imagine what doors it might open. During the exchange, the participating Brazilians invited everyone to their Lutheran National Youth Congress: the Congrenaje.
After my return to South Africa, I set things in motion towards attending, it was time to wait. Finally, after about a month and a half it was confirmed that I would be participating in the event.
Congrenaje means Congresso Nacional da Juventude Evangélica (Evangelical Youth National Congress), although it is specifically that of the Lutheran youth. This year it took place in the city of Igrejinha in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Igrejinha means little church, which is based on the – indeed very small – church at the centre of the city. With a population of 35 000 inhabitants it is by no means a large city compared to others in Brazil. I embarked on 26 July 2025 on the trip to Brazil.
On the way to Igrejinha I had a stopover in Sao Paolo. If I had been talking upon the first sight of Sao Paolo, my words would have failed me as I tried to comprehend the sheer size of the city sprawling into the distance beneath me. Thinking about it now, it’s hardly surprising how large it is given that it is the largest city in Latin-America with 20 million people living there. But seeing that arbitrary number and seeing nothing but city as far as the eye can see from an airplane, it puts that number into a slightly different perspective.
From Sao Paulo it was a short hop to Porto Alegre from where I was picked up by car. I finally arrived in Igrejinha around 04h00 of the 27 July. During the week we stayed in a Lutheran women’s group centre. It was an interesting first impression of the other international visitors, to hear them sleeping in the dark hall, while trying to make my bed without disturbing the others. We woke around 08h00 that morning. The international visitors included some Chileans, two from El Salvador, a Mozambican, someone from the USA, and me. Some of the group spoke English, although most of them only spoke Spanish.
Having gotten dressed we headed to the main location of the events. Upon arriving at the Oktoberfest Park, we registered and waited for the Congress to start that afternoon. It started with an opening service led by the President of the church and the typical administrative announcements you might expect at any such event. During the week singing would call everyone to the main hall after breakfast, followed by a devotion. After the devotion each of the synods would have a chance to present something. Some came up with entire plays, while others presented a song and one even had a bright blue parrot as a mascot. During the afternoons facilitation sessions on different topics were offered to the participants.
Each evening had a different event and there was so much more happening during the week, that I’ll simply tell you, dear reader, some highlights. During the cultural evening a highlight for me was when the Gauchos (sort of Brazilian Cowboys) started a dance where they were “fighting” with machetes. There were literal sparks flying.
Another highlight of the week was the parade. The band was put on top of a lorry with speakers on it and we left the Oktoberfest Park with banners, flags, music and lots of noise. The parade went through town, past the little church all the way to town hall and then back to a square where a plaque was set on a rock.
I am very grateful to all the people who made it possible for me to go to Brazil in our church, the EKD and the Brazilian Church. I am very glad to have been afforded this opportunity, and I hope that I will be able to visit Brazil again one day. The friends I made and the new contacts all over the world made the trip even more worth it.
Bernhard Schiele
