As team USA made its trip to Brazil for VNL’s Week 2 of play, at least one of the players in its roster could boast about having plenty of experience in the country. Jake Langlois, one of the team’s outside hitters, who today plays for Italy’s Monza, served his Mormon mission in Brazilian lands from 2011-2013. He stayed in Maceió, one of the poorest capitals of the country, and remembers his time there with fondness (Globo.com):
“I came here as a Mormon missionary. We did volunteer work, payed everything from our pocket. I taught about Christ, His Word, and served people. I lived in the poorest places of Maceió. I helped to build houses and make people happy. But, they were happy already before I got there. Brazilians are always happy. It’s good to be back here. I missed the food, specially the greasy burgers, which I think about every day.”
Langlois, who is seeing sporadic court time with Team USA, is currently filling in for Taylor Sander, who left the team to be with his wife during childbirth. Curiously, Sander will play in Brazil this year, and Langlois already had the chance to speak good things about the country to his teammate:
“It’s hard to get a spot on this team. I am only here because Sander is not. I talked to him, people have a distorted view of Brazil. It is not as dangerous as people make it to be. He is happy to be coming here.”
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