H. Lynn Beck had no clue what to do after finishing his master's degree in Vermont, so he applied to join the Peace Corps.

Eventually, he was invited to work in Brazil, and he agreed to work in education in the state of Mato Grosso. He began counting down the days to the start of training.

While his Portuguese consisted of ninety-five percent Spanish and fiver percent Portuguese, he managed to communicate. Working in the geographic center of South America, he felt as if he'd been dumped into a pressure cooker as it was so hot and humid.

After thirty days in Cuiaba, he took a new position in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Even though it meant moving from western side of Brazil to the extreme eastern side, it also gave him the chance to stay in Brazil.

Working at the stage agricultural extension office, not much was expected of him, but he had an excuse to stay in Brazil for at least another two years, allowing him to learn the language and culture.