We should all be packed, or just about packed, by now… Props, toys, clothes, medications, toiletries, etc. I feel like I am even bringing the kitchen sink. My bag is seriously heavy! At the same time, so is my heart. It is hard to leave little ones, loved ones, even pets… It is somewhat scary not knowing how everything will work out, but it is also exciting.
I am looking forward to sharing with my new teammates all the rich experiences of Brazil. Culturally very latin, Brazilians greet everyone with kisses and hugs. They are laid back with schedules, everything revolves around people. They love to sit and talk for those extra minutes. The children we will meet and the heartbreaking and encouraging stories we will hear will make us want to bring them home with us or do whatever we can to alleviate their circumstances.
The Favelas, or ghettos, of Brazil, like any poverty striken area, are a trap for those born there. Through the great poverty comes crime, drug trafficing and prostitution. Basically whatever people can do to stay afloat. Due to those elements, children expend great energy merely surviving and rarely get a good education. Traditional families, for the most part, are non-existent in the favelas. As a means of self-preservation, gangs are a necessity for security and even law. Speaking of law, the police are extremely corrupt and often cause far greater fear and harm than the criminals themselves. It is like a giant vacuum that keeps a people oppressed, even putting your address on a job application will get you turned down if it is in a favela.
So… we hope to take some children to camp. A beautiful safe place, where we will teach them that there is a God who created each one and loves them very much, and that they are precious and special, each one of them. We will wear them out with games. We will feed them 3 meals a day, something not many of them get regularly. And we will have our hearts broken as we listen to them tell their stories. Then we will share it with you and maybe some of you will be returning to Sao Paulo with us next year to carry on.
