BRAZIL

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

There were a lot of children that lived at the end of the cul-de-sac of the street we lived on, so we decided to begin a weekly children's ministry in effort to reach out and engage with our community.  Each Thursday night, weather permitting, we had a game night with the kids.

This is Pedro, one of the neighborhood kids who stole our hearts! 

Projéct Restaraçion 

Founded in 1991 and run by Brazilian couple, Paulo & Ireni are committed to transforming favela communities in Brazil runing in-house prayer ministries, women’s Bible studies, day camps for the kids and more. We were able to join them for prayer ministry in a favela called Vila Rosa and help out with the day camp in a favela called Sapopemba. 

Meet Vitoria from Vila Rosa

The first home we went to in Vila Rosa was Vitoria’s. Vitoria is 12 and in need of urgent heart surgery.  She can sign up with the government health care program to receive the surgery, but she will have about a year-long wait to be seen.  Furthermore, the doctors have told her mother, Cassia, that because Vitoria also has heart arrhythmia, in addition to the defect that needs repair, it is quite possible she could die on the operating table. She has already surpassed her expected 10 years of life by 2 years, as she and her mother face the difficult decision of risking the surgery that might kill her, or waiting it out which will eventually kill her. Vitoria was beautiful and I can’t imagine her mother Cassia’s heartache at the thought of losing her only daughter.

The beautiful faces of Sapopemba

Cracolândia

The area of central Sao Paulo known to the locals as Cracolandia, (Crackland) where drug trafficking, prostitution, homelessness, open use of crack cocaine runs rampant and law enforcement typically does not intervene. We had the opportunity to enter one of the tent cities and do a church program. The little girls captured my heart as there was just innocence written all over them, while at the same time a look in their eyes that showed they knew far too much of this world for their years.

Vieira, Teresopolis ~ Flood Relief ~ Rio de Janeiro

The massive and devastating floods of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hit on Jan 12, 2011 while we were in Sao Paulo, just hours away.  We took advantage of the incredible opportunity to help and hopped on a bus for half a day's journey.  It was not long after arriving that our lives were changed quite profoundly.  I grew incredibly close to three people/families in particular.  You can read about them in more detail by following the links below.  Please, please keep the people of Vieira in your prayers.  They're lives were literally washed away in about 20 minutes of over 70 mph rushing water and boulders.  Many people lost their homes and families, many people are yet to be found.  The news and the government have downplayed the level of destruction and have said they would provide aid, but the people in these communities have not receive any of the promised aid.  They are struggling to rebuild what they've lost, their homes, their crops, their loved ones...it's a devastating time for them.  I know they appreciate your prayers!  Read my full report HERE.

Read about Dona GeGe HERE

Read about Ruthie & Cezar HERE

Read about Dulce & Renato HERE

Graffiti in the City

Sao Paulo has graffiti literally everywhere!  And by "graffiti" I mean wall art!  There were so many paintings I saw during my many bus rides throughout the city, and though I tried to keep note of where my favorites were, they were too hard to find again!  I went out in search of some beautiful wall art and only captured a few, but it's such a vivid part of Sao Paulo, I thought I'd share what I did capture.

My Brazilian Family

As a photo assignment, to teach us about being photojournalists, not just portrait-takers, we had to find a person or family and basically ask them if we could  be a part of their lives for a few days to a week. This is the method that produces something called a "photo story" or a "photo essay".  I met a wonderful family up the road that was gracious enough to allow me in.  It was a really strange experience, because your goal is to be like a fly on the wall.  You want them to go about their normal daily routine as though you are not there.  But it's hard to miss the whitey in the corner of the room with a gigantic camera and big long lens.  It was very dark in their house, so the pictures are poor in quality, but I thought I'd just give you a few so you can put faces to the names of this darling family.  

This family's joy revolves around Marlene's son, Matheus, who had his 12th birthday while I was there.  Matheus' father is not in the picture and he and Marlene live with Marelene's parents, Maria Das Dores and Juaquim. This family was so full of laughter and fun, it was a gift to be there to experience it.  Each family member's love for Matheus, and his reciprocal love for them was truly a beautiful sight.  The bond between mother and son was so strong and it was incredible. This family was such a joy to be around!  This family was so full of laughter and fun, it was a gift to be there to experience it.  Each family member's love for Matheus, and his reciprocal love for them was truly a beautiful sight.  The bond between mother and son was so strong and it was incredible. This family was such a joy to be around!

Homelessness

There is a major issue of homelessness in Sao Paulo.  There is an area/street called Boa Vista that boasts some of Brazil's most prominent banks, in a sense, the area is like Sao Paulo's financial district.  Day in and day out, this street is lined with homeless.  The police don't do much, other than patrol the area.  Most of the homeless we saw during our many visits were quite clearly unbalanced, perhaps suffering from schizophrenia or the use of hallucinogenic drugs.

Gallery