We also spent time with Antonio in a former jail in Rio.  In the last couple of years, 14 of these have been closed…they were illegal holding facilities where police could pick people up (whether true criminals or not) and place them here without them being processed in the system.  Some were held here over 4 years.  In holding cells that were to sleep 30 men were 100 grown men.  There was one toilet.  NO natural light.  NO ventilation.  Temperatures were WELL over 100 degrees.  I met a man who now works with the Rio de Paz ministry with Antonio who was held her for over a year…for stealing a fish.  He remembers men screaming and crying out loud in desperation.  

Men with money were taken to the 'hotel' side of the prison…where they had air-conditioning and conjugal visits with women.  But if you were poor you went to hell as they called it.  

Antonio and his church are largely responsible for putting pressure on the local officials to close these prisons…which he calls concentration camps.  They were truly inhumane.  He sees a direct correlation of his faith to issues of human rights…and it is very compelling.  How can you love your neighbor if you turn a blind eye…or know about injustice and yet do nothing.  There mission inscribed on their door way for all in the favela they work to see says this...

"Giving voice to the voiceless and visibility to the invisible"

 Antonio showing us the prison

Where 100 men would be housed.  there were nine of these cells…so 900 men where 270 were meant to be housed.  

Eventually Antonio got the prison to open the cells to allow the prisoners to roam into this small area as well…for the first time in years sunlight touched their faces and they could breath some fresh air. 

Men who were political prisoners, small thieves, folks arrested because they were gay, and the most heinous drug lords were all housed together.  This is why they call Brazil's prisons…Criminal Universities…many men came out going to work for the drug lords in their freedom.

Antonio now has men transferred from local prisons to Rio de Paz where they teach them life skills and teach them a trade while they help them look for jobs to avoid being pulled into the drug world.

This trip reminded me of visiting the Red Fort in Johannesburg where we also saw horrific living conditions for men of true crime and political differences of opinion (aka not criminal offenses, but folks like Ghandi, etc).  It is inconceivable how easily humanity can begin to look at each other and not see another's soul…we begin to treat each other as less than human.  As you leave the Red Fort which is now converted into a museum on Constitution Hill in South Africa you read this…

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”  Mandela

Below are two articles about facilities and treatment at Julia Tutwiler prison in Wetumpka…a place I have spent time visiting women in the HIV dorm.  It is always worth knowing and pondering where we can even improve our own treatment of our "lowest citizens".  

2003 article  -

https://www.schr.org/resources/tutwiler_warden_copes_with_ticking_time_bomb

2013 article - 

http://blog.al.com/wire/2013/09/tutwiler_prison_tour_commissio.html

(And I haven't even begun to share with you all we are learning about the slave trade…whew!)

Headed tonight to a Condomble service, which is an African religion here in Brazil that permeates much.  Looking forward to seeing and experiencing something new and different!

Antonio

Today we met a Presbyterian pastor named Antonio who does some pretty incredible ministry to raise awareness about struggles, corruption and abuse of power in Brazil.  He was raised as a middle class man who spent most of the first 15 years of his ministry in Brazil church planting…where he explains the Church has grown to see their mission as largely evangelical with a focus upon how on the other side of eternity your life will be better…neglecting the call to live into the Kingdom now and love justice.  He talked about how here the Church has lost the Social Gospel.  There came a point in his life when he had a Damascus Road experience because he could not longer ignore the violence and murder in his city…he felt his faith must call him to actively engage in bringing peace and wholeness to ALL. 

So what did he do? He organized his middle class church to stage their first protest on Copacabana Beach…They took crosses and placed one for every person killed in Rio in the last 2 months on the beach…it was 1000.  The press came…and the world began to pay attention.  He has staged many similar dramatized artistic protests since then…all to point to the problems that Brazil is ignoring. 

He works both sides of the spectrum…the right, the left, the drug dealers and the politicians…And his larger Presbyterian Church doesn’t really like to claim him anymore.  But the church he pastors does.   He lost families because of his radical stance I the beginning but over all more and more of his folks are following him into favelas with drug dealers and prisons with the worst possible conditions.  They are using their gifts of dentistry, medicine, law to help them.

He has a ministry called Rio De Paz – River of Peace. They rehabilitate criminals when they leave jail/prison.  They transform drug dealers into people of peace.  They teach life skills ad job skills through educational classes and their bakery.  Because the drug dealers know he seeks to hold the police accountable with their actions and because the police he hold accountable the drug dealers accountable for their crimes – he is able to walk the line with respect from both…though he calls both out in the media and in personal encounters. 

As we walked through a favela today we passed a young shirtless man who smiled at me and then hugged Antonio.  He just happened to be one of the most notorious criminals in the area…everyone had told Antonio he would never be able to get through to him…but he did.  He hasn’t changed his drug world yet but he has built a substantial relationship with him. 

There is an area in the favela where the drug dealers would come and lay out the bodies of people they killed as a witness to not cross them…currently this area has been given to Antonio by them to use to build a music educational school for the children of the favela.  This is a huge thing for them to have done…to have given literally a place of death to be turned into a place of life.  Antonio isn’t soft on what the dealers do…they know he is angry about their actions…but they also know he believes that God’s image is stamped on them as much as it is the police and his middle class congregation.  It’s his desire to help them be whole and in touch with that image.

All the places and people I have traveled to meet I am struck that one thing they have in common is there desire and ability to stretch to love ALL people…especially those they disagree with or fear.  It is when this kind of love rules in your heart you seem to be able to be the most used and shaped by God’s grace to be near others and affect change!  I have much work to do in this area!

Antonio standing in the place given to him by the Red Command…see the bullet holes in the wall behind him?

A home in the favela

A place of public execution…see the black stains not he poles…they tie folks and burn them publicly here in a public space for all to see.

The first protest Antonio and his church did…this is all done in front of Copacabana Palace the premier hotel on the beach…it made an impression!  

There are over 950 favela's in Rio.  And today I visited Rocihna which is the largest favela in Rio and the 2nd largest in all of Brazil.  Favela's are essentially illegal settlements of folks all crammed together on the hills surrounding the flatter lands in Rio.  Rocinha is spread over the mountains facing the see where down in front of them is one of the wealthiest communities in all of Rio sitting on the beach.  There are 70,000 people living in 4 kilometers in Rocinha.  

Favelas are operated under the control of drug cartels.  The three major cartels in Rio are 1. Red Command 2. Friends of Friends 3. 3rd Command.  For years the government had chosen to turn a relatively blind eye to the favelas letting the cartels do what they wanted with the drugs and policing of the favelas until the violence became so great.  These cartels have incredible violence between each other as they strive to increase their territory.  Drugs are largely sold to the middle class and wealthy elite in Brazil.  The drug dealers in some ways provide the poor in the favelas with cheaper access to basic needs by allowing pirating of electricity in the Favelas, pirating of cable, and some access to healthcare in exchange for the people staying quite about the drug activity.  

In 2010 when the violence became so great the Brazilian military chose to finally step in and try to subdue the favelas…also there was heightened concern from the world's perspective with considering letting Brazil host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.  The government's plan was to put military police in each favela to pacify and subdue the drug cartels…in reality many come and in operate the drug cartel, rape the women or steal from the dealers.  Police presence is permanent in the favelas where the UPP's have come in. (Unidade de Policia Pacidicara)  Once the government comes in folks must get meters for electricity, bills for cable, etc.  This can make life impossible for the poorest of the poor in Rio because they can not afford these things…where they could with the cartels now they can't with the government.  After 3 years there are no more than 39 favelas that have a police presence…but no one is calling them truly pacified yet!

On Monday in Rocinha there were two police killed in a drug shoot out.  Many have said there is a war going on in the favelas.  Watch "City of God" if you want to know more about the drug world in the Favelas.

This is Rocihna --- it is actually much larger looking than this panoramic!  Way down on the coast is all the wealth…the mountain to the right that is hidden in the clouds is the tallest coastal mountain in the world!

Here is a close up of the coast in front of Rocinha.

Closer shots of what the dwellings in favelas actually look like situated on the mountain side.

 I learned today that what you see is not at all, all that there is.  These steps lead down into the heart of the favela where the doors to homes are, where laundry is hung out to dry, where pets sleep outside doorways, etc.  It is the inner workings…inner passage ways of the favela.  

See how close everything is built to each other…but is all connected if you know the way.

Inside the favela's you will find all that you need…open air meat markets, 

Spices, herbs and plants…they have small stores or vendors for everything.  If you have money to buy of course.

You are not allowed to take pictures of police here…so I took a selfie instead and just happened to capture a shot of the armed police with bullet proof vests.  One carries an automatic rifle and the others carry pistols…and they aren't holstered.

I also spent time yesterday learning about Methodists in Brazil…interesting they aren't Untied Methodists they are autonomous.  Which means that we share much in common but in Brazil the Methodist as a institution have become very conservative and not willing to work with ecumenical groups…they have actually pulled out of the National Council of Churches because they didn't want to be at the table with Catholics.  Pretty disappointing…even to some of the Methodists we talked with here.  There is great division in Brazil at times over religion…problems between Catholics and Protestants, problems between Pentecostals and other denominations, problems with Condomble (African spiritualism) and Christians, etc.

And then we also began to learn about the influence of the slave trade in Brazil.  Brazil is the second country with the most Africans…it only follows after Nigeria.  Brazil had about 10xs the number of slaves as North America…they were the number 1 trader of slaves.  I will share more about how this absolutely shapes and affects their economic class structure and racism in another post as I learn more.

Whew -- yesterday was a long day with lots of learning!

Arrived!!!!

We are here and brushing my teeth my teeth may have never been so awesome as when we checked into our hotel!  So far I have been up since 6am on Tuesday and had about 4 hours of "plane sleep".  I am looking forward to going to be tonight!  Let me recap some of our touristy touring of today.

 Here is my TAM flight…it was actually pretty nice.

 Super old Portuguese library in downtown Rio!

 St. Fransico Catholic Church

 Steps of St. Fransico

 Motorcycles outside St. Franciso

This may have been my favorite stop today…Cafeitaria Colombo built in 1894 on this old street where back in the day European fashion was sold down this street and folks would take a coffee break in here.  It was GORGEOUS…and their coffee and treats did not disappoint!  I was so excited :)

Look at this stuff!

 Everything was mirrored in this place

 I have a puff pastry filled with chicken and a chocolate hazelnut tartlet…delicious!

 These steps are called Selaron Stairs -- artist from Chile who designed them.  Not a great part of town.

 At the base of Sugar Load Mountain…

 At the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain

Panorama off Sugar Loaf Mountain

Clearly today we have largely toured some of the highlights of the city with the goal of getting acquainted with our surroundings.  Tomorrow we begin our day in a "favela" which is actually originally a Portuguese word for "flower".  And then we begin to dig in more to the learning aspects of the trip.

So far the city has a New Orleans feel to it…narrow streets, French and Portuguese "colonial" influences, smells, etc.  It also reminds me some of Panama.  Not nearly as noisy as India!  And culturally we are much more comfortable in Rio than in India so far…folks dress more like we do…we just simply have on more clothes than they do :)  

Off to dinner - Chao!

If you have a desire to follow my journey to Brazil then please take the time to watch this documentary, Waste Land…it is amazing, heart wrenching, and so worth your time.  We are hoping to meet with the production company as well as the association of pickers in Rio.  But more than anything it gets to the heart of humanity. There are so many wise and incredible quotes from "garbage workers"...who so often we choose not to see beyond what they pick up to recognize the image of God they are stamped with and the condition of our broken world, hearts and minds that perpetuate the poverty in which they (and we) live.

I am getting ready to absorb as much as I can from this experience in Brazil and I pray I can be more and more transformed by love in order to love greater.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/397079

Brazil here I come...

Rio de Janeiro

Copacabana Beach

Rio's favelas just beyond the cityscape

and over the hills as well

Some of the worlds greatest wealth and poverty side by side.

This is one of the cities I will be visiting in my upcoming journey to Brazil.

Leaving India:

So I have begun the total 44 plus hour trip home.  From the time I awoke Sunday morning (which is Saturday night Alabama time) until I arrive at 4:33pm Monday evening (if we make all our connections) I will have been traveling for over 44 hours.  Whew!  What a trip.  The travel is as immense as is the garbage in India.  Take a look at these photos below…they were taken on my drive to the airport of a roadside dump. 

My group has done some processing and we have said India is just a complete overload to ones senses.  There is over stimulation everywhere from crowds, to smells, to noise, to lights, to beggars, etc.  People literally have very little privacy here.  People commonly bath and potty on the street in full few of others.  There seems to be nowhere to go to escape the intense life that is constantly throbbing in India.   As we had to be out of our hotel by 3pm and our flight did not leave until 12:50am we spent several hours at a local mall.  A large mall.  It pumped LOUD music everywhere.  Songs in the atrium, songs in each store, songs in coffee shops and songs in restaurants…all different songs, all loud.  Smells were everywhere…good smells of cinnamon and coffee and bad smells of too much incense and body odor.  SO MUCH BODY ODOR!  And have I told you all how much you are stared at if you are white.  Everywhere you go men and women (but mostly men, as women keep their eyes down a lot) stare relentlessly at you.  They will walk over and stand in front of you to just stare at you.  My frustration with this grew and grew to where by the end I could not have but just stare back with the “What the heck are you looking at?”  gaze in my eyes.  Again one more way there seems to be no solitude in India. 

But there is life.  Despite how different it is from mine people here are living life as full as possible.  The city thrives with life constantly.  People are working here constantly…every spot of land or street or sidewalk is taken up by someone trying to make a living.  Despite the dirt, despite the clamor, despite the injustice (which there is so much especially for children) there is life.  And I will try to see God’s grace in that life.

India can bring out what my group has coined “our ugly American” in us all.  The part of me that wants things my way, NOW.  The part of me that is accustomed to being comfortable and familiar.  The part of me that feels entitled to space and privacy from staring eyes and begging hands.  The part of me that can get more frustrated over my room not being ready when I am tired than the families living on the street corner outside my hotel.  Yes India has taught me more about myself and “the ugly American/Educated/Wealthy/White/Christian” in me than I expected.  It is not such a pretty sight to behold when one comes face to face with their own JUNK. 

India was not South Africa for me... emotionally. South Africa awakened me to the plight of others around me and it helped me see beauty in greater diversity.  It awakened me to the suffering of others in a way I had never experienced and it convinced me that the “Kingdom of God is so much greater than I had ever imagined it to be”.  I felt utterly compelled to come home and to live my life in a way to step further and further into the Kingdom of God.  I felt compelled to serve a church that wanted to look more like the Kingdom of God.  I felt compelled to challenge my life to love God and my neighbor more.  I am so thankful for Africa- where I saw pain and I saw beauty at the same time. 

India is not a new awakening, but a confirmation.  A confirmation that yes our world is not yet what God hopes it would be and yes I am encouraged to continue to strive to usher in the Kingdom in this life.  The statement that I take home with me from India is one the I learned Mother Teresa said regularly: “You can find Calcutta all around the world, if you but have eyes to see!”  I am convinced Calcutta is in Birmingham, Alabama and everywhere else.  I am convinced that it is a part of my call to come closer and closer in contact with Calcutta (the poorest of the poor) in my midst.  I am convinced it is part of my call to help build relationships and bridges between those of us who have with those who do not have enough…and that we are meant to give GENEROUSLY of ourselves and ALL our resources to lift others into a life of dignity that we would all feel good about living.  For me this is what it must mean to love my neighbor. This is what I understand it means to follow after Jesus.  And it is hard and I don’t do it very well yet, but I am convinced I am to spend my life trying …and teaching my children to try as well. 

First Church I have thought so much of the work you have done in the last year with children and the communities in our area. Children and communities that are honestly not too unlike the ones I saw in India.  I am utterly convinced this ministry is life for us.  For me these relationships are the essence of Jesus walking in our midst.  I am so proud to be at First Church and to be continuing to struggle with how to incorporate more and more of the totality of God’s Kingdom and love into our life.  Thank you for giving me this opportunity and for allowing me to be a pastor in your church.  You clearly see my struggles and imperfections but I am so thankful to be walking this journey with each of you!

See you in Birmingham!!!! YEA!!!!