And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? – Luke 18:7

No matter what we think or say, we usually pray as if we are trying to convince God to do the right thing. He usually does and He does not need to be convinced.

Our prayers reveal more about ourselves than about God. They reveal how much we trust God. It is not uncommon to hear someone give up on their faith because God did not answer their prayers. Most of the time, these are not selfish prayers.

Our average week consists of speaking to children who are perfectly happy using drugs all the time. There is one boy in particular, Israel, whom the missionaries have never seen without a bottle of paint thinner. He has been using drugs for so long that he is having tremors. He is really a very sweet boy. We pray for him but nothing changes. He is getting worse daily. Unfortunately he is not the only one. Weekly there are more children joining their ranks. They use drugs to escape reality. We pray to help us deal with reality.

The parable of Jesus about the unrighteous judge and persistent widow is puzzling. It appears to say that our persistent prayers will eventually annoy God into action. However, we know that this is not true. We believe in a God who is constantly acting. He acts even before we pray. However, Jesus admonishes us to pray persistently. Persistent prayer does something.

The point of the parable is not that the judge gave up and did the will of the widow. It is about transformation. Prayer is not a means to manipulate God. Prayer is transformative even when the people involved are not willing to be transformed. When we pray things do not have to change but we have to change. God does not change but we change. We are transformed to understand things in His way even though we might not be willing to see things His way. Prayer opens our eyes and ears to see the Holy Spirit in action. The action of the Holy Spirit is a mystery and our sense of justice is insufficient to understand the mystery of the Holy Spirit. We need to pray to be transformed. We need to pray so that we can continue to trust in God whose mercy is never-ending.

So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them– Gen. 1:27

I had a bad fall. I was playing volleyball with some of the teens in the streets and I was trying to hit a high ball when I realized that I was on the edge of a flight of concrete steps. I fell backwards and my back first hit the steps followed by my head. As I was falling it appeared as if everything was in slow motion. I saw the faces of all the teens filled with concern as they shouted out in fear as I fell. I wasn’t sure what was happening but I remembered thinking that these teens were genuinely concerned. Strangely, my back did not hurt and neither did my head but my wrist was hurting. I had used the palms of my hands instinctively to break the fall.  The teens begged me to sit down and rest. Some of them asked if I was hurt and they watched me intently. These teenagers are actually drug dealers. They have never really spoken to us before. For the first time they wanted us to play volleyball with them. These young people are what they call the hardened street teens. They put up a tough front to survive in their world. As I fell down the steps, they allowed their humanity to come forth.

As I sat there trying to figure out if I had broken my wrist, the children started approaching me. They wanted to play checkers with me. They did not want me to be alone. Apart from the fall, it was actually one of our best days working with these dear ones. My wrist did not swell up but it still hurt. I went home thinking about the faces of the teens. They were really children trapped in a world of drugs and violence. Inside each of them there is child who wants to love and be loved. They dropped their masks when there was an opportunity for them to show kindness and love.

The next day, my wrist stopped hurting and the missionaries were surprised that I did not hurt my back or head. I was grateful that I did not have to go to the hospital. As we went back to the same spot, the teens came up to us and greeted Mary with a kiss. The barrier has been overcome.  It seems like they knew that they can show their humanity with us. At least, we hope that we have a step together to discover God’s image in each other’s soul.

My wrist is fine. I am typing this posting with it.

“And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”– Luke 9:58

We had been searching for an apartment for the past few weeks. We were beginning to feel a little lost without a home.  We were not homeless but we were without a home.

Our Living room

It has been an interesting few weeks; being without an address. People often ask us why don’t the homeless teens and adults try to get some form of employment. There is definitely no shortage of work but without an address, you are a nobody. We have been without a phone for the past weeks because we needed an address to get a telephone. We couldn’t complete all the necessary paperwork for our Brazilian identity because we did not have a permanent address. Having an address is part of becoming a somebody. You cannot get a job in this place if you are nobody. The problem with the homeless is not that they cannot get a job. They are nobodies until they have an address.

We finally got an apartment. It was not an easy task but we have a place of our own. It is a tiny one bedroom apartment. When you rent an apartment in São Paulo, it is completely empty. There are no stoves, no refrigerator, nothing. You have to buy everything. Rent is not cheap even in the red light district. No one earning the minimum salary can afford an apartment in the red light district. Unfortunately, most of the homeless can only hope for a job that pays the minimum salary.

Our Kitchen before any appliances.

Jesus was not homeless but he was without a home. He knew what it means not to be somebody in society. However, Jesus was a nobody in society but He changed the world. He invites us to be like him. He did not place his hopes what He possessed. He had treasures where moth and rust cannot destroy.

Now we have an apartment but we still to remember the words of Jesus. Our identity is not in where we live. We have a small apartment. It is spartan but it has everything we need. We live in the same building as our friends. We don’t all our furniture yet but there has been laughter and serious conversations in our house. Our living room is bare and empty but it is filled with conversations. I am glad that we live in a small apartment. I am glad that it took us long to find this place. It has become a special place for us. It reminds us that our Lord gave up even having a small place so that He could be a blessing. We want to use this tiny apartment to bless and be blessed by Him. By the way, we are still waiting for our internet. It might take a while but we have a home to wait for it.

“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.”Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'” -Luke 17:5-10

Sometimes I feel like I cannot do a good job unless everything is perfect. Unfortunately, in the real world, there is no such thing as the perfect situation. There are no moments in our lives where we can feel secure enough to know that nothing will go wrong. Something will always go wrong eventually. Faith is not an escape from reality: it is facing reality. It is knowing that what we do does not depend on the situation but on the One who transcends all situations and circumstances. Faith demands that we take a risk and trust the One who determines what is real in this world.

Faith is recognizing that we do not have what it takes to live in this world; I mean truly live in this world. Only Jesus truly lived life to the fullest in this world. He deliberately lived in an imperfect world to show us that abundant life was a living possibility. We don’t need a perfect world to live perfect lives. We just need faith and our faith only has to be the size of a mustard seed.

Our life here is far from perfect. Everyday we are confronted with a reality that seems to be overwhelming. I have encountered men and women who are in their thirties whom I met when they were in their early teens. They are still smoking crack in the streets. We meet new children coming to the streets. We are discovering that many of these children have no where to go except the streets. I just rented an apartment and downstairs where we live there is a group of homeless people who have been sleeping in the streets for so long that our neighbors consider them as permanent fixture in the neighborhood.  It is quite sad. Many of the missionaries have doubts about their capabilities. They doubt whether they have the resources to do anything significant. Most of us feel inadequate on a deeper level as well. We feel that we might not have what it takes to be God’s servants. We might not be worthy at all to serve in the red light district. Maybe we are right but it is okay.

The most comforting part of the gospel passage above is the second part. It seems strange that the harshest part of the gospel text is the most comforting. We are not the Master. We are just His servants. It is not our role to figure out whether we are adequate to complete the task before us. We don’t have what it takes to bring anything to completion. The Master does it. We are just His servants. Servants don’t wait for the perfect condition to serve but they just serve. We serve a Master whose essence is Love. Our joy lies in serving this loving Master. He is the one who takes our mustard seed faith and transforms it into something beautiful. We just have to remember that servants just serve the Master. We have what it takes to serve Him because He has given it to us. This is really comforting. It does not matter if we feel inadequate. It only matters that we serve Him despite our inadequacy. This is our identity and our joy.

How does this translate to our lives here? Well, yesterday we went to the streets without any games and activity material. One of the children asked us what we brought with us for fun and before we could say anything, Jonas, one of the younger boys came to our defense and said that we just brought love and that was enough.

We just have to serve our Master with what He has given us.

Jesus said, “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores.” (Luke16:19)

I have been meeting Lazarus in the streets. The biblical description is quite accurate. Most of the homeless have dogs as pets. The dogs are their companions and they also protect their owners from danger. They are in many ways their only friends. The homeless keep their dogs well-fed. It is strange but many times the dogs look better than their owners. I haven’t seen the rich man around until this past Tuesday. I met him face to face.

It was an usual day. We went to the streets and we began our work with prayer. In our time of silent prayer, I contemplated on this gospel text and then it dawned upon me: I am the rich man. When we are among the poorest of the poor, most of us are the rich man. The rich man in the parable is not the other person, but it is me.

Some times people like to say that we are blessed to have material possessions. I am not sure if blessed is the right word. In the parable, the rich man’s wealth led him to hell. Lazarus was just a poor man who had nothing and was a nobody in society and yet, he found himself in Abraham’s bosom. According to the gospel, Lazarus was really the blessed one (the evangelical paradox in action). Jesus did say, “Blessed are you poor for yours is the kingdom of God.”(Luke 6:20) Interestingly, there is no reference in the New Testament that claims that the rich are blessed.

Among the poor, I am the rich man. I am not well off or blessed. I am not even one step away from poverty. I can choose to be poor because I am a rich man. The parable is a warning for me to consider carefully how I should use the things given to me. They do not belong to me. They belong to God. They are given to us to understand the mystery of salvation. Many think that when we help the poor, we need to change their condition. God does not expect us to change anyone’s situation but He expects us to bring comfort to those who suffer.

We met a young teenager in the streets that was hurt in a car accident. Her right arm was seriously burnt and her bone was exposed. I do not have the words to describe the nature of her injury. She needed to be in the hospital but she was in the streets. The bandage on her arm was old and dirty. She asked if we would help her dress her wounds. However, she refused to let us do it. Her arm hurt too much and she was afraid that we might be rough with her. We just stood there and watched her slowly peel off the old and dirty gauze. She needed to be in the hospital but she refused to go. She was afraid. She was alone. We just stood there and watched her dress her wounds. We felt helpless but at the end she thanked us for just being there and giving her the attention. We felt helpless but somehow our presence comforted this girl. She did not want any medical attention. She did not expect us heal her or change her situation. She had simple expectations. She just needed some adults to be present with her. It was comforting for her.

This was what God expected the rich man to do. He wanted him to comfort Lazarus in his suffering. However, the parable is not about just being a good neighbor. It is about salvation. A missionary who has been working among the homeless and sex workers for 9 years shared that the mystery of salvation became clearer when she served “Lazarus” in the streets. It is not about working for our salvation. Today in the church, we hardly meet people who are working towards salvation. However, most of us can become like the rich man in the parable who is oblivious to the world around him. Lazarus was there to help him understand the mystery of salvation but he failed to see this. We need Lazarus as much as he needs us to understand our salvation. Salvation is a gift and a gift must be appreciated: if not, it’s meaning can be lost forever for us.

For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes.          2 Cor. 1:19-20

It seems like everything in this world comes down to “Yes” and “No”. We might be harassed by a maybe occasionally but “maybe’ is just trying to avoid the inevitable “Yes” or “No”.

In the past few weeks, we have been alternating our time here working in the streets and hunting for an apartment in the vicinity of the red light district. Why do we choose to  live where we work? Well, while we looking for an apartment one day, a group of homeless teens walked passed us. They did not recognize us at first as we are still new to them. However, one of the younger ones, Jonas, saw us and told the others. They turned around and called out to us and waved. They wanted us to know that they did not deliberately ignore us. I was touched by their action. This is the reason behind our choice to live here. We want to be visible to these little ones even when we are not working with them. Besides, walking to work everyday has its physical and financial benefits as well.

Renting an apartment in São Paulo is a complicated task. You have to have a guarantor  who owns property in this city which is very expensive and most of our friends are not wealthy. The other option is to have apartment insurance which is unfair because you have to pay a month and half rent in an advance to an insurance company per year and you don’t get the money back. There is the security deposit option. You pay three months rent for the deposit which you will receive back at the end of the contract. The minimum contract for rental is three years. We have only means for the security deposit but unfortunately most of the rentals are not willing to accept the security deposit.

We have seen and called about 12 apartments a week and have heard a series of “No” to the security deposit option. After hearing “No” so many times we are afraid to be excited about any apartment. Here we are: we are educated, we have financial means and we have a clean credit record and still we are having a hard time finding a place to stay. What about those who living in the streets? What chances do they have if they want to leave the streets and rent an apartment? What about those hardworking people who live in the slums and want to get out of the dirty and uninhabitable slums? Can their sons and daughters ever dream of renting an apartment in this city? If the answer has been “No” to us, I guess we can be assured that they already have their answer.

Whenever we hear the answer “No” for something that we need for life, a little part of us withers away.  This is why St. Paul makes it clear that in Christ, it is always a “Yes”. It is always a “Yes” to life and life abundantly. We continue our search for the apartment because Jesus wants us to be here. His answer to us is “Yes”. Jesus transcends the “Yes” and “No” of this world. He is our “Yes” even when we are faced with a “No”. This is our message of hope to those who think everyone around them is saying “No”. In Christ, it is always “Yes”. It is not about having a positive attitude. It is about knowing that we have a Lord who is alive and He is our “Yes” to life and life abundantly. Amen!!!

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” John 20: 1-2

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. John 20:11

Today I found this particular Easter story especially relevant to our experience here. We tend to focus on the Resurrection whenever we read this story. The discovery of the empty tomb was followed by personal agony and desperation. The apostles decided to give up and go home. Mary just broke down and cried. There was nothing else to do in this moment of desperation except to cry. The empty tomb was a place of desperation or hopelessness before it become a symbol of the New Creation. We cannot understand the hope of the Resurrection unless we are willing to peek into the desperation found in the empty tomb.

In my last entry, I tried my best to describe Cracolândia. It was our first visit.  It was like taking a peek at the empty tomb. However, a peek was not enough. We went back and entered the empty tomb.

We met a young woman, Simone who made us feel sad and happy at the same time. We met Simone twenty years ago when she was just seventeen years old. She was a beautiful girl then. She was intelligent and proud. She gave birth to a young baby girl named Vanessa. Simone and Vanessa stayed in our missionary community for almost six months. We took care of Vanessa sometimes. We even have some photos of baby Vanessa. Vanessa must be 20 now. Simone looks like she is 20 years older than she really is. She has been in the streets too many years. Her face looked haggard and scarred. She is still proud. She recognized us first and she remembered meeting us even before we were married. We were happy to see her but it was a sad reunion.

An older homeless adult (maybe in his forties but looks like he is in his sixties) asked if we would do first aid on his feet. His feet were filthy and black from all the dirt in the streets. He had been walking barefooted for weeks, maybe months. He had some cuts that needed some medical attention. Melanie, one of the missionaries, cleaned his feet with water and started dressing the wound. I was standing beside her and watching this sacred moment. It was like the liturgy of Maundy Thursday being played out in practical service. I wasn’t the only one sensing the sacredness of the moment. I saw the man whose feet were being cleaned close his eyes and tears were rolling down his cheeks. Melanie was not aware of this. She just kept her focus on cleaning and dressing the wound. After she was done, the man shook our hands in deep gratitude. He asked for our prayers. His name is Josias.

By the end of the day, we cleaned and dressed wounds of 30 people. We ran out of gloves and gauze. Walking around Cracolândia is very intense. We were there for three hours but it felt like we were there for ten. Everyone is there for specific reasons. They will tell you upfront that they are here because they want to be here. No one blames anyone here. No one expects anyone to help them. They don’t want anyone’s help. They don‘t want any pity. They are here for a specific reason. They know why they are here. We know why we are here. You cannot come to a place like this without a reason. No one should come to a place like this without a reason.

For those who come to this place for crack, they consider this place to be their tomb. We are here following the footsteps of Mary Magdalene. We are here to look for Jesus. Like Mary Magdalene, the desperation and emptiness of the tomb hits us strong and hard. However, we know that beyond these desperation, there is hope. The empty tomb becomes a symbol of hope because of one person. He is here and He is our reason for being here.

The words, He is Risen, sound more powerful to me in Cracolândia.

Thank you for being with us through your prayers. We are privileged to represent you in this place.

“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20, the Parable of the Prodigal Son)

Today we went to the darkest place in the red light district. It is an area infamously known as ‘CracoIândia’ loosely translated as Crack Land. It is really hard to describe this area. It looks like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie where there is no law and order. The area covers about three blocks of streets where most of the buildings are in ruins and it looks like a war-torn area. The most disturbing thing about this area is the number of people that are smoking crack in broad daylight. The police are around to ensure that these people stay in this area and do not wander off elsewhere. There is no intention or desire to help these people. There were about two hundred people (most likely more) of all ages lying in the streets high on drugs. Their bodies were covered with sores and wounds. They seem to be oblivious to the world and their only concern is drugs. They each have a story to share. Something happened in their lives to make them reject their own humanity. Many times the local TV stations report on this situation and they like to portray these men and women and children as if they were wild animals. We did not see any animals today. We saw sad and lonely people.

Our day started with a phone call from one of the former homeless teenagers, Jessica. The team was able to help Jessica get into a rehabilitation program and she had been making some progress. Unfortunately, she called to say that she was leaving the program and going back to Cracolândia. Her reason was that she could not believe that anyone could ever love her. She had sensed love from the team and she did not know how to respond to it. She decided to run away from love. We think that she called to tell us this because she wanted us to go after her. She wanted to test and see if our love was genuine. We don’t know how to prove to someone that we love them and we are not sure if we can. We might fail her if we try. All we can is to wait patiently for her to risk being loved.

The Father waited patiently for His son to return to His loving embrace. 

We brought our first aid kit to this place. There were many who came up to get their wounds and sores cleaned and dressed. Some even had their imaginary wounds dressed. We walked through a scary scene where people were just rushing around using drugs but we did not encounter any hostility. We saw people smile at us. Young men shook our hands and thanked us for our attention. We did not see wild animals but we saw lost and lonely people. We saw people who were hurting. We saw people who have hit rock bottom but they don’t know or believe that they have a way out because there is no one from their family to tell them that there is a way home. 

The Father waits for them and He sends His messengers. We were not the only people there to minister to these people. There were several groups from different churches. Each bringing an unique perspective of the gospel but all motivated by the Love of the Father who waits patiently for His children. Cracolândia is not a place without the Light of the gospel.

We did first aid for a young man who had a kind face and gentle spirit. He lost half of his finger on his right hand and it was infected. It was an open wound. I told him that we cannot do first aid on it and he had to go to the hospital. He told us that he was not going to do it. We insisted that he could get an infection and even die from it. He said that he did not care if he died and he was not just saying this. He was serious. He was a clever man but something was dead in him. We did first aid for him anyway and we spoke with him for some time. He said that the only person that matters in his life was his son and he is no longer with him. He did not say much after this.

We saw Jessica in the streets. She pretended not to see us but we called out her name and she waved and walked away. We wanted her to know that we are still here waiting for her. The Father waits patiently for all us to experience the length and the width, the height and the depth of God’s love. The Father waits….He gives us the strength to wait for these little ones to come to know Life and Life abundantly.

Pray for these little ones.

Luke 15:3-7

Jesus spoke this parable to them, saying: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.”

We went to the streets as missionaries today for the first time after thirteen years. Before we left the mission house, we were warned that sometimes the children are hard to find. They move around the red light district in search of money and drugs. Drugs have become a big problem. Children are constantly using some form of drugs whether it is paint thinner or crack cocaine. Having a decent conversation with the children has been difficult. The missionaries also told us that the younger children were becoming more aggressive. They were preparing us for the worst. With this in mind, we set out to the streets.

We walked about two miles looking for the children and we did not find any. Throughout this time I was thinking about the parable of the lost sheep. Many times I have focused on the finding of the lost sheep but never realized that the search is quite tiresome. God’s grace is seen in His persistence to search for us even when we do not want to be found. These children do not want to be found by us. It is mainly because they are afraid and they found a way to run away from their fears through drugs.

I must admit that I was a little concerned that we wouldn’t find any children today. It is not that they are not here. There are about a thousand of them in the red light district but it is not always easy to find them. Finally we decided to stop and wait at a location where they usually hang out. Then a group of six boys appeared ranging from the ages of 10 to 17. They were high on paint thinner and the younger ones had acquired marijuana. They were very excited about this and not in the least bit interested in us. We decided to just stay there and invited them to join us for some games. Only one responded. His name is Jessé. He is about 11 years old.

We played a game of dominos and Jesse was high on thinner but he was able to play one game with us. We have strict rules that they cannot sniff or use drugs when they are with us. After the first game, Jessé decided that drugs was more fun than playing games with us. This happens. It does not change the fact that we had a good initial contact with him. Then within a few minutes, about twenty children and teenagers appeared. Most of them were older teens and they were not intoxicated. They slowly approached us and began to engage with us. There was one young particular boy named João who wanted to play a game with us. He was sniffing paint thinner but decided to put it away so that he could be with us. He was a very sweet and open young man. He was curious about us and asked lots of questions which gave us an opening to ask about him. He told us that his father had passed away before he left for the streets and his mother lives in the poorer part of São Paulo. When Mary asked him if he missed his mother, he simply responded that his mother knows where he is and she wanted to see him she would come. We were told that João is one of the children that has been in the street the longest. He is fifteen years old which is hard to believe. He looks like he is ten. He is one of the few teens who does not engage in any crime. He was determined not to spend any time in prison. We don’t know his story but we are patient for him to share his story when he feels more comfortable. For now, he enjoys playing dominos with us.

We met another young woman, Ana Paula. She is what people would call a hardened street girl. She controls some of the drug trade and looks tough. I noticed that there two little Chinese children in the streets with their mother. No one knows the story behind this woman but she was obviously an immigrant. Ever since we got there, I saw Ana Paula acting and speaking aggressively to the other children and teenagers, then I saw her go off to the side to talk to this Chinese woman. She asked about the children and their names and she was tender and kind towards this woman who seemed to be a little lost. The missionaries told us that a couple of weeks ago, Ana Paula had expressed that she wanted a better life for herself. However, she has given up on the idea for now.

A lost sheep is a frightened sheep. We have to approach those who are lost with patience and tenderness. The Good Shepherd is a patient shepherd. He seeks and waits for his lost sheep to entrust their lives to Him. It takes time for the lost sheep to trust the Shepherd. It takes patience and understanding. These lost sheep have taken refuge in drugs and violence but they still long to be in the arms of the Good Shepherd where they can find their true refuge.

Before we left the streets, João asked me how long we are going to stay here. I told him that we are here for good. He smiled.

Many things have happened since my last entry. We got our missionary visa. This started a chain of events. We bought our plane tickets on the very same day.  We frantically stuffed all our worldly possessions into four bags. Suddenly we realized that there was a lot of things to do before we left. We were exhausted by the time we got onto the plane for São Paulo. We arrived here early Wednesday and were warmly received by two missionaries. It took us a while to get our temporary lodgings due to the heavy traffic. However, we did not mind it. This is our home now. We have been praying to be here for months and it has been in our minds to return to São Paulo for years. Pollution, traffic and crime is not going to bring us down. Still, it was sobering journey home. This is now our home. 

Everything seems familiar but at the same time different.

We need to reacquaint ourselves. It was a strange feeling that we are going to be novice in a ministry which we were once leaders. The children that we once knew in the streets would be in their thirties. The street culture has changed but the problems remain the same. The children are in the streets because they have given up hope. However, now they take solace in crack cocaine and violence. Our fellow missionaries tell us that it has become harder to build relationships with them because they are high on drugs most of the time and when they are off the effects of drugs, they are robbing or begging to get more money for their next fix.

We had a meeting with the missionary team. We are working in partnership with a missionary organization called Project 242. The mission is Brazilian but our team of six has only one Brazilian member. Four are from the States (including myself even though I am Singaporean/American) and one missionary is from Germany. Our challenge as a team is to find ways to build relationships with these children. Unfortunately it is the very thing that these children are running away from because they are afraid to love and be loved.

Some of the team members are going to focus on visiting teens who are in the local reformatory. Some are considering visiting those who are formerly from the streets and are able to return to their families in the slums. Mary and I have decided that we want to focus on working in the streets directly for one primary reason. We need to know the children in their context and the children need to know us. Most importantly, we want to discover what God is doing in the streets of São Paulo so that we can participate in His work.

The team has agreed to create sacred spaces in the areas where the children hang out and use drugs. We plan to do this by setting aside certain areas in the streets as a places of prayer before we start our activities with the children. We also would close our time in prayer in the same exact location. In this way, we are symbolically consecrating spaces that are usually associated with drugs and violence. Most importantly, it would help us to look at these places with different sets of eyes.

The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. (Luke 11:34)

This is our first step as a new team. The team has been working together for years now without us but our presence has changed the dynamics of this ministry. Together we are starting a new ministry.

Monday will be our first day in the streets. I will share our first impressions with you. Please be praying with us.