Pacification (Kristin)

As many know, Rio’s favelas (slums) were pockets in the city where the police had no presence or control.  In an effort to control violence and lawlessness with the upcoming World Cup (2014) and Olympics (2016), special police units have been created to subdue and control the favelas in Rio.  First, the BOPE enters (think military police specially trained in favela warfare) to kick out the drug dealers and take control (Jeremy wrote about it here).  After a specific time, control is handed over to the UPP, Unidade de Policia Pacificadora (Pacification Police Unit), whose role is to maintain peace and order and be the law in the community.  On November 30th, 2010, the UPP was officially inaugurated in Morro dos Macacos.  What does the arrival of the UPP mean?  Peace? Normalcy?

I've asked several residents what effect this has had on their lives.  Do they see a difference?  Most respond similarly, shrugging their shoulders and saying “things are mostly the same except that we don’t see guns.”  Apparently the UPP only provides a more superficial "peace." But there is actually more crime now in the favela whereas before most of the crime (other than drug dealing) took place outside of it.  When the drug traffickers were in control, residents would not dare steal from one another.  Such crime was severely punished.  A friend went to the hospital recently and saw a young boy with a bullet wound in the middle of his palm, a common consequence enforced by drug dealers on thieves.  But now, when I ask if they can report these incidences of theft to the UPP, residents respond in horror, “no way”.  You see, some of the drug gang has returned (though mixed in with the population) and they are watching to see who is talking to the police.  Fear still rules in the hearts and minds of those living there.    

This false display of peace is evident all over society, even down to the individual.  Externally we have an impression of safety, order and tranquility, but internally there exists distress, corruption and violence.   The only hope we have, as a society and individuals, is found in Christ and in letting “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” (Col 3:15).  Please join us in praying for this internal peace to come and reign in the hearts of all men. 

Having a Charlie Brown Christmas? (Jason)

“Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you the meaning of Christmas.  Lights, please!”  A friend of mine said that when a life falls apart Linus’ words are a message of hope.  Charlie Brown had been seeking the true meaning of Christmas.  He knew that he didn’t get it.  He knew that he was missing something.  Why else should he be feeling so disappointed and depressed?  He seeks help from Lucy.  We learn that, for her, only real estate translates into happiness.  Likewise, his sister thinks that satisfaction comes from 10’s and 20’s.  Charlie Brown himself seeks fulfillment in being the director of the Christmas play.  This only ends in greater disappointment and depression.  We all have a similar tendency to take Christ out of the manger and replace him with our frankincense, gold, and iPhone 4’s.  All this sets the scene for Linus’ famous monologue.  Linus the Wise understands the meaning of Christmas.  He knows that the only way to satiate the pining of the human heart is to put Christ in the manger.  It is only after Linus reorients Brown’s values system that the story is resolved.  Charlie Brown smiles.  He finally gets it. 

It is our prayer that we all put Christ in the manger this holiday season.  Merry Christmas.

A Nontraditional Thanksgiving (Jeremy)

Nothing on the table last Wednesday night would have indicated that we were celebrating Thanksgiving. No turkey, no dressing, no sweet potatoes - just 3 pounds of noodles and a bucket of spaghetti sauce. Yet, for all its simplicity, the evening transmitted a sense of gratitude that would have made our forefathers proud. After the meal, each of us had an opportunity to express our appreciation to God for the things He has given. Here's a run down of what each had to say (besides Claudinho who was working).

Jason - my wife, Jacob, the baby on the way and Sombra Road
Kristin - my mom's successful surgery, the baby and Jacob (besides those mentioned in the previous blog)
Paulo - Sombra Road and how it is a family for him, the guys in the house and his mother
Ronnie (a guy from the favela) - His mom, his girlfriend, his friendship with Marcos Paulo and Jefferson and his relationship with the people of Sombra Road
Adilio - his family, his girlfriend and his growing relationship with Jason

Jeremy - Marriage with Carol, privilege to be around the guys, Kristin, Jason and family and friends here and in the States

Anderson - the hope he feels for the future that God is preparing for him and the way Sombra Road has become a family for him

Carol - our Sombra Road family, her parents and brothers, and a loving, servant-minded husband that does not merely listen to her but actually intuits her very essence (she didn't exactly say this last part, but I could tell that this is what she desired to express)

In looking over the list, I know there is nothing remarkable about it. The entire activity could be little more than a mindless exercise in civic responsibility - like a kid expressing his gratitude for the socks his grandmother gave him for Christmas, parroting the words that mom and dad had scripted for him on the ride to her house. However, I think that these moments allowed us to step out of the routine and appreciate the privilege of our present reality. I hope that even if your own Thanksgiving was too busy for thankfulness (as mine often is) that you would prioritize stepping back this season to find it in your own life.