the next day, even as my stiff muscles screamed for mercy.
Penny
Spending the morning with David, I learned more about the situation that faced the children they worked with, and the more my natural sense of justice raged. My gaze kept going to a framed scripture quote on David’s office wall. It was Amos chapter five, verse twenty-four. Let justice roll down like the waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. It seemed incredibly apt for the situation, because it was clear that there was a sore need for justice here.
“Gang crime and drug trafficking has been an issue in Brazil for some time,” David said, “but violence seems to have exploded in the past few years, and not just by gang members. The police kill an estimated five people a day. The new president has given the police power to curb gang violence by any means necessary, which of course begets more violence.”
I shook my head. Until now, I really had little idea of how privileged we were in Australia and other parts of the developed world. No city or place was without its issues with crime, of course, but the more I learned about the state of affairs I’d willingly walked into, the more I realised how out of my depth I was. Although I was confident in my skills, I was used to employing them in a system that was generally not riddled with corruption.
“The worst part is that a significant number of murder victims are minors,” David said grimly.
Horrified, I closed my eyes briefly. I knew about the unfair arrests for vagrancy, but I wasn’t prepared to hear about murder.
“There are a lot of homeless minors sleeping on the streets. The youngest we’ve seen is ten. So, there’s a real need for what we’re doing here, although resources are limited. But the kids often don’t trust us.”
I nodded with understanding. I found that to be true in my work with young offenders who had a natural distrust of any adult they saw as part of ‘the system.’ Often, that distrust was based on awful past experiences. I prided myself on my ability to build trust with the kids, but I felt woefully inadequate to be of use here. Especially in just three weeks...
“The boys especially are preyed upon by the drug gangs, and many of them end up attached to the gangs because they have no other way of surviving, which gets them into more trouble with the police. It’s a vicious circle.”
“Which is where you guys come in,” I said encouragingly, hearing the frustration in his voice. I was full of admiration for what he and his wife were doing here. Coming for a mission trip was one thing; this was their entire life.
“We do our best,” David said with a sigh, “and through the grace of God we accomplish more than I once thought possible, but there’s always more to do. We’re trying to build bridges with the police—they’re not all bad, so we can create some referral links. Sometimes they’ll contact us when they pick a kid up for vagrancy rather than throwing him in the cells, or worse. We’re trying to create community connections, too. The housing project and the school really help with that.”
“The church must help with community relations as well? It was certainly overflowing last night.”
David smiled, his whole face lighting up. “Yes, worship brings communities together like nothing else. But not everyone we engage with comes to our services. It’s not a prerequisite. The best way to lead people to God, I believe, is by example.”
I returned his smile, remembering when I first met Hayden and had been agnostic—if I’d ever thought about God at all. Hayden had never attempted to ‘convert’ me, but I saw what a refuge his faith was for him and that was enough to open my heart.
“We’re trying to do something slightly different here,” David said, and I heard the humble pride in his voice. “While spreading God’s love has always been the core motivation for most missionary projects, I’m sure mistakes have been made in the past in terms of trying to ‘rescue’ people rather than working with them and empowering them. We try to follow the example of our Lord and walk with people, not just assume we know what’s best for them. Of course, it helps that I am Brazilian myself and I know this culture and this country. These are my people. I think that makes a difference.”
Nodding again, I