The Crackolange

Hi everyone,
Well where do I even start. Today has been one of the most powerful, yet devastating days out of all of my three trips. We were fortunate enough to have been taken on a personal tour of downtown Sao Paulo and definitely saw all of the ups and downs that this huge city has to offer. When I heard that Sao Paulo was home to 11 million, I couldn't even fathom how many people that was. We took an elevator up 32 stories and stood outside of the tallest building in the city. It felt like we were standing on top of the world, and for as far as I could see, and from all directions, tall sky scraper buildings, apartments, and homes filled every single empty space. Every little street was covered in people the size of ants, and the highways were bumper to bumper with cars, buses and trucks. I didn't understand what 11 million people looked like until I stood out in awe just staring at the city in front of me.
After we left the building (an old bank and now a memorial site for the city), Marcello and Thiago, our two contacts took us on an all day tour of the city that they both love so dearly. We learned about the history, and how far Brazil has come, but unfortunately by the looks of what I saw today, it still has a long long way to go. We walked through a huge cathedral, probably the most beautiful church I have ever seen. In the middle of the afternoon, the pews were filled with people crying and praying. Outside on the huge steps leading up to the church, were a few of the 11 thousand homeless people that call the city home. As we continued to walk, we learned about the corrupt government and how many of the decisions that are made in the huge parliament buildings that we saw, are made with only the rich in mind. Just outside of these influential buildings were people bathing and washing their clothes in a huge fountain, people sleeping on the sidewalks, seniors holding signs and begging for food and money, and what really hit home, a young couple sleeping and holding each other on the side of the road. So young, I am sure not much older than me, but just to think about the worries that they have every single day, and how they differ so greatly from my own was really really hard for me. It is just not fair! Why am I so lucky to be from such an amazing family, and have so many opportunities when there are so many people in this world who have absolutely nothing. A part of my felt really guilty for being responsible for bringing eight people to Brazil, each who paid so much money, when really that money could have gone to feeding so many people. I just kept reminding myself that us being here is doing more good than harm.
We made our way into a more dangerous part of town and ventured into the one road in the city commonly known as the "Crackolage" (The Land of the Crack). Just this past year the government declared a "clean-up" with the goal to get rid of as many addicts as possible. Marcello used the ananolgy of a tree with fruit. He explained that the governments idea of a clean-up was really only taking away the fruit, but until someone deals with the real roots of the tree, the real roots of the drug problems in Brazil, nothing is going to get better. As a part of the clean-up the government in Sao Paulo shipped away many of the addicts to other cities. Leaving them alone, and still reliant on crack-cocaine and other drugs. The police that now cover this street are enough to spread out anyone who remains to other cities in the area, but at night they all return, all homeless, and all in need of so much help. YWAM used to work closely with this population, but with the clean-up came rules and regulations making it difficult to help. All we could do today was walk through the streets, afraid of stepping on needles and glass, and sympathize with the people all around us using these awful drugs. Making eye-contact with these people really made me realize how they are human beings with a story, whose worth is just as great as my own. They are in need of so much help, and are so deeply trapped in a hole, that without help they will never be able to get out. Luckily for the the governments idea of help is shipping them farther away, out of sight out of mind I guess. Just disgusting!
Not far from the "crackolage" we ended our tour in a beautiful park, one of the only green spaces left in the entire city. Although green and beautiful, it was just as sad since this park is one of the of the only safe places for prostitution in the city. I learned today that this is another huge problem here. Both woman and men walked the park trying to support themselves or I am sure their babies and families back home, or waiting for them on a street corner. I can't even imagine having to prostitute myself in order to survive. My heart just ached for these people. Again I made contact with one of the young girls (or possibly a boy, its sometimes hard to tell) and put myself in her shoes. What if that were me? What if I felt that that was my only way to survive.

It may sounds terrible, and yes it was a really hard day and I am sitting here crying as I write this, but there is hope. Thiago and Marcello give me hope. They are two young men who have dedicated their lives to helping the ones who do not have a voice. The work that they do at YWAM has everything to do with helping these people who struggle so much every day. They give me hope that this place can only get better.

As sad as I am, and as devastated as a I feel for so many of the people in this country, I am a better person for seeing the things that I saw today. So many of these problems are going on in streets of our own, and it just reminded me that I can always do things to help, especially when I get home.

All of our other projects are going great. We began digging a soccer field and leveling it. It was so hard, and a job that would have been so easy with the right tools. Tomorrow we get to lay the grass on the field, and see the project that has been in the works for 5 years finally be finished. I cannot wait! The soccer camps are going great, and the kids look amazing in their new shorts, and jerseys! They are in the middle of a huge village tournament that we are helping run and ref. English classes are challenging and rewarding. They are slowly improving and today we helped set up a little store of gifts (all the donations that we brought) that the kids could buy with fake money that we made. They had to ask us in english how much the items cost, and have as much of a conversation with us as they could. They were so excited about all of their new school supplies and little toys!

All in all it is incredible here, and I learn so much everyday! I am missing you all like crazy and wish you were here! I could use some hugs!

Lots of love, and I hope all is well back home! See you soon

xoxo Tory