Parada de Lucas - the favella where no one wants to go

Wednesday and we were off to another favela, Parada de Lucas. This is apparently quite a dangerous favela, in that even the police don't go there (unlike Rocinha where the police presence was pretty strong, especially while us white people were there!). We went to serve with a YWAM base there who had to get permission from the narco leaders (drug traffickers) for us to enter the favela. This is a community where no visitors are allowed. Enter without them knowing and you'll be shot. Questions asked later. As such every time we wanted to leave the house where we were staying we had to take a local kid with us, partly to show us the way so we didn't get lost, but more importantly to keep us safe and prevent us from walking into areas we shouldn't be.  

View of the favela from the outside

Even right up until we got there the YWAM leader was expecting us to pull out and say we didn't want to stay there. Needless to say sleeping arrangements were a little tight trying to fit nearly 30 people in a house meant for not more than 8 I reckon!! One bathroom between all of us meant showering times were between 3am - 7am :)

Wednesday night we lead the outside Church service. And by outside I mean literally on road between the church and the pavement on the opposite side of the road - we had cars, bikes and pedestrians walking between the congregation and the preacher/worship team! A highlight was praying for the lady next to me (she was reluctant to ask for prayer, her husband kinda made her) and she was healed of her backpain. 

Sometimes I really do forget just how crazy and extreme our lives are, and when we leave things in the (very capable) hands of the Lord, well, there's no telling what exactly will happen! Thursday was just one of those days. I woke up to fireworks going off (these are set off by the gangs to warn each other that the police are coming into the favela), walked past gangsters standing right there in the streets with assault rifles and pistols "bon dia, God bless you" (what else could I say to them?!), right to a community centre in
the favela where companies have sponsored rooms aimed at community development, such as music studios, dance rooms, etc. Before I know it I find myself sitting in a professional music recording studio with a famous Brazilian rapper, praying for him and then worshipping God together with him while played and sang the guitar. Say what?! And this was before 11am!!

Video clip of guys jamming in the community centre

People from the community can record CDs etc there for free, very cool. We were offered the opportunity to record some music but unfortunately we didn't have time. Another highlight was the next day Moose getting a lesson in mixing music - he has it on his heart to make worship music when he gets home, and praying over and blessing the DJs and would be DJs. This just goes to show that while we go out to bless others, God blesses us by giving us the desires and dreams on our hearts as well. 

Moose learning how to mix music

Funny story is two of my friends almost getting shot when they came back into the favela after going to the embassy to get one of their visas renewed. Don't worry, they were absolutely fine with no actual bullets being fired once one of our contacts informed the lookout gang members that they were YWAM, but just goes to show they really do operate on a shoot first ask questions later basis. 

One of the nights was just crazy loud with no hope of sleeping until way into the early hours of the morning. Turns out it was the birthday of the main gang leader of the whole favela so there were fireworks and celebrations all day and night. Kinda crazy walking down the road in the afternoon past a public swimming pool where families are swimming inside and men with guns are standing guard outside. I guess even gang members want their kids to enjoy swimming on a hot afternoon but life is life and the reality is there they'd need to stand guard outside the pool protecting their families. Oh, and I'm really sorry I haven't included more photos, but no cameras allowed in the favela. Gangsters rules!

So instead I'll include a photo of Acai, which all of us have come to love in Brazil... Acai is a berry type thing which is served frozen which granola, honey and banana, delicious!!

Acai... oh how I'll miss you!!