Mother

Today I went to the woman's prison for the second time.  The prison is one that has about 842 woman, around 400 are foreign woman (meaning not from Brazil).  I am told the capacity of the prison is 251 so these woman are faced with a number of challenges.The organization that we go to the jail with works to help explain their legal cases to them, advocate with medical issues, and helps them communicate with their family & friends.

We met with the foreign woman today so many speak English.  As I sat in the classroom in my desk I listened to the stories the woman told.  Today every story I heard was about a Mother.  Below I have tried to capture some of the stories.  I have taken the liberty to sum up the stories in my own words and understanding.  I have tried my best to get the information correct including the country the woman come from.  However, I have to admit some of the information may be an estimate based on my memory.

"My mother is dying and I need to send money....I am so far away from her now and she needs me.  Please help me find a way to save my mothers life."  (Indonesia)

"I am so worried about my mother, she is being mistreated by my father and I am not there to help her."  (South Africa) 

News delivered to a mother today...."I am so sorry to tell you while you have been in jail your daughter has died." (Nigeria)

"My daughter Carmen lives with my mother, I miss them very much.  I love my family but they are so far away." (Mexico)

With a great deal of pride a mother showed us an email and said, "This is my son, his name is Jason." (South Africa)

"I have seven children and I am a single mother, I had to risk smuggling drugs to feed my children." (Bolivia) 

No words were spoken but a mother's tears fell on her email.  Last week we learned she had needed money for a surgery for her pregnant daughter and so she had risked smuggling drugs, she would only have to do it once to pay for the surgery.  (Texas)

 A woman who had to be 8-9 months pregnant worked to squeeze her belly into the tiny desks.  I am not sure what she was asking for, however, I assume whatever it is has to do with her baby.  What will happen to her baby when it is born in the upcoming weeks? I am told the babies do not always have family to take them in or a good place to go. I wondered how uncomfortable she was trying to sleep in the prison beds.  (Bolivia)

"I always told my children not to get involved in drugs. I am not sure why I trusted the men who told me everything would be OK if a carried their package.  When I found out it was drugs I tried to back out but I was afraid they would hurt me and my family.  I have been in prison for 3 years and during that time I have developed endurance and a self love.  I only hope that my children will learn from my mistake and have a better life.  God gets me through each day because in here God is all I can rely on." (South Africa)

Most all of the woman we talk with have been used as drug mules.  They have been arrested at the airport for smuggling drugs.   So many of the woman have chosen to carry the drugs in order to help their families.  They have been convinced that they will be fine and have felt like it was the only choice they had left.  It does not make their crime OK, but it sheds light on why someone would risk getting caught smuggling drugs.  As Heidi says, we are not the judge we are only there to reach out to the person.  We are there in order to treat them with the inherent dignity every person deserves.

Today as I reflected on the theme of Mother, I was humbled by the love of a mother.  And reminded that no matter where we are in this life our mother remains an essential  part of our lives.

So tonight I pray for all the mothers of the prisoners and the prisoners who are mothers.  I ask you to pray with me and to also thank God for the mothers in your own life.

   

How to Catch a Bus in Brazil

The Maryknoll Brazil Mission Community finished their assembly today which was located an hour outside of Sao Paulo.  The following was my first lesson in how to catch a bus outside of the city (which in some ways felt like the middle of no where).  

First apply plenty of sun screen.

Carry your luggage out to main road.  

Locate missioner family waiting along side busy road.

Very carefully cross the busy highway.

Make your own bus stop.

Begin look out for bus.

See Bus coming.

Flag down bus.

Babies ride for free.

Enjoy bus ride.

Everyone safe & sound.

From bus catch the metro (subway).

Back in the city

First Days in Brazil

Samba Concert

My first days in Brazil have been a mixture of trying to recover from jet lag and to physically get use to a new environment as well as touring the city little by little.  My hosts Joanne and Heidi have been great showing me around, feeding me, and helping me to begin to understand my new home.

My first day I took a short walk with Joanne, Maryknoll Lay Missioners country coordinator in Brazil.  As we navigated the broken sidewalks we passed many small shops, a grocery store, a few restaurants, and the metro (subway) station.  I felt very comfortable on the streets, tons of people and a lot of similarities of places I have been before like Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico.  The first evening Joanne & Heidi took me to a museum for a free Samba Concert.  It was a fun way to spend my first day in Brazil.

On my second day Joanne and I went to the Cathedral and to walk around the city center a little.  However, our first stop was at a program that works with the homeless population in Sao Paulo.   The program has people go out to the streets and collect trash which they recycle and make some really awesome things which they sell.  The center helps the homeless get a job and also does some work with self esteem and has a process of moving people off the streets.  I wish I had pictures to show you however, the center is in a part of town which it is not good for us to take pictures.  The area of town has a lot of drug cartels and they are always watching to see who is in their area.  At one point Joanne said we would stop speaking English because we did not want to draw attention to ourselves.  Joanne had worked in the neighborhood for several years so I felt really comfortable.  As we walked down the streets we passed a house where one of the woman recognized Joanne.  We stopped and visited.  As I looked in the small home there were several woman and children.  The room was size of one of my very small apartment living rooms.  Apparently up to 20 people live there together and that is a common occurrence.

We see scenes like this everywhere.

What seems to have had the most impact on me thus far is the homeless on the streets. There are so many everywhere we go.  They seem to really suffer.  A few that I have seen up close have no shoes or just one shoe.  Their feet are so cracked, bruised, dirty and full of sores.  They sleep on little or nothing.  Many sleep under the by-pass to avoid getting rained on.  On either side of them a busy roadway passes by.

One of my major reflections for the past couple of days is how many things in my life have prepared me for my time in Brazil.  From trips to Mexico I learned how to throw my toilet paper in the trash so as not to clog the pipes, I also learned how to brush my teeth out of a cup instead of water from the tap.  My trip to South America  last summer introduced me to some of the issues in S. America.  My time in New York helps me travel on the subway.  All those little things I am putting to good use here.

Cathedral 

City Center Square

St. Paul (Sao Paulo)

Overall,  I feel really good here.  Sure there are moments of uncertainly but that goes away with the wonderful support of my fellow missioners.  And so I look forward to the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.

Joanne & Heidi's Apartment                

My Bedroom

Kitchen