Cidade de Deus

Laise and Tamara, our friends and tour guides from the City of God

A little over a year ago, we had two missionaries that came to Corvallis

from their home town of Seattle.

Ben had been living in the City of God for three years

and Josh was soon to go for the first time.

While they were in Corvallis they stayed at our home

and we were blessed to hear about this place from these amazing men

who were giving up their life of comfort and ease in Seattle

to make their home in this "city" so far from home.

From that time, I have wanted to visit for myself and was given the chance last Tues.

Here is our one day trip.

Join us once again for another "walk around a neighborhood".

We spent a large portion of the day at the Tamara's house (who is also the aunt of Laise).
They fixed us a wonderful meal and were a wealth of information.

This family loves the Lord and it was a blessing to see people
come at different times throughout our stay there just to be prayed with.

From the house, Laise's father also runs a Christian radio channel
that is broadcast over the load speakers throughout the City of God.


This is taken from the upstairs of their home.
Later, while taking a walk, Laise told me how this street has been used once a week
for a Feira (an open market).
In Copacabana we see these all the time out in the streets.
Streets are closed off to make room for vendors to come and sell their wares.
Many fruit venders as well as handmade goods.

This Feira was different, however. It was a drug market.
Imagine, right in front of their house, once a week, every kind of drug
you could imagine would be sold out in the open.

Just recently, the police took over the City of God.
For now, it is quiet from drug trafficing
and violence.

For now.



I don't know what gauge of wire is used here but this is what
all of their power poles looked like.

Makes for a good nights sleep....

One of the houses I saw there. Most were more of a subdivision effect

but this one had a "country feel" to it.

One of the areas that was used as a garbage dump.

The street.

It may be hard to see but the water was green.

You can expect that there is a mixture of rain water and sewage.

There are many houses that are made of brick.

Only as there is money are they finished in concrete.

This is a rare sight as most of the houses are unfinished brick.

The City of God has somewhere between 200 and 300 thousand people in it.

That was the closest estimate we could get.

This is a section that they call the "wood houses".

This is where the poorest of poor live.

This particular steet is waiting for government houses that are suppose

to be ready in the first of the year sometime.

Each of these houses are approx. 8'x10'.

We were asked if we wanted to go inside one of these houses and pray with someone.

We did.

The person that lived there was a young man who made me think of Brett.

About his age. Living here.

I cannot tell you what it did to my heart....

There were many, many children.

All of them wanting me to take pictures of them.

When we got home that night I could not calm my mind

as I continually saw these children in my head.

What are their hopes and dreams....

Or have they already stopped hoping and dreaming?

This river runs through this part of the neighborhood.

It has trash dumped in it and I was told that the sewage flows directly into too.

This is the only life that the majority of these people know.

I'm not one to ask God "why" very often

but that night as I lay in bed, unable to sleep, I did find myself

crying out to God "why"?

And what began with asking God why there are those that have to live this way,

ended with me asking God why I have gotten to live so blessed.

Who am I?

I would like to say that I will never be the same.

I pray I will never be the same.....