Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



This our missionary journey that God birthed in Tanya and Jesse Gellatly in Mozambique, Africa almost two years ago. We had our one year anniversary on September 11th. We have, so far, traveled through 17 countries (not including the United States) and seen Jesus's love transfrom lives, churches, cities, and countries in the natural and in the Spirit.

This is most of our team in a restaraunt in the city of Arraial Do Cabo, Praia Do Forno. Left table: Stephen (U.S.), Aleeza (Australia), Kurt (Austrailia), Rose (U.S.), David (Columbia), Caroline (Brazil) with her little brother and mother and father, Kelly (Scotland), Brent (Cananda), Elizabeth (South Africa), Liz (England), Me, Roberta (U.S.) Right table: Josiah (Australia), Rachael (U.S.), Nicole (U.S.), Breck (U.S.), Taylor M (U.S.), Astrid (Germany), Natalie M. (Germany), Liney (Columbia), Katherine (U.S.), Amanda (U.S.), Kimmie (U.S.), Taylor L (U.S.) Jesse, Tanya, and little Zoe (U.S.) at the end of the table.

Rocinha.The biggest favela, shanty town, in Rio De Janeiro.



This is us causing a traffic jam in the favela, Rocinha in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. HELLO!!!! WERE HERE!!! Our vehicles were too long to make this turn and then we realized we needed to turn around because we passed our contact. Twenty minutes later, after stopping traffic both ways, except the motorcyclist, we were headed in the right direction.

 

The streets of Rocinha.

 

This is an article and video of the favela and Rio's desire to clean up the area for the olympics.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-15710719

 

Going house to house praying, blessing and loving on people in the biggest garbage dump in Rio.

House in Rio's garbage dump.

Tanya and Marcus, our contact for the dump, praying for a lady in her house.

Blessing this lady in her house. Her daughter was one of the worst drug offenders in the garbage dump. She had a love encounter with Jesus that was so powerful that she gave her life to Jesus and stopped doing drugs. We had 10 people in her little house praying for her. It was really hot and I thought the floor would collapse. It didn't. She was definitely touched by the love of God.

This body of water is full of disease and needles from the hospital. Kids play near it and as you can see in it.

There are hundreds of pigs all over eating the trash.

 

They are closing this garbage dump because of the olympics. Rio's officials doesn't want the world to see this. They are giving some money to the over 5,000 people that live here. Marcus, our contact, says they aren't given any help on how to steward this money and lose it very quickly and are in the same predicament as before.

Sleeping on top of a building in Parada De Lucas favela in Rio.

We stayed at YWAM base in the favela, Parada De Lucas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This is the most dangerous favela in Rio. There are "security guards" for the drug lords on every corner and every entrance of the favela. They have an "unwritten law" that there is no stealing in the favela. If you steal they will cut your hand off or kill you. One day as I was walking through the favela, I saw a man with both his arm cut off. I prayed to God that He would grow back the arms and then later realized that this man had them cut off for stealing.The drug lords don't want the police called to the favela. They warn each other when police are near by shooting firecrackers in the air. When we were there this was easily happening 4 to 5 times a day. This is the audio of what we heard most nights and every morning as our alarm clock.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYr02EqJWdw&feature=player_embedded

 

 We did a service on the streets, some childrens programs, a prayer walk around the favela, and a youth ministry. We also prayed for the regional drug lord of the community. A couple of days after we left, our contact Lazarus told us the security guards/drug lords were asking where we were. They missed us?! When you let the light of Jesus shine through you and love on people it changes the atmosphere of a community.

 

Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

As a team we took communion here.