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I left the United States on Jan 3, 2006 and landed in Brazil, one day later and one bag lighter than when I took off. (Fortunately, I was reunited with my lost luggage before the day was over.) My first stop in Brazil was a touristy beach city in Northeast Brazil, called Natal. (Click on the Map)
After this mini-vacation, my in-country orientation began in the JP Pastoal Group. I spent the month of January in Joao Pessoa, about two hours south of Natal. The purpose of the in-country orientation is to build relationships with the current missioners, observe their ministries, and begin to get a sense of the language and culture. Some of the ministries I visited included:
**AFYA -- a women's health clinic specializing in alternative medicine and medicinal plants. Clinics on nutrition, mental health, sexuality, spirituality, and social issues are also offered.
**Street Theater of the Oppressed -- A theater program that gives teenagers a healthy and safe place to verbalize and act out their daily struggles.
**Casa Pequeno Davi -- A supplemental educational opportunity that gets kids off the streets after public school. The program includes education on children's rights, labor laws, health issues, and teaches computer skills.
**Other Ministries -- Prison ministry, women's groups, World-View foundation for adolescents, and children's health services.
In Sao Paulo, I visited three different parts of the city: the peripfery, the center, and Ibiuna, a rural town two hours outside of the center. Also, I met up with Greg Sandman, a Maryknoll associate priest who is also a new member of the BMC. The ministries we visited in Sao Paulo included:
**Women's Prison Ministry -- Provides accompaniment and legal support to the women in the four women's prisons in Sao Paulo.
**Street Ministry with Women in Prostitution -- Provides health education, emotional support, and offers classes in weaving and quilting as an alternative way to generate income.
**Recycling Project -- An income generating co-op that organizes street people to pool equipment and resources for city wide recycling.
**Other Ministries -- Indigenous work, parish work, children's health servies, organic co-op and farming, women's groups, street kids ministries, work with spanish speaking immigrants.
