A little more detail...

Like I said I would, I'll expand now about life in the favelas. I'll try to keep it simple though, and only stick to overall impressions and highlights. I could get really philosophical and write for 10 pages but I'll refrain for your sake : )

So you know how you hear about missionaries who go to extremely poor parts of the world, and come back to report that the people they interacted with are actually the happiest, most generous people they've ever met?

That turns out to be true.

I found that the children, the adults, and even the teenagers in the favelas tend to have a beautiful attitude towards life. Maybe it's Brazilians in general, and maybe the perfect weather helps people to naturally be in a better mood, but it's blatantly obvious to me that the people in the slums are more content that most Canadians.

I had a long talk with Haley and James about this, and the way I summed up my observations was as follows:

It seems like it's Christmas time every day here. You know how at Christmas, everyone is generally in better spirits, more generous, more friendly, and more animated? Well it's like that all the time with people livings in the favelas.

Everywhere we looked, people were smiling, and truly seeming to enjoy and relax in the moment they were in. Yes, people have their regular day to day mundane activities, such as taking the kids to school or grocery shopping or sweeping or whatever, but the difference is that you get a vibe of ease, instead of tension. This sense of being content is pervasive in the community.

So I guess I should clarify - it's like Christmas, but without the stress.

And secondly, the people actually want to be your friend. I'm not talking superficially, like oh let's hang out once, and then we can keep in contact on facebook; I'm talking let me have you over to my house for a meal and if you would like to stay for a week you are more than welcome to. They open their hearts at the drop of a hat.

I feel as though the people live without masks, like many of us do in Canada.

They don't have a lot, so they don't have a lot to hide.

I'm blessed to have been able to have seen this different way of life.