I have never experienced road rage, either from me or directed towards me, or any other kind of 'rage' that we use to describe losing our temper with a complete stranger. Until now that is - now I have experienced metro rage.
The city of Sao Paulo has a wonderful metro system with lines going in all directions around the city. I can board a train in Sao Miguel Paulista and change from the train line onto the metro line at Bras or Tatuape and then travel to any part of the city by metro. Many lines converge at the stations of Se and Bras so there are certain times in the day when these stations are extremely busy. I have to travel on the metro twice a week in order to attend my portuguese language class.
Last week I was travelling home from my class a little later than usual as I had stayed to have a chat in the student cafe with two members of the class. So, when I got on the tube it was already crowded which meant that I couldn't walk further down into the carriage - I had to stay standing near the doors. When we stopped at Se the doors opened and, ignoring the fact that the carriage was already full, a great crowd of people surged onto the train in one mad push. Unfortunately, as they pushed me forwards, my rucksack, which was hanging over my right shoulder, got caught between two people who were getting off the train through the doors on the other side of the carriage. I felt like I was going to be carried off the train so I let out a little yelp, grabbed hold of a pole and tried to pull my rucksack back towards me. I think the people must have realised what was happening because I was able to retrieve my rucksack. However, at the same time as this was happening, the crowd behind me were continuing to push and I found myself pinned with my face against the pole that I had grabbed hold of. My back began to hurt and so I shrieked! I managed to turn myself around and face the people who were pushing me. 'Calma! Calma! I shouted and came face to face with three quite small looking women. One of the ladies immediately started justifying herself in portuguese. I gathered that she was blaming the people behind her for pushing her onto the train. I wasn't terribly understanding of her situation.
This is not an unusual occurance during the rush hour in Sao Paulo. I prefer to change trains at Tatuape where the people are a little more gracious and sensible. Last Monday I let 6 trains go by without getting on because they were just too full. However, I took a photo of three men who pushed and squeezed their way onto one train and watched as the third man's leg finally disappeared into the train as the doors closed (see photo on sidebar).
Bras is at the end of the line so when the train arrives it is always empty. For those who are determined to get a seat, they push anyone who gets in their way and throw themselves at a seat almost throwing a triumphant arm in the air. I have seen frail old men and ladies discover new strength as they charge towards the seats using elbows and sticks to make sure they get a seat on the train. I have never seen anything like it before!!
Well, this posting is probably more therapy than blog. Thank you for listening - it's been a great help to me to share with you my first experience of metro rage.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
The Fainting Lady
So, we had just started the prayer walking and the hall had been full of young people pledging to be salt and light in the world the night before The Fainting Lady came to our church. A couple of weeks ago, after the Sunday morning meeting had finished, the Corps folk gathered to chat in the courtyard outside the front doors which were flung wide open as always. A lady caught my attention as she stumbled slowly around a car parked in front of the hall holding onto it as if it was the only thing holding her upright. She walked through the front gates of the church into the courtyard and then collapsed behind a group of chatting Salvationists.
Immediately, P, who is a nurse, bent down and took her pulse and then phoned for an ambulance that never came. I went into the hall to tell my husband, P. what had happened but he was praying with a member of our church who is undergoing treatment for cancer. I returned to the scene and saw that although she was still lying on the ground I could see that the Lady who had fainted was breathing. Members of the church were standing in a row to protect her from the sun. Having finished his prayer, P. came to see what was happening and the Lady began to move her hand and open her eyes. P. bent down and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. 'Are you ok? Do you need some help?' he said. With wild staring eyes she suddenly raised her arm to hit him. He quickly stepped back and she waved her arm in front of her eyes as if to swat away a fly. It looked like she was hallucinating, and to me, it was beginning to look like she had taken some kind of drug.
The Lady stood up and began to square up to P. and we could see that she was almost as tall as him. P. used all his conflict management skills to calm her down but any kind of movement set her arms waving around. We took the children inside the hall for Sunday School and a small group of church members remained with P. as he began to talk to the Lady along with our visitor from THQ.
Whilst in the hall I took a look to see if anything had changed outside. I felt a strong urge to pray into the situation and so I went outside again but unfortunately, my little boy, A. wanted to come with me. P. was talking to the Lady on the pavement outside the church grounds and she had her back to me. So, I stood behind her and prayed a binding prayer in the name of Jesus. Unfortunately, out of habit, I raised my arm to pray and the Lady caught sight of the movement of my arm out of the corner of her eye as I brought it down by my side. She turned round and hit my arm, not at all hard, but I left the scene again carrying A. with me and P. continued to calm her down.
The children went to their Sunday School classes and so I went outside again and was very pleased to see that everything had now calmed down. The crowd had dispersed and P. was talking to the Lady a little further away from the church building with the help of G. who was translating for him. Afterwards P told me that once she calmed down he was able to have a proper conversation with her and discovering she was homeless he offered her food and clothing.
How can I explain the events of that morning and how did the situation get resolved? Were our prayers effective, did the drugs wear off or were P's conflict management skills effective in this situation? I will probably never know but there is one thing that I have learned - don't raise your arm when you are praying for a Lady who is behaving in an unpredictable way.
Immediately, P, who is a nurse, bent down and took her pulse and then phoned for an ambulance that never came. I went into the hall to tell my husband, P. what had happened but he was praying with a member of our church who is undergoing treatment for cancer. I returned to the scene and saw that although she was still lying on the ground I could see that the Lady who had fainted was breathing. Members of the church were standing in a row to protect her from the sun. Having finished his prayer, P. came to see what was happening and the Lady began to move her hand and open her eyes. P. bent down and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. 'Are you ok? Do you need some help?' he said. With wild staring eyes she suddenly raised her arm to hit him. He quickly stepped back and she waved her arm in front of her eyes as if to swat away a fly. It looked like she was hallucinating, and to me, it was beginning to look like she had taken some kind of drug.
The Lady stood up and began to square up to P. and we could see that she was almost as tall as him. P. used all his conflict management skills to calm her down but any kind of movement set her arms waving around. We took the children inside the hall for Sunday School and a small group of church members remained with P. as he began to talk to the Lady along with our visitor from THQ.
Whilst in the hall I took a look to see if anything had changed outside. I felt a strong urge to pray into the situation and so I went outside again but unfortunately, my little boy, A. wanted to come with me. P. was talking to the Lady on the pavement outside the church grounds and she had her back to me. So, I stood behind her and prayed a binding prayer in the name of Jesus. Unfortunately, out of habit, I raised my arm to pray and the Lady caught sight of the movement of my arm out of the corner of her eye as I brought it down by my side. She turned round and hit my arm, not at all hard, but I left the scene again carrying A. with me and P. continued to calm her down.
The children went to their Sunday School classes and so I went outside again and was very pleased to see that everything had now calmed down. The crowd had dispersed and P. was talking to the Lady a little further away from the church building with the help of G. who was translating for him. Afterwards P told me that once she calmed down he was able to have a proper conversation with her and discovering she was homeless he offered her food and clothing.
How can I explain the events of that morning and how did the situation get resolved? Were our prayers effective, did the drugs wear off or were P's conflict management skills effective in this situation? I will probably never know but there is one thing that I have learned - don't raise your arm when you are praying for a Lady who is behaving in an unpredictable way.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Getting out there.
P and I have been working in Sao Miguel for just over a year now. We have spent the past year getting to know the people, the area, the language and the culture. The needs in this area are so vast it is difficult to know where to begin or what to do, so our hope for this next year is that, as a congregation, we will discover together God's vision for our church.
On Saturday 21st August a group of 10 members of our church met together with Major Joan Burton (Territorial Projects Co-ordinator) to discuss how we can engage effectively with our community. Our action plan at the end of the day was to, 'look for open doors by prayer walking the area around the hall'. We were inspired by the testimony of Major Estelle Blake (Kings Cross, London) who prayer walked her area and after many months she was able to extend her ministry as new doors opened up to her.
So now, every Tuesday evening, while our regular prayer meeting is taking place between 8 - 9pm , two people go out and prayer walk the immediate area surrounding the church building. Tonight will be our third night out and I am looking forward to it. Our eyes are being opened to what is happening in our local area and we have had many opportunities to pray into different situations. On one evening we passed a long bus that had a window smashed in. The driver and conductor were filling in accident report forms and my prayer partner, N, spoke to them both and prayed for protection and blessing for them and the bus in the future.
There is a hospital with an emergency department at the top of the road where our church is located and this is often a focus of our prayers. We pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom as we get out there and look for ways to engage with the needs of our community.
On Saturday 21st August a group of 10 members of our church met together with Major Joan Burton (Territorial Projects Co-ordinator) to discuss how we can engage effectively with our community. Our action plan at the end of the day was to, 'look for open doors by prayer walking the area around the hall'. We were inspired by the testimony of Major Estelle Blake (Kings Cross, London) who prayer walked her area and after many months she was able to extend her ministry as new doors opened up to her.
So now, every Tuesday evening, while our regular prayer meeting is taking place between 8 - 9pm , two people go out and prayer walk the immediate area surrounding the church building. Tonight will be our third night out and I am looking forward to it. Our eyes are being opened to what is happening in our local area and we have had many opportunities to pray into different situations. On one evening we passed a long bus that had a window smashed in. The driver and conductor were filling in accident report forms and my prayer partner, N, spoke to them both and prayed for protection and blessing for them and the bus in the future.
There is a hospital with an emergency department at the top of the road where our church is located and this is often a focus of our prayers. We pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom as we get out there and look for ways to engage with the needs of our community.
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