Let me begin by answering the last question "What is the Red Command?" then I will back up and begin answering the following questions in chronological order. I think that is the most logical way of doing this. Clear...Kind've...A little...Vaguely transparent....ok good enough.
The Red Command is a huge crime sindicate in Rio de Janeiro, they traffic illigal cocaine all over the world. The are second in size only to the Mafia. This is the story of how my brother and I were able to get an up close look at their connections and the extent of their organization.
Now I am certain that in just one year earlier if I had been asked about drugs and more importantly drug trafficking, my response would have rung out bodly, "Drugs are bad....MmmmmKay!" Today however, I am more deeply aware of the hurt they cause and the bondage entire communities face to to their effects. Most drug leaders it seems are not greedy capitalists trying to gain a quick profit. They are poor, uneducated individuals who due to the corruption of their surroundings have only one shot at a chance to live what promises and seems as close to a "normal life" as they can imagine. Food for their families and an education for their children is what they seek. The problem lies when they discover their is no way out and their life expectancy is only 5 YRS! They live in fear, anxiety and bondage with no way out.
After working with the children, Cristiano took us up into a favela controlled by--guess who--yup the Red Command or CV (Comanche Vemelia) to celebrate his nephews birthday. While visiting the family we contacted some leaders and relayed the story and where it happened. As it turns out the area we were in during the robbery was at the time controlled by CV and they even promised to work toward finding out things. I know it was only a slight chance, but I felt they were roughly 1000x more likely to recoup are belonging than the policy who had infinately less connections and equally as corrupt. We did however take the time to file a police report even though it seemed like the time would have been most likely been more productive staring at fly droppings through a magnifying glass. Imagine these thugs helping a few Americans they had never met.
So I suppose my answer concerning drug trafficing is more complex now. As we ask around the favela to discover the more popular organization the trafficas or the police, surprising the trafficas are much more popular. "Oh the police are bad! The trafficas are ok, they are my friends, they would never hurt me. They are just providing something for others who want it, but the police will deliberately take advantage of innocent people for no reason except to cushion their already buldging wallets.
I know that all things work together for good to those who are called, and I certainly knew God had sent me to Rio. So to answer the last question, "What does this have to do with your current situation. This instance is evidence of everything we felt and experienced on a daily basis. We were forced to always be cautious and always be on alert. This was first time that I could so thoroughly appreciate the comforts and safety of rural U.S.A. This was also the first time that I could realize with certainty that I could react calmly in perilous situations. Wherever I travel, wherever the road leads, I know that He is watching over me and regardless of situations or circumstances, I rest in the palm of His hand. Safety or danger, quiet farms or noisy cities, I will travel where He directs. I suppose this was one of the first lessons which I still carry with me.
So I continued in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro for several more months as God showed me more and more about that city and taught me more about myself!
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