Ceasa
Once every two weeks I go to "The Ceasa" which is a large fresh fruit and vegetable market that supplies all of Rio. We go there every week to pick up fruit and veggie donations for 10 Family homes in the area. It’s one of those days I don’t usually look forward to because it starts early; I leave the house at around 7:30 and pretty much work nonstop till about 7:00pm. I drive the teams around, and do all the carrying of the goods. Before driving back home we stop and sort through everything, and then I usually drop off stuff to at least three different homes before getting home, usually exhausted.
An interesting thing about going there is that we talk to so many different people while working that there isn’t a day when I don’t either learn something new or hear some interesting story from the guys who work there (which by the way are super nice people. Some have been helping The Family for more than 20 years!)
Today for example, a man was telling us about an ex-employee of his who is now working as a bodyguard for a drug dealer in the slums. (His work involves frequent shootouts with local police etc.) The funny thing is we’ve met this bodyguard guy before and he’s a very nice man. In fact, you’d never imagine he would be involved in something of this sort! So anyway, this man who works in the market was telling us that this bodyguard dude wanted to leave a life of crime and work for him again. Then he points out these two workers loading this truck and adds, "Those men were cell mates for years."
We asked him what it was that made him want to continue working with these kind of men and he pointed out another employee of his (this man we already know very well and is a swell guy). He told us that this particular man used to be a thief and that he came to him looking for a job. He liked the guy, and gave him a job, and afterwards he sent this new man to the bank with 8,000 Reais (about 20,000 US$). His friends told him he was crazy and he would never see his money again, but he was perfectly relaxed knowing his money would be fine, and sure enough, the man returned and he has been one of his best employees ever since.
We have the chance to meet and witness to many folks like this. Something that makes the whole job worthwhile!