Luiz´s Story

Today was a travel day from Parati to Curitiba via Rio. After an early breakfast we were met by our driver who greeted us in English. His name was Luiz and this is his story.
Luiz was born in the favelas of Rio. His father worked hard but drank alot. When Luiz´s uncle was released from prison, he came to live with the family and things began to disintegrate as the uncle pulled the family into drug trafficing. Luiz eventually lost his whole family to trafficing - mother, father, sister and brother. As a young boy with no family, he found himself on the streets, the `road`he called it. But a woman named Maria took him in and raised him as her own with love and discipline. Later Luiz became a Christian but it didn´t feel real to him. He prayed `to become a servant of Jesus`. A short time later a stranger approached him on the street and said, `You are a servant of Jesus.`Luiz´s life changed forever. A man gave him an English Bible and he taught himslef English from reading the Bible exclusively. After years of witnessing to Maria, she too became a Christian. Luiz left Rio for a quiter life in Parati where he has lived for the last 30 years. He is married with two teenaged boys, the oldest boy is named Genesis. He attends the Assembeia de Deus (Assembly of God) church in Parati where they worship 3 times a week. He has been praying that someone would come to translate their services to English. He grinned as he told us that the Holy Spirit has been working in Parati and that about half of the people are now believers. Besides great conversation, he played great Brazilian music! Earlier in the week, our guide in Rio explained that few people every escape the favelas. Luiz´s life is a beautiful example of God´s amazing power and redeeming grace.
We are blessed to have met him.