The Haves and the Have Nots

The "Haves and the Have Nots, two extremes of society, are very apparent in the world we live in here in Sao Paulo.

The Haves are the people who live in nice homes, who are interested in top-notch education for their kids, who enjoy entertaining or traveling without considering the cost. In this catagory are many of the friends we have or the new friends we are making. Many of them are very generous and are thankful to God for the wealth and style of life they have. Some of them do business in the upper part of Brazilian society, yet live humbler life styles.

The Have Nots are people who also have dreams, but struggle to make ends meet on a day to day basis. Life is a constant challenge. They work hard but the temptation to make "easy money" is in their face. They also want things like the ability to get all the TV channels that are available. So they live in a two or three room simple concrete building shared by others but with a satelite dish posed on top of the building.

The two extremes have several things in common--their love for soccer, their love for a party, their enjoyment of friends and the care and protection of their own.

Our challenge is ministring and living within these two extremes. We need to remind ourselves that in God's eyes they are equal. Each has unique set of challenges. We need to treat them with equality, in love, with patience, and try to identify with their challenges.

Life in Sao Paulo,

Arlene for the Flurrys