Woken by Helicopters...

This morning I was woken up about 3:30am to the noise of a police helicopter flying low over the slum, clearly looking for some people - most likely drug traffickers. [As I actually type this the helicopter has come back and is still searching - it is now 3:20pm...over an area of lots of thick black smoke and I can hear a fire engine or one of the emergency services] ...

Sorry about that it is not a great photo, I have taken it from my bedroom window

It is easier for the police to use a helicopter as the slum has so many alleys and windy roads, you can get a better view from above...

From what we have heard there have been two incidents during the night/morning:
1. Some drug dealers from the slum were arrested and put in jail, but they are now back in the slum free, as they paid the police off with $R5000 (£1850)...I do not know anymore about this though. It just really highlights how corrupt things are here.

2. Early this morning a large bus was set on fire, by some people of the slum in demonstration to the police, as the police had killed two innocent people (one under the age of 18) and the people are really angry and frustrated towards the police and how they work....

Here is an extract of an article (translated) about the incident:

A bus (from line 4107) was torched on Saturday (Feb. 19), in the Serra district, South-Central Region of Belo Horizonte. According to the Military Police (MP), the vehicle was destroyed by fire after two residents were killed in an exchange of gunfire with police overnight. No one was injured in the incident with the bus, according to the MP.

According to police, during a patrol in the neighborhood, the military found about 20 suspects with uniforms of the gate and the MP. 

In an exchange of fire, two men were killed (one being a minor). One officer was also reported as injured. 

A resident of the neighborhood, who prefers to remain anonymous, claims that police killed two innocent people. "They were not criminals. They were workers," said the resident. According to him, the police, instead of protecting the people of the Serra neighborhood, do the opposite. "They [the police] are terrorizing the community. They act brutally. They come and put their guns to the heads of the residents, without asking for identification."  He also said that in the early hours of Saturday (19th), with the death of two men, the population was scared. "People were running all night in fear. Nobody could sleep. We heard gunfire and helicopters all the time. " He added: "The atmosphere is one of revolt and fear because the police are not doing their jobs." 

I just want to say this to end... Please do not worry about me I am fine and safe but please pray for the people of this community, pray for the police and the government that they can rule and the help the people of this country with justice and love and equality. Please pray for the people that have lost people due to the violence of the police and people from within the slum too. Pray for drugs and violence to no longer rule their lives.  

As a Christian and a missionary being called to Brazil these incidents really make me stop and think....what can I do to show Jesus to these people?! How can what I know and have experienced in my life help these people - that have such a different life from me....God is bigger than all these situations, I feel all I can do is to pray for His will to be done...