Cristiano

Yesterday, around 5PM, my friend Zezão called me and asked if I wanted to meet one of his friends. Two hours later he picked me up and drove me to a small house in one of the poorer neighborhoods of our town. 
Cristiano is a small (1.60m), sturdy man, 37 years old, single, and incredibly loud. When he talks, you better listen, because if you tried to talk you wouldn't hear your own voice. His big voice is matched only by the size of his heart. 
He lives in the state of Mato Grosso, where he works for a Catholic organization that identifies and denounces modern slavery on the vast farms of his home state. When they call the police, and the men and women are freed, he and his organization provide all the necessary assistance and help these people need. 
When Cristiano talks about these people, his face softens and his voice, however loud, becomes mellow. 
When I told him how much I admired the work he was doing, he said: "But I have trouble sleeping. I wake up dozens of times during the night, and the nightmares haunt me even when I take a nap after lunch. I have seen things I can't forget. I cry tears of blood."
Our conversation turned very personal from that point on, and we talked about things I can't share here. It was long after midnight when I got home. 

(I am aware that my blips have been difficult to read lately. I have shown a lot of misery, and I can't even imagine how it must feel to see and read about these things if you aren't confronted with them on a daily basis as we are here in Brazil. What makes it easier for me is that I am learning about this suffering through people who are actively doing something about it. As long as there are people who love and use their hands to lift up those who are on the ground there is hope. Lots of hope. If you are religious, pray for these helpers and for those who need help. And you don't need to be religious to do the thing that matters most: Love wherever you can.)

Finally, good news from a happy place. Blip Central sent me this answer to yesterday's suggestion: 
"Hi Markus
We've had a discussion here at Blip Central and we don't have a problem with the approach you've suggested. We love that your daughter is so interested in photography. We look forward to seeing her contributions.
Best wishes."

THANK YOU!

MMC17 Day #24