the pink dolphins and fishing for piranhas! But it was definitely a time I’ll never forget.
I hope you enjoyed Ryan and Ellie’s story as they fought to survive in this beautiful country. And even more important as they learned that God is the one who upholds us when all hope is lost. May we always remember that He is the one who will give us the strength we need to face whatever lies before us.
Be blessed,
Lisa Harris
To all the wonderful friends I made while living in this beautiful country. You will always be a part of who I am today.
Contents
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ellie Webb made her way down the steep incline of the favela, where hundreds of homes sat packed together in a sprawling maze of steep streets and unpaved narrow alleys. While the working-class shantytown was home for thousands of lower-middle-class Brazilians, for her the tight-knit community had become the perfect place to disappear during the day while she taught English to local kids hoping for the chance of a better future. And for her, darker skin, along with an ability to speak fluent Portuguese, had allowed her to blend into the community.
Almost.
She caught the incredible view of Sugarloaf Mountain that sat at the mouth of Guanabara Bay and jutted out into the Atlantic as she headed past a family-run restaurant and dozens of other tiny shops and homes. In reality, she’d never completely fit in, just like she would never be able to forget why she was here. Long days at the center offering outreach programs and development opportunities had helped keep her busy enough to numb the pain, but she still missed her job and her friends. Still wondered if her best friend, Maddie, had found another maid of honor for her September wedding, and how Lucy, her miniature golden retriever, was doing.
Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts, and she pulled it out of her back pocket, hoping it was Dr. Reynolds letting her know he’d arrived.
“Hello?”
“Ellie? Ellie, I can’t believe it’s you.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. “I’m sorry...who is this?”
“It’s Audrey.”
“Aunt Audrey? Wait a minute. How did you find me?”
Because it wasn’t possible. Her mother’s sister was the only family she had left, and yet even Audrey had been told she’d died in the same fire that killed her father. It had meant no communication that might risk Arias’s men finding her. No telephone calls or letters. No social media. Nothing that could bring the cartel leader and his hit men back to her. Not until he was back in prison along with whomever he’d hired for the hit.
“I was visiting your father the night he was killed. I saw you run out. I went after you but lost you in all the
