Well, jet lag is definitely still a factor but I’d fly back in a minute. Why does it seem that a trip like this ends and you are anxious to get home and see loved ones….yet you really don’t want to leave.
As we wrapped up on Monday, lots of tears were shed in our group and from the people we had worked with at Restoration Ministries. Goodbyes were difficult….not just because God had worked so powerfully in our group through the trip….but wonderful friendships were formed as we ministered together with these awesome people. We are already looking ahead to planning another trip for next summer. I really want to go sooner…
During the last weekend, we ran another camp…this time for 7 – 10 years olds (or thereabouts….a few younger…a few older). Same format as the weekend before but these precious little ones seemed even more needy of hugs and attention. Maybe I feel that way because of one of the little boys I particularly bonded with.
Tevas (a nickname….actual name is Nathaniel)….is 8 years old…more the size of a 6 year old here. I don’t know why he picked me to cling to for the weekend…or maybe I do….it was God working in both of our hearts. Tevas’s story is that sometime in the last year his father, a drug dealer, got out of jail and 3 days later, 30 men came to the house and dragged him up on the roof and shot him. Tevas saw it all. In the weeks afterwards, he would tell the Resoration Ministry workers that his goal in life was to grow up, become a drug dealer so he could get rich and buy lots of guns and then go kill all the men that had killed his father…he knew who they all were. Some time later, he showed up one day saying that he was both happy and sad. When asked why….he said “happy because one of the men who had killed his dad had been killed”….but “sad because he hadn’t been the one to kill him”. This from an 8 year old. Soon after that, Restoration Ministries staged a soccer tournament….now we’re talking no uniforms, not very good equipment….just lots of encouragement and fun. Tevas’s team won and he was so proud. After that, there was such a turnaround in his attitude. Recently he has changed to telling the ministry staff that he doesn’t want to kill those men anymore….he just wants to be like the staff. One of the main staff members that actually lives in the same favela where Tevas lives says that when he goes to her house….he never wants to leave. She said that Tevas’s mom now brings home men all hours, day and night, for prostitution purposes and he sees it all. And there are also 2 younger siblings in the house.
Anyway, during the weekend, he was constantly at my side….craving hugs and giving them back. When it came time to leave, we were both crying. Now…he speaks no English and I sure haven’t learned much Portuguese. Yet I looked at him and in English just said: “Tevas, I just wish I could take you home with me”. He “un-hugged”, jumped on our group bus, sat down in a seat and crossed his arms and said: “Estados Unidos” (United States)….as though he had understood me perfectly. I really wish there was some way to bring him here. He is so sweet and precious and smart. Please be praying for this little life and his younger siblings (I haven’t met them). I’ve posted pictures of him here along with others.
Anyway, on another subject, the music room/studio was not completed but we did make a lot of progress. And on Monday, one of the other team members and I went out and helped purchase the rest of the supplies that were needed to finish up. They had not gotten as good of an exchange rate as they had hoped when we sent the first funds for the project….so they were surprised and very grateful when we were able to help them get what it will take to finish the job.
Our team finished strong (but tired) and left knowing that God had done a good work, both in us and in what we were able to present to the children that we reached in Sao Paulo….and also, prayerfully, we were an encouragement and help to Restoration Ministries. If you wanna check out their work, you can find information on the World Venture website (under Paulo and Ireni Mota) or on their website: www.themotas.org. Neither site have been updated very recently. On the Motas personal website, they refer to both boy’s and girl’s safe houses. The boy’s safe house closed a while back and the girl’s safe house is closing very soon due to lack of funds. This is very very sad because there are kids who would and should be benefitting from this kind of intervention. We worked closely with one of the young men who used to live in the boy’s safe house. After being a drug dealer at a very young age, he has made such a turn-around of his life and just glows with his love for God and his heart for service. His younger sister is the last current resident at the girl’s safe house and will soon have to move back home….not a good environment. Tevas is another example of someone who would thrive if he had the love, structure, encouragement and example that he could receive if he could live at such a place. Please pray that they find funding to start these homes back up.
Enough for now….I hope that other’s will post their “post-trip” thoughts on here. Thank you for all who supported our group in prayer while we were gone and in finances before we left. We couldn’t have done it without you! God bless…..