Hiv Children's Shelter

We passed through the gate into "Casa Refugio"--in english, Refuge House. For fourteen years this YWAM ministry has cared for HIV infected orphans here in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A boy bounded up to me carrying a toy ukelele.

"Hey, I'm Robson (said in Portuguese)" he smiles and offers his hand.

Outside everything was normal. I shook his hand like I would anyone. But my hand seemed to tingle when I grasped his. I'd prepared myself not to react differently just because the kids have HIV. I know it can't be spread through a touch like that. Still, the sensation didn't stop. Perhaps it was normal anxiety. Did I have a cut on my hand? Did he?

Pushing away those thoughts I smiled and introduced myself. He offered his toy and I played a few chords as best I could.

Flavia, one of the YWAM workers, began a tour of Casa Refugio. "These are photos of all the children who have been with us here," Quezia translated for Flavia.

My eyes scanned the smiling faces in photos cut in the shape of a hearts.

"Some are still with us. Some are adopted. Others have died from the HIV related diseases." Flavia hugged and kissed one of the children as she led the tour downstairs.

After the tour Robson caught up with our group. "You draw right?" I asked in Portuguese.

"Sim" he nodded with a smile.

"Could you show me some?"

Robson waived to me to follow him to his room. Brightly painted walls with the childrens' names designed over the beds spoke of the love shown to them here. He opened a spiral notebook with countless drawings of superheroes and cartoon characters. These are good.

"Here I'll make one for you," Robson offered. As he drew I noticed more than half-a-dozen scars across his bronze face. I can't even imagine what all he's been through. In two minutes he'd made an incredible drawing--better than I could do in two hours.

Under normal circumstances he would grow up to be a great artist. I'm sure he'd be thankful just to grow up. But here he has a refuge--a home full of joyful children and the golden-hearted people caring for them. How perfect it would be, if not for the silent reality of their disease.

We will continue working here two more weeks before continuing to the other three cities: Mutum, Cristais & Rio De Janeiro. Flavia (and Robson) said we would even be able to work on the cartoon project "The King's Son" with them. It is a beautiful fulfillment of our prayers for Brazil. And we've just begun.

-Jeff (& fam & DTS)

P.S. For continuing news on the DTS outreach, photos and info. on how to contribute, visit our site: YwamWoodcrest.com and click on the "Brazil DTS Outreach news" link.

Saved At School

teacher had warned us of this rebellious class, “Some are involved in drugs. Many come from rough backgrounds. The other students look down on them.”

“Hey! How’s it going?” I began.

They laughed. Even though it was an English class, they couldn’t understand me.

The teacher broke into the introduction to make some guys in the back be quiet.

I continued (with Portuguese translation), “OK. We came from all these different places, Switzerland, Brazil and the US, to share with you the hope we’ve found in Jesus.”

The class’ eyes grew curious. As our team shared about our experiences in knowing God, the noise and interruptions subsided.

We projected a video about Jesus and the cross. The blood-drenched torture of Jesus flashed upon the screen. Their eyes were transfixed. Some even wept.

This week alone approximately 600 students in the school heard and saw this message of Jesus. We prayed and answered questions with many of the students.

After doing what would be illegal in my home country (preaching in school), the teachers and staff thanked us again and again.

The administration staff even said, “We want to hear this message and see this video too. Can you please meet with us?”

After a time with the staff and vice-principal three prayed to be saved. One said, “This is a beautiful work you are doing here. We need things like this. Thank you so much. God bless you.”

From here we go to Rio for the last two weeks of the outreach. Thanks for reading, praying and supporting us out here in Brazil!
God bless,
Jeff & fam (and DTS)

P.S. Besides the time at school, we also did:
- Web sites for our host church and Project Rhema (a development ministry based in Mutum that provides clothing, education, adoption services and much more)
- An original video, “EveryNobody,” with local young people providing the acting.
- A drama, “Turn Around” with our team and local youth playing different parts.
- An inter-denominational youth meeting with youth from the churches in town (where we performed the drama, showed the video and spoke).
- Teaching at the church and children’s ministry on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights.
- And we continued the door to door diuscipleship visits with the new believers at the church.

www.Rnews.tk (family site for news, photos, video & financial support)

www.YwamWoodcrest.com (our home Youth With A Mission campus)

To Rio Eventually

“You don’t know how much this time has meant to me. The message you shared truly touched me.” That’s one of so many heartfelt thanks we’ve received here in Brazil. Likewise, I’ve come to realize that they don’t know how much this time has meant to us. We were glued to Mutum. The pastor and his wife, many of the church members and youth were all praying that we’d stay another week and not go to Rio as planned. Philipp (our swiss single guy) had an entire fan club of single young women from the church. Some were even fasting and praying we’d stay. MaryGrace was even proposed to by a 14 year old we met at the school! It was hilarious. And we had an invitation to go to nearby Caparao with the pastor’s family to minister and visit the mountains. Still we had already packed and planned to go to Rio. But then there were problems. Because of a miscommunication with YWAM Rio, the projects we’d planned to do had been cancelled. We could go, but the cost would be high and our budget was low. Plus, what would we do there? So... we prayed and decided to stay the extra week. The extra time allowed us to finish our door-to-door discipleship visits and spend more time with our family and friends there in Mutum (and Caparao). Caparao was like an oasis. We had an excellent meeting at a church there. After the service a doctor from the church was so grateful for our ministry that he paid for us to tour the mountains and waterfalls in a 4x4 truck. A week later we finally said our goodbyes. The maniac bus driver seemed to think he was in a Formula 1 race. My lovely wife puked twice. Here in Rio I spoke at the church that our hosts pastor. They’ve been wonderfully hospitable and shown us around town. Tomorrow I fly with Quezia and Daniel. On Thursday the pastor’s family will take MaryGrace and Philipp to catch their plane. Till then they’ll “suffer” on the beaches and in the tourist/shopping areas of Rio. Outreach isn’t all work and no play.

Death Contract

Drums echo through the streets as the congada worshipers summon spirits. Brilliant moonlight casts shadows as we approach the church. Believers are gathering and the music soon drowns out the rhythms in the night.

Cristais, Brazil, is roughly the size of my little home-town, Lindale. It has a beautiful "facade"-- homey cottages, warm hospitality and green hillsides covered in rows of coffee plants. But behind that lies occultic practices, depression and one of the highest per/capita suicide rates in Brazil.

Rubens and Carla, the local pastoring couple and longtime friends of Quezia's family, invited us here for two weeks of outreach with our DTS team from YWAM Woodcrest.

The people's smiling eyes met me as I open my Bible and read:

Your covenant with death will be annulled;
your agreement with the grave will not stand." (Is. 28:18a)

"I believe Cristais has a covenant with death. But you here and we who join with you are called to break this contract through Jesus."

By the end of the service the majority of the audience asked for prayer to help them overcome this influence of depression and death in their lives.

One of our closest friends from the time in Cristais stood and shared how she had attempted suicide before knowing Jesus. Now she was battling those old thoughts again.

"But tonight with Jesus I want to be free of these horrible thoughts!"

We prayed with her and the others. And my toddler son, Daniel, came over and laid his hand on her as if praying. Seeing it, everyone laughed after the last "amen."

The joy of that night echoed all the wonderful times we had while befriending the members of the church and the pastor's family in Cristais.

After two weeks there we returned to Belo Horizonte. We will be here till Wednesday evening when we catch a night bus to Mutum where we'll work for two weeks with another church and a ministry to the poor. Thanks so much for reading, praying and supporting our ministry!
-Jeff