He Walked!

YWAM Woodcrest - DTS News: "Yesterday I saw little Matheus walk for the first time. I mentioned in an earlier message how he is four years old--but he's far behind in development after being held in the hospital during his mother's long battle with AIDS. He'd been left alone in his hospital bed so long, he couldn't walk or speak. So you can imagine why I was scrambling to try to capture the moment on film as Matheus took his first unaided steps. Sometimes 'the lame walk' without God bending the laws of His creation. Instead, it was the result of the faithful care and encouragement he has received since arriving here at Casa Refugio (the YWAM shelter for kids with HIV/AIDS).

I also told you about Robson, the 'chief illustrator' for the cartoon we've been working on with the children (he finished the last of the 40 drawings today!). When he arrived here he was already drawing--but the images were of battles and gore. One of the young women told me how he gave her drawings with super heroes cutting each other to shreds--but the notes below always read, 'love, Robson.' How different that is from his new drawings of the King (representing God the Father) and his son (Jesus) in the cartoon. Again, this transformation didn't happen instantly. The love he's receiving here is changing him into an amazing young man of God. It began long before we arrived.

Many would call this another wonderful 'everyday miracle.' But I believe this is what God intends to be 'normal.' It's not normal for our sins (or other's sins against us) to go untreated. Like Matheus, may we be rescued from the sick beds that entrap us. May we stand to walk closely with the Lord.

-Jeff & fam (& DTS)"

Precious Laughter

The highlight of the week was a birthday party (with Brazillian BBQ) they had for Robson and Caique (pronounced Kaheekee). As the preparations for the party were going on, Quezia and I took a quick break in the dining area on the second floor. We stood at the window looking over the playground where a few kids remained. The ones there at the time were those too sick to go to school.
Mateos is one of them. He was kept in the hospital for a very long time while his mother battled and succumbed to AIDS (by law children cannot be placed in a home or adopted untill the parent has passed away). The overwhelmed hospitals have no staff to spend time with children there with their parents. He was kept alive, but not spoken to, held or taught at all. He cannot walk or speak normally. The YWAM staff here told me that he's doing immensely better here at Casa Refugio than when he arrived from the hospital--gaining weight, understanding language, crawling and attempting to walk. He laughed as he tossed away a balloon for Quezia to catch--just like my son did when he was around a year old. Mateos is nearly four. Laughter is precious from all children-- but especially children like these.
"Are you ok?" Quezia asked me as I looked out from the window.
"Yeah, it just hits you sometimes... they are going to die too soon." I held onto the window frame.
"I know."
A gate slammed and in rushed the children from school. One boy raced down the driveway into the playground on his big-wheel tricycle. He turned sharply--just missing the chairs.
As I decended the stairs into the playground Robson ran in from school.
"Oi!" he greeted me and then asked Webio, the director of Casa Refugio, if he could help with the preparations for the party (his party).
The party began with the Brazillian music playing, the children were dancing and enjoying the BBQ, sodas and cake. They also prayed for special birthday blessings for Robson and Caique. The staff here make each of the children's birthdays a wonderful celebration. It is important because it refutes the world's attitude that these children are worthless.
Near the end of the evening Quezia and I went over to wish Robson a happy birthday before we had to leave.
"Happy birthday! I wanted to give you this--it's a shell necklace I got in Hawaii," Quezia said.
"No! I can't take it." Robson smiled and politely refused.
"But I want you to have this. Come here." Quezia kneeled and placed it around his neck.
"Oh, thank you Tia (auntie)! Thank you very much!"
He hugged Quezia tightly and me as well.
Perhaps he was just trying to be polite by not accepting the gift at first. But many of these children struggle with feelings of rejection, fear and other emotions that make it hard to receive love or hope.
The director had told Quezia and I about how he had to warn one of the past volunteers not to give false hope to one of the children. The child had taken the volunteer's loving care to mean that they would be adopted.
We took this to heart and were impartially showing love to all the kids. Still, I don't know how I will be able to say good-bye to any of them.
As we began to head home, I noticed Robson showing his necklace to Flavia, one of the YWAM staff at Casa Refugio.
Had we been too partial? Or was it an appropriate gift well received? My doubts lingered... till I heard his precious laugh.

[ Please continue to pray for us as we are here another week before going on to three other cities in Brazil. Thanks! -Jeff

Whale of a Story

Teaching here in Mutum at "Children's Church" on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights was a joy.

Using a translator, I told them the story of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho, Jonah, Joseph, Esther, and of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendigo ("Rack, Shach, and Benny"). My goal was to be creative in the story telling so they could see them come to life. Some stories worked better than others for this particular method of storytelling.

The kids really enjoyed acting out two of the stories, the Battle of Jericho and "Rack, Shach, and Benny." The Battle of Jericho involved quite a bit of on the spot planning. We used the chairs they were sitting in to build the wall, paper rolled up to look like horns, and a bottle of soda as the Ark of the Covenant. When they were told to shout, as Joshua told the people, they were so loud that they successfully interrupted the prayer going on upstairs in the adult meeting. A little unconventional maybe, but they remember how the battle was fought and that God won it through the obedience of his people. The acting out of the fiery furnace went a little more smoothly as I needed no props and no yelling. The kids really took their parts seriously. I only wish we had gotten it on video. When I told the story of Jonah, I drew the different elements of the story on the board after a craft idea fell through. The kids still loved the story. We asked what they learned from the story, and one child answered, "When God tells you to do something, you better do it, or a whale might swallow you!"

The children absolutely loved the stories that they learned. I look back at all those nights and am so greatful that God brought me here. He directed my path straight to the hearts of these little kids. At times I felt like maybe I was missing out on what was going on upstairs. But looking back, I would not trade the time with the children for a hundred adult meetings.