Orphanages

Hello everyone! An update here quickly.

The last two days (Monday and Tuesday) we spent visiting and ministering at orphanages. On Monday we visited one in the morning that housed many children in foster style homes. These children are not all orphans in the technical sense but are victims of abuse, mistreatment, abandonment, etc.

After lunch we visited another orphanage that operates under the same style. The director spoke to us about the orphanage and then showed us around. After a breif exchange of names with one young boy, his gesture toward a soccer ball and the mention of "football," (soccer) a game sprung up with the children that lasted most of the afternoon. When we left the director and the children prayed with us. One young girl had this to say, speaking for the rest of the children: "I would like to thank you for coming today. Our doors are always open for you. may the Lord bless you. And may you be safe on your trips back to your home."

Monday night we ate with our hosts at one of their favourite restaraunts. The fellowship and food were phenomenal. Our waiters were tickled by our attempts at speaking broken phrases in Portuguese, though we did discover some of them to be brothers at our stuttering of "God Bless" in their native tongue.

The language difference had continued to serve as a source of amusement, both for us and them. Several times we have struggled to say to a small child "what is your name?" in Portuguese, only to have them reply, "Pedro," and then in near perfect English, "good morning, what is your name?"

Tuesday we got up early, visited Pantanal (the church mission in the slums), and then went back to downtown Curitiba, visited the Bishop in his office, and then after having lunch where they priced our meal by its weight, we went to a third orphanage. After about a half-hour drive, on the way there we stopped to get gas, at which point form the back of the bus one of the girls said "um, where's J.D.?" Apparently he'd gone to put his guitar away and we'd driven away without noticing! A great laugh was had by all! Anyway, we arrived at the orphanage during the heat of the afternoon. This housed the same sort of children as the others and operated the same way, though it was less officially Christian affiliated. The children here were absolutely precious. We all wanted to take one (or more) home with us.

That night we attended a weekday church service at a small church where the pastor at Pantanal mission used to be the pastor. We were tickled to our bones that they sang songs we knew! So the singing was bilingual that night. We also performed our play for them, which went very well. A great time of food and fellowship with them afterward, and we also contributed funds to help them roof their church.

It is now wednesday lunchtime (the rest of the team is eating at the moment). This morning we began our ministering at Pantanal, which we'll be doing as soon as lunch is done and the next few days.

That's the basics of what we've been up to. Look for some deeper thoughts about it all when we have more time. Until then, signing off. God bless each one of you, and thank you for your prayers. We are witnessing a growing unity in our team, which has been the prayer of many of us. Continue to pray for focus and energy and a prayerful God-centered spirit in each of us. Graca e Paz.