Gessica has been freed for adoption! We have waited for this moment for over two and a half years and my heart is so full of emotion, it is difficult to explain how I'm feeling. We continually pray for forever families for each of the kids but when it happens, the goodbyes can be overwhelming.

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Please join with us in faith and confident expectation for Gessica's future family, as well as for all of the children in our care.

Burning the Boats

On Monday, we received the disturbing news that Amy's home had been burned to the ground. It is suspected that the man who was abusing her is the one who set the fire, but no one has been willing to come forth to make a statement. I went to the city with her to file a police report and she insisted on seeing the house for herself. It was extremely painful to see her agony as she walked through the rubble and ash that remained of her belongings. It reminded me of the stories of Greek commanders who ordered their men to "burn the boats" after they landed on shore. As one of those warriors, you would know that there was no retreat and the only way home was through victory. I shared this story with Amy and said, "God has given you hope for your future and doesn't want you to look back." This has been a devastating blow to her and she needs your prayers. We praise God for rescuing her and her three sons from this situation that could have ended in tragedy.

You Give Me Hope

On Sunday morning, Mike shared about the hope we have in Christ, citing Jeremiah 29:11. He emphasized that when we have confident expectation of what the future holds, we radiate hope to those around us. As he finished the service, Gessica (7-year-old) asked me why Amy (a woman who is staying with us) was crying. I told her that maybe it was because she needed God's hope for her future. We walked over to sit next to her and as I put my arm around Amy, Gessica looked into her eyes and asked, "Why are you crying? Do you need hope? I can give you some of mine!" She reached up and wrapped her small arms around Amy's neck, squeezed her tight...and then asked again, "Do you have hope now?" It was such a precious moment to see the innocent expectation in Gessica's eyes, followed by a new release of tears from Amy as she said, "Yes, I have hope!" Later, I shared with Gessica that I thought that her joy was a special gift from God and that He was going to use her to share His hope with others. She took this to heart because when we arrived at church that night, I saw her going from person to person, asking them if they had hope. They were mostly caught off guard by her question and I heard her say to several of them, "Do you know what hope is? It's when you know your future is going to be good, so you're happy." She would then ask them if they wanted some because she had hope and she could share. What a beautiful picture of childlike faith! Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Please join with us in faith and confident expectation for Amy's future, as well as for all of the children in our care.

Thanks, Sam!

A huge thank you to Sam Petruc for thinking of all of us!  Your generosity made it possible to have TWO pizza parties (that's lunch AND dinner times two!) You are a blessing and we can't wait to see you again! (I'll send more pictures next week when we have the second one!)

Happy Birthday, Marciano!

Marciano turned 13 on Sunday and it was a joy to see his excitement as he opened his presents!  He is a precious young man with a beautiful smile and a gentle spirit.  He and his brother have been with us since the end of May and need your prayers for their future.  

Talent Show

New Shoes

Good tennis shoes are very expensive here so we were very blessed to find out that the First Friends team brought new shoes for each of the kids!  Kevin and Carol Nisly attend First Friends and Mike and I were their youth pastors when they were in high school.  When they heard about the team coming down, they told Levi Swegheimer that they wanted to help. Thank you for reaching out to our children here in Brazil! 

Puzzle Race

The puzzles the First Friends team brought down for us made for a great activity one afternoon when we were waiting for snack to be served!  Each group raced to put their hundred pieces together...and even though Pastor Chris and Janelle's team won and Pastor Stan, Chris, Levi, Donei, and Mikhail's team came in last--everyone had a blast! :) 

SAND VOLLEYBALL!

Huge thank you to the First Friends team for all their help with the sand for our new volleyball court!  After a few hours of some hard work moving sand, the team pulled out a new net they had brought and immediately started playing volleyball with the kids.  It has been a huge hit for the older kids, as well as the younger kids who are enjoying their new sandbox! :)

First Friends Youth In Turvo!

It was absolutely wonderful to have people from our church here with us and God used each one in a mighty way to bless the children, as well as the staff. They arrived with literally a ton of donations to enhance our ministry: clothes, medicines, computers, games, birthday presents, sports equipment...and of course, chocolate chips and peanut butter! They did a VBS program each morning, games in the afternoon, and another fun activity in the evening. In between, they showered our kids with the Father's agape love. One of the highlights of the week was a time of prayer and worship in English for us and Kristin.  One night, glow-in-the-dark soccer was a huge hit, followed by a bonfire with lots of s'mores and worship. We visited Entre Rios for a trip to the waterfall and to meet the children there. Please pray for God to use this trip to stir hearts of future missionaries!

SURPRISE!

Last Friday, we were all surprised to discover that Bella wasn't fat when she arrived...she was pregnant!  It has been a joy to watch mother and child together.  We still aren't totally for sure if the baby is a horse or a mule but love him just the same. :) Pray for continued health for all of our animals and that they will be a benefit to our ministry with the children.

Goodbye to Fabricio!

We had a hearing scheduled with the judge to talk about Fabricio's future on June 21st. Usually these meetings are just with Kevin, the social worker, and one of us but Fabricio's mother had travelled from her home in another state to plead for her son. After the judge heard the mother's story, she decided that Fabricio would leave with her immediately! It was a shock for us to have things move so quickly but we were excited that Fabricio would be rejoining his family after only being with us for such a short time. Please pray that the seeds that were planted here will take root and Jesus's amazing love will shine through his life.

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Bo and Bela

The trade has been made and we now have two horses and three less cows wandering around the farm.  They are both very gentle and don't like to run--perfect for teaching young children!  Bela (with Mike) is quite a bit smaller than Bo (with Ben) and will follow you all day if you have corn in your pocket.

Riding a horse can give a child a sense of independence that boosts confidence and self-esteem.  Many forms of equine therapy, however, do not involve getting on the horse at all.  Simply having a child groom, feed, and care for the horse can help establish an emotional connection.  Please pray that God will multiply these benefits in our kids.

Goodbye to Sam!

Sam just returned to the U.S. after another 6 months at Entre Rios.  He blessed us with several visits during his time there and we were thankful for the love he shared with all the kids, as well as his expertise around the house.  He finished our fireplace upstairs, built a covering for our pool filter, and started a sidewalk down to the soccer field.  We are looking forward to his return to Brazil next year.  Please pray for God's direction for Sam's future in ministry.