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.

One More Addition!

We have one more addition to the Turvo family...a horse! One of our neighbors has offered to trade us two horses for three of our cows. The kids are so excited about being able to ride and we know it will be a wonderful experience for them to learn to care for a horse. We are interested in doing equine therapy and we are looking for any material or information you might have about the subject. If you know of anything, let us know. Thanks!

Josicleiton and Mayara

Late Friday night, Josecleiton (12) and his sister, Mayara (8) came to live with us. Their story is heartwrenching and we ask for your fervent prayers for the Holy Spirit to begin healing their emotional scars. Cleiton has severe abdominal issues and has been scheduled for a surgery on June 6th. Mayara cried herself to sleep the first few nights.  They both seem to be adjusting well and are basking in the hugs and individual attention they are receiving from our staff.

Marciel and Marciano

 

Marciel (15) and his brother, Marciano (12) arrived on Monday after being removed from their home.  Marciel had dropped out of school two years ago, and has been living on the streets. He shared with us that he can't hear out of his right ear, nor see very well with his right eye.  They are both absolutely delightful boys who have captured our hearts.  Please pray for their quick adjustment and that they feel safe and secure with us. Also, pray that we can quickly meet Marciel's medical needs.

Mother's Day, 2012

We had a beautiful Mother's Day celebration and are thankful to everyone who helped to make it such a special day.  Elle and Kristin helped the kids make cards and a video and Mike bought each of us flowers and prepared a delicious lunch and cake.  Our family celebrated the day before with our annual photo shoot and I loved it!  (I'm understanding now why my parents didn't have many pictures of us growing up! :0)  Thank you for praying for each of our families (Mike, Mary, Lindsay, Jenna, Ben/Jake, Amanda, Noah/Adriel, Elaine, Helisa, Hellen), as well as for each of the CLM children who are waiting for a new mom.

Kristin

Kristin Keiper arrived in March and will serve with us until December.  She does so many things, I'm not sure how me managed without her or how we'll manage after she leaves!  She is the definition of a servant and has the hugest heart for the kids.  She had served for six months with us at Entre Rios and has grasped Portuguese more quickly than any other short termer we've had.  She has earned the love and respect of the staff and kids and is an integral part of our team.  Please pray for Kristin.

Elle

Arielle Mack arrived six weeks ago and took CLM by storm.  She had told us when she arrived that she wouldn't need a day off...I don't think she took ANY time off!  Her love for Jesus spilled out over all of us and literally immersed the children in its wake.    Thank you, Elle for your beautiful transparency and unconditional love.  You are missed!

Apologies and Thank yous....

For those of you who continue to faithfully check our blog for updates and photos about our ministry and family here in Brazil...please accept my humble apology for allowing weeks and sometimes months to pass without a post. Thank you for continuing to pray and support us during the most challenging time of our lives. Adjusting to our new life as the parents of three teenagers and the responsibilities of being in charge at the orphanage here in Turvo has been difficult at best. We are taking a few days of much needed vacation time this week and my goal is to bring you up-to-date...so stay tuned! :) BLESSINGS!