Josiele's Baptism

The misty rain and cold water did not stop Josiele's baptism today! Our church here in Entre Rios and a sister church in Guarapuava came together today to rejoice in the public confession of 10 lives who have been changed forever because of Jesus Christ. After a time of worship and testimonies, everyone surrounded the pool to witness the outward sign of their old life becoming new. Afterwards, everyone stayed for lunch and an afternoon of fun and fellowship. We praise God for the special work that He is doing in Josiele's life. Please pray for her as she continues to seek after His will for her future.

Mateus

Mateus has finally been reunited with his brothers and sister! Aline and Alisson arrived last March and soon after Alex joined them but Mateus remained at the group home in Guarapuava. There was a chance that all the children would be going back to live with their grandmother but when it was realized that wouldn't happen, the judge asked if we would be able to care for Mateus. He is a precious little boy and we're thrilled that he is with his siblings, especially Aline who has been praying for this day for a long time. Please pray with us for a forever family for these beautiful children.

Loeci and Marcelo's Wedding

After a busy week of cleaning the house from top to bottom and mowing and weedeating 4 or 5 acres of grass...CLM was ready for Loeci's wedding on Sunday! Besides starting a little late because of rain, everything was perfect. The ceremony was performed in the middle of the soccer field with Pastor Rogerio, Pastor Fabio...and Pastor Mike translating! It was his first time as a translator and he did a great job. Please pray a special blessing on this precious couple as they start their new life together.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

God only gives three answers to our prayers:
1) Yes!
2) Not yet...
3) I have something better planned for you!

Lamentations 3: 21-26 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

I believe this year God is going to do far more than we can ever hope or imagine! Join with us in praying a miracle for the children here at CLM!

Christmas Day

Besides all the excitement of opening gifts, the kids love the fact that Christmas is one of four days during the year that the adults do all of the chores...a huge gift in itself! After breakfast dishes were done, we gathered in the family room to worship before choosing the first names to begin opening gifts. This was a fairly long process with 50+ people! After a buffet-style lunch, the rest of the day was spent swimming and playing with new games and toys until we finally got them all back into bed around 10:30pm. We praise God for a perfect day to celebrate Jesus's birth.

Secret Friend Christmas Party

Our Secret Friend gift exchange was a little smaller this year--only about 85 people! Five people were called up front at a time to reveal their Amigo Secreto. Throughout the evening, special presentations were given of choreographed dances, including an impromptu by Hellen, our NOT shy 2-year-old! (Once she got started, we couldn't get her off the stage!) We ended the celebration with a worship song about the beautiful gift of Jesus and a feast of Christmas cookies and ice cream.

Campouts and Pajama Parties

Besides celebrating Christmas and the New Year, Mike has taken two groups of boys camping this past week, while I've had two groups of girls spend the night at our house. Pray for us as we plan several more over the next few weeks to make special memories with each of the kids.

Our Trip to Curitiba

We took Lucilene to a scoliosis specialist in Curitiba on Monday and they have scheduled the surgery on April 8th. It is a major back surgery that requires 9 months for a full recovery. Please pray for Luci to have peace as she waits, for her to trust God more than ever before, and for the doctors and nurses who will be attending her.

To make the most of the trip, we invited Janete, Lucilene's sister to come along. We were able to make some very special memories, visiting a petting zoo on the way, swimming at the hotel pool, and introducing them to Outback Steak House!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

I'm not sure if we will ever get used to putting up a Christmas tree when it's 75 degrees out but we'll continue to try! We decorated the family room last week and just finished our last trip to the city to shop for Secret Friend gifts with each of the kids. This year, there will be about 90 people in our gift exchange, as kids who grew up at CLM return with their families to celebrate Christ's birth with us. Please pray for our visitors as they travel and that each of us will again be reminded of the most precious gift that God has given us...His Son, Jesus.

War on Lice!

If you've visited CLM, you have seen our diligence in trying to keep our kids lice-free. However, with 30 kids, it is an ongoing battle that we sometimes lose. After a frustrating week of using lice shampoo, passing fine-toothed combs, blow drying hair, washing linens, pjs, and stuffed animals...Mike finally took matters into his own hands! Who's next???

Update on Mariane

After removing the stitches, the doctor told us that Mariane's finger looks much better than he had hoped. The very tip is still black but we are continuing to pray that she will not even lose that tiny part. She will return each day this week to clean the wound and change the bandage, and will continue taking an antibiotic to treat the infection. She has not complained at all about the pain or even the inconvenience of having her hand wrapped and arm in a sling. We praise God for her and His providence in her life.

Lucilene's Surgery

We have received a second opinion that confirms that Lucilene will need corrective back surgery for the curvature of her spine. Both doctors believe that this is the only option to prevent major health issues in the future with her lungs and heart. After one more appointment in Guarapuava next month, the surgery has been tentatively planned for January in Curitiba. Please pray for God to prepare Lucilene (as well as her brother and sister, Elielton and Janete) emotionally for the operation, as well as the intense therapy that she will need afterwards. May God guide the surgeon's hands and demonstrate His healing power.

Pray for Mariane

Mariane received 11 stitches tonight after her pinky finger was nearly cut off by one of the long benches in the diningroom. The doctor said the circulation is poor and needs to be checked every day to make sure it doesn’t die. He also said he’s not sure it will ever be functional again because of the damage to the nerves and tendons. Please pray for a miracle.

A Dream Come True

Meet Maria's new horse, Sereno! (Although he threw Maria off his back the first time she rode him, his name actually means "calm" in Portuguese! :0) I've never seen Maria so happy. She runs to the barn as soon as she gets home from school and looks for any opportunity to return throughout the afternoon, in between lunch, chores, homework, and dinner. Thank you to those who generously gave to make this dream come true in her life.

Visit from Valdi and Paulo

We had a wonderful surprise this week...a visit from Valdicleia and Paulo, two of our children who were adopted by a Brazilian couple last year. It was the first time we've seen them since last November. Both are doing well and enjoyed sharing about their new family, new home, and new school. They are planning to visit again next week to celebrate Paulo's birthday with us. Please continue to pray for these two precious children and their new parents. (I'll be sure to get a picture of Paulo on their next visit!)

New Pajamas

A huge thank you to the North Phoenix AC Church! Each year, they send new pajamas chosen specifically for each child at CLM Entre Rios and Turvo. You can see from the kids' smiles how happy they are to receive this special gift! May God bless your generosity!

CHILDREN'S DAY...PART THREE?!?

Today, the judge invited the entire CLM family, as well as all the kids currently placed in children's services in Guarapuava, to a movie at the theater in the city. Our kids were already excited about the movie, so you should have seen them when we told them we were going to the Children's Park afterwards...and then to the pizzaria for dinner! The sponsors of our students at Imperatriz blessed us with a donation and asked us to do something special for all the children at Entre Rios. In the past, they have bought things just for our 10 students who go to the private school but this time wanted to do something special for everyone for Children's Day. It was a perfect opportunity to take them out for dinner since we were already in the city. Again, God blessed us with a warm and sunny day and the smiles, hugs, and "thank yous" from our kids blessed each of us. Our desire is for each of them to feel treasured and we are so grateful for everyone who helps to cultivate the true worth and precious value that God has placed on their lives. Please pray that the Holy Spirit continues to delve deep within each one, taking away any seed of doubt that it is their fault they aren't with their families.

Children's Day...Part Two!

After yesterday's sunshine and the weather report calling for rain all day, we planned activities for the kids today just in case we were stuck indoors all day. But again, God blessed us with another perfect day. After lunch, the kids were doubly blessed to receive a bag full of candy and to discover they had no chores for the day. As soon as all the adults finished the dishes, everyone came together to play hockey for the first time. Viktoria, Jake, Lobinho, and Mike jumped on a team while I strapped on a whistle as the referee/photographer. Everyone loved it and the little ones learned more about time...they must have asked 10 times during the 3 minutes they were in the penalty box if it was time to go back in! The afternoon was filled with more games, soccer, basketball, sand volleyball, and rollerblading. We had brownie and ice cream sundaes with homemade hot fudge sauce and whipped cream for snack. I had fortunately made plenty because 15 of Donei's friends showed up to spend the day with us and teenage boys can eat! Amanda and Jake filled about 200 water balloons and organized a balloon launch and relay which left everyone soaked and ready to swim. We ended the day at the pool with a bonfire and a weenie roast and again thanked God for another special day for our kids.