Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A study in contrasts- Posted by Diane





Today was a visitation day at Iguatemi, one of the favelas where Restoration Ministries has been working for at least 3 years. On my other trips to Sao Paulo, I had really grown close to a beautiful young lady named Leticia. In an area with so many bad influences and temptations, Leticia stands out as being a young woman with a heart for God who desires to do the right things with her life. Leticia loves all things to do with sports and playing ball. She is a gifted athlete and incredible runner. It is sad because living in the favelas and going to the schools in the area, she has no opportunity to develop these gifts. If she was in the states, she would be playing sports for her school and having a great possibility to get into a good university on a scholarship. Instead, she must fight for the education she gets. She is blessed to have two parents in the home, both of whom havee jobs. She desires a good education and hopes to study English and computer science. She will soon be attending English classes at the Restoration Ministries main day center but will have to take a long bus ride to get there. Leticia will turn 15 this Friday. Prayer requests for her would be for her family (parents, 2 older sisters and a younger brother), for staying pure above the influences of sexual impurity, drugs and violence that are a part of her world, for safety on the bus traveling to RM for classes, for educational opportunities that will help her make a better life for herself, and for her to lead a life pleasing to God and His purposes for her. She attends a weekly Bible study that is a pre-requisite to working as a volunteer with RM. Please remember her in your prayers.
By contrast, we visited with another young girl who at16 was holding her 2 month old baby. Daiane is a sweet girl who I met on my very first trip to Brazil 2 1/2 years ago. She has had to drop out of school because of the pregnancy and birth. Both of her parents are unemployed. Her younger brother is running wild. She hopes to go back to school next year.
Another girl (not pictured), Julianna, has also been someone at our camps the last two summers. The first year, she bragged at camp about using some of her prostitution money to buy underwear for camp instead of using it for drugs ....she was 12 at the time. Last summer at camp, we found out that she, at13, now had a young son. She shows violent streaks....actually threatened one of the boys at camp and then stole a knife from the kitchen and hid it in the bushes...planning to use it later...but then was afraid of the darkto go get it.....she was only 13. So today she is hanging out with us, smoking a cigarette and no sign of the child, now 1 1/2, anywhere. Will you pray for these two girls too...and for their baby boys? For them to come to experience God in their lives in a real way that will be bring life-changing behaviors. For them to find a way back into school and to desire an education. For them to realize God's great love for them.
Amen and amen. Thank you for your prayers for these precious kids. And please also pray for the continued program of Restoration Miinistries in Iguatemi and the other favelas where they work. Obrigada and boa noite.
Diane

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the updates! I remember Leticia and whan Julianna hid the knife in the bushes. I wonder where her child is. hmmm. Will be praying for all of them! Hope you are having a great time despite the weather. :)

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  3. Jeff and I will be praying for Latecia and the other children tonight. Also for the team...

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