: Brazil

Hello one and all!

Thought I’d send out a quick “Hello” …to let you all know that I am still alive here! Well I am still having enormous problems with technology and cannot send out a newsletter, though will continue to keep trying!

However, just to briefly update you all …

Life at Vale: was going well, until 4 weeks ago! Have been off sick since then with an infected foot/ankle that blew up for 2 and 1/2 weeks to the size of an elephant’s foot! Have taken two different types of strong antibiotics, 2 injections of antibiotics and in the end a vascular doctor took off the top crusty, dead skin! I now just have a hole in my ankle that is not healing! Yesterday I went to a dermatologist who prescribed a cream to pass on the wound for 20 days to see if this improves it! We’ll see! Has been very painful, but it a little less sore these days!

Life at the Roda: my small group has grown! Usually had between 6-8 regulars, now have between 10-13! Am thinking that we’ll have to move back to meeting at the church building, cos my lounge is a little squashed with 13 teenagers! BUT this a great “problem” to have! 🙂

Church is going well too! I don’t know IF I informed you that from May I was made the “temporary” worship leader, which was extended until August while our Pastor was on holiday. On his return it was made “permanent”! So I now am responsible for all things musical! Leading and organising music practices, music for Sunday’s, rotas etc! It’s something I really love doing and my desire is that we as a band lead our church into God’s presence!

The other biggest news is that my life as I knew it no longer exists!

I have for the past 5 weeks become “Mum” to a 13 year old girl from Vale! She came to stay with me as a result of a very traumatic, horrendous situation, that basically resulted in that she cannot return to Dois Unidos as its too dangerous! Her family (aunties and grandma) didn’t want her! Her Mum (drug addict) has disappeared again as she’s done throughout her life, so it was go and live at a shelter (which no-one deserves to experience!)  or come and live with me, as I am the only person at Vale who doesn’t live in Dois Unidos! It’s a challenge!!! Suddenly being thrown into parenthood and with a teenage girl with 13 years of baggage and trauma is interesting to say the least! After 3 weeks of trying to sort out transferring her schooling to here, since last week she’s now started studying at a school here, which is good!

So there in a nutshell is what’s happening here right now!

PRAYER REQUESTS:

1) For wisdom, guidance, patience and understanding with my new charge! And to know what is God’s will for her and me! Whether its to stay with me permanently or not?

2) For healing of my ankle wound!

3) For finances for me, as school fees, books, uniforms, food and everything is very expensive and quite simply my outgoings have increased by 100%! I am trusting God for provision for this!

Thank you for your continued support!

Love

Ali

Hi one and all! Hope this finds you well!

I haven’t been able to send a newsletter this month because my laptop died and though I got it fixed I still have a big problem with the software, which hopefully is being sorted as I write! As soon as I can I will send out news!

However in the meantime, I just wanted to inform you of something so that you can pray!

The daily situation at Vale has suddenly turned critical, in that our financial sponsors have pulled out, leaving us completely dependent on donations of food, to feed the kids (which thank the Lord we are still able to do, all be it not necessarily healthily!) The other workers have also not received their salary for the past 2 months and we can’t see where it’s going to come from! So it’s all rather shaky, BUT we are still trusting in God and believe that he still has a plan for Vale and the lives of these incredibly vulnerable kids!

Thank you for your continued support. love ali

Mags Southern and Gwen Carlisle’s news from Paraguay is available on request.

God Bless,

Jo Hazelton    MCIPD

Regional Personnel Officer (South America)

My Father’s House Update recently received into the SAMS office:

• My Father’s House Update

Hello folks,

Have received message from Earl and Ruth which includes these objectives for their visit (6 weeks beginning 2 March).

These are not just positive and informative but might serve as points for prayer.

God bless,

John

Earl and Ruth Trekofski (founders of Mont Horeb) have a lot of work cut out for them while they’re in Itaperuçu in March and April. Their objectives are:

1.) The selection and installation of a new director. Please pray for God’s will to be accomplished in this urgent matter.

2.) Developing a job description for the director’s position (Bebeto trained under us for several years and knew what his responsibilities were).

3.) Making sure there are contact people in place for both SAM Ministries Canada), and SAMS UK & Ireland, for the sponsorship program, as well as for other matters such as pictures, articles and reports needed for public relations and fund raising efforts carried out on behalf of M.H.

4.) Re-writing criteria and regulating our ‘university grant program’ that has been operating with help from a Canadian Foundation.

5.) Considering support links. Earl and Ruth have been seriously thinking and praying about asking the Prado Baptist church in Curitiba to act as an overseer or spiritual guardian of Mount Horeb since most of the board members and administrative staff are younger people with very little experience. Earl and Ruth write, “This is the church that has been involved with M.H. almost since its inception and M.H. Vice President Elcio is their missions pastor. People from this church (doctors, dentist and church workers) have been volunteering to serve the community of Caçador and they have certainly earned our trust and confidence. We would ask them to present the names of people for us to consider inviting as MH associates.

6.) They continue, “We plan to have a businessman and founding member of M.H. come in and teach our board about how an organization functions, the proper procedures that must be followed, and the importance of being faithful in following our constitution in order to avoid confusion as well as clarifying the duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors. Earl only has one year in his term as president and we are hoping we can find a Brazilian capable and spiritually prepared to take on this important role as well.”

My Father’s House Update recently received into the SAMS office:

• My Father’s House Update