“Deus é tão bom…” (God is so good)

Each day we are here, our team grows closer together and our love for the Brazilians gets stronger. The children continue to get more comfortable with us. Their enthusiasm is contagious. And, they have each found their buddies among the Americans. We play, we laugh, we sing, and we expend so much energy together. Through their time in class learning about American traditions (curiosities) they have grown fond of Dr. Pepper, Easter candy and Christmas bells. Along the way they have also heard much about our Savior and why we celebrate His birth, His resurrection and how that impacts our everyday family lives.
The time with the classes in the mornings is so much fun. The children have bright, shining faces. They are beautiful and smart. To our American eyes, it’s hard to see how can be so bright, clean and happy when they’re living in a pieced-together home. It seems that these families work so hard to provide for basic needs.
Today, we visited a new set of families in the favela. We went to a poorer part of the community called “cardboard village.” It was heart-breaking on so many levels. Most of us saw families struggling to get food on the table each day. Just as we are when we have guests in our home, they are nervous for us to be there. One family has struggles so complicated the mother has no hope. Another family had to build their home on stilts over a sewage drain, because they had no other place to go. While their circumstances are in many ways so different from ours, their hearts are the same. They love their children and want more for them. They need Jesus as their Savior.
Sadly, tomorrow is our last day at Kids Place and in the favela. The time has been far too short. We will follow the same schedule tomorrow, with one addition. The US team will be hosting all the families we’ve met with this week for dinner at Kids Place tomorrow night. It will be an American meal – hamburgers, potato salad and such.
Please pray for our time with the families tomorrow. Pray God would give us wisdom in serving and encouraging these families. Pray for the seeds planted. Pray that the new believers would be encouraged and built up.
Laugh out loud moment: We were entertained by the kids on the team tonight when they serenaded our sweet bus driver, Flavio. The girls made up a song; the boys had an elaborate rap. Flavio loved it and tried to take Cole Miltenberger home with him.