Dear Prayer Warrior,
CLM ENTRE
RIOS:
Just to explain again, the reason
there was no Prayer Warrior letter last week was because I was not home. My
friend, Joan arrived in Curitiba on Friday and we got a bus to a beach in São
Paulo. We were very blessed to be able to use the apartment of a couple from
our Utinga church. It was a nice, restful week. The weather got better as the
week went on. We returned to CLM on Thursday night and left again on Saturday
morning to pick up the Stuber family. It was a very emotional moment as the
Stuber family stood before their daughter for the first time. Tears flowed and
it seemed that time stood still. Nina (which is her new name and which she
insists that everyone calls her) was very shy and seemed to be trying to figure
out if the people she saw on Skype and in pictures were really these people that
were standing in front of her and wanting so much to hold her. Once we got in
the car and to the hotel, she was full of giggles and seemingly fitting right
in. On Monday morning, they had their first interview with the Social Worker
and requested the Guardianship papers to be able to officially start their 30
day co-habilitation. The papers did not end up being issued until today. They
will be receiving a visit from the Social Worker here at CLM. We are hoping
that the Judge and/or District Attorney will come along. At that time, another
interview will be set up and they will have a time space to travel a bit. The
combination of being at CLM, where the territory is familiar and leaving for a
while to be alone with her new family, we believe, helps her to comfortably more
forward in the process of bonding. We ask for your prayers for Nina and the
Stuber family (Dale, Dana, Sam, Max, and Calvin) during the next 6 weeks that
all goes smoothly and right on time.
At the same time and in fact on the
same plane, Sonya Haring with her work team arrived. Our friends Jozsef and
Maria Toth arrived to take care of them and get them to the bus station and on
their way to Guarapuava. Sonya, Sue, Coleen, Tereza, and Lauren packed into two
small cars with their over abundance of luggage. Jozsef´s expression was that
they only managed with the use of a "shoe horn". They have been very busy since
they got here unpacking all the blessings they brought, organizing the clothes
in the clothes room, and now are well into a project to paint the stair well and
new clean-clothes room. They will be going to CLM Turvo for a day and doing
some special activities for the kids. It is so fun to watch our kids enter in
and build relationships with all of our visitors (they have a lot to choose from
right now!). On Saturday night or early Sunday morning, the team will be
leaving for Foz do Iquaçu and from there they get their return flight. Continue
to pray for them, that God can do all He desire in and through them and for a
safe trip home.
Because of the Swine Flu, our kids
continue to not have school and many other things have been cancelled. It is
kind of a continuation of the winter break, which will probably cause lots of
problems at the end of the year. They will have been off 3 weeks, if they
actually do start back next Monday. As of now, it has been said that there are
no confirmed cases of the Swine Flu in Guarapuava, but 8 people have died in
Curitiba including a professor from Vera´s college. Please pray that the flu
scare would pass and that God would protect all of us.
Lucilene is 14 years old today. She
came to CLM in 2001 with her sisters Bernadete (no longer at CLM) and Janete and
her brother, Elielton. They had ran in fear of their lives from their home late
at night the night before. Their mother and stepfather were drunk and very
violent. Lucilene is a delicate and beautiful young lady. She is a good helper
and enjoys the babies. She is in the 7th grade and although has difficulties in
school, she is responsible and dedicated to her studies. She likes to sing and
has a really pretty voice. Her dream is to become a singer. Lucilene and some
of the other girls have started visiting a couple of older women. I can see
Lucilene being a good hostess someday and these visits are helping her know how
to receive people. She has a sweet spirit and a sensitive heart to the Lord.
Pray for her studies and for her emotional and spiritual growth.
Luana will be 8 years old on Sunday,
August 16th. Luana came in April of last year from a very complicated family
situation. No one in the family was interested in taking care of Luana, much
less her mother. It is their loss, because Luana is a very precious treasure.
She is affectionate and friendly, but somewhat shy at the same time, with a pixy
smile. She is courageous and of a strong personality and yet a gentle spirit.
Sometimes she gets the giggles and it is delightful. Although she can complain
at times, she is a good worker and the neatest in her room. She is in
kindergarten and shows a lot of struggles with learning. Hopefully, after some
more specific evaluations, we will be able to get a clearer picture of her
difficulties and how to help her best. Our prayer is that she will be released
for adoption and that God will provide a wonderful family for her. Pray for her
continual development and for God´s future plans for her.
Visits continue for Francielle,
Lucas, Rita, and Gisieli with their mother. It is definitely going in the
direction for them to return home. There are tremendous concerns about that,
but there are no legal reasons to remove the mother´s rights and the
children seem more and more interested in returning. Please pray for this
situation. Alisson, Aline, and Alex also continue to have visits with their
grandmother who desires to take responsibility for them (along with their 3 year
old brother, Mateus). From the looks of things they will be sent right back
into a similar situation that they were removed from -- drugs, violence, and
perversity. Please pray that proof would be found and documented that the
grandmother is not anymore fit to care for them than the mother and that the
mother will not be absent from the scene as the Judge is
requiring.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Joan - pray that every minute of
her time at CLM will be filled with blessings and ministry, for good health and
God´s protection, for time for intimate fellowship with me and other staff
members.
2) Stuber family and their little
Nina - that God would walk them all through the process of helping Nina bond and
feel secure in her new forever family, for understanding for Nina as to what is
happening and what all of this means, that the legal process would go smoothly
without any hold ups or new requirements imposed, for safe travels wherever they
may go, that Nina will be picking up and especially understanding English more
and more, pray for Lino who works with the family during this
process.
3) Sonya, Coleen, Tereza, Lauren,
and Sue - that they would continue to be blessed and be a blessing, that
God could speak to each one of them in His special way, for safe travels as they
leave on Sunday to Foz do Iquaçu.
4) Swine Flu - that God would stop
anymore spread of it, that all activities especially the schools can return to
normal, for recuperation of the 3 weeks missed.
5) Lucilene - for emotional
and spiritual growth, for help with her studies that she may become stronger and
stronger, that she would continue to give her all in all she does, that God
would bless her through the visits she enjoys making, that her dreams may come
true, that her and her brother and sister would be adopted.
6) Luana - that her academic and
learning difficulties can be discovered with an understanding of how to help
her, for God´s protection over her, that she would be released for adoption and
adopted into the family of God´s choose.
7) Francielle, Lucas, Rita, and
Gisieli - that God´s will will be done and that the door to their returning home
would be closed if it will be harmful to them, for Dr. Tânia´s evaluation of the
situation and the mother´s capabilities to care for them, God´s preparations for
their futures, for Aline and her future.
8) Alisson, Aline, Alex (and Mateus)
- for living proof that these children will return to the exact same situation
or worse that they came out of, that the Judge´s decision will NOT be to return
them to the grandmother, that it would be decided if Mateus should be
transferred to CLM.
9) Chris and Cindy - for safe
travels on their trip home, that God would lead them in their reflection of
their experiences, that they would spread the word of CLM´s
mission.
10) Mike and Mary - congratulations
on the celebration of their 20th wedding anniversary, that they would continue
to blossom where God has planted them.
11) Vivien (Pastor Rogério´s wife) -
is facing multiply health problems. Pray that they would be able to find and
diagnose the problem, for treatment and recovery, for spiritual and emotional
encouragement and strength to face the trials.
12) Maria Paula (8 year girl in the
community with a non-operative brain tumor) - that God would do a mighty work to
bring healing and restored health, for support to her family, that they all
would be drawn to God through this difficult situation.
CLM
TURVO:
This week, Josefina left to join her
new family. Her new parents are professors at the State University in
Guarapuava and are thrilled with the blessing they have received. The
adjustment at first was very difficult for Josefina, but things are improving
each day. The adjustment for the CLM Turvo family and especially Luiz and
Aninha´s family isn´t easy, but as always the desire was to make the move as
easy on Josefina as possible. Please pray for Josefina´s continual adjustment
and for the family to be touched by God through this miracle that has come to
them.
Aninha is to be having her knee
surgery here in Guarapuava on Friday, August 14th. This week, she is making the
final exams and appointments necessary before surgery. She will be on bed rest
for 3 weeks after the surgery. Aninha seems to be at peace and putting it all
in God´s hands. We are thankful for the extra help with Joacir and Meghan
spending about 2 weeks there and also the arrival of Carrie Pflederer from
Tremont, Illinois. Carrie arrived today and will be staying 3 months. Please
pray for Aninha for perfect surgery and perfect recovery. May God bring His
healing and remove all pain and discomfort she has been having.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Josefina - for her continual
adjustment to her new family and for the adjustment of the family to their new
addition, that their contact with CLM can mark their lives profoundly, that the
Lord will comfort Luiz and Aninha and their family and the rest of the CLM
family.
2) Aninha - that the Lord will
mightily work through and in this surgery to bring healing and complete
recovery, for peace and courage entering the surgery and determination and
patience after the surgery, that she will feel the prayers and support of all
the prayer warriors, for extra strength and patience for Luiz.
3) Students - that school would
begin once again, for strong motivation and dedication of the CLM students, for
recuperation of the time lost, for protection from negative influence, that all
would work to the maximal of their ability, for the volunteer who helps with
homework.
4) Natalia - for continual spiritual
growth, for the fellowship with other young Christians that she needs, for
continual development of her ministry in the love and truth of God.
5) Etienne, Allan, and Romualdo -
God´s blessings on their preparations for their futures, for finding of jobs for
Allan and Romualdo, spiritual growth and seeking of the things of God, for God´s
protection.
6) Gabriel and Willian - for
overcoming of the trauma and regression that they experienced, for improved
behavior, for accepting of love and affection, for their futures.
7) Meghan and Joacir - that the Lord
would bless their time spent helping out at CLM during Aninha´s recovery from
surgery, that the Lord would grant Joacir his visa to be able to travel to
Canada, that they would continue to grow in love and support of each
other.
8) Carrie - praise God for her safe
arrival, that the Lord would grow and stretch her through this experience, that
her life and testimony would be a light to the children, that her spirit would
be an encouragement, for God´s protection and for good health.
We praise God for the birth of Sophia
Grace to Brett and Katerina Larson. She is a beautiful and healthy baby. Brett
and Katerina have long been involved in CLM and especially now are responsible
for spending out the Prayer Warrior letter each week. I so appreciate them and
pray for God´s supernatural blessings over their family.
God is faithful,
Mary
