Tuesday, September 15, 2009, Brazil
Dear Prayer Warrior,
CLM ENTRE
RIOS:
It is another late start and I feel
like I need to write two weeks worth since I really didn´t write much last
week. I will try to do a quick summary, if I can - (Ha! Ha!). Nicole came home
from the hospital on Friday. She was doing well, although she still had a
little bit of a cough and was still on antibiotics. Another scare has passed.
They were able to discover two types of infection in her lungs. They actually
treated her for Swine Flu even without clear proof. They didn´t want to waste
time or take a chance. We are glad to have her back home and ask for your
continued prayers for her.
On Wednesday, Dennys and his sister,
Daniela arrived from São Paulo. They are from the Nazarene church in Jacaré,
São Paulo. Daniela was only able to stay a week, leaving tonight, but her
brother will be staying a couple more weeks. In November, Dennys will be
leaving Brazil to work as a missionary in an orphanage in India. He believes
that his experience at CLM is a tremendous opportunity to prepare for the
ministry that lies ahead of him. Both of them have been a tremendous blessing
and have jumped right in. CLM praises the Lord for CLM short termers and work
teams. They are tremendous gap filler inners. Dennys helps with making
breakfast, the morning clean up and getting the dinning room prepared for lunch,
homework time, baths, among other things. Please pray for Dennys and God´s
plans for him in India.
On Friday, the Stubers had their
hearing with the Judge and District Attorney. He promised that he would be
asking Nina whether he was interested in the Stubers being her forever family.
She did reply with a positive and definite head shake. The bonding was obvious
and the decision was made that Elaininha will be from now on "Nina Ann Stuber".
Dale and Lino continued to work on paper work, including a new birth
certificate. All of the documents needed from Guarapuava had to be in their
hands or they would have had to postpone their departure to Curitiba.
Thankfully, with the orders from the Judge, everything did get finished in time
on Friday afternoon. So Saturday was the big day. After middle of the
night packing, they were ready for the next leg of their trip. In Curitiba,
they have gotten Nina´s medical examination done and tomorrow they will be going
after a Brazilian passport and visa. They have done a lot of sightseeing,
including a train ride from Curitiba to the Paraná coastline. Nina is doing
fabulous and we are so proud of her. They will be moving onto Rio de Janeiro on
Saturday to get her U.S. passport and leaving for the States on the 23rd.
Please continue to pray for them. Pray for Sam´s recovery from the flu and that
he doesn´t pass it on to any of them who have not had it yet.
Vera is to have knee surgery on the
9th of October. She has been struggling to get scheduled for this operation for
several years now. She will have physical therapy afterwards. Pray for perfect
surgery and perfect recovery.
Two of the schools are having class
on Saturdays to make up for the days missed due to the flu. The kids, as well
as the teachers, are not thrilled with the idea. I keep telling them that I
didn´t hear them complaining when they didn´t have school for those 3 weeks. It
makes for a long week for us. It seems like there is a day missing. Please
continue to pray for our students.
We will be initiating a tree cutting
project probably next week. There is a company coming in to cut down the front
pine trees which have gotten dangerously tall and are close together. CLM will
have a new look after the bushes that are to be planted fill out. Hopefully, it
will really be looking good by January for Loeci´s wedding.
Jake and Amanda continue to work on
the remodeling of their house. They have finished their language studies and
will be moving to CLM on Friday. That will save an hour of traveling everyday.
They will be starting their responsibilities on October 5th. Please keep them
in your prayers.
Thursday, we are expecting the Work
Team from Arizona/Ohio to arrive. Included from Arizona are John and Corinne
Gerhardt, Annette, Ivanka, and Melaney Niemiec, and Kristen and Mark Keiper from
Ohio. Kristen will be staying for 6 months. We were really concerned this week
when we heard that Kristen had not gotten her visa and really glad when we heard
it came through even though they had to leave a day later. The rest of the team
will be here until October 2rd. Keep them in your prayers.
Tomorrow, will be Everson´s 27th
birthday and Lucas (Ramos)´s 12th birthday. Everson came to CLM with his
younger brother, Esdras when he was 10 years old. He left CLM when he was 12,
after his father had completed treatment for alcoholism. He wasn´t excited
about that and begged his father to allow him to finish the school year. He had
to leave and things did go OK for the first couple of years until his father
started having problems again and ended up in prison. Everson called and asked
if he could come back "home". He finished High School and completed several
mechanic courses. He got a job with Renault where he worked for several years.
He finally moved away from home and lived in Guarapuava. He presently is
working for New Holland and is doing very well. He got married to Leticia last
July and they are now living in a small town about 2 hours from us where Everson
was temporarily transferred. Everson is very musically talented and plays the
guitar and the drums a bit too. Keep them in your prayers as they grow in the
Lord and in their marriage relationship.
Lucas is the brother of Aline,
Francielle, Rita, and Gisieli. They have been at CLM for 5 years. They came
because both parents were in prison for killing their father´s brother. Much
violence and unrest seemed to have marked their childhood. Coming out of prison
their parents went their separate ways and are now together with other mates.
The mother is interested in getting the kids back and the 4 younger ones are
going on home visit every other weekend to be able to evaluate the possibility.
Lucas is a handsome boy, but presents a lot of mood swings and anger. He is not
strong in interpersonal relationships. He is studying in the 5th grade at the
German School this year and is struggling. He likes sports, especially swimming
and all the normal boy stuff. Please pray for Lucas that he can have more
confidence and better relationship skills.
Donei will be 15 years old on
Thursday, September 17th. He came to CLM when he was 8 years old when he was
found totally abandoned. A year or so later, 4 month old Andy came to CLM. He
is a half brother on the mother´s side. Donei has had some very troubled years,
making bad choices. At the same time, he has grown and is learning. He is a
very handsome young man, intelligent, and talented. He is in the 7th grade and
gets very good grades with little effort. He plays the guitar and is a great
soccer player. He has been helping a lot lately with the younger boys
especially at bedtime. They respect and obey him. He likes farming and has
said that that is his interest for the future. Donei has a possible adoption
coming up for which we are very excited. This is an opportunity that most 15
year old boys don´t get. Please pray for him and for Steve and
Tammy.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Nicole - praise God for her
recovery, may the Lord continue to strengthen her body and help her to be more
resistant to everything that goes around, for her continual development in all
areas.
2) Dennys and his sister, Daniela -
thankfulness for Daniela´s time here and the impact it had on her life, for
God´s blessings over Dennys and the time he will be spending at CLM, for God´s
preparation for his ministry in India and his departure in
November.
3) Stuber Family - praise God for
the miracles He has been working in their family and in Nina, that the rest of
the process would continue to go smoothly, for their trip to Rio and for their
safety while there, for their return to the U.S. and all of the adjustments for
everyone.
4) Vera - God´s preparation for her
upcoming surgery and for perfect results, for wisdom in all the decisions she
makes, for strength to keep up with her job and college, that they would indeed
register her at her job which is up until now an apprenticeship, for God´s
protection over her.
5) Tree Cutting Project - that the
Lord would direct and protect.
6) Everson - that the Lord would
grow him spiritually and emotionally, blessing his marriage, job, and
relationships.
7) Lucas Ramos - that the Lord would
bring inner healing, for help in dealing with the confusion and conflict caused
by the visits with the mother, that he would feel loved and very special, for
help to pass the school year and do his very best, for improved relationship
skills.
8) Donei - pray for his future and
God´s plan for him, that he can reach his full potential, that he would make
good choices and pick good friends, that he would allow Jesus to reign in his
life.
9) Jake and Amanda - pray for their
move and adjustment to CLM, for the continual development of Amanda´s
Portuguese, for the beginning of their ministry, for the finishing of their
house, for developing good relationships with team, workers, and
children.
10) Phoenix/Ohio Work Team - for
safe arrival, for accomplishing the projects planned for them, for good team
work, for good health and safety, that God will accomplish all He desires in
each of their lives.
11) Gilmar and Edinete - a couple
from São Paulo seeking the Lord about ministry with CLM. Pray for God´s clear
leading and for the opportunity to visit CLM.
CLM
TURVO:
Aninha seems to be recovering well.
She is getting Physical Therapy 3 times a week in Guarapuava. The main concern
is that she is probably trying to do too much. There are just some people who
are really hard to keep down. Keep praying for her and her full
recovery.
With spring trying to come, Luiz is
preparing the garden. It is a lot of work, but so gratifying to sit at the
table with fresh and healthy vegetables from your own garden. While the Stuber
family spent a few days at CLM Turvo, Dale worked on a landscaping design for
CLM. Luiz and Aninha are really excited to have a plan that can be worked on
little by little. We had prayed for a long time that someone would come along
that could help us on that project. It took Nina being adopted for that person
to come. God´s timing for everything is so good. Please be praying for this
project that it can be realized in a short amount of time.
A lot of flu has been passing around
- not all Swine flu. When a child is sick, it is a neat time to be able to give
some special and extra tender attention. Sometimes that is still difficult with
having so many kids, but every little bit helps. Natalia has been battling a
urinary tract infection. Pray for God´s healing and renewing of everyone´s
strength.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
1) Aninha - for complete recovery
and strengthening of her leg, that she would be encouraged spiritually and
emotionally, that she would trust in the Lord and have peace that God has
wonderful plans for her children (including a job for Allan).
2) Garden Project - that the garden
will be very successful, with vegetables left over to sell.
3) Landscaping Project - praise God
for sending Dale and for the opportunity he had to draw up the plans, that
little by little the landscaping would receive funding and be accomplished.
4) Good Health - for Natalia that
she would be healed of the urinary tract infection, that all with the flu would
get better and that others would not get it, for good health for
all.
5) Carrie - that the Lord would be
her strength daily, for all of her relationships, for learning of Portuguese,
that God would continue to work a good work in her.
6) Second Floor - for the finishing
of the second floor, for the furnishing of it, for the filling of
it.
7) Municipal and State Grants - that
they would be approved and the money available for use.
8) CLM Team - that the Lord would
renew them everyday and fill them with all they need to meet the needs of the
children.
9) Andy and Katie - may their visas
be granted in God´s timing and may they soon come to Brazil to start their
language training, for all of the last minute preparations.
Well, it is about time to send this
out. It seems to have taken me forever to finish this. Thank you for your
prayers and for lifting us up to the Father.
believing,
Mary
