So much has changed. And nothing has changed. It’s five years later. The work remains the same, but so many of the kids we loved are gone. Drug debts, fights, stabbings, and drive-by shootings killed them. That has not stopped new kids from taking their place on those same streets.
We were clueless when we started this work. But we learned quickly, about the tragic world of addiction. There is no happy ending for a drug addict living and working on the streets. We have taken well over 100 kids to the rehab, in Pium. Our firstborn son, in Christ, Clessio, was shot and killed, after two years clean. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His light for God shone so brightly, and we miss him so, but have the deepest joy knowing that we will see him in heaven. Three others are doing very well and give all the credit and glory to God. It’s a struggle with a very small percentage of success. But we still would have come, even for one soul. Because Jesus died for that soul and longs to set it free. Each soul is priceless.
We are on the streets every week still, with sandwiches, juice and The Word. We started to be invited into the favelas, and so, now we also bring first aid and food into several different favelas, in Natal. We still work with Murilo, at the Communidade Nova Aliança, a rehab center, in Pium. We also continue to help Cleide, at Lar Bom Jesus, which is in Pium now. And we still work in Aningas, in Cearà-Mirim every week.
Now, we are looking forward to the opportunity to build a children’s home and community center, in Santa Fé, Aningas, on that piece of land we purchased a few years ago. We believe that a healthy future for Northeast Brazil lies in a serious investment in its children. First of all, they need to be taught about the Savior that loves them and died for them. They need to learn about the Biblical truths and values that will change their lives.They need to be educated about the horrors of drug addiction, certainly. And they need to be given a healthy, happy alternative. They need help with their schooling. They need creative outlets such as music and crafts. They need to learn about the importance of their community and government. It is our desire to be a help and a blessing to this part of the world that we have come to love.
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