October 23, 2010
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Living Stones Info and Prayer
Living Stones is a ministry of the local church, working with the PETI program to reach out to the street and working children in Northeast Brazil.
PETI, the welfare project for the street children of Brazil, is paid for through the federal government, in Brasilia. The money is given to the individual towns, but unfortunately, goes through the local government before coming to the PETI program located in Paudalho. Brasilia sends money to upkeep eight stations around Paudalho, reaching over 1000 children (in a town of 30,000), that are in the highest risk/poorest income bracket.
The money is to pay for 23 workers, food, and upkeep of the stations. Of the eight stations, problems with the people hired, locations, or with food being supplied means that in actuality only about 300 children of the 1000 needy children in that community are being served. 150 of those children are at the station at the church in Paudalho (Living Stones).
The local government has been through (at least) three rounds of firing the whole program, and then rehiring them later, since the new mayor was elected in 2009.
The first time this happened, I went crazy, thinking it was the end of the world. Patricia and Cacau, the two women who run the program at the church in Paudalho, took it with quiet sadness. A week later, they were rehired and life went on. Third world country politics take some getting used to. Last week, the whole program was fired again. 9 people were rehired to run 8 stations. Patricia and Cacau are 2 of the nine rehired. They are currently running the station located at the Paudalho church (Living Stones), as well as assisting in two other stations. The rest of the money “saved” from firing the other 14 workers? No comment.
This month, the janitor/cook is on vacation, so they are also juggling cooking and cleaning for 150 kids as well. During the period that everyone was fired, the whole program continued working, hoping to be rehired. One good thing is that food, while being scantily provided for the first five months of the year, has been coming in regularly. That is a blessing.
The month of October is always focused around Children’s day. With the money raised from the jewelry the children made, they were able to receive enough money to have a party for the children, and are planning on having it on October 27. Please pray for this.
September was a great month for Living Stones as the children studied citizenship and respecting others. At the end of the month, they went to the center of town and had a special celebration. All of the stations were invited, with about 250 children (over 100 from Living Stones), and around 40 families that came to see their children present. Singing, poems, soccer, and art presentations were given and declared a success.
Tele and Heather Moraes, the missionaries of World Renewal Brazil (who began the whole church planting program that now includes Living Stones), will be coming to the United States October 31. They will be staying until the end of November, and a great opportunity to meet and talk with them is Nov. 13 at an open house at Brookville Road Community Church. If you would like to know more about that or another opportunity to meet them, let me know. They are my second family, and I am very excited to see them soon.
Last note: my ticket is purchased: December 30 I fly away. Please also pray for visa issues.
