December 25, 2010

• Merry Christmas (Letter)

  I’ve been in the United States all of 2010, but I will leave the day before it is over (December 30), to return to Brazil. This year’s objective was to finish my bachelor’s degree at IUPUI, put together the curriculum for Living Stones, and get the training I needed to serve better in Brazil. It has been a fantastic time, filled with family and friends and good times.

  This has been my first year spent entirely in the USA  since I was 21—my first fall in four years. Spring semester was crazy busy, taking 15 credits (with writing classes that got some of my articles published) and working 30 hours at the youth center, running the tutorial program as well as the girl’s activities.

  Working at the center off and on since 2002, my original kids have all grown up, and many are beginning families of their own. The new generation at the youth center are dealing with a lot of gang problems, resulting in many fights. I, for my part, took home a black eye. More exciting changes included becoming an auntie: Rowan Garrett was born March 21, 2010.

  Brazil continued to pull at my heart, and during the summer, while I was teaching at my dream job in North Carolina (with Supercamp), I presented a session on writing goals. Sharing my goal, I said I wanted to start/assist with 10 Living Stones in 10 towns in 10 years. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I knew this was something special.

  Living Stones is the program, like a community center, serving meals and extra portions of love to at-risk and street children in Northeast Brazil. Last year I spent six months getting to know some of these children, playing dodge ball and sharing Bible stories as well as seeing poverty up close and personal: for many of these children, the meal they receive at Living Stones is the only meal they will have all day.

  I want to work with the local churches to make this program in as many places as possible: hopefully 10 different towns in 10 years. Not knowing future plans, time is also a step of faith. I don’t really know what specifics will look like until they come, and have a feeling that they will change many times even then.

  This fall, taking 20 credits has been another adventure, including tap dancing and fencing (not at the same time). My dad had a heart attack, but he is recovering well, and all the plans for Brazil are coming together as the semester ends. In the past, Living Stones worked in conjunction with the government program called PETI (the program to eradicate children working) to serve 147 children in the city of Paudalho. The government provided the food, and the church provided the location and love. Due to promises broken and great corruption in the local government, that connection will be ending in December.

  The church is hoping to be able to continue the Living Stones program, but without the assistance of the government, the members cannot do it on their own. The cost of the Living Stone’s program is about $1 per day per child. With 60 people committing to support a child at $30 a month, we are hoping to spread that money out to as many of the original 147 children in the program as possible.

  The needs are high, the cost is great. I am leaving with my tourist visa, hoping to get my work visa while there, and stay indefinitely. I am making the jump into full-time missionary, teaching English at the International school, but mostly working with Living Stones. There are personal support needs, but mostly the focus on making sure these children in Brazil will be able to have a meal: the program ends in December.

  If you would like to be a part of this program, please join me in taking these needs to our Father’s throne. For specific prayer requests, you can follow my journey on www.xanga.com/rwinzeler. If you would be interested in coming to visit, or have other questions, please e-mail me at amobrasil99@hotmail.com. If you would like to give, you can through www.wribrazil.com. 

  God bless,

  Rachel Winzeler

  • 3:46 pm
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