Thanks so much to everyone for your prayers for Victoria’s university entrance exams this weekend. Vicky said the first day (biology, physics, chemistry & humanities) was pretty tough. Even the national newspapers commented this was one of the toughest exams ever. Sunday (math, Portuguese & English and an essay) she said she felt a little better about it. Unfortunately the results don’t come out until January. She has another similar exam for a private university in two more weeks and more exams throughout December. We appreciate very much your continued prayers.
Thanks also for your prayers for Soraia. Things are moving along to get all her paperwork in line for her admission to the rehabilitation clinic. Please keep praying for that.
I am so thankful to the Lord for the wonderful team of volunteers He has given us in our Jesus in the Streets Ministry. I wanted you to get to know them a little better. At a recent lunch most of the team was able to gather so here they are (left to right).
Left to right rear: Cristiani, Adeilza, Hewerton, Paulo, Espedita, Sandra.
Left to right front: Rogério, João, Marcelo, yours truly.
Cristiani & husband Rogério cook and deliver our Wednesday soup and do most of the cooking when we have Street Ministry parties. They are both involved in a lot of other areas of service in the Boa Vista church. True servants of the Lord.
Adeilza (back second from left), is the former head of the Recife sanitation department. I’m glad Adeilza gave up that job as it was killing her. She’s one of those people who don’t know how to say “no” to job demands. Adeilza is one of our founding members. Years ago she confided in me that she had never found a place to serve in the church where she felt really needed and was close to giving up when she found out about our ministry. She said she really found her place in the Street Ministry. She’s been incredibly helpful in getting medical attention to many of our Street Friends through her contacts in the city health department. It doesn’t matter what the need is, all you have to do is ask and Adeilza’s there. Every Sunday when she’s in Recife she gets up at 4:30AM to make the 70-90 cornmeal and wiener breakfast plates we serve our homeless friends in Derby Park. God bless you, Adeilza.
João (seated in front of Adeilza) is an experienced Air Force pilot and the head of air traffic control for the Brazilian Air Force base in Recife. He also helps with transportation needs when we have them, sometimes taking a homeless friend to a clinic or just counseling and praying. João is a natural leader with a servant’s heart. He helps bring part of the 200 sandwiches we serve every Sunday.
Hewerton (yellow shirt in the back, pronounced “Everton”) is a student and helps us with our Wednesday soup distribution. Since he works in the office at the Boa Vista church he’s also been very helpful in the distribution of clothing, medication, and food baskets to our friends from the street and nearby favelas.
Paulo (next to Hewerton) just began volunteering with us this past year but has quickly become my right hand man for a lot of our ministry needs. He carries the soup kettle for our Wednesday soup distribution, brings soft drinks Sunday mornings, helps me organize our food pantry and goes with me on visits to the favelas to take food and medication. Paulo is a real encourager.
To the right of Paulo on the couch is Espedita. Espedita’s son Julio was a member of our ministry at one time before he moved to São Paulo where he began a similar Street Ministry in downtown São Paulo. Espedita brings coffee and hot chocolate every Sunday. Another true servant of the Lord.
Marcelo and Sandra round out our crew. They, along with Adeilza are some of the oldest volunteers in the Street Ministry. They also help bringing sandwiches and soft drinks on Sundays, as well as substituting Adeilza with the cornmeal dish on the Sundays she’s traveling. Marcelo helps lead our worship and helps me with the messages and Sandra teaches our children’s Bible hour.
All of these servants help bring food, organize and distribute the food, coffee and soft drinks, pray with and counsel our friends from the streets and favelas of Recife. Every Sunday, rain or shine. Of course our biggest partner of all isn’t so evident in the photo. You see that gleam in everybody’s eye, that glint in their smiles? That’s a little of the reflection of His presence. He’s always with us. And we’re always blessed to be with Him and to see Him in everyone we are privileged to serve. Thank you Jesus, for honoring us with the calling to this ministry. You were right, “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.” Thank you, Lord. It’s been an honor to meet you.
Mr. José (one of our older members) during worship.
Young José. Full of dreams and plans for the future. What plans do you suppose Jesus has for him?
