July 28, 2010 - from Jody
Wow, what a wonderful day. We started off doing home visits and praying with some of the families in the Promorar Favela. The group Ed and I were with had finished visiting the homes we were assigned when we met a young boy walking home from school (half the children go to school in the morning and the other half go to school in the afternoon). The young boy was asked if he knew where an old neighbor of his had moved to. He told us no but we could follow him home and ask his step-dad. Sounded good to us until, we realized we were in the middle of an adventure. You see he used to live where a road is now being put and we had to walk through all that construction to the other side of a valley. We walked past dump trucks, earthmovers, sprayers, and ground rollers all working with treated sewer dirt. When we finally got to the young boys home, no one was home. He said Mom was in Japan with youngest brother (not too likely), an older sister was at grandmas caring for a child grandma didn’t want to care for and he didn’t know where his step-dad was because he has been without a job and it is easier for women to get jobs than men (right). We prayed with this young boy and walked back past all that stink being moved around with all that heavy equipment.
After lunch Diane and I went off with Tati to the police station where one of the ministry staff works at the community Computer and Craft Center. This is where we got to share the prayer quilt ministry with about 20 women. We went there not knowing what to expect since this a public center, but the women were very open to prayer and got very excited about the quilts. We had so much fun sharing, with these ladies, the processes we use to make one of the quilts. Tati, our translator, had absolutely no idea how to translate some of the processes but the ladies educated her.
We had several stations set up so the ladies could learn whatever areas of the quilt making they were interested in and it was amazing how well we got along with just sign language. We got almost three baby quilts made (the squares were already cut). Since we only had two sewing machines several of us sewed a quilt together the old fashion way, by hand, imagine that.
Now comes the part that makes my heart soar. Have you ever known a group of women to get together and not have a snack and social time? What wonderful goodies these women shared with us and it was at this time the group decided to establish themselves as the first official Prayers and Squares group in South America. They even came up with a name for the group: "Mulheres des Mantas e Oraçoes" (Women of Quilts and Prayers). The excitement was so contagious that it brought tears to my eyes (not a surprising thing to those who know me). Two of the quilts have found homes. It is always such a blessed moment when a group of women get together and pray. These women feel so much for each other and put so much of their heart into the prayers. Diane and I got kissed and hugged by each woman at least three times. I wished that each of the ladies at Bayside Auburn Prayers and Squares could have experienced the appreciation these ladies had for the gift you gave them.
Many, many thanks for all of your prayers. What awesome results we are seeing from them. We continue praying for all of you and are so appreciative for your support which has made it possible for us to experience all of these blessings.
(Note from Diane....I found it wonderful that even on the "baby quilts" (several of them weren't really going to babies), they wanted the ties in the quilts....they wanted knots to be tied so they had those prayers over the quilt!)
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