Thursday night - what a day!

From Diane: Today was a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. We did morning visits at Vila Rosa...the roughest of the favelas that Restoration Ministries works in. These visits tear your heart and your soul. People who are desperate for jobs, health, safety, crime, depression, loss of hope....and others who in the same circumstances can praise the Lord for what they do have. One young lady who at 16 has a 2 year old little boy. He has been in the hospital a lot. She is an orphan and lives with 2 of her brothers. One of them is using and selling drugs. Their home was clean but totally bare. I'm not sure they had any food at all. Some of us went together and purchased them a "necessary box"....something the grocery store here has put together to feed a family for 3 or 4 weeks...rice, beans, sugar, oil, flour, etc. I costs about 40 Reais...about $22 of our money. We also got some diapers for her little boy. This girl loves God and acts as a missionary to those around her. They have a Bible study and she makes sure she brings others to that and to the street Agita program that RM does on Thursdays. Her face just shone with her love for her Savior. Wow!

Before leaving Vila Rosa, I finally got to see Tevas...the little boy that many of you have heard about that I have grown so close to over my trips here. He isn't doing so well. He wants to hang out in the streets all the time and won't mind his mom. She threatens him that if he doesn't behave, she is going to sign over guardianship to the lady from the US (me)....don't I wish. He just clung to me. I talked to him about staying out of trouble, trying hard in school, coming to the program, doing what he knows God wants him to do. I hope some of it sinks in. I assured him that even if I hadn't been able to see him for a while, I never forget him and pray for him continually. Do you think they would notice if I fit him in my suitcase?

In the afternoon, the rest of the group went back to Vila Rosa and did the Agita program. Jody and I got to go back to Promorar (the favela we ministered in on Wednesday) and teach another quilt class. We had a smaller group this time...only about 6 or 7 ladies. But it was well received and a lot of fun to see them get excited about making prayer quilts.

But this evening, I got to go to the hospital and visit Italia!!!! I went with a couple who work in the ministry. I wish I could describe better the whole hospital....dark corridors, confusing security (even for my friends who spoke Portuguese)....and then scrubbing and gowning up....and finally getting to hold Italia's hand. I would like to say that he responded when I talked to him but I didn't see that. I talked to him in English and William translated. He appeared to just be sleeping though. His vital signs were good, swelling and bruising way down (from what they had described before)....but he is gonna have one nasty scar across his skull from the surgery. I did assure him that chicks dig scars...but I didn't even get a reaction to that. Please keep praying. He is by no means "out of the woods" and there is a long road still for his recovery. But we are all trusting God to bring Italia through this and stronger and better on the other side. After I left to trade with Priscilla (Williams's wife....only 2 of us could be in there at a time)....they said he was moving his legs more and his head around. Even these little movements are encouraging. Pray, pray, pray!!!

Tomorrow we will be back off to Camp California for our 2nd weekend camp. We won't be able to update until we return on Sunday.

Thanks again for making this trip possible....for us to serve and be God's hands and feet here in Sao Paulo!