Whats new at Contagem Hospital

The hospital in the City of Contagem is being added on to... Thats Great news! They will go from 120 beds to 260! There are people here who are working hard to make a difference here and quite often dont receive a good salary to care.

I have met several of these type people at the hospital that work around the clock and even spend money from their own pockets to try and make up for what they can't get from the government, but the need is overwhelming! Let me show you what I am talking about:

Keep in mind that this hospital was built in 2003!

This hospital was built to fill a political promise and was built poorly. In this picture you see mold and water damage, what caused the damage is the pvc water pipe in the wall that was built inside of the main support beam began to leak, causing not just water damage but structural cracks in the walls. On top of that the need is to have two hospitals in this region but there is only one. To compound this problem even more the people that use this hospital take home with them even the matresses on the beds, leaving the hospital ill equiped to meet the needs of the people who come for help. Even the bandage tape has to be chained to the wall so that they can keep it from being stolen!

What I have shared with you is only scratching the surface... It is sad and heart breaking to see treamendous amounts of people waiting to be treated in what appears to be on the outside a modern hospital, but on the inside is a sad testimony to politacal corruption leaving the people in need.

All the bathrooms are damaged and in critical shape: (see example photo below)




The hospital director is doing the best with what he has to work with, but would love to make a difference, that is why when Samuel and I went in this week, he has given us a green light to come in and bring others to help.

The government is expanding the hospital but not fixing or taking care of what is already built. The employee's themselves often use their own salaries to try to make up for the deficit. Pray for us that we can help make a difference in this place.

A Day Out with Leandro at Maquine' Cave!

On the 21st of April there was a holiday here... And having felt down for about a week I agreed with my "tree hugging" friend to have a day out with "Mr. Nature" himself... Leandro Gama! Ok, enough applause... You know what? It turned out to be great medicine! A simple distance of about 100 Kilometers from where I live there are these caves. I always wanted to go into a place like that but don't much care for the whole "tourist thing"...

It is so easy to find excuses to stay at home and stay locked in my room, but you know a hermit loves a cave! Why not have a friend to talk to, and see some of God's beautiful creation? What a beautiful day! Thank you Jesus for the privilege to see all the beautiful things that you have made!

On the way back we had a wonderful visit with Renata and Breno a family that John and Bonnie adopted some years back and we saw how God has provided them with an apartment to live that is completely theirs, and they are very happy! What a good day we had!

Contagem City Hospital Visitation has Begun!

Several years back I was invited to go to the HIV hospital here, and even though it was very difficult, I decided to be faithful to the task of visiting people. Each week I would take something... Church bulletins, tracts, hygiene products, something, anything to give away to people.

Then I would use magic tricks as "ice breakers" and finally ask for permission to show the "evange-cube" something like a Rubik's Cube to share the gospel message, then pray and be on my way.

I was alone in this for so long until hospital visitation and the idea of being called a "Chaplin" became popular. Finally my home church here in Brazil took notice and became very involved. We saw so many beautiful things happen during our time there!

After training and walking with two ladies from the church for two years, I stepped down for them to take over and continue the work. Sadly, for whatever reasons the women stopped the work and the "ground was lost".

Then I met Dr.Marcelo... I had heard that the hospital started a library to help resident doctors to study and doctors consult medical books before surgeries. So I began looking for medical books in the U.S. and had them shipped here.


Now the visitation will begin again!

We don't want to just "visit" this hospital, but make a difference in the quality of life for the people being treated at the hospital! Pray that we may be able to be creative and find a way to meet practical needs as we also try to be available to pray and give spiritual support to families.

I Want Your Opinion!

Please read: "What God has Joined" at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/20.26.html

or enter the Christianity Today website and then on "archives" and go to October 2007, and read this article and please send me your feed back.

Then read: John Pipers article:

"Tragically Widening the Grounds of Legitimate Divorce"

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2007/2443_Tragically_Widening_the_Grounds_of_Legitimate_Divorce/

Which is it?

I want to hear your opinion...

Victory!

To those of you who have followed our lives from the beginning... Here is a beautiful image for you! Raquel graduating from university!

With Special thanks to God for every blessing!

With special thanks to Raquel for all her hard work!

With Special thanks to Mike and Naseem Helms for their help and partnership.

For the whole Crossroads church family and for those of you who have loved her and encouraged her over the years.

Raquel has already been hired by the Casa de Apoio where I live. She has already proved to be a great blessing to this institution. She even says that the government has approved her ideas and put some of them into action!

She loves what she does... That says so much right there!

At Waterfall of Souls she Pastors the group of children that come every week. You would be proud of her! I know I am... If it weren't but for her that I came to Brazil it would have been worth it all!

Is God Personal?

I have been flying internationally now for about 15 years! In that time, on each plane trip you typically receive a small hygiene kit, usually with a toothbrush and a comb, and sometimes a type of blindfold that people use to sleep. In all these years I have never received a PAIR OF SOCKS! On the the trip down to Wales my Hygiene kit was the one on the left... Typically I don't use them, I keep them for when I receive a visitor at home that does not have a toothbrush.

Why is my Hygiene kit important to talk about?

Over the past year, I have hurt so much and seen other people hurt so much that a seed was planted in my heart... A question, and the question is this:

"Does God care about the little things in my life?"

I remember even upsetting a friend in the church last year because I shared with them this feeling. How could God see me hurt and not rescue me? How can God see people suffer and not swoop in to comfort them?

On this plane trip back from Wales, I was fortunate enough to have the middle row all to myself, and I thought, "perfect opportunity to get a good nights rest". Little did I know what would happen.

A drunk man with a cup of hooch plopped down in my row practically on top of my feet during the night. I sat up and he began to talk very loud to me about being wealthy and a ladies man. I nodded to try to be polite. His motor skills were very poor and knocked off his full cup of hooch onto my feet on the floor! He got up to make another lap around the plane and I sat there thinking about the yucky feeling that apparently had no solution...

The drunk man made a few more rounds and I tried to make myself comfortable, thinking maybe my feet would dry out enough to put my shoes on before morning... The drunk man chose me to come back around, plop down and vomit all over the seats and pass out! I went back and told some very angry Stewardesses what had just taken place... He also got sick all over 2 of the 4 available bathrooms that had to be closed for the duration of the trip...

There were a lot of unhappy passengers, and long lines to use the bathroom! The Stewardess relocated me to seat number 16 and although a bit bothered by my experience on row 31, I sat there thinking, "what do I do about my feet"? There was such a strong oder, it smelled like me and "Mr. slosh" was having a party together!

Then I remembered the Hygiene kit! It was back in the front pocket on row 31! I thought, "No way am I going back there to smell the puke... we'll just count that kit as a 'goner'"! As I sat there, I began to get agitated... I am not fond of wet feet, especially ones soaked with alcohol!

Then a thought came into my mind:

Why was the hygiene kit so big this time? I don't know where that thought came from, and I had not paid attention to it since having received it, nor did I pay attention to anyone else opening theirs. I thought:

"what if God gave you provisions for this very moment, but you didn't take advantage of it because you don't want to go back and look?"

"You wont be happy sitting here all night with wet feet... Could there be socks in that kit?"

"No, I have seen once or twice socks in the first class compartment, but never in 15 years have I received something like that!"

Well I got up, went back grabbed the kit and as you see from the picture above... SOCKS!

What if everyone on that plane got a pair of socks that day because God knew I would need a pair?

Does God care about the small details of our lives?

On the program "House M.D." a rather atheistic sitcom where "House makes a comment on one episode about Christian hypocrisy, something to the effect of: "children are starving in Africa and Christians are here, praying about their lottery numbers"...

You have to decide for yourself... You can let a "House-ism" explain the universe for you, or you can choose to recognize God in the small things. I don't know why I must go through the valleys, but I believe sometimes He gives us "kisses on the cheek" along the way to let us know He is there.

Am I being a hypocrite for thinking that could have been God's provision for me? You may believe I just had a lucky guess, but if you don't give Him credit for the small things, how will you ever see Him in the big ones?

Is God personal? Yes, I believe He is!

203 Maraba'

What is this address? Why did it effect my life? Well a man by the name of Jim Jones lived at this address in Belo Horizonte!

Jim Jones in 1978 ordered more that 900 people to drink or be injected with a deadly poison... You can find out the whole story by going into "Youtube.com" and typing in "Jim Jones and the peoples temple". You can Watch the entire History channel documentary on his life.

Jim Jones touched the world, and left a mark, only the mark he left was a sad and tragic one... When I found out that he had lived in Belo Horizonte and I had never known, I decided that I wanted to see the house for myself and speak to the neighbors.

Me and Samuel went to the house this past week. We spoke to Dona Teresa about whether or not she knew him. She, at 79 remembered the news reporters all gathered outside this house right after the tragedy took place. She recalled her mother speaking about him as a pleasant man, quiet, seemingly normal.

To me this was a day of revelation! The fact that the couple living in this home had no idea of who had owned the home before them... The fact that this man had lived in this place and lived out his daily tasks in the same place I call home today, and in 11 years no one I have ever met has even mentioned that he lived here.

No words can describe to you the feelings and thoughts I had that day. There are so many observations that could be made...

- The comments from the neighbor as to his seemingly normal appearance... Monsters don't really look scary all the time.
- The fact that this man left an impact on the world in such a negative way...
- Being careful of who you follow. Are we following man or Jesus?

Whatever the lessons to be learned could be... I will never forget 203 Maraba' and Dona Teresa.

I sat outside this front gate and prayed... "Oh God, Please let me make an impact, but not like this man. He walked in this place but left a dark mark in history. Let me be blessing not a curse in this place."

To Wales With Love!

Feb. 29 Through the 24th of March me and my mom had the privilege of visiting the country of Wales. During this trip we experienced so much! We saw the beauty of the Country and its people and we also saw some of the "need".

It may be difficult to imagine a Country like Wales could struggle at all. After all the UK is prospering right?

In 1905 the Welsh Revival swept through Wales, and literally hundreds of churches were founded and hundreds of pubs were closed... Today the churches are disappearing at an enormous rate and the drinking and drugs and suicide is in the headlines on a daily basis!

What can be done to make a difference?

We need to wake people up and stir people to pray and to return to Wales with a passion for lost Souls!

Want to see the presentation? Click on: http://www.sendspace.com/file/epjzgk

If you are praying about where to be a missionary, please consider Wales!

The people are wonderful, but there is such a real need! If you are interested in knowing more, please contact me!

Interested in going on a Mission to Wales?

Please click on this link or copy it into your Browser:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/4mch46

Waterfall of Souls

Our Work goes well. Dr.Carlos is working on having his local church to rent a small house in the village until the permanent location is built.

We continue to go each week and meet with the children while the Baptist church in Florestal sends a van on Sunday evenings to bring any who are interested to the meetings in the church.