Mentoring

Youth ministry is a big big big part of what we do. Our house serves as a refuge where our kids can come as they need to during the week. They often come, just because, and this often leads into realy important talks one-on-one. We try not to let this be the only way that one-on-one talks take place though. Part of our regular ministry is to schedule 'one-on-ones' with the kids.

With Lucas, this has been a great way to introduce him to some of the basics of what Jesus is all about. With JoãoVitor, who has been a part of our core group since the begining, it has been a chance to hear more about his life, and about what elements of our group are most contributive to unity.

Beyond the listable benifits, I have learned that mentoring is an act of love. It lets our kids know they are valued, and has increased the level of trust between us. I am no expert on how to mentor, but the important element is not being an expert, it is being willing.

the best wake-up call

mark and i woke up with a phone call early this morning
it was our friend that was missing all night
he wondered if mark was busy (at 7:30 on a saturday) and wanted to talk . . .

it was one of those phone calls that helps your heart beat normally again.

and after last night we understand Luke 15 a little more.

may He find you.

waiting

Today was one of those long tough days that you remember forever. Early this morning I was celebrating with a friend who has found new life. Now at the days end I am waiting for another friend to come back out from the darkness. I know I have not lost my friend, but I understand the following song by "The Fray"in a way I never have.
God, please bring our missing sheep home.

"How To Save A Life"

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God, he hears you
And pray to God, he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life

How to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life

How to save a life

living new things

our summer camp theme this year was LIVING NEW THINGS (viver coisas novas ... www.camproots.blogspot.com)

and sure enough, i recently starting living something that has changed my life, our life, and most everything we are involved in: GRAD SCHOOL!

I began my Masters In Religious Education and Leadership at Rochester College, under the directorship of Mark Love.

it has caused enormous shifts in schedule, in processing, in internalizing, in discerning, in community living.
i am convinced that when the time comes for me to graduate, i will actually have to xerox my diploma and hand it out to 40 amazing people in our community that are a part of the journey, and allow me to talk and question and answer and doubt and analyze and dream and imagine.

and you will usually find me in this position during the day:




i have learned to read in a moving car, at a Passion conference, with a full house, while i am making dinner, while i listen to music, and whatever that day brings on as a challenge. of course, i have also enjoyed the hammock =)

but i am continuously thankful for God and Mark Love.
the last 5 weeks of grad school have given me enough fresh perspective for me to chew on for the rest of my life.

ali

Monday morning I met with my friend Vitor Hugo for breakfast. We meet every Monday to start the week off right and chat before he heads off to work. A year ago Vitor was in the drug rehab program I work with in Indiatuba. In fact, this picture shows him giving his testimony in our church shortly after completing the rehab program. Now Vitor helps run the Celebrate Recovery support group that meets in our church on Tuesdays. Vitor is taking my place as the facilitator of this ministry. I will attend as a supporting member and help him to grow into his new role.

Celebrate Recovery support group is a major highlight of my week. It's one of the truest manifestations of the Church being what it is called to be that I have ever seen, and I loved being the facilitator! But God has been opening my eyes to a major purpose of mine - mentoring. Vitor being the leader makes sense - it is calling on him to grow more, and it is another part of healthy motivation for him to stay clean. It reminds me that God isn't a three steps to success kinda God (this is not a criticism of any program), but that He invites us to a lifetime of growth and development in relationship with Him as sons. This is Vitor's chance to continue in this process.

Being aware that He is developing those around me and enabling them to take my place keeps my role dynamic too. I know that whatever role I play today may well change at His lead tomorrow, but that the constant is my good and trustworthy Leader.

We believe that God is starting something new and wonderful here - a residential rehab program in Itu that will be open to receive the attendees of our homeless lunch. Connections are being made one after the other in a supper-natural way to make this possible. We will be talking with a family soon that has a lot of land and is interested in making a donation to us for this purpose. I don't know the details behind this, but He does. Please pray that God will lead us clearly in whatever steps He would have us to take. Our God is great, may His name be praised forever!

New things for homeless lunch

So here's a struggle I'm going through right now - there were many many amazing things that happened over the course of the last months... there are also amazing things happening right now. So while I'd like to back track and give more details, I also don't want to skip what is current - so expect a mix.

I have been reading a book called "Compassion, Justice and the Christian Life: Rethinking Ministry to the Poor." The incredible Jim Clark recommended this book to me, and if you have any interest in helping with development of the repressed I strongly recommend it to you.

This book claims that the mark of a good leader is that "when it's all over, the ones being led will say, 'we did it ourselves.'" Interesting... kind of like when Jesus sends out 70 followers to share his message saying, "the harvest is plenty but the workers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send workers into the harvest. Now go..." He wanted them to feel responsibility for all of the progress being made. Not just the harvesting, but even the harvesting of the harvesters.

So we have this lunch for the homeless. We've been receiving them in our home for a year now. They get a change of clothes, a shower, a good lunch and we spend time with them. It's a good ministry, but we are getting a vision for how much more it could be.

I always address the group as we gather to pray before the meal. Yesterday I told the guys that we don't want to do this lunch for them anymore, we want to do it with them. And so the lunch hour took on a whole new identity. We started a garden which will supply salads for our lunches, they trimmed our trees (this was their suggestion after catching the spirit of partnership) and helped with some of the clean up.

The amazing bit was how quickly they jumped on the whole partnership idea. It showed that we were maintaining the distance between "us" and "them" by securing our role as the "helpers" and their role as the "needy." We are going to continue to develop this, please pray that God will grant us wisdom and courage as we do. It is our hope and prayer that in the renewal of these roles they will witness the redemptive nature of Christ.

God's been active in Itu this summer, we've been trying to keep up, and this blog has been left behind in the dust! So here is a start on the great things he is doing. We'll do this in doses.
For years we have done bilingual camps during the summer, this year we kicked off "Camp Roots", a four year sequence of camps with progressive themes.
Camp was amazing, in group and one on one, kids were drawn to worship by an awe of who God is. I saw this in my small group with Caio, a boy who didn't want to come to camp but was forced to by an exasperated grandmother. Caio began by sitting on the edges in typical teenage apathy. One day I had asked him to join into the activities of the program, but then during a time of worship I felt the spirits tug to welcome him in again. I went to where he was and said, "Caio, it's good that you're here. God is doing wonderful things and you're going to see Jesus in a new way this week, and more than program, I want to make sure you don't miss out on that."
Caio got it. He became a great part of our community within the camp, and he spoke about this transition a couple of times in group. He said, "I've never wanted anything to do with church, and I really didn't want to come here - but I think that's going to change. I want to be a part of this."

Youth group has been great since camp... and big! We have squeezed in our living room, and exploded out into the yard. We have had more fantastic worship, and spoken about not being an events based group, but having lives that are transformed by our faith daily.

Part 2 - Flashmob!!!
One of the fun, crazy activities of camp was doing a huge flashmob with the group! Our good friend and "ballerina missionary" Jackie Beth came down to help organize and teach a ridiculously cool flashmob that we did at the mall of Itu the night we came home from camp. Check out this video that Carioca put together for us -


Man I love these incredible kids!

Okay, more pictures and stories to come, check back!