March brought US Visitors

March has been a very busy month with classes in full swing and hosting visitors from the US. The beginning of the month brought a visit from my area director in the States, Dave Korb, who was visiting Restoration Ministries along with his daughter, Rachel; his daughter presented a workshop on ADD to parents, teachers and staff of that ministry. We spent a day at a nearby craft village, had lunch and they got a super-quick tour of Vila Andrade on the way home.

My classes are up and running at both ministry sites. I have twice the number of students that I did last year at the Lar, which is a good problem to have. I've lost some students at Vila Andrade, due in part to the schedule change, I believe. I was able to get new books for each site, and the students have already been using their homework folders and new dictionaries I was able to find really cheap here! I have also started giving classes to the directors and some of the staff at the Lar.

First sticker for homework completion!

Vila Andrade - using our new books!

I did my first hosting 'gig' of a short-term team from the States, which, though a lot of work, was well worth it as this group was such a blessing and encouragement to me personally. The eight-member team of high school seniors through adults was from Woodmen Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs, and they had a special ministry to women and teenage girls here. One of the women, a school counselor, presented a number of workshops to teen girls on their identity in Christ, inner beauty and purity issues. Two of the teen girls taught ballet workshops at the Morumbi church and they presented an interpretive dance at a number of venues. One couple was with the 'Jesus' film ministry, and a number of showings of the film was presented as well as the 'Magdalena' film during a Women's Tea at Vila Andrade. The group attended the Vila Andrade church Sunday evening, and gave a testimony and the message during the service. The team also visited Lar Batista and my English classes at both sites, Paca, and another 'Compassion' sponsored project in the area.

Colorado team (they didn't need their coats when they got here!)

Visit to Burle Marx Park on their first day

Girls Dance Workshop at Morumbi Church: The US girls taught interpretive dance to the Brazilians, and the Brazilians taught the US girls a little Samba - they all had a blast!

Tour of Vila Andrade to invite people to see the Jesus film that evening; it was the first time I had gone all the way down into the favela and I met a number of my students along the way. The kids loved joining us as we walked around and helped hand out invitations. We ended up having close to 100 people, mostly children, attend the showing of the film that evening.

our little street evangelist Mateus

Sunday evening service at the Vila Andrade church included a presentation of the team, a testimony by one of the team members who grew up with an alcoholic mother and lost a brother to alcoholism; we learned later that there was a man in attendance who was dealing with alcoholism and are praying her message had an effect on him. Another team member gave a message on Heaven.

The Women's Tea was a big event, which included a special message on being "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" based on Psalm 139, which tied into the Magdalena film, a dance and music presentation. There were close to 70 women from the community, including mom's of the students at the Project Semear, in attendance. Afterwards, the women from the church presented the team with roses and gift bags of items they had made and prayed for them.

The team toured the Lar project site, and my English students were all waiting anxiously for them. We did our 'Days of the Week' and 'Alphabet' songs, and one group recited John 3:16 in English (with a little help!). The Colorado team was such a blessing in bringing a 'plane-load' of arts and craft supplies and books for me to use with my students and we used some of the items to make cards with foamies, which the kids loved.

reciting John 3:16

The team also joined my English classes at Vila Andrade one day, helping students with lessons, doing a question and answer session with another group, and listening to my best student read a book about Noah that she had been preparing for a month. She did great - I was so proud of her! They were also taught the "I am a C-h-r-i-s-t-i-a-n" song, which they liked learning.