He words of God keep us in place ... and take us to places, situations and circumstances.
It's been a long time since I've written, hasn’t it? There’s many things to talk about ... I have some testimonies to briefly share with you.
This year in March, we Council members (Pastoral and Administrative Leadership) began the year with a retreat. I am part of both of these leadership groups.
We had a spiritual retreat to renew ourselves, to listen to God, and to continue the projects that we started. Some have not yet been put it into practice and others have gone beyond our expectations.
In the midst of this, there is also the Children At Risk school that began in April. We are in the eleventh week and I have 13 students from various places in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Mato Grosso, Acre, Pernambuco, Ceará) and also 2 from Samoa.
It's been intense, but also a privilege to work with this school.
We have two shelters at the base. The Hope House with two boys and now in the month of June we officially opened the Sarah House with 5 girls.
After thinking over it for several days, I realized that God was bringing something new.
Another time, I was taking a shower and I had a vision of a bathtub full of water and a baby bathing in the tub at my feet. I started praying and thinking that God was on the move…
The Sarah House is that baby.
We have five beautiful girls (a baby of 4 months, a 3-year-old girl, mother of 18, and two beautiful teenagers with 14 years of age).
The Sarah House is a project that has been a dream, a plan, an expectation; and only now in June it was finally born ... Our first girl was Lara, then the others arrived ... (Nat, Nadia, Jac and Cris) ... Their abbreviated names.
We need many things but the main thing is prayer and the miracles will happen.
THE FRIGHT!
Tuesday is the day of our service at the base!
We all went into our time of worship, which started out very well. God’s presence was so strong ... Then suddenly, a staff member nudged me and said:
“Sil the baby is having a seizure.”
I just turned around, grabbed the baby and left.
We ran out of the chapel with the baby, her little body stiff and her eyes frozen ...
I've never experienced anything like that, a stiff baby seemingly dead in my arms.
Another staff came to help, massaging the child's chest and back ... it was the longest few seconds of my life.
"Whew! She's didn’t die. She made it.”
It was a crisis of epilepsy. Because this baby has partial epilepsy, she does not drool or move, she simply becomes paralyzed.
We started a treatment with controlled medicine that will last up to two years. We need prayer during this time of treatment: for the baby, for the mother, for the team that works and coordinates there, as well as teaching everyone who is part of this new routine.
MIRACLES!
Needless to say ... there are many needs ... BUT, we’ve seen some miracles. We’ve already found a school for the two teenage girls and the mother of the baby.
We received donations of clothing, a stroller, as well as diapers and toiletries ...
We’ve also completed organizing the kitchen of the house.
NEEDS!
The schooling and school supplies for the 3-year-old Cris, plus an urgent dental treatment for her (all of her front teeth are rotting, and some are broken).
REVELATION!
I discovered one more thing about the missionary life.
It's this: a missionary is not a specific professional because he/she never knows what healing God will release, or in which area he/she will operate.
If you have a missionary heart, know that God wants to use you to heal people.
You cry with them, you laugh with them, you feel their pain, you hug those who need a hug, you are a mother or father, a sister, or the representation of a close relative to someone.
You love people even when you don’t want to, you feel things that you’ve never felt, you get frustrated because you want to reach others; because what’s important is the answer that a damaged heart needs, and knowing that you may very well be that answer.
I understand the word that Jesus said: “You welcomed me when you welcomed one of these little ones… when you gave them food…when you gave them clothing.”
HOW CAN YOU PARTICIPATE??
If you want to know more ... there are many stories ... message me on WhatsApp (+5581997293369) or contact me through Facebook. Feel free if you want to bless us with a donation. Do not think about the amount of money, think instead about the person.
Diapers, baby wipes, snacks, and toiletries all come and go; but there is nothing more valuable than seeing lives being restored. Thank you for your suport and friendship with me.
Silvana Gomes
