I can still hear some noise outside.... fireworks, car horns.....
Last Wednesday 'Clube Atlético Mineiro (Galo)' (football team from Belo Horizonte... a team I have adopted as requested by the boys I work with!) won for the first time and with much sweat the 'Taca Libertadores of America' (Cup). The city is celebrating!! EVERYWHERE you go, you see black and white striped shirts and flags of the team... Galo!!!
Football is really something that stirs the hearts of Brazilians. It is an open door to relationships with anyone wearing the shirt of the same team as yours...I was driving in the kombi with PV (a co-worker) and both of us wearing our 'Galo' shirts... we had people tooting their horns, waving to us... we were all friends!!!
During the FIFA Confederations Cup, a month ago, some churches and YWAM gathered to do evangelism in the centre and in the area near the Mineirão (stadium where the games were happening). In one of these days, Mauricio*, a homeless man received one of the flyers that was handed out and wondered if anyone could help him get off the street. One of the girls from the team brought him to me to see how we could help. I did the standard procedure and asked him to come to our house the next day to try to find a 'Recovery Home' then I prayed with him before departing, also telling him of the many barriers that the devil would put in front of him to hinder him from coming, but our door would always be open for him when he conquered these barriers. He did not show up the next day, but on Wednesday morning past, Mauricio rang our doorbell. He had finally conquered the barriers and now he really did want help. He had stopped using drugs twenty days before and now wanted to stop drinking. Mauricio is 45 years old, the last 10 years he lived on the street.
About a month ago our team went to visit a 'Recovery Home' for homeless people with addictions, called 'Cidade Refugio' (City of Refuge). The project is wonderful!! It began with a dream of a Pastor and today is a rather large 'mini-city' with several workshops and opportunities for the person who really wants to change his life. 
We talked to the secretary of the project and she agreed to receive Mauricio*. On Thursday morning, after a long and noisy night of celebrations from the football game, we took him up to the project office and later he would be brought up to the home.
This decision brought us much joy. It was a process so simple: a pamphlet, a little talk and a prayer on a busy afternoon of evangelism. But maybe this afternoon of victory for Brazil against Italy (in the confederations cup) was also the beginning of victory in this man's life. His showing up a month later, was a great reminder that 'our work for the Lord is not in vain'.... so often, in this type of work, we do this exact same process... a quick chat, an invite for change and a prayer. The results are not so many. But with over 100 invites, one man's decision makes it all worthwhile!!
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58
We will continue praying for Mauricio because we know that for every transformation there is a lot of hard work and right decisions. But we are so very happy with that first step. Eh, this one more good reason to set of fireworks!
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| This was the 'all-nighter' party that happened in the centre of Belo Horizonte after Galo won, I hear the fireworks may continue to go off the rest of the year... will I ever get any sleep!!! |