New bricks building new walls

So I have settled into a new set of bricks! I am still with YWAM but have moved ministries; I am no longer part of the Rescue House (although I still go with them to the streets). I am now part of the ministry called 'The Restoration House.' 

This house used to be a shelter for boys coming off the streets and many boys have passed by here and have transformed lives because of their time here. But God has a new time planned for this house - it is no longer a shelter, but our focus continues; teenage boys. Since the house closed as a shelter there has been only a few workers who stayed around and tried to discover what was on God's heart for the ministry with teenage boys.

(Working together to have a camp for these precious boys - March 2013 - there is a blog about this camp!)

Now for some 'new walls!' Since last year we (as a Rescue House) started working with the teenage detention centres, as many of the boys that we know from the streets ended up there. I always felt in my heart that it was Gods will to work with these boys but there was no time to really invest. I started talking with the leaders and discussing what was best... the director of the base helped me see that what I was trying to do was in the area of 'restoration' not 'rescue.' He encouraged me to talk with Geke (dutch), the leader of the Restoration House. After a long chat about what was on my heart, she accepted me to work with her!! 

A date was set, I packed all my things and the move began......

I said good bye to my old room, my old team (although would see frequently) and my old neighbourhood.

And then I got to work turning an empty room into a home:

When all my things were finally inside, it looked like it was made to fit!!







One of the amazing privileges I have is a great view over the city and every night there is a beautiful sunset to admire:

My new team: 

With Geke my new leader (middle) and Guilherme

Now I have been here 2 weeks with lots of discussions and planning, putting our visions together and now we are ready....

So what is the plan??

Visits
We have a list of 19 boys that we will work with. Five of these boys used to live in the shelter and of the other 14, one boy is back at home and the other 13 are in the detention centres. 

Our plan is to visit with these boys (there is at least 2 per detention centre) at least once every two or three weeks. The visit will involve some chit-chat to see how they are doing, where they are struggling etc and then do a bible study with them. 

Workshops
Also in our schedule we will visit 2 other detention centres to teach English in one and helping with school work in the other. This is our open door into these places to build relationships, with these relationships built we will do a second workshop on discipleship.

Discipleship Group
Every Friday afternoon will be an open afternoon, all boys who we are working with are invited to the Restoration House to have some time together: chit-chat, play football, do activities and have a time of discipleship and prayer. 

Weekend Camps
Then the final area of our discipleship work here will be the continuing of the 'Weekend Camps.'  Where all boys are invited to participate for an entire weekend with us where we will have fun activities planned and times for one-on-one and discipleship and prayer. 

Phew!! Seems like a lot of work for a small team, eh? But in the Lords strength we can do it. We believe this plan for the Restoration House is God's plan, and so therefore as the Harvest is large and the workers are so few, we rely on His strength but also Hope in him that He will provide more workers to complete this work.

Please commit all these activities and the lives of these precious boys to prayer, you are part of our team!!

7 - 1 loss

Man, it's been a while but  I don't even want to talk about THAT game!!! I think Brazil is still in shock that we let 7 goals in.... like I am still hearing them say; 
"It seemed we didn't have a goal keeper!!"
"They put all their hope in Neymar, and forgot to play themselves!"
"What an embarrassment, Brazil let us down!"

 We may have lost badly in the football, but in the Kingdom of God we don't lose!! It says, "...my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

I believe we won SEVEN goals...
1. Love
2. Joy
3. Hope
4. Unity
5. Generosity
6. Family
7. A bit more of God's Kingdom

These are just some of the goals we received and the ONE that we gave... THANKFULNESS!!!! To our Rescue House team, to the teams and volunteers who helped, to the community for receiving us, but most of all to God... He had every little detail written and planned out before we even imagined it!! And therefore everything was 'more than we could have expected!'

The project that we completed in the community was Fantastic, we loved every minute of it, on our last day there were many tears... and the question: Will you come back?! One thing on our hearts is that we started something and it should continue! Pray with us as we seek God's direction and how to continue with this project.

Here are some photos of the highlights from our time during the world cup season... 




LOVE

Lots of running, shouting... the energy never ever stopped!!!

       JOY

HOPE

Rescue House, volunteers and a team from Hawaii

UNITY

GENEROSITY

The community serving us hotdogs

FAMILY

A BIT MORE OF GOD'S KINGDOM

A team from Hawaii performed a drama that was formed with many other dramas and a few bits added into it. It tells the story of a girl who was created with a beautiful heart. But the things of this world destroyed her heart bit by bit. [the words shown to her were calling her 'ugly' 'stupid' 'worthless'. She gets rejected over and over. She turns to drugs and alcohol as her heart is destroyed more and more. It all becomes too much for her as she looks at her heart on the ground in a million pieces. But when she decides to "Cry out to Jesus" He comes and gives her a new heart. We believe that this time we were in the community was the start of that process in many of the people from the Community Uniao and we believe that when they are ready ... God will give them new hearts in place of their broken hearts.

Here are a few more photos of the precious times we had during the world cup in this wonderful community!

I hope you also enjoyed the world cup from wherever you were watching!! And I hope you weren't too jealous that I was here in the host country (and got to go to a game.. although it was the England game.. after they were out!!)  After this experience, I have decided that I don't hate football any more (my brother and dad will be happy to hear)!! But maybe that is because I saw God use it for His Glory!! And because "Our passion goes beyond Football!"