Saturday, May 01, 2004
The last words (Maybe).
Hi Steve here, just to inform the folks back home that the team made it to the airport OK. You should be seeing them in Canada on Sunday. While the Quick Hit was here, they distributed medical aid, and shared time with Brazilian medics in two hospitals and a medical centre. The team taught English to some of the most needy children in the world, refurbished desks in the Voice For Change outreach building and provided much needed new storage space in the building. All the time, the team witnessed through the actions and just being here was sometimes enough to show Brasilians how much they cared. On other occasions the team were able to put on drama, singing and teaching to the children and parents. The creative skills of the team with balloon animals forged a bridge between cultures time and time again. This is just a hint of all the blessings received in Brasil over the past 10 days. Those of us still on the ground here hope that we have also been able to bless the team during their time here and provided them with new thoughts and insights that will live for the years to come.
Thanks to everybody
Steve
Hi Steve here, just to inform the folks back home that the team made it to the airport OK. You should be seeing them in Canada on Sunday. While the Quick Hit was here, they distributed medical aid, and shared time with Brazilian medics in two hospitals and a medical centre. The team taught English to some of the most needy children in the world, refurbished desks in the Voice For Change outreach building and provided much needed new storage space in the building. All the time, the team witnessed through the actions and just being here was sometimes enough to show Brasilians how much they cared. On other occasions the team were able to put on drama, singing and teaching to the children and parents. The creative skills of the team with balloon animals forged a bridge between cultures time and time again. This is just a hint of all the blessings received in Brasil over the past 10 days. Those of us still on the ground here hope that we have also been able to bless the team during their time here and provided them with new thoughts and insights that will live for the years to come.
Thanks to everybody
Steve
May 1 2004
Our last few hours in Curitiba were spent having breakfast, thanking our host missionaries Raphael, Steve, Margo and Narendar and one last trip to support the local merchants. The time flew by so quickly. We have all been stretched in different ways. But most of all we have made new friends (funny how God works). Thankyou for praying for us. See you soon.
God Bless
Nessa (Pam)
Our last few hours in Curitiba were spent having breakfast, thanking our host missionaries Raphael, Steve, Margo and Narendar and one last trip to support the local merchants. The time flew by so quickly. We have all been stretched in different ways. But most of all we have made new friends (funny how God works). Thankyou for praying for us. See you soon.
God Bless
Nessa (Pam)
April 30th 2004
After breakfast Jeaette lead our devotions. The scripture focus was Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” We are all facing change and were reminded of Gods word.
Our journey is almost over and it has not been without many stops, detours and bends. Today we spent the day at the Chacara (little farm). This is a beautiful parcel of land on the outside of town where the first Voice For Change homes were built. About a year ago, a cruel event changed the path of the ministry. What used to be a haven for rescued children became a nightmare which forced the families to be moved to a safer environment. The three homes now stood abandoned & stripped . I wish you could see the breathtaking location on which these homes were built. The skeleton of the homes are now surrounded by overgrown bush and weeds. Even the toilets have been removed by robbers.
After prayer, the team recovered from the shock of it all. We started the arduous task of helping Louis Claudio, Narendar and Steve to cut grass, sweep and even plant trees. (The homes are being prepared for sale). As Voice For Change seek homes in a safer environment to continue the ministry. It was 2pm before we finally sat down to enjoy a scrumptious steak meal prepared for us on the Bar B-que by Louis Claudio. About this time, Margo drove up in the Kombi with a friend, Darci and 2 children. Jonathan and Carolina. It is amazing to see the children run and play and just be free. How scary it must have been for Louis Claudio and Darci on that awful night. His dedication is obvious to everyone you can see it in his eyes. At 3:30pm, we packed up and returned to Skip & Debbie's. Tired and weary, but well pleased to know we were part of preparing the homes for sellin.
I must admit I was feeling a little overwhelmed when I looked at the remaining medications & gift bag we had to sort for distribution, but as usual the A-Team stepped up to the plate in organizing. By 7:30pm I was feeling much relieved as we dressed up to spend our last evening out togeether with our hosts, Skip and Debbie + family, Narendar, Steve and Margo. You have to experience eating at the Churrascaria, words doesn't do it justice. So please plan to come to Brasil.
We ended our day sharing, packing & preparing for our departure home at 1pm on Saturday and thanking God for all that he had done for us.
Pam
After breakfast Jeaette lead our devotions. The scripture focus was Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” We are all facing change and were reminded of Gods word.
Our journey is almost over and it has not been without many stops, detours and bends. Today we spent the day at the Chacara (little farm). This is a beautiful parcel of land on the outside of town where the first Voice For Change homes were built. About a year ago, a cruel event changed the path of the ministry. What used to be a haven for rescued children became a nightmare which forced the families to be moved to a safer environment. The three homes now stood abandoned & stripped . I wish you could see the breathtaking location on which these homes were built. The skeleton of the homes are now surrounded by overgrown bush and weeds. Even the toilets have been removed by robbers.
After prayer, the team recovered from the shock of it all. We started the arduous task of helping Louis Claudio, Narendar and Steve to cut grass, sweep and even plant trees. (The homes are being prepared for sale). As Voice For Change seek homes in a safer environment to continue the ministry. It was 2pm before we finally sat down to enjoy a scrumptious steak meal prepared for us on the Bar B-que by Louis Claudio. About this time, Margo drove up in the Kombi with a friend, Darci and 2 children. Jonathan and Carolina. It is amazing to see the children run and play and just be free. How scary it must have been for Louis Claudio and Darci on that awful night. His dedication is obvious to everyone you can see it in his eyes. At 3:30pm, we packed up and returned to Skip & Debbie's. Tired and weary, but well pleased to know we were part of preparing the homes for sellin.
I must admit I was feeling a little overwhelmed when I looked at the remaining medications & gift bag we had to sort for distribution, but as usual the A-Team stepped up to the plate in organizing. By 7:30pm I was feeling much relieved as we dressed up to spend our last evening out togeether with our hosts, Skip and Debbie + family, Narendar, Steve and Margo. You have to experience eating at the Churrascaria, words doesn't do it justice. So please plan to come to Brasil.
We ended our day sharing, packing & preparing for our departure home at 1pm on Saturday and thanking God for all that he had done for us.
Pam
Thursday, April 29th
Hello to everyone from Dolores.
It is my turn to write in the daily journal. We had an early start. Breakfast at 730am. and out by 815am to visit our first hospital, Hospital DeClinicas. It is a very large government hospital that has many specialities. Ivete Scheuermann who is in the public relations department took us on a tour of the hospital showing us the many different units they have including bone marrow transplants. The hospital is based on the North American System and as some updated equipment. Beds arethe old kind ( crank up) with thin mattresses. They have a large maternity ward and walk in prenatal unit. They have a good health teaching program for new moms on breast feeding. They have a room for pasteurizing the mother's breast milk. All this was of interest to the maternity nurses on our team, Era,Verna, Nessa (Pam).
In the afternoon we visited the cancer hospital. Telma a nurse educator took us on the tour of the hospital. It had many wards and a paediatric ward. They treat with chemo and radiation. They have a physio department a radiation department as well as they specialize in prosthesis. We had a tour of a department that makes port-a-cath's and packages them for the whole of Brazil and they are trying to sell too the Latin countries. (Port-a-cath is a central (vein) access device to give medications to patients).
We were tired after all this touring so before we left we gave some medications for cancer patients we had brought to Telma and left to rest for an hour at our home away from home Skip and Debbie Rotert. It was good too visit the hospitals as it may lead to open doors in the future for Voice for Change and help the missionaries here understand the healthcare system in order to help serve the villa better.
We went out for the evening to an Italian restaurant for more food!! We can not say we were not feed well. Dr. Claudia came to dinner with us and it was good to fellowship with her before we leave in a few days. The food was absolutely amazing including desert.
We were all satisfied and home to bed at 11:30pm as we will have another full day tomorrow.
Blessings to everyone,
Dolores
Hello to everyone from Dolores.
It is my turn to write in the daily journal. We had an early start. Breakfast at 730am. and out by 815am to visit our first hospital, Hospital DeClinicas. It is a very large government hospital that has many specialities. Ivete Scheuermann who is in the public relations department took us on a tour of the hospital showing us the many different units they have including bone marrow transplants. The hospital is based on the North American System and as some updated equipment. Beds arethe old kind ( crank up) with thin mattresses. They have a large maternity ward and walk in prenatal unit. They have a good health teaching program for new moms on breast feeding. They have a room for pasteurizing the mother's breast milk. All this was of interest to the maternity nurses on our team, Era,Verna, Nessa (Pam).
In the afternoon we visited the cancer hospital. Telma a nurse educator took us on the tour of the hospital. It had many wards and a paediatric ward. They treat with chemo and radiation. They have a physio department a radiation department as well as they specialize in prosthesis. We had a tour of a department that makes port-a-cath's and packages them for the whole of Brazil and they are trying to sell too the Latin countries. (Port-a-cath is a central (vein) access device to give medications to patients).
We were tired after all this touring so before we left we gave some medications for cancer patients we had brought to Telma and left to rest for an hour at our home away from home Skip and Debbie Rotert. It was good too visit the hospitals as it may lead to open doors in the future for Voice for Change and help the missionaries here understand the healthcare system in order to help serve the villa better.
We went out for the evening to an Italian restaurant for more food!! We can not say we were not feed well. Dr. Claudia came to dinner with us and it was good to fellowship with her before we leave in a few days. The food was absolutely amazing including desert.
We were all satisfied and home to bed at 11:30pm as we will have another full day tomorrow.
Blessings to everyone,
Dolores
