family

Family Calling

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In the next few weeks, we will be opening up more about how we used this year to evaluate and think about the best way to strengthen our family and our personal ministry for the next season of life and ministry. 

We have dedicated time to prayer and consideration of the next ten years of life and ministry. We have enjoyed celebrating how God has worked in us and through us, and continue to be excited about what He can and will do in the next chapter for our family. 

Please stay tuned for more via our updates and social media accounts. Thanks!


A New Friend and Co-Laborer

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Rafael and family with our family (my kids have “issues” with group pics).

Rafael and family with our family (my kids have “issues” with group pics).

The year of 2020 has been a strain on most relationships for most people; a dark year concerning depth of friendships. For me, the charge to continue firm in the midst of darkness in Phillipians 2 to "shine like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life," brought me alongside a new friend who has become one of my many "Band of Brothers". Rafael Santos, our local church's new pastor, despite all the challenges, maybe due to all the challenges, is a relationship that has been a blessing to me.

In March, I posted a quick blurb about Rafael officially being confirmed by our church as the new pastor on Instagram and Facebook. He had been serving as our interim pastor since July of 2019, so this was not a brand new relationship. However, beginning with his official calling to our church, Comunidade Horizonte, we began to relate closer and deeper, and even scheduled a weekly meeting to discuss a wide range of subjects from church, strategy, families and personal issues.

Our families took a short trip together in July, and it was great to sit down each night, the two couples, and talk for hours about life, ministry, faith and future! They have let us into their lives with no reservations, and it has been such a breath of fresh air.

I am currently the President of our church's Session of Elders; so our relationship is needed, strategic and purposeful as the Campus ministry and the Church have a direct relationship. But it is much more than that! It has been great to have a new friend, brother-in-Christ, and co-laborer with whom to walk along the challenging road of ministry.

Part 1: Family Front - 2019

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Elam family pic 08-2019 (edit).jpg

(This update is going to be split into 2 parts, to help summarize and paint a picture of the past 6 months. This part is an update on the Family Front, the other in an update on the Ministry Front.)

We spent February, March and April in the search for a new residence on the other side of town, close to the UFMG campus and close to the majority of the team I am now leading. The total distance between the two neighborhoods isn’t even 10 miles. However, it is an average 45-minute commute each way due to traffic. So, while we were searching and negotiating those 3 months we lived the logistically-heavy reality of going back and forth to take Isaac to school, get to meetings, be on campus, etc - while juggling our one-car schedule.

In May, we moved into our rental house, right smack in the middle of where we wanted to be! It’s walking distance to the UFMG campus, close to ministry office space, and close to the majority of our staff team. It was great for a few weeks. Then, we noticed a mold problem in the kids’ rooms, and negotiated with the owners to replace the moldy closets. However, the first contractor started well, then lagged, then disappeared. That was hard on us, especially Tathiana and the kids as they were in the house most of the day and sleeping in other cluttered rooms with all their stuff. There is a possibility of getting some money back because we used a third party payment system, but we are not sure. We hired another contractor to finish and he did a great job. Finally, the two-week job took over two months to finish between the two contractors.

Isaac’s transition to his new Elementary school went very well. He is a shy boy, but now, well into the school year (which started in February), he is doing very well socially and learning to read and write in 1st Grade. Funny point: his best grades are in English!

In June, Sara started going to Pre-school at Isaac’s school a few days a week. She is enjoying it - and Tathiana is enjoying a few afternoons a week to concentrate on other commitments: discipleship with a student, our church’s children’s ministry, and meeting with team members as we hoped we would be able to in this side of town.

More to come concerning the Ministry Front!

Current Role 2018 + New Role 2019

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Resource Team 2018 - CO Belo Horizonte (L to R: Luca Diorrane, Marquise Piton, Fabiana Vidal, Jon Elam, Pedro Albuquerque)

Since January 2011, I have been charged with the role and responsibility of being the Resource Director for our CO Belo Horizonte team. I started as the sole administrative staff at that time, transitioning from 9 years of fruitful experience as a campus staff. Today, I am very happy to have several co-laborers with me on the Resource Team (photo above) and to be able to pass the reins to Pedro Albuquerque, a young leader ready to work and serve.

Therefore, 2019 will usher in some changes for the Elam family.

Leadership Team 2018 - CO Belo Horizonte (L to R: Melanie Rogers, Demps Dempsey, Jon Elam, Priscila Albuquerque)

By means of days of prayer over the past 6 months, conversations with our Leadership Team (see photo) and current circumstances, I will be stepping into a an Area Director role for our team next year. This is a role that will have a direct connection to the campus ministries at UFMG and to our campus staff in a leadership, strategic execution and shepherding role.

My new Area Director role will not only mean change for me, but change for the whole family. Our office is currently located at our hub-church building on one side of the Belo Horizonte metropolis, and we have lived within walking distance of the office for my entire tenure as Resource Director. We will be moving across the city to be close to the campus teams at UFMG and, also, to the majority of our staff who live close to the campus. In terms of distance it is not even 10 miles, but in terms of commute and traffic, that’s anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Therefore, we will be making the move!

Isaac will be starting a new school, stepping into First Grade. Tathiana will be moving away from close proximity to her sister Fabiana (also on our Resource Team) for the first time. Fabiana and her husband Diego are an integral part of our family circle here in Belo Horizonte; every week our kids have several touches with their “tia & tio”. This might be one of the hardest changes we face. Also, Sara will start a preschool once we get settled.

We have prayerfully and consciously accepted this new role as part of what God has called us to with Campus Outreach. We are both apprehensive and excited about the changes on the horizon. Overall we believe this a good fit for us as a family and for our contribution to the ministry and mission for the next years. We want to be part of what God uses to build laborers in his harvest field NOW and FOR THE FUTURE (Matthew 9:37-38).

Please pray with us for a few specific things in light of this new role in 2019:

  1. To find a new apartment that fits our needs of being close to staff & campus and a family of 4 with small children. An apartment’s size, location, layout, neighbors and noise are things that can ADD a lot of daily stress or CREATE a restful home life.
  2. For Isaac’s transition to a new school and new social context (see Tathiana’s last update for more on Isaac).
  3. For Jon to be able to transition well from a Resource role that is mainly task-oriented and execution to a role that is mainly management, shepherding and people-oriented.
  4. For Tathiana to rest in God’s plan and to engage with our team now that our kids are a bit older, she has more free-time and we will be living close in close proximity to most of our team.
  5. For Sara as she will begin a preschool program 3 days a week at the same school at which Isaac will enroll.

Tathiana's Family Update: Nov 2017

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Over the past months I have felt a desire to send a family update. I believe this is a way to connect with you, our friends and supporters, with our family.

Isaac has made significant progress in his social interaction and speech development. His therapist is very happy with his development, and his evaluation scores put him in a not-at-risk position of the autism spectrum. However, he still has a hard time making new friends and describing details due to a limited vocabulary. He has a hard time remember names, also. We have continued to speak only Portuguese at home in order to help him. He told us several months ago that he “decided” to not speak at school, which is odd since he talks all the time at home and with other people in other environments. We believe it is in part due to his shyness, insecurity and his strong desire not to make a mistake. Due to these issues e some other factors, Isaac’s therapist suggested we increase his speech therapy sessions per week.

Currently, Isaac has 1 session with his therapist and 3 speech therapy sessions per week. That has generated a lot of extra getting around in during the day and extra financial strain. Together with his first year of school, the busy routine in a big city has been tiring and stressful, not only for Jon and I, but also for Isaac. We have good days and bad days, trying to trust in God’s provision and goodness. The truth that I seem to constantly forget is that God loves our little boy more than we do.

Sara is growing up, both in size and in personalty. She is a spunky and extroverted 1-year-old. She loves dogs and cats and destroying anything her brother builds. She spent the Brazilian winter months sick with ear infections, colds and allergies. She has begun a 6-month preventative treatment for asthma because of all these respiratory blights.

At the end of August, I underwent surgery in my right leg to remove screws and a plate from a childhood surgery that had begun to cause inflammation throughout my upper leg. My recovery has gone reasonably well, and I continue to walk with help of a cane and a noticeable limp. I imagine it will take several more months before I am back to normal. My doctor suggested I do water aerobics to gain flexibility and strength, but I have yet to begin.

Jon had 2 full-time jobs these past months - house dad and missionary. I am very thankful for his selfless service to me and the family. Beyond a doubt, the surgery was one more stress factor for our family, we’ve been exhausted!

Friends have continued to tell me that this difficult phase will pass. We are asking God to send challenges one at a time. I do believe God uses the “storm” to reveal himself and, also, reveal the sin in our own hearts. Oh, that my hope would be in His word!

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I would like to ask for your prayers in these areas:

  • Financial support
  • Tathiana’s recovery
  • Rest for Jon and Tathiana
  • Isaac’s speech development
  • Marital and Emotional health for Jon and Tathiana
  • Sara’s health

Thank you for all your care and support! - Tathiana

Isaac's Journey [ENGLISH]

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Para PORTUGUÊS clique AQUI

This has been a post that I've put off for a while, because I don't really know how to write it. It may come out like a journal entry - but here we go.

Isaac is our first-born; he's almost 4. This year he's had a bit of a journey, and has taken Tathiana and I along for the ride. It began when his pre-school, which we think is great, suggested that their school psychologist observe Isaac a bit. We agreed and she proceeded to spend several hours over the course of several weeks observing. Afterward, Tathiana and I sat down with her and proceeded to hear that it might be worth consulting with a clinical child psychologist because Isaac does present some signs of potential risk toward a learning disorder, or an even more severe issue like Autism or Asperger's. As you can imagine, that was not easy to hear. We knew he likes to be alone sometimes and is a bit rigid, but hearing from some professionals who seem to really have genuine desire for Isaac's best interests motivated us to seek some help.

We began weekly therapy with a very well-recommended child psychiatrist/psychologist who specializes in early intervention here in Belo Horizonte. We have enjoyed her interaction with Isaac, her interest in helping us find other means of intervention, her instruction to Tathiana and me in how to interact with Isaac, and her explanations to us in parent conferences about what she is observing. We feel very confident with her and in her desire to help Isaac develop.

These weekly sessions have been ongoing for 6 months now. There are good times and bad times for us as we wade through the haze of just what God is doing and how Isaac is developing as a little person. We have received some second opinions and, also, involved Isaac in complementary group sessions and speech therapy.

To sum it all up, if Isaac does present a learning disability or other issue, we are calmed by the fact that he has been responding well to therapy and the consensus is his signs are mild at most. Everyone has commented on how intelligent Isaac is, and how he is sensitive to others - so there no real concern for any lack of mental capacity. We have appreciated that the professionals aiding him have been hesitant to give an official diagnosis due to his young age and mild signs. We have decided to establish only 1 language at home, Portuguese, to help him gain some independence in his language skills in preparation for actual school (which he will start in Feb of 2017 per Brazilian law). Lastly, God has given us some unexpected opportunities for Isaac to interact with more children, and time away from our apartment to be free to run, play and even argue with other kids. He is still using diapers, so there's still some things to work through - even if in our own hearts.

This has all been an exhausting journey both emotionally and financially. But as any parent will say, we'll sacrifice anything for the good of our baby boy. We have made it this far with a positive perspective for our little boy and his future. Kids are resilient, parents not so much! These next 6 months will be interesting as we welcome another baby into our home, and as Isaac likely begins school. We appreciate any and all prayers now for the next season that awaits the Elam's in Brazil.

A Jornada do Isaac [PORTUGUÊS]

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For English click HERE

Este post demorou para sair, e, honestamente, é porque eu não sabia como escrevê-lo.

Nosso primogênito, Isaac, tem quase 4 anos. Este ano, ele embarcou em uma jornada, e eu e Tathiana pegamos carona junto com ele. Tudo começou quando a coordenadora do maternal de sua escolinha, que achamos ser um amor de pessoa e respeitamos sua opinião, sugeriu que a psicóloga da escola observasse o Isaac. Estando nós de acordo, a psicóloga passou a observo-lo na sua interação com outras crianças ao longo de algumas semanas. Passado esse período, eu e Tathiana nos encontramos com ela. Recebemos a opinião de que valeria a pena consultar com um profissional clínico especialista em crianças. Em sua opinião, Isaac apresentava alguns sinais de risco potencialmente ligados a um transtorno ou algo ainda como autismo ou Asperger. Como poderia imaginar, não foi nada fácil ouvir isso. Já havíamos percebido que Isaac gosta, às vezes, de ficar sozinho e que, para certos comportamentos, é um pouco rígido. Porém, ouvir tal orientação de profissionais que parecem ter um desejo genuíno pelo bem do Isaac, nos motivou a buscar ajuda para nosso filho.

Desde então, Isaac começou sessões de terapia semanais com uma psicóloga /psiquiatra recomendadíssima em Belo Horizonte, especialista em intervenção precoce. Temos apreciado sua interação com ele, seu interesse em nos ajudar a achar outros meios de auxílio e sua instrução para mim e Tathiana sobre como interagir com Isaac. Temos nos sentido muito confiantes a seu respeito e sobre seu desejo de ajudar o Isaac a se desenvolver.

Em resumo, se Isaac realmente tiver algum atraso de aprendizado ou qualquer outra questão mais severa, temos nos acalmado pelo fato de que ele tem respondido bem à terapia e de que o consenso profissional é que seus sinais são leves. Todos comentam sobre como Isaac é inteligente (o que ele realmente é!), e sobre a sensibilidade que ele tem aos outros. Portanto, não há preocupações maiores sobre sua capacidade mental. Estamos agradecidos pelo fato de que os profissionais que atendem Isaac hesitam em definir um diagnóstico devido à sua tão jovem idade e sinais leves. Decidimos estabelecer apenas o português como idioma em casa, a fim de auxiliá-lo a ganhar mais independência na fala em preparo para o começo das aulas em 2017. E, por fim, Deus tem provido oportunidades inesperadas para que isaac interaja com outras crianças e tenha tempo fora do ambiente fechado de um apartamento correndo, brincando e até brigando com outras crianças. Ele continua usando fralda, portanto ainda há algumas coisas a serem trabalhadas, mesmo que seja questões a serem trabalhadas em nossos próprios corações, como pais.

Esta jornada já nos trouxe um grande desgaste tanto emotivo quanto financeiro. Entretanto, como qualquer pai faria, sacrificaremos qualquer coisa para o bem do nosso filho amado. Chegamos até aqui com uma perspectiva positiva para Isaac e seu futuro. Essa meninada de hoje geralmente superam as coisas facilmente, já os pais... não muito! Estes próximos 6 meses serão no mínimo interessantes, porque receberemos nossa nova filha aqui em casa e porque Isaac iniciará um ritmo escolar mais intenso. Desde já, agradecemos a todos pelas orações, desde já, pela próxima etapa de vida dos Elam aqui no Brasil.