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.

Leadership Team 2016

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A big change in my role this year has been participation in a newly formed Leadership Team for CO Belo Horizonte. It is a small group of veteran staff, each with an Area of Responsibility seeking to maintain and direct the Vision, to Shepherd our team and to be primarily Executive in our decisions. 

In July of this year (2016), our Director, Demps Dempsey, and his family began a 1 year Sabbatical. Leading up to this, there was much discussion about how to fill the leadership gap during his absence, but also in how to move towards sustainability in our Brazilian context looking towards the future. The idea of a specific leadership team collective, rather than a top-down single Director was discussed as something that might be an option for our reality. So this current Leadership Team is our first trial run. Then, when Demps returns, the goal is for him to be freed-up to focus on coaching, shepherding and vison-casting for the future and expansion with the Leadership team functioning to guide the grassroots ministry and infrastructure. 

So, this next year is sure to be the busiest ever, with retaining my Resource Director responsibilities, Leadership Team, participation in church leadership as an elder, and still leading myself and my family with a new baby arriving in October. It's a lot, but I am trying very hard to remember what the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Please pray with me that I may have the same response as Paul did, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."

My Dream Team

This is my team, my specialized squad within our greater CO Belo Horizonte team: Fabiana Vidal in the middle, and Pedro Albuquerque to the right. We are referred to as the Resource Team. We do a multitude of things, but our greatest goal is support the front-line campus staff and their ministry.

Five years ago I stepped into the role of Resource Director. It was a bit nebulous as to what I would do, but I knew that my temperament, gifts, habilites and commitment to the vision of Campus Outreach would serve me well in this administrative role. The idea of supporting the ministry and being a "RESOURCE" to our team and organization really excited me. I had lots of help from some people before me who paved some of the roads, lots of help around me from our church administrator in conjunction with other Resource Staff in the US and help alongside me from some of our staff who were serving dual roles on the campus and resource teams.

However, sadly, I grinded away for the first few years doing a lot on my own. I am a doer by nature; so, I did... and did a lot. But there was always more than I could handle, or projects that were beyond my ability to resolve. By God's grace, he began to work through my Director, Demps Dempsey, and others to help bring a team around me. Not just warm bodies, but a team! A team composed of people who are darn good at what they do and equally committed to the vision of "building laborers on the campus for lost world" here in Brazil.

Fabiana is my sister-in-law. We go way back. I've been Fabiana's friend, family, campus director, roommate and now Resource Director. She concentrates on Event Planning and Assisting our Director, Demps. Pedro is a privilege to have beside me. I met him as a high-schooler, saw him give his life to Christ, discipled him throughout college, walked with him during his dating relationship and recent marriage, recruited him, hired him to work with me and one day believe he take over my job as Resource Director.

I've wanted to write this post for a while, but, recently, I have been humbled by their work ethic and excellence in serving our team in their roles and gifting. I thank God for allowing me to lead them, and desire to be used to develop them for a life of impact in His harvest field.

 

Baby #2 on the Way

We are officially communicating to the world that Tathiana is pregnant! Baby #2 is a little girl, set to arrive around the end of October, 2016. That baby bump is already showing, and Isaac is beginning to understand the baby in Tathiana's tummy is for real!

We have several months to prepare for her arrival. We will be doing some adjustments in the apartment, purchasing baby things that we borrowed for Isaac's infancy, purchasing cute-little-dainty-girl things and some investing some specific time and efforts in our Family and Marriage before she arrives (more about this in a later post).

We wanted to share the good news, and have you all celebrate and thank God with us for this new life to care for and raise in the love of the Lord.

 

Computer Theft

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Tracking my stolen Macbook... the name had already been changed to "gaga"

The bad news is someone broke into our office and stole my notebook computer and new backpack about one month ago. It happened in broad daylight on a Monday during lunch, and we're not sure how. But the tracking option on my computer sure tells me it was not in my office anymore and that someone tried to connect it to the internet.

The good news is that I had recently met another American staying for two months in Belo Horizonte, and he sold me his computer that was newer than my stolen one and in really good condition. Buying this computer from him in Brazil was much, much cheaper than buying one from a store in Brazil, and also cheaper than purchasing in the US and having to declare it in customs upon entry into Brazil and pay the tariffs. (Thanks Rob Adams Films!) God oddly works things out when we sometimes don't think He will.

So, this was a round about way of getting a computer upgrade! Our office insurance should help pay for some of the loss, but my backpack and cherished items like my Swiss Army knife that I got for my 15th birthday are gone, and that's hard to be cheerful about.

Just wanted to share the ups and downs from the field.

 

The Great Update Drought of 2015

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Last year was the scenario of the unfortunate, the lamentable, the debacle know as " The Great Update Drought of 2015". Supporters and Prayer partners, I have nothing to say except the mediocre, "I'm sorry!" Or maybe, "bad missionary, bad!"

So, 2016 rushes in with a series of BLOG posts and I will begin with a lackluster job of recapping 2015 for all, hitting only a few highlights.

  1. The last post of 2015 was in April, after we spent 4 month in the US on the support trail to be positioned for the next life-phase of ministry in Belo Horizonte. God provided new partners and new support through long-time supporters. Also, the economic reality in Brazil has not been a good one, so the Brazilian currency in relation to the US Dollar has fallen, meaning out purchasing power increased without an increase in salary. Summarized, we are financially ready for the next years barring a sharp fall-off of support or an economic 180º here in Brazil.
  2. As director of the Resource (administrative) Team, 2015 was an important year to consolidate my team. Fabiana really embraced her role and did an amazing job in my absence. We hired Pedro Albuquerque, a recent grad from UFMG and member of my discipleship group. And both Pedro and Fabiana got married during between August and December. They will both continue on full-time with our Resource Team.
  3. Our UFMG campus team continued their coffee-shop discussion groups through out the year, and were a great way to initiate and go deeper in personal conversations about God alongside other Bible-studies and individual times with students. It all cumulated to our summer project in jan 2016, which you can read more about here!
  4. Tathiana and I began to lead a Regional small-group at our church, and has given us the opportunity to grow our pastoral role in the church and invite non-campus friends to events where the central focus is on Jesus.

PNP 2016 - Summer Project Recap

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We love because God loved us first. (1 John 4:19)
Where is the the love? We used this question during the semester to challenge students and their thoughts about God. Everybody longs for love. Everybody arrives at the same conclusion when considering the the problems in the world: “the answer is love.” So...where is this love that we long for but cannot begin to actually put into practice?

After numerous discussion groups we presented an idea; how could discuss love and not hear Jesus’ opinion on the matter? After all, is there another historical character that addressed love in such a brazen manner other than Jesus? And surely, if asked to answer our question, he would certainly say, “love is in God.” He is the source. He loves first. No one can love without first being loved by Him.

Prosa na Praia - Summer Project:
Jesus’ viewpoint concerning love was the focus of our discussion time during our annual summer project, called Prosa na Praia (Discussion at the Beach). We had the amazing opportunity to spend a week with 40 students we have been investing in by living in the same house and sharing quality experiences. The beach, sports, games, food, talent show, sunrises and sunsets among many others! All together our week was full, fun and helped us create a sense of real community.

Beyond the fun and games, we had a daily time to go deeper into our discussion about “love is in God” thru Bible studies, talks and facilitated discussion groups and lots of informal ones! By the grace of God, we could truly see the Spirit moving in that place! Many students asking honest questions, new people interested in studying the Bible and investigating more about Jesus, young Christians growing in maturity and, overall, the gospel making sense like never before for so many. We are extremely humbled by what God is doing among us!

I got to help with the graphics for both the 2015 Coffee-shop discussion group image and project images. Go to the Media page to some of them.

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