An Extraordinary Boy [ENGLISH]

This is Tathiana. I wanted to give an update about our family and, especially, about Isaac.

In a previous update I mentioned that Isaac’s psychological test scores over the past years show he no longer runs the risk of Asperger’s. He has, however, continued with his weekly therapy and Speech Therapy twice weekly. He has shown great improvement in his language development, he is even delving more into his English! He does still has a hard time organizing facts with time in his communication.

A few weeks ago, Isaac had a hard time at a birthday party with the boys from his school. It was a hard time for me as a mother. During the party, I realized that Isaac did not actual say anything as he ran around for 3 hours. I attempted to be a go-between for he and his friends, trying to help him converse with me so he would talk to his friends. Alas, he resisted. It seemed as if he wanted to talk, but wouldn’t allow himself. Isaac would even be in the middle of the ruckus, but then would distance himself when he felt unsure. In the car heading back home, I let my frustration get the best of me and scolded him saying that I didn’t see why he went to these get-togethers if he chose to not talk with his friends. I said that the other kids wanted to hear what he has to say, that he is a smart boy and able to communicate. I asked him if he talks at school and he said, resolutely, that he does not talk at school, only at other places.

Immediately my anxiety and fears ran rampant as I thought about next year at elementary school: new friends, new teachers, new situations, etc. If he doesn't talk at the pre-school that he loves, it will surely be worse at a new and larger school.

At home that same day, we all calmed down and talked as a family. Isaac said, “can’t think of words” and that sometimes he doesn’t understand what the other kids are doing because “my head is different.” At the end of our conversation, in the most vulnerable and clear way in his five years he opened his heart and explained (in his own way) that he feels pressured by us to speak and that we always want him to do the things he is afraid of doing. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Jon and I asked him to forgive us and later that night we asked God to help us because we don’t know how to love our little boy like God loves him.

That very night, the most extraordinary little boy I know forgave us.

Yet again, we need you to remember us in your prayers. Pray for us to trust in God’s perfect plan for Isaac’s life. Also, pray that we continue to have the financial means to continue his therapies and a new school next year, for both Isaac and a part-time pre-school for Sara, who is showing signs of being behind in her language development.

Um Menino Extraordinário [PORTUGUÊS]

Aqui é a Tathiana. Eu queria dar um update sobre nossa família mas em especial sobre Isaac.

Como já disse antes, Isaac não está mais dentro do espectro de Asperger e tem continuado com suas terapias e fonoaudiólogo 2 vezes na semana. Ele tem apresentado uma melhora na fala e agora até arrisca a falar inglês! Mas ele ainda tem uma dificuldade de organização de fatos e tempo.

Algumas semanas atrás numa festa de um colega da escola, houve uma situação difícil para mim como mãe. Durante a festa, eu notei que Isaac não falou nem uma palavra por 3 horas na casa deste amigo. Eu até tentei engajá-lo e fazer ele tentar conversar... mas não deu. Notei que ele queria falar mas não se permitia. Ele ate ficou perto dos amigos mas se afastava as vezes. No carro eu demonstrei minha frustração e falei que não via propósito nele participar destes encontros porque ele escolhia não conversar com os amigos. Que as crianças gostariam de ouvi-lo, que ele é inteligente e capaz. Perguntei se ele falava na escola e ele, decididamente, falou que na escola não - so em outros lugares.

Logo vieram minhas ansiedades e medos de uma escola nova ano que vem, amigos novos, etc. Se ele não fala na escolinha que ele adora imagina em uma maior e diferente.

Já em casa, Jon e eu conversamos melhor com ele. Isaac disse que “não consegue pensar nas palavras” e quando as outras crianças brincam muitas vezes ele não entende a brincadeira porque “minha cabeça é diferente”. No final de nossa conversa, pela primeira vez em 5 anos ele abriu seu coração, e disse (do jeito dele) que sente pressão vinda de mim e do Jon para ele falar e fazer coisas que ele tem medo. Eu quebrei várias vezes por dentro e arrependemos juntos de não saber amá-lo como Deus o ama.

O menino mais extraordinário que conheço nos perdoou.

Mais uma vez eu preciso que vocês nos lembrem e orem para que possamos confiar que Deus tem o melhor e mais perfeito plano para a vida do Isaac. Orem também para a parte financeira, que tenhamos os meios para continuar pagando as terapias e a escola nova ano que vem para Isaac e Sara, que também apresenta um desafio de atraso na fala.

Campus Outreach 40-Year Celebration Booklet

Every supporter with a donation made since January 2016 will receive a booklet.

Every supporter with a donation made since January 2016 will receive a booklet.

The 2018-19 school year marks 40 years of Campus Outreach! Forty years later, God has multiplied Campus Outreach to the point where the gospel is changing lives on 125 campuses in 23 US and 13 international locations.

Together with you and thousands like you, faithful supporters of this ministry, we are taking time this year to celebrate all that God has done over the last four decades. One of the things that Campus Outreach as network of ministries has done is produce a movement-wide publication with 40-year metrics, stories of impact, global maps, and spotlights for each CO franchise.

For anyone who has given a donation since 2016, your copy of this publication should arrive in the next few days. As you read through this 40 Year Impact Report, we want to say thank you!

Please take time to find all the Campus Outreach locations and staff you support, and pray for our ministry. As you explore the broader context, we hope you’ll get a glimpse of how your support is making a difference on a global scale. Your prayers and partnership are the foundation of all that God is doing.

If you did not receive a booklet and would like one, there is an electronic version available. You can also see more celebration of God’s work over 40 years of CO at the website: co40years.org

New Resource Teammates 2018

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One objective our Resource (administrative) Team listed for 2017 was to recruit at least 1 more Resource staff during the year. We asked God to raise up people, we networked out and we had our eyes open. Before the end of 2017, we had 1 Brazilian intern on our team and 1 graduate from the US committed and preparing to join our team!

Luca Diorrane

Luca Diorrane

The increasing work load for our growing team and ministry is one reason we wanted to focus our efforts on recruitment. Also, as a ministry committed to multiplication, we want to constantly renew our team and "work ourselves out of a job". God provided, and we are excited about the new faces around our Resource Team.

Luca Diorrane recently graduated from UFMG in Belo Horizonte, where he became a Christian late in his college career. He is a very talented guy with a desire to serve, administrative aptitude, a gifted musician, a member of a dance company, and a beast of a futsal player. After a short-term, overseas job opportunity fell through, we began to talk with him about an experience working with our Resource Team until the end of 2018. He accepted and we are glad to have him with us!

Marquise Piton

Marquise Piton

Marquise Piton is a South Florida native who graduated from Eastern Kentucky University where he played football and graduated in Network Security and Electronics. The CO Lexington Resource staff connected us to Marquise. After completing the application and interview process,  he decided to quit his job and fully commit to raising support and joining our team for a 2-year commitment. Marquise arrived in March, and is focusing on learning Portuguese, transitioning to a new culture and getting connected with students on campus. He will bring some much-needed technilogical specialization to our team.

I am leading a series of training sessions on the vision and practical side of being a Resource Staff (picture above). Both Luca and Marquise have embraced the vision, and each week they are engaging more and more in supporting the movement through our Resource Team. God provided and is raising others to "work ourselves out of job!" But don't worry, there is plenty to be done as we continue to be one of the only ministries focusing on college students in Brazil. 

Happy New Year 2018!

Christmas 2017

We were so happy to spend Christmas 2017 with my family in Chattanooga. We always want to give thanks for all of God's good gifts in this season of his greatest gift to mankind!

Other gifts we celebrate are so many of you who labor and support us in so many ways as we labor in Brazil. THANK YOU! We will try to fit in as many personal touches that we can in the short weeks we will be in the US working on support. 

In the mean time, Happy New Year!

For any special, year-end gifts click here or the "Online Giving" links throughout the site.

Online Giving - New Functionality

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I am very excited to let you know that the Campus Outreach online giving platform is getting a major upgrade. Our new online giving platform will be powered by iDonate via the Campus Outreach Global Resource Center in Birmingham, AL. This service facilitates giving through debit and credit cards and non-cash gifts.

Each staff will have their own personalized donate page. AFTER DECEMBER 1st, 2017, mine will be www.campusoutreach.org/donate/jon-elam

Key New Features:

  • An improved giving experience provided by iDonate.com’s platform
  • All giving amounts accepted via credit card, debit card, bank draft, or any other source of giving
  • Setup recurring donations through credit card, debit card or bank draft on ANY day of the month
  • Opportunity to elect to pay the cost of the credit card, debit card or bank draft transaction fees so that these costs are not charged to the account of the staff member you are supporting (Electing to pay the fees will be tax-deductible to you)
  • Opportunity to give non-cash gifts like electronics, stock, cars, jewelry, phones and other assets.

Our online giving platform is powered by iDonate.com via the Campus Outreach Global Resource Center. This service facilitates giving via debit/credit card and non-cash gifts for all CO franchises that elect to participate. Gifts are made through CO Global, Inc. and receipted directly by the appropriate CO franchise. Please direct questions or comments to giving@campusoutreach.org

This information will be sent via physical mail to all current supporters from Campus Outreach in Birmingham. To see a PDF of the letter, click the icon to the left.

Tathiana's Family Update: Nov 2017

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