Isaac e Seus Sentidos (PORTUGUÊS)

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Olá meus amigos, aqui é a Tathiana. Espero que vocês estejam saudáveis e fortalecidos em Cristo. Mais uma vez senti vontade de compartilhar um pouco sobre nossas vidas em geral e, especialmente, sobre Isaac.

Recentemente decidimos colocar Isaac para fazer terapia ocupacional para tratar algumas questões velhas nele e que tem se tornado mais rígidas (incômodo da água nos olhos, medo de andar de bicicleta, aversão a cheiros e barulhos, falta de atenção, entre outros). Depois de 10 sessões avaliativas com uma profissional muito capacitada, recebemos respostas. Ele tem características de Asperger, que já sabíamos, e tem sinais de Disfunção de Integração Sensorial.

Resumidamente, Isaac tem uma forma diferente dos outros de processar os estímulos sensoriais. Isso inclui os 5 sentidos comuns, o sistema vestibular (equilíbrio) e o sistema proprioceptivo (orientação dos membros do corpo no espaço). O tratamento de TO visa ajudá-lo a trabalhar os sentidos e o processamento para ele poder amadurecer o que tem sido difícil naturalmente pelo desafio de desordem sensorial. Abaixo, o quadro exemplifica o desafio que ele encara para a colaboração entre o que ele percebe visualmente, e como o seu corpo engaja com o estímulo. A integração viso-motora (VMI) é abaixo da média para sua idade, parecida com o desenvolvimento de habilidade motora fina (Motor). Porém a sua percepção visual é igual a de um adolescente de 16 anos!

A avaliação fonoaudiológica também mostrou um desafio para o Isaac no campo da expressão. Isso, de verdade, é algo que reparamos há muito tempo, mas o relatório ajuda a entender como acontece. Também, vemos que Isaac tem dificuldade processando e organizando o que ele ouve. Mas, o que pesou mais nos nossos corações como pais é ouvir da fonoaudióloga que Isaac sofre ao não conseguir se expressar verbalmente como ele quer.

O resultado, na prática, é que Isaac fará acompanhamento com terapeuta ocupacional 2 vezes na semana e, também, fazer acompanhamento fonoaudiológico 2 vezes por semana. A clínica é particular, então as sessões serão da nossa responsabilidade financeira, o que terá um impacto inesperado e significativo às nossas finanças.

Nossas crianças estão tendo aulas online desde março de 2020, e não acho que as aulas presenciais voltarão este ano. Por causa das dificuldades e desafios específicos do Isaac, aulas on-line têm sido um grande motivo de estresse e cansaço para ele e para mim (Tathiana). Eu acredito que ele esteja retendo aproximadamente 20% das matérias que ele assiste das aulas online, porque quando acompanho a lição de casa, percebo que ele sabe muito pouco da matéria já apresentada pela professora. Somando ainda que ele não lê no nível adequado para sua idade, tem um vocabulário limitado, e grande dificuldade em interpretar o sentido dos textos.

Eu admiro muito minhas amigas que conseguem fazer escola domiciliar, mas infelizmente esta não é minha realidade, nem a realidade que encaixa com a nossa família. Eu simplesmente não consigo e ainda ouso dizer que Isaac não me queira como professora. Estamos pedindo suas orações para tentar decidir como proceder com a educação do Isaac no meio de uma pandemia. Estamos considerando tirar ele da escola durante a realidade de aulas remotas e contratarmos um tutor particular, mas temos que pensar e avaliar os prós e contras desta decisão. A incerteza de tudo me deixa aflita.

Estamos no pior momento da pandemia em Belo Horizonte, enfrentando lockdown com toque de recolher, praças fechadas, hospitais perto de um colapso, e a perspectiva de manter 100% aulas online durante o resto desse ano de 2021. Não quero que o tom deste update seja reclamação, mas sim desabafo com amigos que se importam conosco. Às vezes penso que vou ficar louca; choro, depois relembro de duas coisas: primeiro, “'Assim, aproximemo-nos do trono da graça com toda a confiança, a fim de recebermos misericórdia e encontrarmos graça que nos ajude no momento da necessidade.” (Hebreus 4:16). E, segundo, que estamos saudáveis, no meio de tantos que estão lutando contra a doença e falta de esperança depois dessa vida. Amém! 

Obrigada por darem seus ouvidos 🙏,
Tathiana Elam

Motivos de oração:

• Para que Deus providencie opções para acompanhamento clínico e escolar que caibam no nosso orçamento,

• Saúde mental nossa e das crianças,

• Saúde física para todos nós,

• Proteção espiritual contra ataques invisíveis do inimigo contra nossa família.

Lonely BH, Once Again

Empty streets in BH due to COVID-19

Belo Horizonte (BH) is a lonely place, once again.

Our city has retreated back to only essential services as of Friday, March 5th. The COVID-19 scenario in Brazil and BH has worsened, and vaccination has not shaped up to be as organized or wide-spread as needed at this moment.

In the last weeks, we had the first in-person ministry event with students of the year, and our church was weekly increasing the number of people participating in-person. Everything has screeched to a halt for now, and we will be going back to basing our efforts and events via online access and socially-distanced formats.

It is a hard reality to accept, as things were ramping up, new relationships, depth of in-person interaction and studies. Pray for us! Pray for Brazil.

Vitor & Pedro through the Pipeline

We talk about the idea of "pipelines" in terms of staffing for Campus Outreach. A larger number of students and young Christians go into the pipeline at one end, and out the other end comes a smaller number of laborers poised to join our team in full-time ministry. This is NOT the goal of our ministry. The goal is Christ-centered laborers for every walk life in every aspect of society and church. However, we do seek out those who would join us if they desire and if the fit is right.

Vitor (pictured, middle) joined our team this year for a 1-year internship. He came to Christ in college a few years ago, and is excited about the possibility of a life called to ministry. This is a special moment for our team as Vitor is the first male Brazilian staff we have hired specifically for the campus ministry in 9 years. Our pipelines are small and slow moving on the campus here in Brazil, but fruit is being borne!

Another aspect of our pipeline is how we as a ministry develop leaders. Pedro (pictured, right) is fruit of our leadership pipeline. I have spoken to many personally, shared at a few churches and included in updates about Pedro's process the last few years. As of last year, Pedro is the new Regional Director over our team and ministry in Belo Horizonte. It is very fulfilling to see him in this role, not only because he is stepping up and facing the challenge head-on, but because in it I see God's faithfulness. I met Pedro when he was only 15. Today, he is my Director!

100% Year-End Goal

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Before the year of 2020 laid its burdensome self to rest, our partners had already given hope for 2021. We reached 100%, and even beyond, our $6500 goal before January 1, 2021.

We are hopeful, humbled and honored to be part of a group of people who are committed to what God is doing in Belo Horizonte. To Him be the glory.

2020 Year-End Giving

What a year, am I right? 2020 brought several new things to our lives. And 2020 has also continued to bring some common realities. Year-End giving is one of those things that continues to be very important to our sustainability on the field.

For the past three years, Year-End giving, special one-time gifts, campaigns and the like have been the lifeline that our support account needed to be able to sustain the following year. This year is no different. 2020, COVID-19, quarantine was tough for life-on-life ministry, but the loss of a few more supporters has made these final months a bit tougher. Year-End giving is as vital as previous years.

We are aiming to raise $6500 in Year-End, one-time giving in December 2020 and January 2021 in order to realistically expect to finish 2021 in the black.

If any of our faithful supporters are able, we ask that you consider participating as so many have in the previous few years; and even ask new year-end givers to participate this year. 

We continue to believe in what we are doing here in Brazil. We pray that God would use our wonderful support team to continue to supply for our needs.

For online giving, follow this link: www.campusoutreach.org/donate/jon-elam

Merry Christmas and Happy 2021!

Thankful 2020

This season of thanksgiving, we give thanks to you who support us in so many ways. As Jesus said, "...unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." John 12:23-26

Thank you each for being living examples of wheat that has produced beyond imagination!

Jon, Tathiana and family

A New Friend and Co-Laborer

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.