Isaiah - A True Servant

In this post, I want to tell you a bit about Isaias (Isaiah in English), the guy who runs the day-to-day operations of the chácara. He has become a ministry partner and a good friend of mine!

Isaias has spent much of his life involved with recovery centers for chemical dependents. His father Alvaro, and mother Luci, ran a halfway house/recovery clinic (Isaias and his family lived on the grounds of the clinic) for many years in Alvorada, a Porto Alegre suburb. In 1995, Alvaro began a shelter for homeless men at the chácara's current location, and over time, this location evolved into a second halfway house. Alavro passed away in 1998, but his wife Luci continued the work at the first location, while a local pastor took over the work at the chácara. The work went well for a time, but unfortunately, it turns out this pastor was stealing money that was coming into the chácara's common fund. In 2004, this guy left (he even dismanted the house he had built on the property) and took almost all the men living at the chácara with him to another location. The chácara had to be closed for some time, fearing that it would never reopen.

This is when Isaias stepped in. In 2005, after much prayer and pondering, he decided to reopen the chácara, working as a volunteer. Isaias works the night shift as a security guard for the city of Gravataí, another Porto Alegre suburb. He spends as much time as he can during the day at the chácara, helping the men resolve their problems, teaching Bible lessons, building walls...the guy is a real handyman; he seemingly can do it all! The men call him "pastor" and that's what he is; a shepherd who is steering them away from the harm of substance abuse and steering them towards the gospel of Jesus. And he does all of this as a volunteer...he does not receive one centavo for his work. In fact, he uses some of his own salary here and there to buy supplies for the chácara when they run out.

I am amazed at how balanced and centered of a man Isaias is. He doesn't get stressed easily; he remains calm and patient while dealing with problems between the men. He maintains a hopeful and humble outlook on circumstances; he is quick to give credit to God for the good things that happen in his life and to the chácara. I have learned much from Isaias about how to listen to and encourage people with problems; how to love people yet not put hope in people, but in God; how to affirm the good that God is doing while being patient when it seems that God's work is stuck in neutral or going backwards. I greatly admire his sacrificial spirit; I don't know many people who would do what he does, with the intensity that he does it, without receiving a dime. His treasures are in the right place - he is investing in the kingdom of God that comes daily and will come in its fullness one day.

Isaias is married to Claudia and they have two kids: Evelyn, age 7, and Jonatas, 8 months. Remember this family in your prayers!

In my last post I introduced you to the chácara. Now I'm going to share how I became involved in this ministry. Back in January, I decided to take a three-day retreat of prayer and solitude. It was the first time in several years I had done such a retreat, and it came at the right moment, for I was needing a time of re-encounter with God. I was still in the throes of depression, and I was desperately seeking some direction for myself. What was God really calling me to do in my life at this moment? I was feeling useless in my vocation as a missionary. How could I take the talents and opportunities I had been given and use them in the service of the kingdom?

During the course of this retreat, through prayer, meditation, reading, and observing nature, I perceived God revealing three directives for me. One was to go back to school and continue my education, so in April I started my master's degree in psychology through a distance-learning institution. Two was to use the English language in some kind of professional manner, so I've begun translating scientific articles here and there from Portuguese to English - fantastic brain exercise and extra money. Three was to begin going to the chácara once a week and making myself available to them to serve in whatever way I could. So every Wednesday, since the beginning of February, I have been working at the chácara.

I do a number of different things; no Wednesday is alike. One of the most important things I do is informal counseling with the men in recovery. I listen to their story, ask questions, offer consolation, check on how they are doing, pray with them, try to befriend them. I have built significant relationships with several of the men through this ministry. I also help purchase their monthly food supplies - as you might imagine, 20 men can eat several horses in a month's time! Our church is currently helping to build a new dormitory at the chácara, so I am helping coordinate that project. And I've had several meetings with folks in the community to try and bring in outside resources to help the halfway house become a self-sustaining entity.

What makes this all worthwhile is seeing lives transformed, like these seven guys here (left to right: Rafael, Everton, Dilamar, Alessandro, Daniel, Salvador, and Claudemir).

These seven guys gave their lives to Christ in baptism on June 24. Praise God!! They are all walking firmly in the light.

I work closely with Isaias, a Brazilian volunteer who runs most of the day-to-day operations of the halfway house. Next time I'll tell you about this extraordinary man and our friendship.