The Chácara

Marathon Relay - 3rd edition

2009-11-29T12:03:00.000-08:00

On November 15, we competed as the 3rd edition of our chacara marathon relay team in the Paqueta Esportes Marathon Relay. It was a difficult one to prepare for (I had to find substitutes for 3 of the original team members during the week), but we managed to pull together a good group and concluded the race! The team, L-R: Rodrigo, Jander, Kleiton, Marcio, Wilson, Renato, Edson and myself. Jander & Edson are currently in the program; the others are graduates, except for Kleiton, Marcio's brother. I made jerseys with the logo of a local TV stations's campaign: Crack, Don't Even Think About It, along with the chacara's official name Centro de Recuperacao Jovem. These guys are living proof that it is possible to overcome addiction, and I think we got the message across, as the jerseys and our race made people take notice!

Here's yours truly kicking things off, turning in his 5.3km in just over 23 minutes. Not too bad considering my inconsistent training this spring. To top off my day, I preached at the 3pm worship service at the chacara...God gave me the energy to do that because I was pretty wiped out from my race as well as handling all the logistics of our team race organizations and transport.

We were blessed to have some of our Rotary Club friends join us - below: Adriana & Emanuel, Claudia & Mario. And of course, Paulo Renato, constant presence at our events, was there as well.

Sometimes the real victory is just finishing the race! We didn't get any trophies for our finish position, but the medals proved that we ran in such a way as to win. Congragulations guys and thank you Lord for letting us run!

One More Who Has Overcome

2009-11-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

On the left here is our brother Edison. He is 28 years old and a metal shop worker by trade. He is the most recent graduate of the chacara's 9-month recovery program. His last day at the chacara was last Tuesday, October 27. We praise God for Edison's faith and perseverence in allowing the Holy Spirit to transform his life!

Here's a shot of Edison with Isaias, the director of the chacara. I helped them start a new tradition of each student who finishes the 9-month program receiving a certificate of commemoration. This can certainly open doors for them in the professional world as they re-enter society, and it reminds them of how much they have sacrificed to achieve their goal.

This is Edison with his fiancee, Veridiana (I love these names!) They plan to get married next year. Paulo Renato and I took him home last Friday after our devotional with some other graduates who live nearby. We met Veridiana, her mother, and her nieces. Edison consideres these people his family because his blood family members have either passed away or have not maintained contact with him. Edison also recognizes that God has given him a new family in the church!

Praise God for Edison and his victory, and pray that he will continue to live out his faith with courage every day!

Rotary Club Involvement

2009-11-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Our Rotary club continues to show interest in helping the chacara. Waleska is pictured here with Martha, our current club president; Jander, one of the current students; Gustavo, our friend and club member; Paulo Renato; and club secretary Klaus (yeah, like Santa Klaus). The first task is to help them refurbish their topsoil, which has lost many nutrients after years of erosion. We are getting estimates on material to conduct this refurbishing. The next step is to help them build greenhouses so they can cultivate year-round. Finally, we hope to help them organize a small business so they can not only raise crops for their own sustenance, but also sell them to local markets and use the income to support the work of the chacara.

Rotary Club Alvorada, the suburb where the chacara is located, also plans to join us in this project! We are thankful for these partners and look forward to seeing a more fruitful harvest - in every respect - next crop season!

A New View of an Old Favorite

2009-10-10T17:24:00.001-07:00

Let's have our brothers Paulo Renato, Elinton and Gabriel (along with Pedro the guard dog) give you a tour of the refurbished chacara exterior!

New front of chapel...

New look of cafeteria and office area...

New kitchen, from the back, remodeled and repainted.

Side view of kitchen and chapel.

The dormitory got a fresh coat of orange as well.

The panoramic view looking down from the parking area.

Looking up from the dormitory to the office and cafeteria. Lookin' good in the neighborhood!

The Latest Winner

2009-08-02T08:43:00.001-07:00

This is our brother Valter (third from left) with the Aggies for Christ group that was with us last month. Valter graduated from the chácara program on July 13. He is now living in Canoas suburb with his family again and already has a job, and is attending church with his family! Valter formerly worked as a cellular tower maintenance technician. He got to travel and enjoy a wide variety of experiences because of this, but his many travels got him mixed up in bad company that led him to drug use. Now Valter wants to do a theology course and work for Jesus! We praise God for Valter's victory and will do our best to help him mature in his faith walk.

Possible Partnership

2009-06-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

One of the blessings of being involved with our local Rotary club is the possiblity of forming international partnerships with clubs from other countries for the purpose of developing community service projects. Through Rotary's Matching Grants program, funds can be obtained from Rotary's international foundation to aid in community development projects. We may be on the way to forming such a partnership with a group from Holland...who recently visited the chacara and saw firsthand what good can be done when community service groups join forces!

We are in the "talking stage" right now about developing a greenhouse project that will allow the chacara to grow plants, vegetables, flower bulbs, herbs and spices to sell to the community, and use the profit to cover operating expenses so it can become a self-sustaining entity! Now let's put the dream into action...

Another Victory

2009-06-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is Jeferson Pereira. He is the most recent graduate of the recovery center 9-month program! He comes from a large Italian family in Viamao, a suburb between Porto Alegre and Alvorada. He has moved in with his older sister and has obtained a job as a machine operator at Mu-Mu, a company that produces jellies and sweets. Praise God for Jeferson's victory and pray for him to persevere in his new life!

Hip-Hop City

2009-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

One Saturday last month, I went to Alvorada to visit another therapeutic community and took a friend with me - Jefferson Braga, one of our recent chacara graduates. A simple stop at his brother's bait and tackle shop led to an invitation to go to a radio studio and participate in a live broadcast of gospel hip-hop in Rio Grande do Sul!This is Vinicius, the host of the show. It comes on every Saturday at 5pm on the station SaraBrasil. Vinicius interviews local and regional gospel hip-hop artists, plays their music, reads Scripture, and serves as a call center for folks who need help finding a drug or alcohol rehab center. This show reaches people who might otherwise never be interested in hearing the gospel!

On the left is my buddy Jefferson, and on the right is Di-Mc, or Elder, one of the members of the hip-hop group G.A.P. that I've helped in the past (David, Jeff's brother who works at the bait and tackle shop, is the other member of G.A.P. who couldn't be on the broadcast because he was working). With Elder are his wife Elisangela and his son Eminem (yeah you read that right!) We all shared a bit of our faith story on the radio, and Elder got to publicize their CD.

I thank God that a Saturday can begin ordinary and end extraordinary!

Recent Graduates!

2009-04-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I am way behind on my postings for this remarkable ministry, so it's high time to get caught up. Here I'll talk about the guys who have (fairly) recently completed the 9-month recovery program and are now out and about in society again!
The main factor we have noticed in the ability of these guys to maintain a successful recovery is getting involved with a local church. Besides that, it's very important for them to find a job, continue schooling, and find a place to live that is not where they lived before, in areas of drug trafficking and hoodlum activity. We try to help these guys to make wise decisions in all these areas, and ultimately it is up to them to follow the path of recovery they've started on.

Marcio is the man in the photo on the left, while Ezequiel is the man on the right, on the far right side. Both of these guys finished their treatment on Christmas Day! From what I have heard, Marcio has unfortunately not been able to sustain his recovery, but I just saw Ezequiel on Sunday and he is doing great!

Josimar, picture above, is quite a character. He finished the program back in September. He will be the first to tell you about his colorful background: arrests for assault and robbery, prison time, high on drugs...but no more. He would make a great actor, he really knows how to get inside a personality and portray the ups and downs of a person, probably because he has lived so on the edge. Josimar is one of the guys that is sharing a special apartment with other graduates, which I will tell you about in a coming post.

This is Leandro. He actually finished his 9 months back in October, but decided to stay on until February to reinforce his recovery. He has moved to Cachoeirinha, a suburb of Porto Alegre, and is working in an industrial cleaning service. From what I understand, he is also reunited with his wife and daughter. Leandro is a very quiet and discreet man, one who doesn't make waves but wants his example to do the talking. Keep up the good work Leandro!

There are four victorious ones in this photo ! From left to right - Jeferson, Wilson, Dagoberto and Renato. Jeferson is only two weeks away from completing his 9 months, and is serving as one of the program monitors. Wilson and Renato finished their time in January, and Dagoberto finished his in February. I have seen Renato a couple of times; he is working at a automotive sound system shop, which is good, but he seems to have latched onto a girl he just met, which may not be so good (more on that later). Wilson is living with his father, and I do not have any news from him. Dagoberto went to live with his aunt and is doing OK, but could be doing better.The guy in the middle here is Diego Souza, flanked by Paulo Renato on his left and Isaias on his right. Diego just finished the program at the beginning of last month. He is now living with his mom and working in a plastics factory near his home. We are in constant contact with him and he seems to be doing well!

Last of all, I will mention Jorge, the guy on the left here. Jorge has completed one year of the program and for now has no intention of leaving. Jorge has some mental deficiencies that require special attention, and we are not sure yet how his exit will take place, if his family has conditions to take care of him. He is another guy, like Leandro, who is quiet but works his tail off and lets his example do the talking. He's also a very skilled guitar player!

Porto Alegre's Newest Rap Stars!

2008-10-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Don't let the cover deceive you - these are the good guys! This is Davi, Jefferson, and Elder, also known as Vid Brasa, Mano Fino and Di'Mc, members of the rap group G.A.P. (Support Group of the Marginalized). I mentioned them in a post several months ago: they turned away from drug addictions and converted from a life of crime to a life in Jesus at the recovery center! They formed a hip-hop/rap group and won a statewide contest for best original song (the only gospel group with enough courage to even enter the contest!) Now their CD has come out, fourteen songs of positive messages about Christian life with creative lyrics "my gun is 66-caliber; it's the word of God!" "the weapons of my war: knees on the floor, Bible by my door."

Imagine my surprise when I opened the CD case and found this picture on the back cover of the CD jacket...I guess I'm an honorary member of G.A.P.! I took several photos that they used for the cover art of the jacket, and I've lent them my moral support. Don't expect me to be singing any background vocals, though...

The producer was so impressed with their project that even though G.A.P. didn't have the money, he agreed to give them free studio time and produce the album for free, and the guys would pay him back when they could! That is just unheard of, especially for unknown gospel hip-hop artists! Please pray that their message can get out and have a huge impact on this community - they are true missionaries working in a field desperately needing harvest!

Kitchen Construction Update

2008-10-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Once again, we are fully engaged in a worthwhile construction project at the recovery center! As I mentioned before, we are remodeling the kitchen and expanding the chapel. The project has taken on unexpected dimensions, such as completely rebuilding the wood-burning stove and chimney. It's interesting how such a seemingly simple task is actually quite complex in terms of the design and execution of the final product.

This is the new wood-burning stove area. The chef has a lovely scenic view of the surrounding nature as he prepares his daily rice and beans!

The biggest job up to this point has been putting up the walls. This task was finally finished this week. Dagoberto, pictured here, has been one of the principal workers on this fun assignment!

Now that all the walls have been raised, it's time to put up the roof! Vandolei and Ezequiel are working hard to make sure that the roofing gets put on straight and true!

This is looking towards the wood-burning stove portion of the kitchen, with the doorway leading to access the stove area. This wall did not previously exist; it was built to separate the stove from the rest of the kitchen, to allow the heat to escape in a safer and more efficient manner. It is taking longer and costing more than we thought, but piece by piece, the structure will be built! The next steps are to finish the walls, then put down the flooring and put in the ceiling and electric/hydraulic fixtures. Keep up the great effort, guys!

A New Kitchen and a Bigger Chapel!

2008-09-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

It is time for another construction project at the chácara! Our next goal is to expand the chapel and build a new kitchen space. This is the current kitchen. It is fine as it is, but we need more space for the chapel, because so many family members of the guys are coming on Sundays for visits that there is no more room (a good problem to have!) The chapel shares a long wall with the kitchen, the one that the green cabinet and freezer are pushed up against. By eliminating this wall, we can make available for the chapel a space that can seat an additional 25-30 people.

This is Airton, the cook, standing in the patio where the new kitchen will be built. (Airtion is an interesting story in himself that I will tell in a future post!) The kitchen's other long wall is adjacent to this patio (left side of the photo). This patio is where they do much of their cooking, actually, on their wood-burning stove, and where they wash their dishes. As you can see, this area is a fire disaster waiting to happen. I'm amazed that this structure has lasted as long as it has!

This is the patio/future kitchen, viewed from the outside (the door leads to the cafeteria). The idea is to dismount the wooden walls, rebuild everything in brick, and put in tile flooring, windows, new sinks, and a new chimney for the wood-burning stove. We will also build a depository for storing non-perishable food items, and try to purchase a new refrigerator and gas-heated oven. Work has already begun. Check back in a few weeks for pictures on how the construction is progressing!

Baptisms...

2008-08-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I told you about Marcelo, a young man at the chácara who recently completed the first phase of the program and had his jail sentence exonerated. Now there is more good news in his family: Marcelo's mom Diva decided to be baptized last Sunday! God is moving in powerful ways!

What can be better than seeing the generations come together, unified through faith in Christ?!
Pray for Diva and her new walk with Jesus, and that all five of her children will one day decide to follow Jesus!

....and More Baptisms!

2008-08-25T17:47:00.001-07:00

The following sequence of pictures portrays the baptism of Vilacyr, a man in his late 30s who came to the chácara several weeks ago and last Sunday decided to dedicate his life to Jesus!

As you can see, there really is no greater joy than being born again, just like Jesus told Nicodemus!

This is Vilacyr with his wife and children. He is rewriting his life story as we speak, turning it into a story of redemption and reconciliation with his family! Pray that he will continue firm in his commitment to recovery and for his family to be supportive!

Graduation Ceremony!

2008-08-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Where there's cake, there's a party, and that means celebration for something good that God has done! Last Sunday, we had a worship and commemorative ceremony at the chácara to thank God for seven young men who have successfully completed the first phase of the treatment program. Five of them finished this first phase within the past few weeks, and two of them finished the first phase last year but at that time we did not have this tradition of honoring the victorious. Now we do!

From left to right: Marcelo, Alexandre, Eduardo, Jefferson, Anderson, Rodrigo and Christian. All of these young men were baptized at the chácara, successfully completed a discipleship course, and have now successfully concluded the first phase of the treatment, which involves nine months of on-site rehabilitation. Now we move to the next phase, resocialization: helping these guys finish their schooling, finding jobs, reconciling with their families, and becoming active in a local church. For the time being, all seven guys will continue living at the chácara until they can establish their own living conditions while they seek employment and complete high school equivalency. CONGRATULATIONS to these guys and praise God for this accomplishment!

Time Served & Time Redeemed

2008-08-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

This is Marcelo. He is 19 years old and is one happy guy, and he has every reason to be! He came to the chácara in June of last year. Like all the guys who come here, he arrived in bad shape physically, mentally and spiritually. But I could tell from the first time I talked with him that he was determined to take a new path in life. He began following Jesus and was baptized, and right away met a big challenge: juvenile detention for 4 months! Marcelo used to be part of a gang that practiced assault, robbery, and did drugs; one of their armed assaults landed him in juvenile court. As part of his sentence, he had to spend 4 months in juvenile prison. Marcelo did his time - and not only did it, he redeemed it! This is what Marcelo learned to make in juvenile detention. He is a natural artist, and the classes he took in jd only honed and refined his talent for drawing, sculpture, and confection. It takes a tremendous amount of patience and vision to make these paper sculptures, yet Marcelo does it with pride and pleasure!

At the beginning of 2008, Marcelo returned to the chácara to finish his spiritual recovery. Three weeks ago, Marcelo had his final hearing in court to determine if his sentence would be extended or no. He brought one of these paper sculptures as a present for the judge, who ended up weeping as she heard testimonies of how Marcelo has turned his life around. Marcelo's sentence was archived and he is now a totally free man!

This is Marcelo's family - his mother Diva in the center, his aunt Olga in the background, and his sisters and cousins. His mother will be baptized very soon! Thank God for Marcelo and for how this entire family is being transformed because of the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Gabriel the Argentine "Angel"

2008-07-18T12:45:00.001-07:00

This is Gabriel Angel (his last name, not his profession :). He is a native of Argentina and has been living at the chacara for about three years now. He has recently begun serving as the assistant director of the work at the chacara. Gabriel's story would make an interesting movie. In his former life, he was a successful lawyer in Buenos Aires, quite wealthy, nice family. Unfortuately, he got involved with some clients who were doing the dirty business of drug running. He ended up having to flee Argentina because a price was put on his head after he shared some sensitive information to the justice department regarding drug dealings. Gabriel himself claimes to have only been addicted to nicotine through the years, but as we know, this drug can be as addictive as any. Through a series of what I could only call miraculous events, Gabriel ended up in Alvorada and the halfway house. He gave his life to Christ and stayed on after the formal treatment program ended to continue helping with the work. We have seen Gabriel take some great strides in maturity this year. In the past, he was more relucant to step up and take charge, but now he is willingly assuming more responsibility for organizing the work and helping the monitors to do their jobs more efficiently. Gabriel can be counted on to take care of things when Isaias needs to be absent. One of his habits is to read the Bible out loud, every day, while walking in nature or sitting at his desk. It is clear that this man's life has been transformed by the Lord Jesus.

Praise God for the testimony that is Gabriel's life, and may he continue to work tirelessly as a servant in the Lord's vineyard!

New Monitors Course

2008-06-28T15:41:00.001-07:00

Can you imagine trying to keep 25 guys under control who are recovering from drug and alcohol addictions? One man is not enough; you need guys who can set an example for the other students and toe the line. That's why at the chacara we have monitors. They are current students in the recovery program who undergo a special two-month course to equip them with Biblical fundamentals and practical tools to monitor the conduct of the students, impose discipline if there are rule infractions, and counsel those who are looking for advice. I am helping to teach the current monitors course. There are four participants, as I will describe briefly (l-r photo). Anderson was a change collector on the Alvorada bus line and has a wife & kid. He almost lost everything because of drugs, but now he is in his 7th month of the program and is making a great comeback. Ezekiel is a preacher's son who became the prodigal son, he went down the path of vice, but has recently "come home" to his heavenly Father. Josimar spent time in prison for assault and battery, pursuing a life of crime as his father has done; he is also now in his 7th month in the program and was recently baptized! David comes from a Christian family but never gave his life to Christ until recently, and though his 3 months at the chacara have been turbulent, they are changing his life.

These four guys have two more weeks to complete the monitors course. If they finish successfully, they will be taking a giant step towards fulfilling the mission of the Youth Recovery Center as stated on this sign: Drug Addicts Transformed in Men Useful to God and to Society. This course is a great preparation for success in the rest of their lives! Pray for their success!

New Reception Area

2008-06-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

This is the newly remodeled reception area we have been working on this year. We started remodeling it last year, doubling its size, but didn't get all the final touches done until now. We put in flooring, new paint inside and out, a new door and window, and roofing to regulate the interior temperature. It looks fantastic!

This building serves a variety of purposes. It is an office for Isaias & Gabriel, the director and assistant director pictured here. It is a place where the guys can come and talk privately with either one of these men. Potential interns and their families are interviewed here to determine if they should be admitted to the program. Also,the families of those currently interned can visit with Isaias & Gabriel about how their relatives are progressing. Thanks God for this much-improved administrative space!

A New Generation of Runners!

2008-05-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of the year, one of my goals in working at the chácara has been to form a running team. I have experiencd firsthand how running gives me an incredible high and is a natural form of "therapy" to help build physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual toughness. It started very naturally with just a few of the guys and me running together on Wednesday afternoons, at the conclusion of my weekly visit with them. The idea began taking on a life larger than its own, and I perceived that God was leading me to help these guys come together to compete, and learn about setting goals & perseverance in the process. The more we ran together, the more guys joined up, and I sensed that they were taking their recovery and their relationships more seriously. They were beginning to realize that anything is possible!Last Sunday this "dream" became a reality, as we formed an eight-man team and each one ran 5.25K in the Porto Alegre Marathon Relay! You can run the whole 42K marathon alone, as I've done before, or you can run the race in teams of 2, 4, or 8 people. The team was composed of myself, Kevin Blume, Marcio (the young man I featured earlier in the month) and current students Wilson, Rodrigo, Eduardo, Fabio, and Christian. Anderson and Josimar came along as the auxiliary unit. We finished in 4th place out of 13 teams in our category!! What an amazing accomplishment for these young men! Who would ever think that a group of ex-chemical dependents could form a running team and finish a race at an average of 13k per hour?

This is Wilson, who was our fastest runner of the day: 21.40, he beat out the coach! (I ran 23.10 still recovering from strep throat the week before). Wilson has been at the chácara for two months and is determined to beat the odds and finish his treatment. He has made amazing progress to this point and the sky is the limit for him as it is for all these guys!

These two guys are Eduardo and Rodrigo; they are brothers. They have been at the chacara for seven months now. They are both monitors; the have certain responsibilities within the halfway house in terms of looking out for the other guys and enforcing the rules. They are winning the victory in Jesus and burning up the track!

Pictured here are Christian and Fabio. Both of these guys are on their second stay at the halfway house; Christian stayed for nine months the first time, while Fabio stayed for four months. This time, they are both taking their recovery to a new level, one that was missing the first time. They are great examples of guys who got a second, a third chance and are making the most of it!
As amazing at it sounds, the best of Sunday was yet to come! After the race was over, we went to Sogipa for our monthly celebration worship service. And believe me it was a celebration! Christian, representing the guys, spoke about what this race meant in the context of the larger race of Christian faith that the apostle Paul spoke of in various instances. The church was really enthused by the interaction with these young men and the powerful testimony they shared of the lessons learned through their race today.

Praise God for working in the lives of these young men through the world of sport! Who knows what these guys are capable of? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That's our motto!

Consruction Continues - New Classroom

2008-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

We built a new dormitory last year at the chacara, but we're not stopping with that! This year we are making several major structural upgrades. This is one of the old dormitories. It is a space of about 22 sq meters that housed 10 guys - pretty crowded. As you can see, it is not in the best of shape. Our idea was to turn this space into a classroom: a library/media center, a space for the guys to read, use the computer, watch videos, learn about God and gain knowledge and skills that will prepare them to re-enter society as useful, competent citizens. This is the reformed structure from the outside. We gave it a dynamic new paint job, new windows and doors, tile flooring, and new lighting. It is all ready to go! When we finish reforming the reception building, and obtain the equipment we want for the classroom, I will post about the new reception area and also the inside of the classroom (right now it is serving as the temporary reception/office area). The guys love it! Next week I will be telling you more about some of their stories and new directions in life!

A Testimony of Perseverance

2008-05-01T14:53:00.001-07:00

The guy pictured with me here is named Marcio. He is one of many examples of victory that we are seeing with our work at the Youth Recovery Center. Marcio entered the center in January of last year and sucessfully completed the nine-month treatment program. He even became a monitor, one who is trained and given responsibility to help the other guys in the program stay in line and stay encouraged. Marico went back to live with his family in September last year and got his old job back as a certified mechanic - even though he is only 20, he already has an impressive knowledge and practice of how to fix any motor you can imagine! He is also faithfully attending a church and recently began dating a young lady! Praise God for the power that is transforming Marcio's life and pray for his perseverance!

Deutsch Land Visitors

2008-03-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Last week we had the privilege of receiving some young people from Germany at the chacara! I've become friends with Gerald and Nicole, who are German missionaries working in Porto Alegre. They recently received a group of German young people on campaign, and wanted to show them a Christian social work going on in our city. So we invited them to come experience the chacara, and the Germans loved it! We had a great day of fellowship, lunch, testimonies, and forming new friendships. It was a truly international day - English, Spanish, Portuguese and German were flying around left and right. Paulo Renato directed an awesome devotional and gave his testimony, which is always a real emotional moment for him. The guys really get pumped up for visitors and gave the Germans a warm and loving reception! It was a shame the day passed so quickly.

Who knows - maybe God will call some of these folks to return to Brazil one day as missionaries, or be missionaries in their own backyard? Thank you Lord for these young people, and continue to work in their lives in powerful ways!

Hip Hop for Jesus

2008-03-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

These guys are three of the most righteous dudes you'll ever meet! They are called G.A.P. (in English, Support Group for the Margins). The guy on the right with the cool "doo," David, overcame his drug addiction two years ago through his experience at the chacara. The other two guys, Elder and Jeff, also had serious drug problems, and overcame their addictions at other youth recovery centers. You wouldn't believe their stories if I told them to you: they have literally been to hell and back, with all that they have survived in terms of violence and drug abuse. Yet God has given them the victory! Recently they joined forces to form a hip-hop music group, G.A.P. Their message is simple: Jesus can give you victory over drugs! Last month they entered a statewide competition and, among 50 groups, won first place for best original song "Klick, Klack, Krack." They were the only gospel group among these 50, so it was a pretty amazing feat that they won and gave a powerful testimony for Christ!

Last week, the local public TV station came to the chacara to interview the G.A.P. guys and talk about the chacara's work in helping youth overcoming drug problems. They interviewed Isaias and the group members, and the show was aired the following Sunday! The show has already attracted dozens of phone calls from around the metropolitan area, from families interested in getting help for their relatives. Hopefully with this increased exposure, more people will want to get involved in our work and also get involved with other recovery centers who are trying to assist youth in conquering these vile drug demons. Victory is possible in Jesus!

G.A.P. is now trying to record a CD. They have 75% of the funds they need but are lacking about U$1,400 to finish this project. I would encourage all of you to pray about this and if you sense God leading you to assist them with a financial contribution, feel free to contact me. We need to value young people like these three men whom God is using to evangelize in incredibly difficult places - their message is extremely important! To God be the glory!

Industrious Lads

2008-02-24T16:37:00.001-08:00

It's been a few months since I've reported on what's happening down on the "farm," but believe me, things are really hopping right now! This year, one of our major goals with our work at the Youth Recovery Center is to help them create a small business - sources of income that will allow them to rely less and less on donations for their survival, eventually becoming self-sustaining. Not only will this help them financially, it will also help the young men to learn practical job and life skills that will help them for the rest of their days.

We are working on two major sustenance projects right now. The first is the construction of a greenhouse. As you can see, we are just in the beginning stages. When finished, it will measure 27 meters long, 10 meters wide and 3 meters high. The plan is to use this greenhouse to cultivate seedlings of savory herbs and spices, rare aromatic plants, and flower bulbs. We are already cooperating with a local floriculture shop that is interested in purchasing the products. Check out Marco and Anderson as they put the shovel to the ground!

The other project that is in the works right now is arts and crafts. There is a young man at the chácara right now named Marcelo who has a tremendous talent for making crafts. He learned this while serving a five-month sentence in juvenile detention before coming to us. He knows how to make these incredible figurines, as you can see below - dolls, swans, you name it, he makes it - all out of small pieces of colored paper and glue!! Amazing stuff.

Marcelo is the young man in the middle of the picture below. He is flanked by his assistants Adam and Walter. These guys are the "production team" for the crafts, folding the hundreds of little pieces of paper necessary for these figurines. There are other things that Marcelo does as well, like painting little wooden boxes to hold remote controls, key rings, jewelry, etc...Once he begins teaching the other guys how to make the crafts, there's no telling how far this project could go!

Please pray for the successful developing and implement of these projects! We don't just want to give fish, we want to teach these men how to fish! Working together in this manner, they can achieve far more than they ever dreamed on their own.

Inauguration of New Dormitory!

2007-12-13T10:07:00.000-08:00

After much labor in hand and in prayer, we have finished the year with a wonderful blessing from God: a new dormitory at the Youth Recovery Center! Last Sunday, we held the inauguration for the new dormitory.

This is a outside & inside view of the old dormitories. As you can see, they are pretty cramped, and a little worn out. The lack of space and lack of adequate facilites are just one more reason for guys who are on the verge of giving up their recovery to throw in the towel.

Here are the new bathrooms and showers. Can you believe that previously, these 20 guys shared only one toilet and one showerhead? Now they have three of each at their disposal! Check out the style of the new rooms - anti-slip flooring, fresh paint on the walls, finished ceiling with light fixtures - these guys are lovin' it! All the work was done by the men themselves, and they worked literally up until the last minute to get the dorm as ready as possible for the big day! The dorm has five rooms which will hold four beds each - providing more privacy, safety, and space to grow for the men as they persevere in their recoveries.

As I've stated in previous posts, the Youth Recovery Center, known affectionately to us as the "chácara," is not managed by our church - it's run by an independent, non-denominational Pentecostal church. Our church and a few other local churches have joined in collaboration to support this work, which we believe is a work of God in the community of Alvorada to help young men & their families overcome severe drug & alcohol addictions.

The inaugration began with a worship service, as you can see below the folks are really fervent! They really get into their singing and music. From our church, Paulo Renato & I were invited to speak and we were thankful for this opportunity to recognize what God has done throughout this year amongst all of us: I could not have ever imagined how many marvelous things would happen!

Meanwhile, lunch was being prepared. Claudemir, the man in this picture, is one of the guys who has completed the nine month rehabilitation program. Gabriela, a woman whose husband Gari was recently baptized, helped Claudemir get a job unloading trucks at her firm. He is helping take care of our barebecue meat here! Waleska did her part, along with our Brazilian sisters Raquel and Moema, in getting the saladas ready. We had 100 people in attendance; lots of hungry mouths to feed!

I must mention some folks who have been very important collaborators in our work this year. To the left are our sisters Leni and Irotildes, who go with me every Wednesday to the chácara to prepare a special lunch & snack for the men and encourage them. The guys have really taken to them and have come to see these two ladies as motherly figures. They have done an excellent job this year of bringing joy to the men! In the right photo are our friends Amélia and Adenir. They are my brother-in-law´s in-laws, if that makes any sense. Anyway, we took them to the chácara earlier this year and they became very interested in helping, because they live in Alvorada. Amélia has met with several local business people and politicians to try and drum up support for the work, while Adenir agreed to pay for and prepare all of the meat for the inauguration barbecue! We are grateful for these folks and their dedication.

This is Isaias, the director of the chácara, with his wife Claúdia and their children, Evelyn and Jónatas. I have gained a tremendous respect for this man throughout the year as I have worked with him side-by-side every week. He does this job completely out of love for the Lord; he works nights as a municipal guard in another town, then comes and spends his days at the chácara without ever earning one cent for the work he does with these men. He combines biblical knowledge, pratical experience, compassion, discipline, and patient endurance like few people I've ever known. I thank God for him and wish there were more like him whom God would call to this kind of social impact in the name of the gospel!

This post would not be complete without telling you about some of the men who are changing their lives at the "chácara." To the left is Ricardo (blue shirt) with his family - he is 24 and has been at the chácara for 6 months. This is his third time to be here, and this time he is persevering! To the right are Eduardo & Rodrigo, brothers ages 19 & 20, with their parents. They come from a pretty tough neighborhood in Porto Alegre; they got involved with drugs early on as teenagers. Their parents brought them to the chácara in search of a solution and after two months they are doing great!

These are a few of the 22 men who have been immersed into Christ at the chácara this year and are living examples of how God works miracles of transformation in our times!

Each week I talk to them, pray with them, and encourage them to persist in their transformation, because in Christ, all things are possible!

A special THANK YOU to Fourth Avenue Church of Christ and North Beckley Church of Christ for your donations that have helped make this dream come true! Thank you for your support!

Hotel Partnership

2007-12-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share this photo and the story behind it. Our sister Leni, one of the volunteers who goes every week with me to the chacara (she cooks lunch, encourages the guys, acts as a kind of surrogate mother to them!) works as a massage therapist at a well-known hotel in town, the Blue Tree Towers. Through her influence, she was able to get the hotel to donate their used employee uniforms to the chácara! Now the guys are working proudly in style! We are fortunate to have had the same group for a month now...no one is leaving, these 20 guys are sticking it out and sticking together as they seek healing and redemption! The inauguration of the new dormitory will be this Sunday. I will be telling you all about it next week!

The View from Above

2007-11-10T12:31:00.001-08:00

Our Brazilian sister Leni had this photo ordered - it is an aerial view of the chacara! Hopefully you can get a better idea of just how ample (1.5 hecatres) their property is! The new dormitory is the white-roofed building at bottom left. The old dormitories are to the left of it. The chapel and kitchen are in the building above the lake, and the reception are is the small blue building. The chacara is located off a main road in Alvorada, a suburb of Porto Alegre.

Collective Surprise Birthday Party

2007-11-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Let me first as I begin this post give credit to the Terrys for taking the pictures and posting this event on their blog. Last week we had a collective surprise birthday party for the men at the chácara. This was largely the idea of our Brazilian sister Leni. She made hot dogs, Jennifer Terry made chocolate cakes, and Leni bought mini-Bibles to give to each man (20 in all). A lot of these guys don't get visitors and hardly ever commemorate their birthdays. So needless to say, this was an occasion for lots of joy and some tears...Happy Birthday to the chacara guys!

I think we were all surpised, weren't we?

Habitat for Humanity in Porto Alegre

2007-11-04T07:45:00.000-08:00

This is somewhat of an "interlude" to my postings on the chacara, I post this here because it's in a similar vain of volunteer/social work in the Kingdom. I have recently become involved with Habitat for Humanity Brazil as an occasional volunteer for their projects here in the greater Porto Alegre area. In February and March, Habitat sponsored a "40 Houses in 40 Days" build during Lent in São Leopoldo, a suburb of POA. Waleska & I helped out on a couple of occasions with translation and work. Last month, a delegation from Habitat International came and I spent two days translating some meetings between them and local community leaders. From l-r, Habitat Int'l and Brazil staff: Antonio, Elves, Jose Luis, Garry Hansen (with the Lutheran church in Michigan) and Raafat. I have enjoyed this experience and hope to continue helping in the future! Habitat is hoping to launch a large-scale project next year in POA in one of our city's most needy neighborhoods. Stay tuned...

Construction Report

2007-10-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is a view inside the reformed reception area. A wall was knocked out to make the area larger, two couches were donated, the interior & exterior walls repainted, and new wiring put in. All that remains now is to put in some new flooring. A much more receptive space!

These are some pics of inside the new bedrooms and bathrooms in the dormitory. As you can see, the walls are finished; what remains to be done is to put down the tiling on the floors, put up the ceiling, and paint the walls. It is exciting to see how this work has progressed to this point! We have had to slow down a bit in recent weeks because of lack of funding, but hopefully we will have everything finished by the end of November.

This is the inside of the new cafeteria area. As I've
explained in previous posts, the cafeteria was formerly uncovered, with no doors. It was pretty cold to eat there during the winter! Thanks to the new reforms, the cafeteria has been roofed over, the walls have been repainted, a door has been placed on one side, and a small window has been opened between the kitchen and cafeteria to allow the men to get their food directly through the window, without having to go out and around. Much more sanitary and practical!

We covet your prayers for this work! This is a picture of the group of men at the end of last month. Some have moved on, some have stayed; we lament those who don't stick it out, but we celebrate those who do, and hope that all will take away something from their experience, whether they stay for weeks, months, or the year. We are working for God and we ask God to give the victory to these men and their families!

Video Update

2007-09-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a recent video that Sascha Terry and I made to visually demonstrate what is taking place at the halfway house. We hope you enjoy it and we thank you for your support! I wasn't able to upload the video (still learning how to use this blogger stuff), so just cut and paste this link into a new browser window and watch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXjGPHqnsxs

A Life Transformed

2007-09-02T16:37:00.000-07:00

In this post I'm going to tell you about another victorious servant of God, Alexandre. This guy is 18 years old and has a story to tell. He got involved in drugs early on as a teenager. He has a Christian cousin who always showed love to him, prayed for him & assured him that when he wanted to get clean, she would help him. This stuck in his mind. One night he & some friends went out to make trouble and robbed an old man, stole his cell phone & tried to sell it. They happened on a party and when they tried to sell the phone, some guys recognized the phone as belonging to their uncle. The hoods beat Alexandre up really bad, almost to the point of death. That moment was the turning point. He realized he needed help, so he went back to his mom’s house and sought out his cousin. She led him to the chácara. That was more than a year ago - he has come a long way!

Three months ago, Alexandre got a job working for a building supply store about a mile from the chácara. He works there six days a week as a counter attendant and stockboy. He started as a paid intern, but he has done so well that the owner has now hired him full-time! Alexandre continues to live at the chácara while working in this job, but he hopes to save enough money so he can move out and rent his own place, fully re-start his life in society as an industrial painter. He has a contagious smile, almost always has an encouraging word of Scripture for the brothers, and is full of joy. He is one of the great testimonies of how God is transforming lives at the halfway house. Praise God for Alexandre's changes and pray that he persists in being an ambassador of the Good News, and that he can fully re-establish himself in society!

Dynamic Duo

2007-08-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

In this post I will tell you about (l-r) Cris and Marcio, the "dynamic duo." These two guys have been at the chácara for almost eight months. They are well on their way to recovery from substance abuse. Now they are serving as the two primary "obreiros" - assistants to Isaias, the director. They orient newcomers, give instructions, and help keep everyone on track in following the daily schedule. They bring to Isaias' attention any interpersonal problems that need to be resolved. They work very well together - in fact, sometimes they seem to me like long-lost brothers separated at birth!

Cris and Marcio are both in their early 20s. Cris worked as a day laborer, and Marcio has a mechanic's certification. Both are intelligent guys; Cris taught himself to speak English, and Marcio has studied things as diverse as philosophy and botany. Both made similar mistakes of getting involved with the wrong crowd (i.e prostiution, drug pushers) and literally fell into the gutter. Their families brought them here in January as a last-chance effort. They had never met before coming here, yet their friendship seems as if they've known each other all their life. They were baptized and are learning more and more of the Bible with each passing week. They are winning back the confidence of their families and have earned the respect of the other men with their right conduct and leadership.

Marcio and Cris have begun a new life in Christ, and they want to finish what they have started. Once they have passed the nine month mark, they will begin looking for jobs and transition out of the chácara and back into society. They would continue to live at the chácara at night and work during the day. Pray that they will stay firm in their faith, that doors of employment opportunity will open for them soon, and they will continue to be good examples for the rest of the brothers. Thank God for these two changed lives!

Construction - Men at Work!

2007-08-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of physical transformation taking place at the halfway house, work that is partnering in the spiritual transformation of these men! We are currently building a new dormitory, and reforming the existing cafeteria and reception area.

These are the existing dormitories. They are cramped to say the least: 10 men live in each room, all in bunk beds with armoires and narrow space between each set of beds. They only have one bathroom and one shower to share. It is not ideal living conditions, but they manage well. Isaias' goal is to transform these spaces into a classroom and a recreation room, to give the guys more creative space to work on handcraft projets, watch a movie, or study in groups.

This is the new dormitory, halfway finished (18 meters by 4 meters). The foundation was laid in May by local volunteers. In June, a group from Texas A&M University came and spent several days helping lay bricks. This stimulated the men to get it in gear and keep the job going. The roof was put on last week. The next steps are to lay down the flooring, finish the walls, and install the doors & windows, then do the electric work, plumbing & bathrooms, and painting. There is still much to be done, but it is amazing how much has already been accomplished! When the dormitory is finished, it will house 20 men in five different room of two bunk beds. These conditions will definitely be more sanitary and allow for more privacy among the men as well.

Below is the reformed cafeteria. Before this, it was not closed in by walls. The walls have been put up and finished; what remains is to finish the floor, put in walls & doors, and redo the electrick work. Here you can see three of the guys, Rafael, Gutenberg and Gelson, proudly showing off their craftsmanship.

Below is the reformed reception area. Before this, it was open where the walls have been put up, and was smaller inside. The inner wall has been knocked down, and furniture has been donated by some ladies from a local church to refurbish the area. It will be a nice place to receive families of the interns and visitors, and will also serve as Isaias' office.

I have noticed over the past month that these construction projects have injected a sense of teamwork and perseverence in the men. In the past month, only one person has left the halfway house; the current guys are staying together, forming bonds as they work side by side. The physical labor and gradual completion of the projects seems to be playing a significant part in their spiritual evolution. Overall, the men seem more thankful, more humble, more firm in their convictions to follow Christ. I sense a growing spirit of excitement and hope among them as they participate in these projects. These buildings will be tools for a better future, both now and after they leave this place.

One of the most impressive things to me is that most of the funding for these projects has come from Brazilians. To date, our house churches have contributed over U$2000 for the dormitory. The mother of one of the men has also agreed to pay for some of the reforms. Isaias is paying for the cafeteria and reception reforms entirely out of his own means. I would like to thank North Beckley Church of Christ for their generous donation of U$900 that will go towards purchasing the doors and windows for the dormitory!

We are still lacking approximately U$2000 to finish the dormitory. If you are interested in contributing financially to this cause, please contact me at matt.rehbein@familyatfourth.org

Thank you!

Isaiah - A True Servant

2007-07-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-07-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Introduction to the "Farm"

2007-06-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

So what is the chacara, you're asking? It is a halfway house for recovering drug and alcohol addicts. The official name of the place is the Young People's Recovery Center, but it is more commonly known as the "chacara," a Portuguese word meaning "farm." The chacara is located on 1 1/2 hectares of farmland in Alvorada, one of the poorer and more violent suburbs in greater Porto Alegre. It is a spiritual oasis for men seeking freedom from chemical dependencies. The chacara is run by an independent, non-denominational church. The men follow a disciplined routine that includes early rising, prayer, Bible study, manual labor, and more prayer & Bible study! The time of internation is one year; though many leave before this time, some do stick it out, and their lives are changed forever.

The chacara consists of a reception area, a multi-purpose building that serves as a chapel, kitchen and cafeteria, two dormitories that can house up to 25 men, storage units, a pond, and several plantation areas where various vegetables are grown for consumption. Right now our church is currently helping the chacara build a new dormitory - an exciting project that I'll elaborate on in posts forthcoming.

How did we get involved with the chacara? It's a God story. Eight years ago, when I came to Porto Alegre to do Let's Start Talking, I met a man named Paulo Renato Barbosa. He and I became friends, and Paulo was eventually baptized and began attending church. But he was hiding a problem - an addiction to alcohol that he had struggled with for nearly 20 years. In 2001, he decided to check himself into the chacara, and God changed his life. When I moved to POA in June of 2002, I got in contact with Paulo and rekindled our friendship. We invited him to come work for our church in May of 2004, and he has been with us ever since. Through his relationships with our congregation, we began visiting the chacara and taking donations to the men. Our involvement has increased dramatically in recent months, as I'll share later.

Here is a photo of the men currently housed at the chacara. In my next post, I'll tell you why working with these men has become one of the highlights of my week!