My goodness, where do I even begin? We have four full days left in this beautiful place. It is very bittersweet. I certainly do not want to leave but I'm definitely missing home. These girls have captured my heart and will always have a place in it.
And on top of it being incredibly heart-breaking to think about leaving here, I just downloaded the entire soundtrack from the movie Spirit. So when the song "I Will Always Return" comes on, I will bawl like a baby.
I'll just give you a recap from the past few days. I know I haven't posted in awhile. I was sick for a full week and just didn't feel like it.
The girls would come up to my room and kiss me on the forehead. It was the sweetest thing.
Street church on Tuesday was really good and refreshing. We went to the normal spot by the bank but no one was there. Which isn't normal. So we went to their original spot for street church.
We started by splitting into groups and praying for people and inviting them over to join us.
Mallory was praying for this woman's leg when an elderly man came up to me. He needed help washing his hands. He had a large bottle filled with water and asked me to pour it for him. As I poured the water out he washed away the layer of dirt on his hands. This may not mean much to other people But I really enjoyed that moment.
We joined up with everyone else and drew pictures and painted fingernails. Raissa, the oldest girl at Betania, came with us. It was so touching to see her paint the street girls nails. I had a little 7 year-old come up to me and just plop down in my lap. Her name was Adessa and was so cute! I love how the children just don't care.
I was sitting on the sidewalk watching Adessa color when this elderly woman walked up with a baby and just stood in front of me. I held my arms out and she handed me 4 month-old Victoria. I was overjoyed to hold this beautiful little girl. Victoria's mother is seventeen and wasn't around so her Grandmother was taking care of her. I sat there and just "oooh'd" and "aww'd" over the perfection of this child. She was an absolute doll. Her Grandmother walked off so I got a good deal of time to admire this sweet baby. I have to admit, I had this "You don't have to come back...I'll just take her home with me," thought. How could I not? Look at that face.
Words cannot express my emotional and spiritual experiences while being here. Wednesday night we had a really good time of worship and then chowed down on some amazing food. Like seriously, we had a feast! Unhealthy portions of food were consumed that night.
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| Rafa is on the left. |
My heart has been so heavy today. Due to Political issues sweet Rafa has to go to a different house. Most likely government run and just not a good environment. She has improved so much and has such a strong yet tender spirit. She has made me laugh and cry. She never fails to bring joy to everyone she comes in contact with. Mallory and I could literally dedicate an entire post just to her!
I don't believe her story is over. God is still working on her. Pray for a hedge of protection around her and that the right people are put into her life. Or better yet, pray for a miracle to bring her back to Project Bethany. She has people who love and adore her here and treat her like family.
I can't wait to come back. It feels so much like home. My heart is so full.
Thcau for now!
-Maddie
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You can also check out the Shores Of Grace website to find out more about the mission here in Recife.
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