Continuing the Victory

One of the tremendous blessings that has come with working with the guys at the chácara is keeping up with them after they graduate the program. Over the past several months, Paulo Renato, the Blumes and ourselves have helped several guys find housing to rent, located near the chácara, so they can encourage one another and hold one another accountable in their faith. We are seeing these guys on a weekly basis to encourage them and are being encouraged ourselves with their spiritual growth!

This is Anderson and his son Gi-Anderson in the guys' apartment with me and Paulo Renato. Anderson shares this apartment with Cristian, another one of the graduates. Anderson is working for Seven Boys, a bread company, in their factory. He is going to get married in two months to Ester, his companion of six years, and she is now studying the Bible along with her brother! God is transforming this whole family little by little. Gi-Anderson is learning how to speak English (from us gringos) and Swahili (from Paulo Renato)!

From l-r: Cristian, Alexandre, Anderson, Rodrigo, Paulo, and Gi at bottom. Alexandre and Rodrigo, along with Rodrigo's brother Eduardo, are sharing a house three blocks away from Anderson and Cristian. They see each other almost every day. On Friday nights, Paulo and Kevin Blume meet with all of these guys, along with a few others who are starting to come, to pray together and encourage everyone to stay sexually pure. This is one of their greatest battles, and they are learning how to win the battle.

This is a difficult ministry - two guys who had been living in the apartment, Renato and Josimar, ended up leaving because they started getting back into drugs and were not following through with their financial commitments. We get discouraged at times, but when I see these five guys and others who are flourishing in their jobs, education, and family life, I am so encouraged and thankful for God's modern-day miracles! Pray for these young men to persevere, because they are true victors in Christ!