Give thanks to the
Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever (Psalm 118.1)
Our
Family Party number 12 was wonderful since the time of preparation
weeks before, until the cleanning aftewards. 80 people came. We could
experience God's providence in a beautiful way. We are very thankful
to Him and to those who invested their time and resources to bless
our children and their families.
My
heart was filled with even greater thankfulness in the moment
(picture in the left) when pastor Rainer (deaf), using his hands,
read the Psalm above, while I would translate to those who could
hear.
Before
starting anything we wanted to recognize God and His son Jesus in our
lives. We prayed with
thankfull hearts for the faithful love we've been receiving.
After
the preaching we had beautiful presentations of the groups of deaf
children that we receive. (Please, don't miss the other pictures of
the Family Party in
http://davidsonluimagens.blogspot.com/2011/02/xii-festa-da-familia-2010.html)
Than
we started to give away the presents. Each deaf child received
beautiful presents, including a Bible with ilustrations acording to
the age and reading skills of each one. All the brothers and sisters
that could hear and were in the age under 12 also received a present.
And all the families received a special Christmas basket and a
basic-suply basket.
We
do have to give thanks to the Lord, for He was so good to us in the
preparation of the party and for each child and family by giving so
many presentes.
Everybody,
but one
From
all the 22 children and teenagers that we receive in our Projetc,
only one teenage girl and her family couldn't come. She had anemia
and had to go to the hospital in the week of the Party, and they
thought she had leukemia. She had to stay in the hospital for 20
days, including Christmas.
We are happy that she could leave on the
31 of December and she recently received a negative result for
leukemia. Before and after the Family Party we were with her and we
took the presents to her in the hospital. Please, continue to pray
that her health will be completely healed.
Holidays
and school for Sam and Marina
It's
been only a week since we came back from our vacation. We were in
Cabedelo, a little town i the coast of Paraíba, only 18 kilometers
away from the capital João Pessoa. It's Luciane's homewtown, where
her family lives. Beeing abble to go to Cabedelo after a long year of
work is always a blessing for our family. It's very important for
Luciane to meet her relatives, friends and people from church. In the
grandmother's house, Samuel and Marina have six cousins, a huge
backyard with lots of differents fruits (soursop, pineapple, coconut,
acerola, passion fruit...) and a big space to play around. For me is a
time for reading and thinking. Almost every morning I walk to the
beach to see the sunrise at 5 a.m and I go in the company of
great books from amazing authors (Henri Nouwen, Philip Yancey, Loren
Cunningham...).
(Check
our selection of vacation pictures in
http://davidsonluimagens.blogspot.com/2011/02/ferias).
In
the letter I sent in november I shared about Marina's desire and
faith about studying at the same school as Samuel. Her faith has
moved us. By faith, we filed the files for Sam and Marina in the same
school. We didn't know if they would keep giving us a discount for
Samuel and if they would give also to Marina. We applied for this
school and we are very happy with this step we took moved by Marina's
faith. Only now, in the end of January, we heard about the school's
answer:
Samuel
will still have a 50% discount, and Marina got 30%. It's such a great
blessing! We want to thank God and to all of you, anonymous or not,
who prayed for us and especially for Marina. We want to thank all the
friends who have sent especial financial supports, giving a highlight
to Patrícia and her family who, from Portugal, decided to
participate in Marina's school fees (a big part of it).
My
desire for myself and for you in 2011
During
this time of vacation my access to internet was quite limited in
Cabedelo. When I went to a lanhouse I could see how the emails of
“Have great parties” and “Happy 2011” would make the
mailboxes full.
Now,
by the end of my vacation, after a time of competition and with my
2011 starting to happen for real, I want to say what I wish for me
and for you in 2011: I want to be the Message in every day of the
year.
In
Christmas we remember the angels announcing the good news about Jesus
birth, the Savior. What a privilege to announce this message.
However, even greater than that is the privilege that me and you
have: to be the Message.
More
than announcing Jesus like the angels did, of having Jesus like the
manger had, God challenges me to be Jesus. Our heavenly father (the
father of the prodigal son that I am) has assumed the risk of putting
His image on me and also in all those who can read this words in some
language. And God has also taken the risk to allow me to be “a
complete part” in the body of His only son.
Beeing
Jesus is a huge challenge for such small people like you and me, but
if this is His desire, so it's possible.
So,
shall we be a moving body!? Living body of Christ in 2011!
A
big hug,
Davidson
H Estanislao and family.
