tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87771873028004638632024-03-19T06:04:19.970-07:00join our journey...to see vulnerable young people in Brazil restored to new lives of hope, creativity and purposesamandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-92170803806020303492013-04-28T11:11:00.001-07:002013-04-28T11:11:43.562-07:00Here's to them!<br />
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After a roller-coaster of a six months helping Rita set up
the Pink House project in Medina, (the last post says a bit more about what the
opening week there was like!) we’ve recently made the heart-breaking decision
not to return to Brazil with Meninadança. This is due to many factors, and it
has been the most difficult decision we’ve ever had to make.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As we know many of you will understand, we now feel a great
deal of grief and loss, which we have been processing with the kindness and
insight of friends and our extended team. Thank you so much to each and every
friend who has supported, loved, affirmed and encouraged us. This is the first
time in our lives that we’ve felt this depth of brokenness, and the support of
our wider family has been an incredible gift to us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Probably the most excruciating factor is having had to break
our commitment that we made to the girls and community - that we would be journeying
with them for a longer period of time than we have now been able to. <o:p></o:p></div>
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However, although we have struggled immensely with these
feelings, if this is the last time we are to talk about the girls in Medina
from personal experience, we want to use it to say that far from just ‘poor victims’,
each of these girls is a bundle of resilience and strength, bursting with
personality and character, and full of seeds of potential. Sometimes in their
lives these seeds have had space to grow, and other times they have been
tragically trampled upon. And yet the seeds remain, their energy and
perseverance shines through, and they really are overcomers of more than we
could imagine.</div>
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Furthermore, we know that in all this we are not the rescuers;
that is only ever God’s work, and we can only hold His hand and go where he
leads us. This is the beginning of the next phase of that journey, and we know that it is
just the beginning for the girls in Medina, with Rita and the team doing an
amazing job of walking alongside them… So as we leave, we want to say “here’s to them”.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEOHiLqBYQoWUHyYHjNMEguQttzZx4ZleaCE648IYcizESk53O-2cD7xPntPBEuXW43smDtVv27a5Js2jCYdg8HBOlWPs4nQNQdQSCrRxNzO_ckUIYjMKdD8Z7U77MCdcflWUxf9_zM9s/s1600/girls+jumping+blog+march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEOHiLqBYQoWUHyYHjNMEguQttzZx4ZleaCE648IYcizESk53O-2cD7xPntPBEuXW43smDtVv27a5Js2jCYdg8HBOlWPs4nQNQdQSCrRxNzO_ckUIYjMKdD8Z7U77MCdcflWUxf9_zM9s/s1600/girls+jumping+blog+march.jpg" /></a></div>
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After the last couple of months recovering and resting, we
are now gradually starting to look at next steps. The passion in our hearts to
journey with the marginalised and exploited has only deepened through this
experience, and though we don’t feel ready to return to Brazil for a while, we
will be continuing on this journey in London… We are hopeful, peaceful, and
ultimately trusting in God to show us the way. And it means we’ll get to see
more of our friends and family which is wonderful!! </div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-82223398573299692542013-04-04T03:47:00.001-07:002013-04-04T03:47:20.412-07:00(Sam) Projeto ´Minha Caixa´ (The ´My Box´ Project)Laura Rodger, one of our supporters and very good friends, is a beautifully creative woman with a real outworking passion for justice and to see other women set free to be creative and reach their potential. A few months back, she had shared the idea with Claire of providing each of the girls with a box, that they could decorate and would possibly be the one space in their world that no one else would touch, that was special and personal.<br />
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After we had brought the idea to Rita, she loved it too and so Mark (Laura’s husband) and Laura immediately sent out the money to buy 50 large boxes and four long shelves to put them on, as well as loads of decorations. Claire and Lauren (the dance teacher) put their heads together and came up with an activity for each day of the first week that would help the girls to get a sense of what the Pink House was about, and to give them a sense of identity and ownership over their box and consequentially over the whole space.<br />
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So this is how it went…<br />
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<b>Colours and emotions</b> On Monday, Aline got the girls to paint their box with a colour or colours that they felt most expressed their personality or expressed emotionally where they hoped to be in the future. There was oil-based paint everywhere and we had to run to buy masks, gloves and aprons to protect us from the fumes…it got quite messy and was certainly an expensive activity, but so worth it for the girls to feel that they really were being treated to the best and to invest something really special into their boxes. Their painting even on the first day was so creative and spoke of the personality and potential innate to each of these girls.<br />
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<b>Names and the power of words</b> On Tuesday we looked at the significance of our name and our unique identity. The girls had to write a simple acrostic of their names, getting them used to the idea that in this house they would be encouraged to think and speak positively about themselves and others, and that these words would be accepted and validated by the team.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflPu6_6DLtJZQJStk2xJnmRFLwDJiCmToTTF9lCbLHM1S03x094Nx1VZmWBeUJ4_D_2DVHCZm8GcaEUnkRR7nI9dOL_3_z-tV2Se13aBmCdxDfyvhgkj1rGrlaElO9ZctORcQFPosAXhz/s1600/IMG_0719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflPu6_6DLtJZQJStk2xJnmRFLwDJiCmToTTF9lCbLHM1S03x094Nx1VZmWBeUJ4_D_2DVHCZm8GcaEUnkRR7nI9dOL_3_z-tV2Se13aBmCdxDfyvhgkj1rGrlaElO9ZctORcQFPosAXhz/s200/IMG_0719.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women<br />
Every human being has a special power<br />
It could be intelligence<br />
Or strength<br />
The ability to invent something from nothing<br />
The special talent to make others laugh</td></tr>
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<b>Valuing women!</b> Cristina created Wednesday´s theme and was really passionate about it. By the end of the session, one of the girls had painted in bold purple, glittery letters: ‘women should be valued by men’. Another had cut out a quote from a magazine saying ‘she didn’t think of her wardrobe, she was trying to change the country’, and another had said that she wanted to head out to the streets in protest to make men treat women better!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqoCe3v2wS4p81CWgV6-HUzKvgUhfTtBGqIJgUfnxOxPpWCGTH4fix0-7rSk1tSWADB4TwI8_1ssZRD2Jym1iqPf2YYr4j8Zt2Si8aNKPC8Qt5BTXnnwDYO6eAGwDOrR_IZ6Nqs1g_8E3/s1600/IMG_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqoCe3v2wS4p81CWgV6-HUzKvgUhfTtBGqIJgUfnxOxPpWCGTH4fix0-7rSk1tSWADB4TwI8_1ssZRD2Jym1iqPf2YYr4j8Zt2Si8aNKPC8Qt5BTXnnwDYO6eAGwDOrR_IZ6Nqs1g_8E3/s200/IMG_0647.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Women should be valued by men</td></tr>
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<b>Dreams!</b> Thursday’s arts session was all about ‘Dreams’ and some of the girls found a corner of the yard to secretly write or draw their dreams onto the bottom or into the inside of their boxes, dreams that could be brought out into the open, but for now could remain sensitive and personal. We had also bought a diary for each girl the day before, which they were encouraged to use to express themselves and reflect on key points in their journey. A couple of the girls shared what they had done, and one girl who had written a poem the day before, then brought in two pages of poems for Claire! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjTEIveq8pRaPjgh4HVzc1A3SAAsxhUjqGopVvpYxXGDUBbanYI4woHeS8pH3eJVF5wudBwQ0A15fBDuCYsRWag_4lLcX-dj6e8Z_62C8XvM_4mHn05k2vyHeNK8wWFO4mfb8GVeLYgbH/s1600/IMG_0705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjTEIveq8pRaPjgh4HVzc1A3SAAsxhUjqGopVvpYxXGDUBbanYI4woHeS8pH3eJVF5wudBwQ0A15fBDuCYsRWag_4lLcX-dj6e8Z_62C8XvM_4mHn05k2vyHeNK8wWFO4mfb8GVeLYgbH/s200/IMG_0705.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To be a doctor</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWaru-SwUQApCf_R6H8Ct3tHmlKQjboJ0UhPClRUMmNH_ZsSNPucaDTMGciJ3nvc4z2MTYN6CP3hNOyly_GkLA26iV6eR-0Z58eNPrdp0Y5p4rpJosZgOfKgLfYZFtR6qAmxHcBD589HM/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWaru-SwUQApCf_R6H8Ct3tHmlKQjboJ0UhPClRUMmNH_ZsSNPucaDTMGciJ3nvc4z2MTYN6CP3hNOyly_GkLA26iV6eR-0Z58eNPrdp0Y5p4rpJosZgOfKgLfYZFtR6qAmxHcBD589HM/s400/Untitled.png" width="400" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleRBXkLzhkz3AKa9fok2LIbipw1K3BwepMwesSBaHWUpnblimsSn62yDDugpYIaJxJ7xuFuuqJskO1iM6q3lApJnVXvw-LFjW99XOm9bf-U9El7WNv_dmygOLDrgO_QJAD-ta5wB1GPj5/s1600/IMG_0718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleRBXkLzhkz3AKa9fok2LIbipw1K3BwepMwesSBaHWUpnblimsSn62yDDugpYIaJxJ7xuFuuqJskO1iM6q3lApJnVXvw-LFjW99XOm9bf-U9El7WNv_dmygOLDrgO_QJAD-ta5wB1GPj5/s200/IMG_0718.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dream is to be a dancer</td></tr>
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At the end of this session, with the afternoon group, the team had the amazing opportunity to speak out some positive truths about the girls, encouraging them to believe in and pursue their dreams, and in the future, to hold out for a boyfriend and husband who would truly stand up for her and support her in fulfilling her dreams and potential. It was such a beautiful time, and we pray that those few words take root in their hearts.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUFiemJMkzIoOiDj8dkgwpUw_xYg0n1oKZI3g4HasD01mbhnM3OGtajAElEY_pHd6ejKCc6x_4orvoFI5tJuBgD68GrsFc_3F1kd6K6HuHisBgVEdVnmHTsbbq6vuxGEaerbpqmE3_CdQ/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoUFiemJMkzIoOiDj8dkgwpUw_xYg0n1oKZI3g4HasD01mbhnM3OGtajAElEY_pHd6ejKCc6x_4orvoFI5tJuBgD68GrsFc_3F1kd6K6HuHisBgVEdVnmHTsbbq6vuxGEaerbpqmE3_CdQ/s320/IMG_0642.JPG" width="320" /></a>Of course there were many other elements to that first week that weren’t perfect: I had to immediately define my presence in the house as Claire’s husband! ( which could have been one of the first times that they had ever heard a man speak of a mutual relationship of respect and care); there were a few testings of boundaries by some of the stronger characters; and also some real structural struggles. From our perspective it was one of the toughest but also the most joyful weeks of our time in Brazil and for the girls we believe that it was a symbolic week that gave a taste of new beginnings. After five months of building relationships with precious but broken girls and their families, and frantically building a project that would meet their needs and walk well with them into their full potential, the Pink House in Medina was finally open – a team that loves them and a space that is safe. This first week will remain in our memories as a ray of light into these girls’ lives - a safe and creative space, which now over the last six weeks we have heard they have been exploring and owning and using to build their own way to a different present and a very different future.<br />
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You can check out their weekly progress through Lauren´s eyes on <a href="http://www.battysblog.co.uk/category/batty-in-brazil/" target="_blank">her excellent blog</a>, or on the <a href="http://www.meninadanca.org/" target="_blank">Meninadança website</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>"She wasn´t thinking about her wardrobe, she was trying to change the country"</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Love<br />Talent<br />Joy<br />Cool</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is how I am</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eternal Love ´The power to surprise´</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God blessed me with freedom</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have value!</span></b></td></tr>
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-3703124787831228722013-03-28T10:20:00.000-07:002013-03-28T10:22:19.098-07:00(Sam) JanuaryIt has certainly been a long while since we last posted, but hopefully after Claire’s next blog, it will be easy to understand why we have not felt able to write anything for a while. But before the bad news, I would love to share with you just one aspect about the first week of the running of the Pink House.<br />
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January was a crazy month, with many unresolved areas needing to be resolved in an extremely short space of time to get the house and the team ready to run. There is now the most incredible team in place, who truly love the girls and believe in the potential in each of them for a very different and life-giving future. As the doors opened on the 28th Jan, the girls were extremely expectant, and massively curious as to what this project would actually mean for them each day.<br />
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The one word that would sum up their main reaction in the first week was ‘overwhelmed’! I think that it began for the girls with more of a bang than they could have imagined, not in terms of fireworks and aerial dance displays! but in exciting and meaningful activities, an engaging and dedicated dance teacher, a house that had obviously been purpose-decorated only for them, and a team who from the word ‘go’ demonstrated that they were fully dedicated to them in every sense. They suddenly had quality art materials and resources to use, a storage space just for them, and a diary with pen and pencil that they could write anything they wanted on. They immediately felt a sense of ownership – all this had been put together for them and it was a safe space.<br />
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It made the stress and pain around getting it all together completely worth it and we literally burst with joy for the girls! Of course, there were some obvious initial tensions, some girls who tried to push the boundaries with the team, and quite a few practical hitches, but I think that from the girls’ point of view, this project was different to anything that they had been part of before, and by the end of the first four days, I believe they already felt, or began to feel that here was a space in which they were accepted and could belong.samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-63825766027518323622013-01-06T14:46:00.000-08:002013-01-06T17:04:44.422-08:00(Sam) Christmas in the sun :o)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEtp2ebqy5DJG-SskiySlXSha-od9w_epx0_I9pz9Jd7x3vypSx_g3yKHaLDOHg2ebdQmyW0ZqV17dRcpwJy774IRjlpe7q8IdtwcMSoaQUEjsjgOE57rJ3BH_4VqExCjHjSOk4D-ecfJ/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFEtp2ebqy5DJG-SskiySlXSha-od9w_epx0_I9pz9Jd7x3vypSx_g3yKHaLDOHg2ebdQmyW0ZqV17dRcpwJy774IRjlpe7q8IdtwcMSoaQUEjsjgOE57rJ3BH_4VqExCjHjSOk4D-ecfJ/s320/IMG_0384.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boa Viagem beach in Recife, where we were<br />
for Christmas day!</td></tr>
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Immediately after the Christmas party we had to frantically tidy up, organise the project stuff and pack our bags... because we were heading to Recife for Christmas! We got the bus to the airport in the middle of the night, and then just before checking in at the airport we discovered that we didn’t have Claire’s passport - we each thought the other had it!! There wasn't time to travel all the way back to Medina to get it, and we were devastated at the prospect of losing our flights, accommodation and time away that we'd been so looking forward to after the stress and exhaustion of the last few weeks. However (!), fortunately in Brazil they love their forms, and so advised by the man in the airport we just had time to get to the police station, print out an 'official' form certifying Claire’s name and details and get on the plane! I love it – they had no idea if we were lying or not, but it ticked all their boxes and we managed to get to Recife!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHbWojNLyG3Lk-Gg19_bCbNiGdTi8WnR8_FtjYdeDZ3JWF3qDlHdB3PVqvC3l2qhxYXNGztjyKrsTUMIm4WNNFZfhSpWOui1pDghJEha5sruWnH5CZn81PeFpmjMgmPAn0bconKLYQSiv/s1600/IMG_0513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGHbWojNLyG3Lk-Gg19_bCbNiGdTi8WnR8_FtjYdeDZ3JWF3qDlHdB3PVqvC3l2qhxYXNGztjyKrsTUMIm4WNNFZfhSpWOui1pDghJEha5sruWnH5CZn81PeFpmjMgmPAn0bconKLYQSiv/s320/IMG_0513.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside Sergio's workshop - with him as he got <br />
ready for the Recife Art Exhibition </td></tr>
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The first week we just crashed by the beach and were able to (more or less) switch off and recuperate. It was quite surreal being a tourist in the thin beach strip just in front of where we had spent so long chatting to girls on the street two years ago. Then the second week was quite a hectic timetable of seeing many friends, and catching up with all those who we had imagined we’d be working with. It was great to see some of them now really making progress in their areas of social work and two already setting up projects this year specifically for girls caught in prostitution. Most of our time was spent with Sergio and Adriana – the most wonderfully normal, funny and inspirational couple and a great breath of fresh air. We’re gutted not to be living closer to them. He also makes the most amazing wooden furniture and we wanted to bring it all back with us!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3xxeSiJkQjMByAyJfnKZZoO-tRN9_Ohz3TXNyjpt5Nv4bkpOQqTSTlfmdZAj03GWx-5QMjf4Xg1BbCDzY1bMI4Fa64zA-sCcf5z01SqFYOup9jOogCEczmd2c0LUwTAcBLFaQnvhuXz9/s1600/IMG_0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3xxeSiJkQjMByAyJfnKZZoO-tRN9_Ohz3TXNyjpt5Nv4bkpOQqTSTlfmdZAj03GWx-5QMjf4Xg1BbCDzY1bMI4Fa64zA-sCcf5z01SqFYOup9jOogCEczmd2c0LUwTAcBLFaQnvhuXz9/s200/IMG_0511.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in Recife on one of Sergio's <br />
funky wooden chairs!</td></tr>
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It was also the sad (not really that sad) farewell to Gus, our old and battered Beetle. He had now completely ceased to function, but by some miracle a friend of a friend decided to buy it for nearly £1000. Amazing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_i-z7EkR4iIt-tOSnJAehsSiYGOt32zRc6r1AyS9BERbRzAT8vtTrXcKfRh5CjRfr2zVWh3O5r3eq-Bict7LAcZBScAylvDaOFU5A5blA9i-tvo1lsPzVESv1RG63NZ6VUy_WIEr1IzJ/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_i-z7EkR4iIt-tOSnJAehsSiYGOt32zRc6r1AyS9BERbRzAT8vtTrXcKfRh5CjRfr2zVWh3O5r3eq-Bict7LAcZBScAylvDaOFU5A5blA9i-tvo1lsPzVESv1RG63NZ6VUy_WIEr1IzJ/s200/062.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire having a moment with Gus <br />
back in 2010!</td></tr>
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We arrived back on Friday night after travelling since two in the morning, and now on Sunday have just travelled again for seven hours (!) to meet Lauren, the dance teacher from England, which was great fun – I can tell we’re going to have a lot of laughs together over the next few months. This week is the last week before our opening on Monday 14th, so it’s going to be full steam ahead!!<br />
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-45743654520382450412013-01-06T14:33:00.001-08:002013-01-06T15:25:40.092-08:00(Sam) Pink House Christmas Party<br />
I know it’s already January! but we just wanted to give a quick recap on the Christmas party :o)<br />
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After months of preparing the pink house and getting to know the girls individually, the Christmas party on the 21st December was the first time that all of them would be in the Pink House together. The team had been finalized just the week before, which was really exciting since this also meant that they and the girls would all get to meet.<br />
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The house was fully decorated with pink, purple and silver tinsel, and a huge pink cake in the living room. As the girls started arriving, there was a lot of excitement, especially as they were now able to go round the house themselves and talk about it with each other. Each time one of us walked into the dance room, we’d find them all giggling and dancing in the mirror.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhdFYgVA6WsBvhgthCMdOuadlYb_QhSXTV8FCRYJeXGynjqOdz0laeMHNKlCUNBaDqusy8Okje-8MV20mds9xyjCbbwevMo3sc-KMNNTxFWn8kWqn0lpJFoDCk-k-kL5_7er97Np9IVXC/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmhdFYgVA6WsBvhgthCMdOuadlYb_QhSXTV8FCRYJeXGynjqOdz0laeMHNKlCUNBaDqusy8Okje-8MV20mds9xyjCbbwevMo3sc-KMNNTxFWn8kWqn0lpJFoDCk-k-kL5_7er97Np9IVXC/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rita welcoming the girls at the beginning of the party!</td></tr>
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Rita started things off with the real meaning of Christmas, presenting the team and letting the girls know that we were serious about things changing in their lives and about us as a new family seeing their dreams become reality. As the girls then ran loose around the house, there was a wonderful atmosphere of chaotic fun! We had apple bobbing, musical chairs and a chocolate-eating game all happening at once, and as different girls started gradually interacting with each other there was a lot of laughter and some of the tension began to break down.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4hj3kBHvD8u6VuiWXK4DaQ6hKmcwtJWGmcH_IPJnMxoc28b3fGzXGw_yX2Y5bCAMbpLk9_qaJCCp7nP-7weZY7_NkNotwjU1haMo2mc-uKe0LiDqi_MaEF-kPyzSnO0a79DzJ68obDEk/s1600/P1090494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4hj3kBHvD8u6VuiWXK4DaQ6hKmcwtJWGmcH_IPJnMxoc28b3fGzXGw_yX2Y5bCAMbpLk9_qaJCCp7nP-7weZY7_NkNotwjU1haMo2mc-uKe0LiDqi_MaEF-kPyzSnO0a79DzJ68obDEk/s320/P1090494.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Sam!</td></tr>
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Just a few days before, Leticia had also arrived back in town, which was such a wonderful sight for us, and amazingly she came along to the Christmas party too. Joining together 40 girls of varying backgrounds and emotional wounds however, was bound to cause some tension, but even though there were a lot of looks, comments and a rather ugly fight, Rita was able to set the boundaries that in this house we will work towards becoming one family that grows together.<br />
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The girls absolutely loved the food, and the cake, and then right at the end I made a very convincing debut as Santa Claus with a special present and message for each girl! We don’t know what the reality will be in each of their homes this Christmas Day, but we are excited to be starting a New Year in which each girl has the chance to begin a new and very different chapter in her life.<br />
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-2791690302237833062012-12-19T13:49:00.002-08:002013-01-06T14:52:10.994-08:00(Claire) A swift dismount!It’s been a while since writing... lots has been going on here at the Pink House, with non-stop days and seemingly endless lists of things to do! So we’re looking forward to spending a few days in Recife over Christmas – where we were the last time we were in Brazil. Before we head off, the final push here is for the Christmas party on Friday that we’re doing in the Pink House. It’ll be the first time that all of the girls (without friends, parents or other town-members etc.) will be together under the same roof, and we’re sure it’s going to be a mix of beautiful, fun and unpredictable!<br />
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Over the last few days we’ve been going from house to house, inviting the girls to the party and using that as an opportunity to spend a bit more time with them, and take a step into their worlds for a little while. One such world was that of a fifteen year-old, who has the biggest (cheekiest) smile we’ve seen yet. Her world is filled with chaos, violence, drugs and prostitution, and she shows all the tough signs of someone who’s survived more than any of us could really imagine. We arrived to find a man lying knocked out on the floor of her tiny, dark living room, and were told to ‘feel at home’ and just step/sit round him. It turned out that this man was her Dad. So we carried on the conversation that involved a lot of laughing, joking and teasing, with feet barely inches away from his head, realising that this is absolutely normal in her world. One of her two children was there, who she loves in the best way that she can… a cheeky chap who was yet another reminder that at age thirteen this girl had already given birth.<br />
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Amidst the many signs of poverty that existed all around us, a funny thing happened! As we were chatting in the house a massive horse galloped up to the door and stood about two feet away, blocking the tiny brick doorway. A sight I definitely wasn’t expecting! Our yelps of surprise and interest in the horse swiftly led to the whole family getting really excited about Sam saddling up!! So there in the tiny street of one of the poorest areas in Medina Sam was holding the reigns, with the whole (dynamic) family cheering him on and telling him to gallop down the cobbled street! “You’ll be fine – just hold on!!” To the disappointment of all he panicked and made a swift dismount (!), and as we left that family we giggled about how he could well have trotted very slowly out of the city and onto the BR116 with no idea how to stop or get off!<br />
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So life is a funny mix of happenings. In the next post are a few photos of some memories thus far...samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-59239872050764199052012-12-19T13:46:00.003-08:002012-12-19T13:46:27.208-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sam and the lovely Vicki who stayed with us whilst volunteering at the Pink House (in our most favourite room at home...the hammock room!)</div>
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The Pastor of our church and his wife and daughter at our house. They are such a lovely family, full of fun and laughter, and have been such an encouragement to us, especially in giving me space to just be myself despite the language barrier </div>
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Me and Vicki after a trip to the salon! (never been to a salon in my life before coming to Brazil!)</div>
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Me and Sam having good old English tea and biscuits (thank you Vicki!)... in the hammock room!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Snowing in Medina!! </span></div>
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Not really - this is the remains of Sam's freezer de-icing party!</div>
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A typical roads in Medina, and one that leads out to the hills...</div>
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Sam about to carry our palm tree across the town to a friend's house as a present! It looks harmless enough, but he arrived with soil and scratches all over his face! What is the gringo going to do next...?!</div>
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One of the many bugs in our house that made Sam genuinely scream and hide!!! (This isn't microscopic photography... the bug was huge!!)</div>
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Sam fixing our roof after the worst storm that Medina has had in the history of it's current inhabitants! We thought it was a tornado at one point!</div>
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A gecko :)</div>
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A witchcraft monument on top of the mountain that we climbed</div>
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Me and Sam doing Rita's hair in the salon (This is just a set-up, there is absolutely no way Rita would let us go anywhere near her hair!!!)</div>
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Sam, me and Rita, hiding in amongst all the PINK</div>
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Outside the Pink House the day after the big party for the girls. From left: Warlei, Dani, Sam, Dean, Me, Matt and Rita! This hurt more than it looks!!</div>
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Rita, Sam and I visiting in the pouring rain and asking how to get to a certain girl's house... it involved sliding(literally) down the hill to her doorstep!</div>
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Guina, a local graffiti artist, doing awesome things to the Pink House walls! </div>
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Sam doing a broomstick dance. He's actually stuffing the holes in the roof of the dance room with plastic bags to hold back the rain! This idea was developed after we realised that the roof wasn't doing it's job and every time after it rained the inside of the house was flooded... and surprisingly it works! (This picture is also very reminiscent of a midnight broom incident that you should ask Sam about...)</div>
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At the big party for the girls! Me and Sam with Dean and Rita. By this point everyone was shattered, but so excited about the wonderful evening that had just taken place</div>
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The salon in the Pink House, leading into the bean-bag room next door! </div>
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A sneak preview of Sam as Santa before the Christmas party that's happening this Friday night! The sad face I think has something to do with the absolutely huge trousers that he has no choice but to wear! Will post photos of his final 'look' in a few days...!!</div>
<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-426903249721363192012-11-26T14:55:00.000-08:002012-11-27T04:58:56.294-08:00(Sam) 50 precious lives!<br />
Last week we finally had the most immense privilege of visiting all the girls in their homes, to deliver their personal invite to the project. We finished the last few yesterday and are filled with such a sense of joy and anticipation.<br />
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On arriving back from the visits (we had been through so many houses in such a short space of time), my mind was a flood of images...<br />
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each girl is so unique and beautiful, and in every hardened or downcast expression we could see the creases of a reluctant but irrepressible smile breaking through when they heard that they had been 'chosen' to be part of the project. It was such a privilege to be there at that moment, to be sharing the news that there is an opportunity for something different, an alternative for the future.<br />
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There were quite a few girls who Rita had so wanted to invite before it was too late, but who we now realised were already pregnant. One beautiful but very tough young girl was playing football in the street when we called her. She came over with a really hard and mistrusting face but then produced the most amazing smile when she thought of the idea of being part of the project, having her hair done, learning guitar...Even though she already has a baby (who is fortunately being looked after by family), she's only 13 and she really needs this chance that Meninadança will offer her, to be a child again herself.<br />
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The invites were absolutely perfect even for the older, tougher girls. Their eyes widened and cheeks softened as the pink girly picture with their name on the front inspired the beginnings of a belief that they may in fact be worth something....wow...hope is the most beautiful concept and this week we saw tangible glimpses of it in the most unlikely, seemingly impossible situations.<br />
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At one point, as we walked out of yet another house with Rita, we realised that we were all grinning from ear to ear! and just couldn't stop smiling and laughing...Rita had been so frustrated because in the face of such need we had to limit the number of girls to 50; but today she said that it had suddenly hit her in a different way when chatting with a friend that we were going to be involved in the lives of Fifty young women and girls and their families, speaking of hope and transformation to those who most desperately need it. Seeing the difference that some conversations have already made in how the girls look ahead, we believe that God really is going to bring that transformation here in Medina.samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-89357611478667053032012-11-21T05:38:00.000-08:002012-11-21T06:34:31.317-08:00(Sam) Budding photographers!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXC_UyLsPQe5T6ZWhN4fRWnnACATgTuHqnrQm_KaR-LCCZX5uhp5Lp5r0Y45DFtfL0SsVEOj4erNAUrcIy_RKQi3gH8iuEOqm5deDicd7S1lZ5waTC1b_p1xIeOYrtP3nCjg6GzsObzC9/s1600/blog+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXC_UyLsPQe5T6ZWhN4fRWnnACATgTuHqnrQm_KaR-LCCZX5uhp5Lp5r0Y45DFtfL0SsVEOj4erNAUrcIy_RKQi3gH8iuEOqm5deDicd7S1lZ5waTC1b_p1xIeOYrtP3nCjg6GzsObzC9/s320/blog+4.JPG" width="320" /></a>It's been great having Vicki, a teacher from the UK, volunteering with us during this set-up phase. One of her passions is photography and so this Sunday we met up with two of the girls to give them an introductory lesson! Vicki showed them the basics and then we wandered through the countryside outside the town with the two girls pointing and shooting as they went!<br />
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One of Vicki’s aims was for them to see their town through different eyes, since both of them have seriously considered leaving for various reasons. It was amazing by the end of our walk to hear them actually noticing the beauty around them, and realising that there is life here outside of what they have experienced so far. It's so good for them to know that there is another perspective on the same reality, one which is so much more filled with life and hope.<br />
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One funny moment was when one of the girls looked at the ground and screamed, and out of fear I ran and jumped into the air, landing straight onto the thing they’d been screaming about – a big hairy tarantula! It didn’t bite me, but it was huge! We filmed one later and then a woman came and beat it to death with a stick…it’s not just us who don’t like them!<br />
<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-64501946647285773142012-11-21T04:55:00.000-08:002012-11-21T04:55:01.241-08:00Medina!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of weeks ago we climbed one of the hills around the town with two friends, and sat at the top for so long with the hot wind in our faces, not quite believing that this is where we have landed! We're so so thankful for being in this beautiful place.<br />
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I may have convinced Claire that it was only a 15 minute walk to the top! haha...she was not too pleased an hour and 15 minutes later when we got to the top with no water around for miles! But the beautiful sunset was definitely worth it. </div>
<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-53703642374542473882012-11-11T12:24:00.003-08:002012-11-11T12:25:46.503-08:00(Claire) Cry, The Beloved Country<br />
Last night my heart broke as I read this paragraph in Alan Paton’s <i>Cry, The Beloved Country</i>. He paints a devastating picture of what can happen when oppression has ruled a people, and how from that point on fear robs you of the ability to hope. Though he’s writing about South Africa, I was struck by how many of the girls here in Medina experience this same isolation, and could relate to these painful words:<br />
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<i>“Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or a valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.”</i><br />
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With their stories of abuse, violence, rejection and exploitation there are really only two ways to go: to die, or to choose never again to hope, to love, to dream, to believe – close up their hearts to all that surrounds them, hold it in their hands and run, far away. Smile, but not in their eyes, laugh, but not from their hearts. Nothing can hurt them any more, but behind the smiles are hurting eyes, wondering if anyone really ‘sees’ their pain.<br />
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Every moment with these girls is an incredible privilege. My prayer is that over time, I imagine years rather than months, there will be no need to hide, no need to run away. That through a process of being loved for who they are, every girl would feel safe to hope, to be free again to open her heart to the beauty of the world around her, and to believe that there is a reason to dance. I pray that the devastation of Paton’s words would be transformed for the girls into something like this:<br />
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<i>“Dance, beloved daughters, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of your hope. Let her love the earth deeply. Let her laugh gladly when the water runs through her fingers, stand silent when the sun makes red the veld with fire. Let her be moved when the birds of her land are singing, and give her heart to the mountain and the valley. For fear will not rob her if she gives of her heart.”</i><br />
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-76418918083728663502012-10-29T17:19:00.002-07:002012-10-30T02:23:21.852-07:00Meeting the girls(Sam)<br />
Since the elections are now over, Rita has had a lot more time and we've been able to talk a lot more about how to reach girls, which girls, and how the house will be structured etc. We have started visiting a few, which has been a real privilege but also heart-wrenching, meeting the girls themselves who are the faces of the stories we've heard. For each one it seems impossible that someone so young could have already lived through so much.<br />
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A fifteen-year old that we've spent quite a bit of time with, and wrote about in the last group email has now disappeared again, moving up and down the nearby towns along the motorway and staying with friends or anywhere she can find. Her family is distraught and desperately wants her to get out of this town and get help. We're waiting for her to appear again before talking through the possibilities with her. Please pray that she can believe just a tiny bit in the possibility of hope for her future and make the choice to get out...also that we can actually find somewhere that will truly provide all that she needs to be healed from past traumas and start to build a new life.<br />
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We met up with another younger teenager tonight and it was such a privilege to sit with her - she really is a very special one, has huge potential and an extremely likeable character! As I said before, it is beyond my imagination to link this lovely girl with all that we've heard she's been through already at her young age, and the way that she lives at the moment. We met the whole family, quite a mixed bunch, and then sat for a while teaching her a few chords on the guitar - it was great watching the transformation from frustration and lack of concentration to then being so chuffed once she persevered and learnt three all at once. My next task is to research her favourite artist so that I can teach her an actual song next time! It's going to be a funny moment!<br />
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While Rita is at work in the mornings at the Children's Council we have been given the go ahead to decorate and kit out the whole of the Pink House. The last few weeks have been quite a mix - frustration with the time it takes and the tedium or roundabout ways of getting things done!but also amazing to see things really coming together now...I think probably by the end of this week nearly everything will be in place. We've had Rita's nephew Washington helping us out, and here are some of the photos of the work in progress...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Claire in the hair salon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sam painting the lounge</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington fixing the TV in the dance room</td></tr>
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-65561068941327674902012-10-15T08:17:00.003-07:002012-10-15T08:21:28.248-07:00How Not To Paint Your Wall (our house, not the pink house!) <b> Step 1: </b>Mix your paint (cast your spells?!)<br />
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<b> Step 2:</b> Test your colours (with much deliberation)<br />
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<b> Step 3:</b> Spill half of your precisely-mixed paint<br />
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<b> Step 4:</b> Paint the wrong wall (it was meant to be the one on the left!)<br />
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-26526598635028678882012-10-15T07:53:00.001-07:002012-10-15T08:37:33.714-07:00Whilst Seated On The Comode(Claire)<br />
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I know that we’ve not yet written much on the blog about the work that we’re doing here! We’ve realised that it’s going to take time to work out how much we can say about the girls, the town and the development of the project... There are lots of different factors to take into account which make writing honestly seem a bit of a minefield! One factor is that all of the girls here have access to the internet and so could easily google translate what’s being said…as could anyone else in this small town where everybody knows everybody. Identifying a girl wouldn’t take long with a bit of description about where she lives and her family. The police, politicians and anyone else who’s interested to know what’s being said and exposed about their town would also have access to read what’s written. And so, we're working out bit by bit how to get into a rhythm of writing in a way that protects both the girls and our team, whilst being honest and sharing what’s really happening…<br />
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There have been lots of challenges over the last couple of weeks, on all fronts! However, in the midst of that the Pink House is receiving it's final touches with lots of colourful (pink!!!) walls and pink cushions! (Photos to follow soon!) We’ve been praying that we would have opportunities to meet the girls who are most caught up in exploitation and are most in need, and in response to that we’ve had two awesome times of ‘bumping into’ girls around town who we highly suspect are involved and are friends with Leticia… they’re all really interested in the project, and we’re going to see if we can start visiting them more over the next few weeks. We’re going to be spending our Saturday nights on the streets to give more opportunity to meet girls, and are really enjoying time spent with Leticia :) Last time we were in her house I made one of those snap-decisions to sit on an old rusty commode that she had in the garden… I didn’t make the link between the ailing grandmother and the comode – or perhaps I did but the beaming invitation of a seat in the hot sun was too much to resist. After about two minutes of swinging my legs (it was taller than I expected!) and chatting to Leticia I started to notice a wet sensation on the top of my right leg… I was determined to remain neutral in my facial expressions as I realised that the commode was very much still active, and had hidden its urinary gems within the plastic seat - to the dismay of any unsuspecting passer by needing a sit down! Next time I'll go for the reliable floor option...<br />
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-48592120855028605302012-09-27T07:32:00.000-07:002012-09-27T07:42:09.631-07:00Moving in :o)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-58839248011503479342012-09-27T07:15:00.002-07:002012-09-27T08:22:27.542-07:00Go Boris Go!(Sam): In this wonderful place of cowboy hats and dusty streets, obscene car sound systems and constant fireworks, we have been (un)fortunate enough to land just at the time of the elections.<br />
Elections in Medina are notoriously closely contested, mostly because a shift in politicians really does mean massive shifts in power and money, and many risk losing their jobs if the other parties win. Even for Menindança, if one of the other two candidates were to win, we are likely to suffer huge delays in paperwork, fewer donations and government support, and much harsher scrutiny.<br />
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However...unlike power-dressing politicians in the UK, this two-month long build-up to the voting day is jam-packed full of fireworks at all hours of the day; ridiculous jingles for each of the politicians blaring through the streets out of car boots (literally like “Number 10 is the best, dance with him and forget the rest” or “Everyone I know votes 25, my granny, my dad, my uncle, my dog, everyone votes 25”); and the most hilarious yet intense parades through the streets that we´ve ever seen!<br />
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In the photos you´d think we were caught up in a terrible riot, but what happens is that three or four nights in the week, each party takes it in turns to march round the town and then descend upon the main square with as many supporters as they can bribe, threaten or blackmail to join them. The first time was only a couple of days after we had arrived…we had heard music and fireworks all day and then as night fell, the madness unfolded. The distant music and shouting got louder and louder and then fireworks exploded literally outside our windows. Claire screamed and hid (haha!) and I ran out to the street to see what on earth was going on – in the darkness we could see all our neighbours outside their houses looking up the hill of our street and at the top all you could see was smoke, light, and crazed silhouettes jumping up and down. They gathered their forces and then came racing down the hill! First there were about 50 motorbikes laden with too many people and waving banners, burning their tyres and revving way too high. Then about 30 horses (?!) which we couldn’t quite believe, ridden by cowboy-hatted guys letting off fireworks and drinking cans of beer. The air was filled with smoke and the smell of burnt rubber, and the poor horses seemed as shocked as we were. Literally hundreds and hundreds of people were running and dancing down behind them, with cars full of people inside and on top, and massive boom boxes…and the climax was half-way through the procession, seeing their political party’s candidate for town mayor sitting on a throne on top of his car, surrounded by fairy lights and massive banners, shouted on by the masses of drunk people who didn’t have a clue what politics was even about.<br />
It took over an hour for it all to pass by and fill the town square below, and I was just imagining a scene in Trafalgar Square with crowds of drunk Brits whooping Boris Johnson on to his next four years as Mayor of London! Viva Boris Johnson!<br />
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Jokes aside though, the election day is 7th October, when we'll find out what the impact will be for our project and the next four years of social work in Medina. We're voting number 10! Robinho!<br />
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samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com6Medina - Minas Gerais, Brazil-16.2243128 -41.4777081-16.4682538 -41.7935651 -15.9803718 -41.1618511tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-42148402102304615552012-09-11T19:12:00.001-07:002012-09-11T19:16:27.592-07:00(Claire) Honeymoon period!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FRyPqJrYEWJgIow9D4finX_i3gbyOcUPOngeWgCvoKj92xmn6pj3ZlIAZZIxsNXPVK7grVEtHa46XmVxjHkkFls8-2uPpYjL4iO_nExAk1SzlYhZkCaYmmA-VpgKdgWsxwQiuR6WgaDu/s1600/medina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FRyPqJrYEWJgIow9D4finX_i3gbyOcUPOngeWgCvoKj92xmn6pj3ZlIAZZIxsNXPVK7grVEtHa46XmVxjHkkFls8-2uPpYjL4iO_nExAk1SzlYhZkCaYmmA-VpgKdgWsxwQiuR6WgaDu/s1600/medina.jpg" /></a></div>
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Life in Medina is fun...and funny! Before arriving in Brazil I was prepared to go through each stage of culture shock, and, despite finding certain things difficult (force-feeding, for example!), I'm aware that I am currently in that wonderful honeymoon period! We've been here a week, and I've found Medina to be a town of quirks, with a carnival atmosphere and yet snuggled into it's tranquil, remote surroundings. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know this corner of Brazil's vast 'interior', and I know that amongst the many tragedies that we will find, there are many wonders to discover as well...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vSVg5KxBh7k4gwRmoXwatUmpXiGtG30u12tVaesXET5BnaY_XsvQ-JcfGyuejOLMD1s5SD8ghSNsJpKKfom93tZYlR9QaPiCViXucPOmhmIKVABGtKqZIOHKJalk1VxIvJBOAc9XSQJS/s1600/motorbike+with+side+car.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vSVg5KxBh7k4gwRmoXwatUmpXiGtG30u12tVaesXET5BnaY_XsvQ-JcfGyuejOLMD1s5SD8ghSNsJpKKfom93tZYlR9QaPiCViXucPOmhmIKVABGtKqZIOHKJalk1VxIvJBOAc9XSQJS/s1600/motorbike+with+side+car.jpg" /></a></div>
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These are some of the elements of this new world that I've enjoyed the most...! The wonderful range of colours that people paint their houses - and the surprising number of bright green parrots that you find within them (named after grandchildren in the family); mazes of cobbled streets; the use of a horse - with or without a cart - for transport; the always-visible view of the surrounding hills which create a beautiful silhouette at sunset; the depth and consistency of hospitality by every person we've met; the fact that countless items of food get stored in Tupperware due to the heat - nothing can escape the small flimsy plastic tubs and I've found myself measuring crackers before going to the shop to find just the right container! ; the fact that when people say the pace of life is slower in the countryside - it actually is in the sense that people actually move their legs more slowly!! Especially when climbing a hill, and I've thoroughly enjoyed joining their pace (and have been overtaken by a horse a number of times!). All of these I have enjoyed, but probably my favourite was a few nights ago when we'd done our week's shop in the supermarket near our house, paid for everything at the counter, and noticed that our bags had not only been packed for us, but were being carried out of the shop! I wondered where they were taking our pasta... We were then asked for our address, and our bags were put into a motorbike with attached side car! (see above!) The driver put his helmet on, revved up the hill and dropped our bags off at our door - which is only five houses down on the same road! This kind of delivery is normal, and free! We're now considering getting one of these as our own mode of transport... the question is...who should go in the side-car??? :)<br />
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-3842083357666759152012-08-28T17:17:00.000-07:002012-08-28T17:19:25.088-07:00our new home!! (sam)This is the home that Rita, the woman we'll be working with in Medina, has found for us to rent! All we have is photos so far, but even from these we have already been planning what colour to paint it and how to deck out each room!<br />
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We'll be arriving tomorrow (Thursday) in Medina! After having been through all the painful processes of letting go of community, of friends and family, and packing up the remnants of a relatively comfortable life in England, we are a bit more free now to realise we are on an awesome adventure!!</div>
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As with all new things, there is a healthy balance of excitement..and nerves. Moving home again in itself is a huge deal. I've lived in the city all my life, with access to everything I want, with opportunities for so many different types of community or equally for complete anonymity, and the buzz and rush of hectic streets and vibrant nightlife, the feeling of being somewhere that is known...</div>
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the idea of moving to the remote countryside, a town that even people in the same state have never heard of, is ..interesting! very different indeed and although it will definitely take time to get used to, I am looking forward to some big changes in lifestyle! I think I want to plant a herb garden in our yard!!</div>
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Even today as we drove an hour out of Belo to visit a beautiful park called Inhotim, I was absolutely loving the scenery and the dust of the roads, and felt a bubbling excitement as I tried to conjure up images of what our new surroundings will be like. </div>
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Here's some more photos we were sent of the house:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADfga28hQqkPb2P-DgQQdfM4bH0XTX8VAn0OimWz2axb6QHcoUOR5PHk5CQ_0kMNcntG2cjqflkjkdG3avXpWnQBOUR0A3H_ekDnMFeCq6YKw7Pog3uIcn8oyKpccb72pI71KrcMXuJcW/s1600/GEDC0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADfga28hQqkPb2P-DgQQdfM4bH0XTX8VAn0OimWz2axb6QHcoUOR5PHk5CQ_0kMNcntG2cjqflkjkdG3avXpWnQBOUR0A3H_ekDnMFeCq6YKw7Pog3uIcn8oyKpccb72pI71KrcMXuJcW/s200/GEDC0882.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVlv-vzkibRQ3agd1T-lILdYRQpMDqlqppNDm5gGLkqHrAdJG5BbGLXHHV_bT6MKil2yxTX6plS_AHps34RBqHJpT5IhtRqSPYfW2wePYILNMliUlY3tSoqMtQrN4bked_GJ0vkA_9RMk/s1600/GEDC0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVlv-vzkibRQ3agd1T-lILdYRQpMDqlqppNDm5gGLkqHrAdJG5BbGLXHHV_bT6MKil2yxTX6plS_AHps34RBqHJpT5IhtRqSPYfW2wePYILNMliUlY3tSoqMtQrN4bked_GJ0vkA_9RMk/s200/GEDC0894.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_OVf7AuclRBap5n4f_lv_7b9fTlJMRy6IIJVlSCM8L3XwwK44PGKmsNhNoInrQpaLCbNWBb-hm1p2ApZFmzavwO1BUC8Wpe9MUHjBTN366k49tLfiVwyXk4ihurTHZJ9Xk7IhSlpOMj0/s1600/GEDC0888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_OVf7AuclRBap5n4f_lv_7b9fTlJMRy6IIJVlSCM8L3XwwK44PGKmsNhNoInrQpaLCbNWBb-hm1p2ApZFmzavwO1BUC8Wpe9MUHjBTN366k49tLfiVwyXk4ihurTHZJ9Xk7IhSlpOMj0/s200/GEDC0888.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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..and that of course is just the moving house part. The main reason we are going, and the biggest cause of both excitement and nerves, is to come alongside girls who have suffered horrific traumas and to build relationships with them, offering therapeutic activities and a space to experience healing...we are so desperate to see this happen, but at the same time we are fully aware of the long and difficult process it could prove to be, and the many obstacles that may be in the path. Very slightly apprehensive, but also full of anticipation...the next step is about to begin!<br />
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-40500964433795923082012-08-27T17:08:00.000-07:002012-08-28T17:19:15.630-07:00food! (sam)We've only got two more days left in Belo now! We're getting more and more excited about moving - on one hand it is quite daunting as we have been planning and thinking through all that needs to be done over the coming weeks, but on the other hand this is the most amazing adventure and we can't wait to see what it holds.<br />
This time in Belo has been so important though, having two weeks to fully acclimatise to the country, the people, the language, the food (!) ..man, they have this thing here where you buy a platter to share and they get a massive baking tray and literally shovel onto it every type of meat you could imagine, chips, cheese, eggs, olives and a few more random items into this huge seething greasy pile of mmmmm...! (this one..googleimages ;) is only half the size of the one we had yesterday!and we didn't waste space with salad either!)<br />
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<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-81457253650483224972012-08-27T17:05:00.002-07:002012-08-27T17:14:44.643-07:00Language!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Both of us have been finding the language quite tiring - I have really enjoyed catching up with some of my friends who I worked in Happy Child with, and speaking loads of Portuguese again but it's frustrating when lots of common words escape you and you know the accent sounds a bit classic, and I often get home exhausted. Claire is really enjoying hearing and speaking again, and even though she's picking it up again so quickly, I think it is a lot more frustrating for her, people's perceptions of who you are based on how much you speak..i'm sure she'll describe it herself...it's going to be a difficult first period with language but we're looking forward so much to building relationships with people in Medina so I think we'll get through it!samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-75703912900536720392012-08-22T15:36:00.003-07:002012-08-22T15:36:44.040-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Matt, Dani and Milo! Matt and Dani run Meninadança in Brazil, and they are looking after us very well in Belo before we head up to Medina :o)</span>samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-40929654457234841982012-08-22T15:31:00.001-07:002012-08-22T15:33:35.405-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> View over Belo Horizonte from our room in Matt & Dani's flat</span>samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-61354539180652395492012-08-19T06:22:00.004-07:002012-08-19T06:23:42.295-07:00(Claire) Setting foot in BrazilNormally when I arrive in a new country after a long-haul flight, I feel that surreal, slightly detached sensation that comes with suddenly ‘appearing’ half way around the world in a matter of hours! Everything seems different around you and it’s hard to take it all in and really feel through and through that you’ve <i>arrived</i>. This time however we walked out of the airport, met Matt (who had patiently waited a very long time for us to come through!), and wheeled our bags to the car, feeling entirely normal, unsurprised and deeply peaceful! The sun wasn’t particularly showing itself, and I wouldn’t say the scenery was the exotic tropical horizon that some might imagine when landing in Brazil, and so there wasn’t really any scope for romanticised feelings of ‘finally arriving in the Americas!’. I just felt extremely happy, peaceful and interested in learning about my new surroundings. It struck me that this may well be one of many ways that I would feel the difference of having had such a long time to prepare; yes we’d said goodbye to England, travelled thousands of miles in a matter of hours to our new home, and yet there was absolutely no way that my mind could be shocked! That was a wonderful feeling, and just in the first few days of being here there have been many more such moments...samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-24438637218823677382012-08-19T06:20:00.001-07:002012-08-19T06:23:55.660-07:00(Claire) Saying goodbyeSaying goodbye to our families was the last big hurdle that we had to jump before we made it to Brazil. I’d been dreading that moment, as my parents live in South Africa for half of the year and so we didn’t know when we were going to see each other again. We all woke up at 3am, ouch! To get to Heathrow for our 6am flight. Everything went smoothly at the check-in, all our many bags were just the right weight (relief!) and so, all too quickly, the time to say goodbye arrived. Somehow having a ‘next date to meet’ seemed like it would have helped, but without knowing when that would be it was instead a painful “I’ll see you when I see you”. After making it through security we sat down for a quick coffee and I read through the beautiful leaving book that my Mum had made for us, with encouraging words and smiling pictures of friends… I read this entry and was reminded that I walk hand-in-hand with God, and with him nothing changes…<br />
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“In heavenly love abiding,<br />
No change my heart shall fear,<br />
And safe in such confiding,<br />
For nothing changes here;<br />
The storm may roar without me,<br />
My heart may low be laid;<br />
But God is round about me,<br />
And can I be dismayed?”<br />
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I decided not to push any of the emotion down, but let it all out (!) so that there would be room for the deep joy and excitement that I’d been feeling up until this point to re-surface. And so it did! As I sat on the plane ready to take-off, I thought, with excitement bubbling, ‘we’re about to fly into the next chapter…’ !<br />
<br />samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8777187302800463863.post-11949540169519886472012-08-14T15:02:00.001-07:002012-08-14T15:02:17.985-07:00(Sam)Oh man!! The time has arrived...it's Tuesday night and we're flying at 6am tomorrow morning so there's very few hours of sleep left.<br />
I am so tired from a ridiculously hectic month, but my head is still spinning too much to head to bed yet.<br />
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It feels so surreal that we will be there tomorrow afternoon, in a completely different situation..and so it's hard to actually engage with the feelings that accompany it. We are definitely sad, especially thinking of the last goodbye to our families tomorrow, and also pretty daunted at the thought of what we're stepping into..mostly because of the many uncertainties and even though we've tried to build as much of a picture as possible, I still feel a bit like we're heading into the unknown.<br />
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All day today though, amidst the surreal numb feelings and the sadness and uncertainty/stress/fear, I have definitely been getting that jittery excited feeling too!! There's no turning back now. All our stuff is packed, stored or chucked, we have the flight tickets and so we just have to get on the plane and we'll literally be taken there..aagh! I feel slightly inadequate and rather nervous, but also massively excited at the potential of what could happen as we just simply show up and let God use us.<br />
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Please Father stir our hearts but calm our nerves, and take us safely there tomorrow. Please guide us in plans and preparations over the next few weeks and then by your grace grant us amazing favour in the community of Medina as we try to build relationships with those we're going to work with, with other services and schools, and above all with the young girls and their families that we desperately want to reach. Help us to understand them and to make decisions that will be transformative and life-giving for them and their whole community. Amen.samandclairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02596258523307664767noreply@blogger.com1Shepperton, Surrey TW17 8QS, UK51.4005563 -0.429493751.3980798 -0.43442919999999996 51.4030328 -0.4245582