Carmen Lobão: Be Still - Newsletter Feb&Mar/16

Soccer training Team B

"Be still, and know that I am God;” (Psalm 46.10a)

"Every day, hour and minute can live moments of sadness, worry, anxiety. However, God declares us through the psalmist (the Korahites), that he is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble (v.1). After stating this, the psalm will enumerate, in the following verses, many mishaps of life; however, at no time did he fails to show full confidence that God is indeed the Lord, that He is, is our refuge, is our support, our eternal rock, and we know that he always has the best for us. His will is superior and better than ours is. That is why he tells us, through the Apostle Paul: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God is faithful and acts wonderfully. - Always "(ETA - Daily Bread)

Members from Downline team giving some gifts for kids of our programs

Thanks to God

- For the faithfulness of God through my sponsors;

- For the support of my family, friends and church;

- For the extra money we could raise for the month of March.

- For the projects at Camp that are going well;

Youth from the neighborhood taking part of a Gethtogether Day

Prayer requests

- For my health (hands, back) that are bothering

- On a trip to Cap-Haitian to visit an orthopedist,

- For my family in Brazil (salvation, health, protection);

- For my return to Brazil, or not, in the end of September.

As they need to share the tennis shoes, some kids volunteer to wash the tennis shoes they train soccer

Soccer Club Project

We continue with the Soccer Club Project. We have an average of 60 children aged 5 to 17 years divided into 3 categories. The activities are during the week from 4 to 6 pm. On Mondays, we have boys and girls from 5 to 8 years. They are the Mirim Team. On Wednesdays, boys and girls from 9 to 12 years old who. They are Team B and on Fridays and Saturdays, boys from 13 to 17 years old. They are Team A. I have three volunteers from the neighborhood that are helping me coach the kids: Kenold, Cachemy and Herby. We won 33 pairs of shoes they share to train.

Before tutoring classes or when the sun is too hot to play football, I lend them some table games so they can enjoy themselves a little bit. Favorite ones :Cards and Domino.

Education and Entertainment Project

We also continue with tutoring classes from Monday to Friday from 2 to 4 pm. The average is 35 children from the neighborhood. I had to hire three youth from the neighborhood as well, Cachemy, Djempsky and Paulene, to help the teacher Jackelin in the tasks. On Mondays, I continue with English classes and Bible on Wednesdays. On Saturday, I also continue with English classes for 7 youths and adults. We have table games at the Kazibo before classes or when the sun is too hot to play soccer,

Monyke's Family, my neighbor, (she was pregnant). The first family in the project "Better my neighborhood". Before the construction of a new outside kitchen and an outhouse

Better my neighborhood Project

After improving the structure of the camp, the idea is to improve some basic things at my neighbors’ houses. Monyke, my neighbor, who has seven children, was the first one. The couple Tog and Thiago came in January from Brazil and brought resources to dig an outhouse and make an outside kitchen. There was no time to do all the work before their depart, but we kept the work on and we are at the stage of painting that will be made next week, God willing.

The outhouse and outside kitchen are ready. Next week we will paint.

Mykayel was born a moth ago.

New Soccer Field

We spent the last two months working in a new area at Camp. We are making a new soccer field size “Society” for youth and adolescents. A smaller one for the team B and Mirim is also being organized. Therefore, everyone will be able to play. In the first part of the work we use the three helpers I had, but the work was too hard and then I "hired" 7 other youth from the neighborhood who came to me to work for a month because they were in need. In the last phase of this project, we call on all who play here to join forces and take out all the massive stumps of trees that had in the area. At the end of each morning we gave a meal for those who had worked and in the end of the week, we gave them a hygiene kit and school supplies for each one.

My helpers and young people hired temporarily clearing the land purchased

Youth, adolescents and children voluntarily helping in the removal of stumps for the New Soccer Field

The land already cleaned the tractor waiting to leave everything level to the field

The Blue house and Missionary House II

We also worked at the Hosting Blue House (Roof exchange, placing the ceiling and repainting the room after the small fire of the refrigerator). The Mission House II where the couple James and Becky Shaw will stay from June on, we renew inside and outside. We did not finish but it is close. James and Becky have three small children and will be the foster parents of 12 children from HIM orphanage. The children from the orphanage will also live here in the camp. We will have many people living here in June, besides all summer camps and conferences. Fasting and many prayers so I will not be stress too much.

Missionary House II where the Shaw family will live from June on. There are still some renovations before receiving the painting.

Programs at Camp

In February, the youth from the neighborhood organized a day of fun here at Camp. This is not a very common thing, because they do not think they are not able to organize something like this. We helped with the decoration. We lent the space, the generator and all the material they needed to carry out the program. I also had the chance to share the Word of God.

Choreography presented by youth in a Get-together Day held here at Camp

The second and third teams to serve here with HIM this year were "Peoria Christian School" of Pastor Mark Friday and Russ Hinderliter team from Pekin, Illinois. Pastor Mark and his team organized a VBS with the third graders from Collège de La Grace in the morning and in the afternoon, they helped with the restorations of the Blue and Mission II Houses. Russ team completed another part of the concrete floor of the Warehouse.

Peoria Christian School Team member Anggie doing crafts with Collège de La Grace students

Russ team making another part of the warehouse floor

The fourth team to serve here this year was Downline with the leadership of Danny Hinton who came to organize a Conference for the leaders from Baptist Churches Jerusalem closest to Pignon. We had over a hundred participants in three days of training. On the first day, the team had a problem with the flight and they arrived a day later. I had then, on the opening night, the opportunity to give my testimony and encourage the local leadership to continue the Lord's work.

More than 100 leaders of Baptist churches Jerusalem getting a leadership training given by Downline Team

Going back to Brazil

I have been preparing the heart of everybody involved in the projects here at Camp saying, in advance, that in September I will go back to Brazil for good. However, every time I say that someone replies: "I will pray that the Lord will keep you here for more time" (or something like this). On my last newsletter, I said that my phase in Haiti now was "Watering and waiting." Although it has been very hard to work here with a "very dry and stony land," I can see some "shoots" sprouting in the midst of so much fighting for the glory of God. The way things are going in "my heart" I think Haitians are praying more for me to stay than the Brazilians are for me to come back home. Pray with me! May God continue to richly bless each one of you.