Feliz Natal!

My quarterly newsletter/ Christmas letter is out, get it while its hot!

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Happy Camping

Here are some pictures from Camp. Me and my friend Marcelo (Chocolate) had lots of fun pranking people at night, but during the day, it was all about the kids. I got to swim, play soccer, dance, sing, play dodgeball with the kids, and got to build a much stronger relationship with many of the kids that came. Something about the camp experience brings out a sense of trust and love for everyone involved. The kids call Camp California, "a little piece of heaven", its a place where they can escape the concrete walls and all the pressures that suffocate their childhood. Yuri had an amazing camp as he got the chance to escape all the drugs, fear, violence and pressures that come with that lifestyle. He got to be a kid again. And I tried to take a lot of photos of him doing just that...being a kid. Because of the drugs, you wont believe this kid is 13 by his size, but he told us that he has been off drugs for 2 weeks, since he was beat by the police so gruesomely. Praise God. We are still trying to convince some rehab centers to let him in, since he's only one year too young. I got to hang out with him quite a bit and build that relationship, we laughed a lot, played a lot, and had a great weekend. He's in the process of turning his life around, but we still need to be covering this young guy in prayer as he returns back to the favelas where his life fell apart.

Camp

This will be my first camp experience at the wonderful Camp California since 5 years ago when i was last here.  The boy I spoke of in the previous post, Yuri, is doing well, but there is still no clinics that will accept a 13 yr old.  So we invited to camp this weekend.  It will be difficult for him I'm sure, he will be without any drugs for 3 days, but we're praying for an amazing experience for God to really open up his heart and change his life.  He asked me if I was going before he said yes to the invite.  So it made it clear to me that he's starting to trust me, and I hope to build on that this weekend.  I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures and updates after camp. Check back on Sunday evening or Monday.  Much love to all, I thank you in advance for your prayers for all the kids, but especially Yuri.

Police Brutality!

We all remember the Rodney King beating, and the aftermath.  4 police officers, 1 man.  Swinging clubs over and over while the man finally cowered on the ground.  Now imagine that man, being an undersized boy that turned 13 two weeks ago.  Now imagine the police using stun guns, sending high voltage of electric shock through the boys rib cages, numerous times.  Sadly, this is the reality for the boy that I had spoke of in a previous post.  The boy that has been strung out on drugs since he was 11, skimming off the top while delivering drugs.  He is not innocent in this situation, as the police found him at 2 a.m. in a different favela about an hour walk away from his home.  There is no question he was getting into trouble, but there is no reason on this earth for the police to beat a child.

I had a chance to see him last week randomly on the street.  My co-workers were getting a ice cream treat, and as I remembered he had his birthday the previous week, I ordered him a treat.  I believe that this was a God-arranged appointment to see him wandering the streets away from his favela.

This week during our home visits, it was a much more somber encounter.  Even after 4 days of recovery, he was in bad shape.  We walked in and he was curled up on the couch, his hand wrapped in a bandage and his face black and blue.  The doctors told his mom that he almost died from the electric shock in combination with the numerous blows to the head.  His mom told us his forehead was swollen like bananas were tucked into his skin, and one eye was swollen shut.  Glory to God, he survived and he is recovering nicely.  The best part is that he told his mom he wants to get help for his drug addiction and change his life around.  The recovery center is a Christian center, but is limited to 14-60 years old, so she is trying to get them to make an exception.  Money is also an issue, as it is not paid for by the state.  I will keep you updated if we can fulfill this need, but in the meantime please be praying for this boy to use this brutal tragedy to change his life, and give it over to the Lord.  Only in Him, will this boy find redemption and hope for a new life.