February 2007
Dear Loved Ones,
I recently realized that we often share a story or thought but rarely our daily activities, so we thought we'd take a few moments this month to catch you up on what we've been up to here.
The last part of 2006 found us visiting the hospital more than usual. In October, one of our dear friends who was seven months pregnant lost her baby. It was her first, and she was understandably devastated. She spent a few days in the hospital numbly staring out the window. We were glad that we were able to be and pray with her during this time. In contrast, the following months brought two new beautiful baby girls. We are thankful that these women have close access to Brasil's free medical care and that they are all healthy despite the loss of one dear child. Pray for both the mothers and the babies as they spend lots of time on the streets.
We also spent these months taking children from Projeto Vidinha (Project Little Life), a partner ministry, two or three at a time on field trips. All of the little boys were overjoyed at their trips to the zoo and thought that the monkeys with red rear ends were hilarious! The two girls enjoyed a girls only outing to McDonalds and the movies, and the older boys spent a Saturday at the beach playing in the waves and trying out Ben's (our WMF colleague) new surf board. Fun times for all!
Shortly before Christmas we took eight friends from the street to see a movie. We were hoping to see the Christmas story but it wasn't playing downtown, so we saw James Bond instead. Everyone had a good time! On the way to the movie, one gringo (Rich) being followed by eight kids who were obviously from the streets called attention and the police rushed in to take care of the “problem,” throwing all of our friends up against the wall for a thorough frisking and talking to. Granted, the scene could have been a little suspicious, but the incident further clarified how our view and God's view of these kids is so much different than that of the world.
We were able to spend Christmas with a friend's family in Minas Gerais, a neighboring state. Their town is nestled up in the hills and is surrounded by coffee farms and steep green slopes. It was beautiful, quiet, and cool. Though it was sad to be away from all of you during the holidays, we were thankful that the Lord provided a family to celebrate with.
Summer is in full swing now, though an ample amount of rainfall has kept temperatures milder than usual for this season. We aren't complaining about the cooler weather, but there has been flooding and mudslides in other parts of our stated with about 50 deaths.
Anna is doing well. If you can believe it, she'll be turning one this month! We really can't! How this past year has flown by! She's walking and getting into everything. She loves splashing in the baby pool and watching Xuxa (think Barney but a tall, blonde Brasilian supermodel) with our two year old neighbor downstairs. All of our neighbors are still mesmerized by her big toothy smile and blue eyes. We're told daily that we should put her in ads for Johnson & Johnson.
Rich has been doing regular visits to the streets in two different locations each week. One is a large busy square in front of the ferry terminal downtown. A good number of adolescents hang out in this area. There are a few women with children, as well. In the other area, we have spent time getting to know a group of families that are regulars there. One of the larger families includes three generations of women on the streets. We see how street life is a cycle that can easily capture and ensnare families for generations.
In exciting news, in January, Word Made Flesh Brasil hired its first Brasilian employee! Though she's only doing street visits once a week to start, we are excited about the possibilities in store. In addition, we are working hard to put together a Brasilian board of directors. Pray for us as we discern who would be a good fit and invite them to join us. Pray that the Lord would bring his chosen people into our path and that we would have the eyes to see who they are.
We hope that you will continue to pray for us during 2007. It is a year filled with so many possibilities!
Love,
Rich, Rebecca & Anna
P.S. We would love to hear what you're up to, as well. e-mail us at rich.nichols@wordmadeflesh.com or rebecca.nichols@wordmadeflesh.com