Project Director's Letter: Brazil

The next letter I'd like to share is from Gizelle's & Estela's project, BR-417. The photos are from Compassion's regional country page about the region where our girls live, so although they aren't necessarily from their project, they give an idea of the area.

Dear Eric and Hannah,

The grace and peace of Jesus unto you!

My names is Joselen O. I am the Project Director at Projecto Centro Social Betesda, where Gizelle and Estela attend.

I write you with gratitude for the difference that you make in the life of your sponsored child. May the Lord keep blessing your life in all the areas because I know that you will continue to bless us as you have been doing. I thank God because he is showing His faithfulness through you.

At our project we work with children from a poor community close to the ocean. The main activity of our community is fishing. Unfortunately, the drug is the bad guy here, and our main objective is to keep our children away of this bad and lead them to the Lordship of Jesus. Even though the project is in an area of risk, all our workers are respected and the community likes them because they recognize the fruits that the project brings social improvement and makes the children become good citizens.

Our Compassion program offers extracurricular activities that are very worth it to keep the children busy and out of the reach of the drugs. We offer tutoring classes, citizenship, surf, arts, karate, soccer, dance and capoeira. We also offer income generation activities such as beauty course, hairdresser or with the body health. We highlight that besides these activities with the children, we have monthly activity of community therapy with the families of the children.

During the year, we accomplish some activities, such as Celebration parties (Easter, Mother's Day, June country party, Father's Day, Nations party, Homeland week, Children's day and Christmas). In July or January we have Vacation Bible School. Yearly, we have our camp, generally in October, and we rent a summer house, in a club, and make games that work with the cognitive area, and also activities in the physical and social-emotional areas, and even spiritual lectures, distribution of gifts, theme parties and swimming in the pool and beach.

The monitors and directors receive training during the year from Compassion facilitators, so that they do work with excellence. The kitchen employees are trained to prepare the food in a proper and balanced way, with a variety of food in the menu and the nutrients the child needs for their good development.

Our children from the project, compared to the other children, reach more success at the school, have moral and ethics values, solidarity, honesty, responsibility and respect that reflect well on their homes and the community where they live.

Each child of the community is very needy. They have problems in the social-economic area but above all, they have a great emotional need. It is amazing to see when they reeve letters from their sponsors. These days are like a party! Their eyes shine; they want to see where their sponsors are from, how they look, if they have children, what they like to do and even what they like to eat. They are very excited about it! Imagine when a sponsor comes to visit them. The sponsors meet not only with their sponsored child but also with their family. They wear their best clothes. Some sponsors even visit the house of their sponsored child.

We send our gratitude to you and ask you to keep this bond of friendship because it is very important for each sponsored child. It is important that, besides the monthly contributions, we are always praying to our Lord Jesus so that He keeps our ways and gives us strength to continue with this work that is so meaningful to each child.

May the heavenly blessings fill your life!

Joselene O.