I don't really know how to write about a very sad situation that is happening here. A young (14 years old) boy is currently spending his daytimes here, and returning to his aunts house to sleep at night. Why? Because nobody wants him. His mother left him with his father, his father returned him to his mother, she gave him back, he ran away..... (this story goes on like this over a course of many months). On Friday, his father pushed him out of the house and said not to return, he came here. Some other workers here have contacted his mother, hoping for him to return to live with her, she refused to accept him. The social services doesn't work at weekends (or if they do they are very difficult to get hold of). This boy is just hanging around, flying kites with Gideon and Josiah, he doesn't seem particularly upset by it (maybe he is numb to it all), yet he is hardly talking at all.
It could be very easy to judge these parents, yet we also know how difficult this boy can be. He has caused many problems in his family, he can be extremely aggressive and has some type of personality disorder. I can understand that they are unable to cope. Yet, here is a boy, completely abandoned, how does he feel? What is his future?
I am very thankful that because of the work of the community centre here he feels that he can come to us, he must feel safe here. In the past, several people have worked alongside this family, maybe they have failed, maybe there is still something that God will do. Where else would this boy be? On the streets? Being used and abused by the older boys?

As part of our work with the children we go into the community to visit them in their homes and get to know the families. It is always interesting to see, and a few times I have been pleasantly surprised to see homes that are clean and presentable. However, this week I really saw a needy home. It was small, most of them are, however this family has 8 children. They have an entrance with a shower and toilet, plus a sink for washing clothes, then they have 2 rooms. Both of these rooms has bunk beds (not enough beds for the 10 people that live there) and one of these rooms also serves as a kitchen (it has a cooker and gas bottle in it). I cannot imagine living there.
The mother was very happy to chat us, she invited us in to see her house, but then we returned to the alleyway to chat. This family has had links to our community centre for many years, how can we make a difference to this family? What is God wanting to do here?

Here at casa Luzeiro, we have been blessed with a new life! Laura and Felipe (2 of the leaders here) are now the proud parents of beautiful Sophia Grace. Today, I had my first cuddle, she is just perfect.
When I look at a tiny baby, so perfectly formed even down to the tiny fingernails I see our God the creator. I cannot possibly believe that evolution could ever have formed life like this, so complicated yet so well designed. There are far too many things that could have gone wrong along the way of all of those millions of years (as they say), which would have ended life.
WOW, isn't God amazing? Gideon is also totally blown away but her beauty and her tininess.

This Saturday we had a party to celebrate 18 years of the lighthouse community center. It was also an opportunity to get to know the new students on the "foundations in community development" course. To do something a little unusual we all had to dress "brega"/ ridiculous.

These are other photos which the fashion police would happy to get hold of, plus some ridiculous dancing.