Our friends Sylvio and Norma Guimaraes, mentioned several weeks ago that they wanted help with a service project in Bauro, Brazil. They had recently returned from a visit to one of the Wards in Bauro and they witnessed so much need. One of the young men receiving the Aaronic Priesthood was barefoot and in shorts and a tank top for the blessing. Sylvio asked if we could gather clothing and deliver bags to children in this ward. Fortunately here in Sao Paulo, there is an amazing community at the kids' schools and I sent out messages asking women if they would like to donate clothing and we received such a positive response.
The bishop in the ward, gave us the names of about 10 children that were specifically in need of clothes and shoes and Norma and I sorted the clothes into bags and made name tags for each child. We were able to make a bag for each child except for Dabu, the only Aaronic priesthood holder in the ward. This meant a quick trip to the mall the night before were supposed to travel to Bauro (about 3 hours from Sao Paulo). We got him a pair of church shoes, church pants, two church shirts, one pair of jeans, two t shirts and these boots. Something told me this 12 year old boy would love to have these boots so I purchased them as an extra surprise.
We took the bags inside the house to sort through everything and give each child their bag. My first impression is the wave of humility that you feel when observing a home and circumstances so humble. The house is tiny- not even sufficiently big enough to hold enough beds for the 9 members of the family sleeping there. If I had to guess, I would say it was in the high 90's that day and there is no air conditioning or cooling mechanism-the sweltering indoors is not a comfortable way to live. The thought crossed my mind several times that Americans are so spoiled! After living in the Detroit area for two years, I thought I had witnessed poverty that doesn't get much worse, but the places I have seen in Brazil have made Detroiters look like kings. The United States is a country where even the poor live well.
Thais instantly bonded to the girls there. They were fascinated by her speaking English and even started recording her say things like, " Hi, my name is Thais and I am from the United States!" The happiness of this family was infectious and we loved hugging them and getting to know them.
Here is the entire group in front of their home! It was such a memorable visit with this family and it made my heart swell to hear my Skyler Boy tell us in the car that he loved visiting with the family, playing with the kids and that it made him feel grateful for the things that we have. I pray that my children never forget these experiences-they can be life changing and soul shaping. I want gratitude to be a huge part of our characters.
This is Julien's new baby sister. I smiled at her and looked at her deep brown eyes and wondered if she would every be able to leave this situation. What are her chances for education and rising above the circumstances she was born into? It's hard to see. You want to give these children so much more.
This is my darling friend Norma! I just posted this because I love her and I was so grateful she let us be part of their service project.
These houses are just a few examples of the poverty that exists in this part of Brazil. Perspective!!!
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