Love is the answer. The question doesn't matter.

Love is the answer. The question doesn't matter. 

A little boy at the orphanage we visited. 

Hi everybody:)! I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas this year and can take time to let all the stress of your routine go and just be in the moments that really matter. 

After a long, turbulent flight and delayed layover, my family and I  made it to Brazil safe and sound:)! It's really good to be back and to have so much opportunity before us and so many open doors, we pray for Gods grace to carry us. We have had to do a lot of work these last weeks to get stuff ready. The vehicle that we had here was not in the best shape and we had to work on it to get it fixed up and running again.

The day after we landed there was a super cell storm and it poured all night. We woke up to a river outside our door:). Since we had not yet exchanged money or got groceries and water, we had to wade through the river to get to the store:) We were knee deep trekking along for a few miles (trying not to think about everything we were stepping on and everything that was floating in the water). The whole city was completely flooded and our street was actually better than most! Hey, its Brazil and this is just another adventure. 

Its funny because in this part of Brazil there are no tourists that come, so everyone is surprised to see Americans (especially Americans wading through flooded streets) and tend to stare and want to try out their few English words. Since we are so far in the middle of nowhere, and they all dream of making it to America, they are so surprised to think someone from America came here (especially into the prisons). 

Performing in an orphanage in Southern Brazil.

Getting kids to participate in our performance. 

We had a beautiful experience putting on a Christmas party at the largest orphanage in this part of Brazil. It was a bit of a journey to get there, but we made it:). We had to go a ways down an unmarked dirt road that was full of pot holes and only wide enough for one car even though it was technically a two way road. After about 5 (very long, slow) miles we realized we missed a turn off and had to figure out how to turn around and back track. Oh right, obviously we should have turned by the large tree next to the unmarked shack, by the painted chair, everyone knows that;)

The children were so precious and so grateful for every little thing.  We had games, activities and prizes. Total chaos and total fun! We certainly got our work out picking up kids and throwing them in the air:). The director was explaining to me that usually the little children will get adopted, but once the kids are around 10 and up, no one will adopt them and they will live at the orphanage till they turn 18. You see so much sadness in the older kids eyes. They know that no one will want them and they will never find a home. Then once they turn 18, they have to face a very difficult world all alone.  I think its the most beautiful thing when you hear stories of older kids being adopted. The director also told me that anyone who adopts a child has 6 months to "return" them. So if they change their mind they can bring the kids back! Think about how that would break a little child's heart! Twice they were unwanted. There were two kids there that had been given back. I just wanted to hold them all day. 

My brother running a game at the orphanage. 

Through the different acts in our show, we communicate to them that they have a Father who loves them and wants them. For Christmas we did a special play about an orphan who is sad on Christmas because he has no one and nothing. The orphan (A cool looking  puppet) then is read the story (by my brother using a beautiful light up book) of the birth of Christ, which we act out.A Father gave the world His Son, Jesus, the Son showed the world the way back to His Father.  No matter what we each may go through and deal with in this life, and no matter how lost we may feel at times, God is not a pastor or preacher. He is a Father who loves us. I was so surprised that even the small children were throughly engaged in the story and were quick to answer questions. 

After our performance my brother was Santa Claus and all the kids took turns sitting on his lap getting their gifts. I think this was the first "gringo" Santa they have seen, but they didn't mind:) My brother was so overwhelmed with kids, and the costume was a little too big. It was hard not to laugh while trying to keep the kids organized. 

Performing at an event in a poor area.

Performing at an event in a poor area. 

We put on another event at a really poor neighborhood out side the city. The people here live in tent type shacks and really have nothing. Thanks to some companies that donated little toys to us, we were able to give every little kid that came a Christmas present. We made up little packages with the toys, some candy, crayons and a little children's book that my brother wrote. The parents were so grateful that their kids could get something on Christmas and it was a beautiful time. They loved our Christmas play! We even had a huge star to lead the wise men to Bethlehem:) 

Giving out Christmas gifts with our special giant frog and elves. 

The down town plaza has been very, very busy these days leading up to Christmas and we performed in the center for large crowds. I love just being on the streets in down town city areas. It is difficult because you're just out there and any thing can happen, but you reach people from all walks of life. 
We had so many people that came up to us and told us that they had seen us from other events. It made us realize that we are reaching this whole city. A few men actually saw us perform inside a prison  when they were a prisoner, and now they are free! This one guy came up to me the other day and leaned in to whisper in my ear that he had just got out of prison. He remembered me performing my Irish dance inside his prison and telling him about how to focus his mind and leave the past in the past. He wanted me to know that he was changing and that what I had shared really helped him. It meant a lot to me. Sometimes you just don't know if anything you do matters, you just hope. Like sowing seeds, maybe one seed will change someones life.   

Its tough on the street because you have to deal with drunk people and  crazy people wandering through your crowd, cops, traffic, thieves and lots of things you would never think of if you didn't see it. Its a lot to handle, but being able to reach so many people makes it all worth it. One lady in the crowd told us that she thought we were there just for her. Her mom died of cancer and she was really going through it. She said at times she felt like she just couldn't make it and wanted to give up. She said after listening to all we shared she finally found hope.  
There are so many homeless and many of them will just sit in our crowd and listen.  We always bring food and care packets for them and they are so grateful. Its not like there are levels of people in Gods eyes. There are no rich or poor, Brazilian or American, Republican or Democrats. We are all the same. Children in need of a Father. Souls that need His love. We had some gifts left from the orphanage that we gave to many of the kids and that sit in our crowd. They love the magic. There is one little boy who lives on the street with his mom. He was really sweet and wanted to help us in anyway he could. We had a cool soccer ball to give him;)

My brother performing a rap he wrote to a group of prisoners.  

We performed inside the largest prison here as well this last week. It was actually on lock down because of a fight that occurred,  but a certain social worker sort of snuck us into an outer patio so we could visit with the guys she cares for. It was really sad to realize that the prison was closed to visitors for Christmas so none of the prisoners got to see their families on Christmas. They said that this Christmas, we were their family. It was a smaller group this time so we could really spend time with each of them, listening and teaching. 

"Amor é a resposta. Não importa qual seja a pergunta. - Love is the answer. The question doesn't matter." I saw this quote graffitied on a wall in a bad neighborhood here and really like it. Sincere love can heal even the deepest wound and bind together a broken life. Maybe someone you know is going through a hard time and you don't really know how to help. Love will never let you down. Love them with selfless love, and you will give them exactly what they need. That's what God did for us on this day we call "Christmas". He gave mankind everything they would ever need, for all time, when He gave us His Son. It was just an ordinary night in an ordinary town and yet something extraordinary happen. Hope was born and they laid Him in a manger. God is love. He came to earth and was born in a stable. For the very first time, a Light dawned in a dark world. Love was born and they named Him Jesus. From that day forward, no matter what question, issue or problem we may have, God gave us the answer when He gave us His Son.  

Merry Christmas everyone, and this New Year, may you find the blessing of the Fathers love like never before. 

His loves written in the skies.