Our New Baby

This past weekend I had another girls weekend. And my beautiful friend, Tina came to teach us music from Spain. She was INCREDIBLE. She taught the kids of the fazenda and the girls who come once a month, that music and instruments are everywhere. We learned how to play music with spoons and shells and pinecones and pans. I have never seen the kids so enamored with something. It was truly beautiful. I will put up photos sometime and I hope some videos too.

Yesterday, Pixinha, who is a 17  year old girl who spent many years in the Fazenda arrived in my house with her 8 day old baby, Bernardo. She will stay with us for 2 weeks as she rests and adjusts to being a new mom. She lives with her boyfriend in Simões Filho. Last night she told us some horrible stories about living in her grandmother´s house and why she left there to live with her boyfriend. Her young brother (7) died a few months ago after drowning in a swimming pool. Everyone at the party was too drunk and didn´t see him fighting for his life. Her sister, Manuela (I´m not if she is younger or older) is also pregnant and is living on the streets. I figured last night that I would not get much sleep as my bed is closest to her room. Of course, I would have happily woken up to help her BUT THE LITTLE GUY DID NOT CRY ONCE! I couldn´t believe it. In their neighborhood, there is so much noise that he doesn´t sleep much so I´m wondering if the complete silence helped him.

The miracle is in a chair/couch that I received last week. My friend Pati called to tell me she wanted to give us this big comfy chair. So Wednesday we went to pick it up. It has bright colors and is the loveliest thing I´ve seen in the Fazenda. That night, Mauricio asked us if we would welcome Pixinha in the house. We accepted. And then it hit me... HOW PERFECT! We have a chair for her to sit in with him. It is quite amazing how God gives before we even know what is coming. He is always one step ahead.

Yesterday as well, Mateus arrived in teh house. He has lived in teh Fazenda for 3 years already and is 14 years old. He will be living with us now and I am quite excited. He is a good kid, but of course had such a difficult past. He didnt start school until he arrived with us at age 11. And when you don´t learn to study at a young age, the laziness really kicks in.

I am in Simões Filho buying things for tomorrow, which is kids day in Brazil. I am planning a huge day of games and fun. messy messy messy games. So I came to buy the last minute things and then this afternoon we´ll make the decorations and finish everything up. We have a bus coming with 35 kids tomorrow morning. I hope it is a time that they can forget the difficulty of their lives and truly enjoy the fun of being a kid.

Pray for us as I pray for you!
Love
Erica