Lar Feliz news....

The last couple of weeks we have been busy trying to find a place for all the kids of Lar Feliz during Christmas and New Year. The number of kids this year is very high, so it is a little harder to find a place for all. So far we have about 22 kids who still need a place.
Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. We have so much to be thankful for; health, family, friends, a roof above our heads, and above all we have the love of Jesus for all of us.
The next couple of weeks, we have a lot of things to do before we go to America. Jill and the kids will be going on December 14th and then Paul will be following on December 22nd. Before that we still to to raise about 20.000 Brazilian reais to pay all the bill until the end of the year.
Some children will be going home for the whole school vacation in order to see if things have improved until the point that they can go back home.
So during this time we would really appreciate your prayers for the children. Pray for God's blessing over their life's, pray for them to have a strong desire to obey and follow their Heavenly Father.
We also would like you to ask to pray for C, he is a little boy of 9 that we gave a prayer report about about 6 months ago. A woman wanted to adopt him and was so happy about him and wanted have it all done so quickly. Well, C. is coming back! We are so sad and upset about it, because it will be another rejection for this boy!! Please pray!!

Only Jesus can give happiness...

It is so sad to see how many young girls throw away their lives by living with guys starting at the young age of 13! Even more amazing is that parents allow that to happen.
Lately we had two girls come in, ages 13 and 14. The 14 year old had been living for 10 months with a 20 year old guy and the 13 year has been living with a guy who has already beaten her up several times.
Our desire here at Lar Feliz is to show these girls that they our loved by their Heavenly Father. He accepts them the way they are. He wants to give them unconditional love. They don't have to do nothing in order to earn that love. God will not beat them up, but wants to give them rest and take away their burden. Only Jesus can make them happy!!

kite runner.....

One of the little boys of the baby house, M., was sitting with a sad face one day when I came in the afternoon. He had a flimsy piece of paper in his hands with some string. It was a makeshift kite, but he told me that it was broken and it wouldn’t fly. I poked a hole in the paper and tied the string, and I told him that it would fly, but he just had to run with it. I took the kite in my hands and began to run around as fast as I could, and the paper fluttered in the wind. M. began to smile, but not only smile, but he started to laugh. His face lit up when he realized if we try, we can make even a flimsy piece of notebook paper fly. After that day, he is always one of the first of the children to greet me when I come, and many times, he asks me to fix things, always trusting that I will know what to do and make things fly.

Good year!!!

We are so excited to let you know that on the 17th of October we opened the new house for the toddlers with a huge party. It is wonderful to see the 18 children playing and running in the new house. With help from many people and businesses we were able to buy all new furniture etc. It really turned out to be a wonderful home. For that we thank God!

Today we have 77 children living with us at Lar Feliz. Before we were able to receive children from all towns close to us, but today the need is a lot higher so we are only able to receive children from the towns: Jaguariuna, Santo Antonio da Posse and Holambra.

Our plans for the year 2010 are; activating our green house growing native trees partnering together with the Rotary Club of Holambra. opening a home for youth ages 18-21 in order to help them settled in more in society, continue to improve the farm where we offer therapy with animals to the children; renovating the "former baby house" and moving our class rooms and computer room to there and then finally turning the former class room in a little "Lar Feliz" shop where the children can spend their pocket money earned with little jobs and good behavior. We are hoping the buying some of their own things will teach them to take care of their possessions more.


Our ministry grew a lot since it got started in 2001. Today, Thank God, we have many friends and partners who give monthly to help us maintain Lar Feliz. Did you know that 80% of our monthly spending are paid by the towns who have children living with us. This means that 20% of our monthly costs, plus unexpected bills and construction needs to be paid with donations given to us in and outside Brazil.

In total we spent $84.470 to build the new house for the toddlers. Or to be precise, we are still paying some of the bills. Until the end of the year we need to raise $13.235 in order end the year with all the bills paid.

We know that at the end of the year there are many organizations asking for donations. With this letter we just want to make our need known and ask you to pray for Lar Feliz. Then if there is anything that you would like to do, please let us know.

When we look back to the year 2009 we can only stand in awe again because the year is filled with miracles the Lord has done!!



Blessings,



Paul & Jill