The Cold

You might be surprised to know that even though we live in Brasil, we have 4 seasons. Most people think Brasil is hot all the time, and that would be true if you lived in the northern part of Brasil. But here in the deep south we have spring, fall, and winter as well.

This year we've enjoyed the warmest fall yet since we moved here in 2002. It's been great weather. That all changed this week.

Two nights ago it was 35 degrees. Not a big deal if you have central heat. No one here has central heat or air. Our homes are not insulated either. Just concrete walls with bricks or stones on the outside. It makes it almost unbearable at night when the temperature drops like that. I can't explain what it is like to get out of bed when it is 35 degrees in your house. Another bad thing about these houses is that once the cold gets in it won't get out. It literally takes 5-10 straight days of warm weather for the inside of your house to get warmed up. During the winter it usually is colder in your house than outside. The same is true, just reversed, for summer.

I could go on and on about how much we suffer during our winters. Is it hard? Yes. Is it
bearable? Absolutely. Do we have options? Sure. Last year we bought a couple of electric oil heaters for the 2 rooms where the 4 youngest kids sleep. We shut the doors and it can get to a comfortable temperature.

I was reminded of how blessed we are this week as I read an article in the paper. In our city (as in many cities in Brasil) we have an insane amount of people who live on the streets. Some by choice (because of drugs and alcohol) and some because they have been kicked out of their homes, etc.

In the years that we have been in Brasil I have read in one of our newspapers (more than once) of someone who lived on the streets of our city and died during the night because of the cold. The article this week spoke of the city going around to as many of these people as possible and offering to take them to shelters to get them out of the cold. Amazingly a big majority of the people refused.

Why in the world would they do that? The power of drugs and alcohol are just too much for them to make, what would be for most of us, a smart decision and go to a warm place with a bed.

This reminded me of how important the ministry at the chácara is and how blessed our family is to be a part of that ministry.

I ask that you please pray for these people who live in the street. Our prayer is that more and more will want to leave this awful way of living and will want to go to the chácara or a place like it where they can not only be freed from drugs and alcohol but can also learn about how much Jesus loves them.