Largado No Mumdo

I’ve been struggling all day with what to share with you. All morning I’ve been praying for inspiration, for God to show me, what He wants me to show you. I’ve been watching and praying, never content with my thoughts on what to share. I’ve typed things and erased them, come up with ideas only to toss them aside. I want this to be a place that you can see pictures of the team, but also a place to really see and hear what it is like. I want YOU to experience Brazil as much as possible without actually being here. In my frustration with not coming up with anything, I decided to take a walk.

I wandered through the rooms of the church, feeling a sense of pride over your students as they worked diligently to get the painting done. 

I wandered outside and watched as a group of students huddled around a couple kids and teaching them the colors in English. I watched them laugh together and share life together.  

But that wasn’t quite it.

I watched a dump truck go through the mud, while Collin and I waited for it to get stuck. It didn’t. Collin was impressed.

 

I watched as Laura sat sweetly with a little girl working on her schoolwork. 

I watched Holly and Katelyn play hopscotch with a young girl. It warmed my heart, but wasn’t quite the thing I wanted to share. 

I watched horses and pigs, dogs and chickens pick through the trash as a small child tried to fly a kite in the street, his mom watching lovingly. But that wasn’t it. 

 

I listened to the school session going on inside the church walls, but while I thought about sharing that, it’s not for today. 

Today is for graffiti. Today is for not forgetting. Today is for Escaletu. My gaze wandered to the church doors as I sat on the steps looking out. Across the street there is a brick wall. It has graffiti symbols all over it, but one phrase stands apart from the rest. 

Left Out In the World…

I asked Marcio what it meant. When he responded, I knew that was what I had to share. All week I have been watching people and hearing stories about feeling alone, or left out in the world.

It began early on with Stacey talking about her son Frank. Frank has autism. Frank is a kind, generous, funny, loving young man, with an amazing heart. Stacey and I were talking with Marcio about the differences in our cultures. I suggested that in some cultures, children (and adults) with disabilities are completely thrown aside, or "left out in our world", while other cultures, like America accept our disabled. She couldn't have disagreed with me more. While she understood what I was saying, she posited that Frank definitely doesn't feel accepted by the world. This is going to seem incredibly harsh, but more often, we "tolerate" them. We "allow" them to be a part, but we don't hold long conversations with them, we don't include them in our jokes, or our frequent interactions. I have watched Frank throughout this week and seen him alone much of the time. I have seen him eat alone and work alone. I have seen him sit alone and walk alone. His heart is lonely. He has said that on a couple of occasions. Please don't misunderstand me. I believe we are unintentional with our exclusion, that it is a combination of insecurities on our parts, as well as ignorance of the issue, as well as difficulties in communication in some circumstances. My prayer is that our awareness will increase and Frank, and others like him, will no longer be "Left Out in this World". God has designed these people with different abilities, different ways of thinking, his fingerprints are all over them and they are such a blessing to include. Frank has taught me how to live passionately for Jesus, and I love to listen to him share his thoughts on subjects that come up.

Then Nicole spoke. Nicole shared her testimony on Sunday evening. She shared the following.

This past year has been the most spiritually and emotionally trying times of my life. There were a lot of different reasons for this, but the main reason was that it was also the loneliest year of my life. I have always been a shy person. I have trouble talking to people I don't know very well. Because of this, I feel like people tend to ignore me. I have a few close friends, but whenever I'm not with them, whether at school or church, I sit all alone because I'm so afraid that no one else will WANT me to sit with them. I try to tell myself not to care, but it gets harder and harder every time I spend an hour and a half in a group of people and no one even notices that I'm there. It makes me feel like no one really knows me and like no one really wants to. I first realized how horrible this was making me feel a couple of months ago. I was in a church service and the pastor was talking about giving our problems to God. I spent half of the service crying about what I was going through. No one even noticed. It began affecting my relationship with Jesus. I began to retreat inside myself, putting on a happy face, for my friends, family and even God, but hurting so badly inside. But God was always with me, even when it didn't feel like it. He called me to be on this trip and he has surrounded me with the most wonderful group of people to help me through this. Through God's love and theirs, I no longer feel so alone.

I know I have felt invisible before. Her testimony shook me to the core. I sobbed (along with many others on the team and in the room) because I had been there. But the ending of her story is a reminder to us, that no matter what we do, who we are, or what we're doing, God still loves us. God still cares. He wants us to run to him, to throw open our arms and embrace him and each other. Nicole is not alone in this world and neither are any of us. We have each other, and we have Jesus.

Escaleto. You are not left out in the world. You have a loving, Heavenly Father who adores you. Who thinks you are "more precious than silver". You have 27 Americans (and their families now) who know your name, and are praying for you. You have an amazing church in your own back yard who is serving your needs and glorifying Jesus through their servant hood. Films have been made, documenting you and what is happening here. Jesus dwells in this place. Children know a Savior who loves them "more than the stars in the skies". Your future is brighter because of His love and the fact that though you may feel alone on this Earth, your Father is always with you. He longs to know you and be your constant companion. Thank you for letting us share in your story. To be a part of bringing awareness to Escaleto.