Crianca Feliz/Happy Child Ministry in Brazil

Praise God for His love that goes on forever and ever to all generations, blooming like flowers all over the earth! An early morning devotional with the children in Casa De Irmaus (House of the Brothers and Sisters) with Crianca Feliz/ Happy Child Ministry Brazil, is a special time to spend as a new family. I have loved teaching the children new songs and stories.

Very, very busy this past two weeks with Crianca Feliz...This ministry is a restoring ministry with 8 houses of refuge and emergency love for children coming from horrific home environments, many right from the streets here in Belo Horizonte. These are actual pictures of real live darlings who have been literally scooped up RIGHT fresh out of extremely scary, life threatening, and some deeply demonic situations. Please continue on with me, praying in the spirit as you read.

Praise God for Crianca Feliz for their functioning ministry homes, complete with devotionals in the morning, activities in the day, and prayers before breakfast, lunch (albolce...HUGE dinners really), and dinner, not to mention chores, help in the kitchen, and good ol´fashioned rules for the family.

This newest home where I have been spending my days helping to jumpstart, has just opened at the beginning of the month so everything is brand new; the staff, the children, the chef, the actual house, and, that means the entire routine (as well as starting it) too. Thus: the task to implement. Since it only has been operating since two weeks before I came on to help innovate an expressive/creative arts and Bible study curricula there, it feels even more like a little family personally to me!

A good thing takes a good team to start. Here are some of the workers and intercessors responsible for birthing the newest house for the brothers and sisters in same families finding refuge from the hardships together, and not split up during this crucial time in their lives.

The man in the middle of this picture is the pai (dad) Pastor/Director of Crianca Feliz- Brazil, and just blesses me with his child-like zeal for the Lord! He is perfect in his position here, and I adore him. Please pray for more, more, more in the Holy Spirit flowing like living waters over him. His name is Amore! What a beautiful and fitting name! This means LOVE.

Here is the immediate staff of the house: Sula, Sam (my English translator from England), Allessandra, and Cesár. The only one not here is Mapé, who was gone that day.

God is not crazy, Amen? He never ceases to amaze me wherever I find myself with Him. Christelle, the children always love my birthday pearl from you...I hide a sparkling heart of Jesus inside and they all are after it around my neck...ALL THE TIME! (hahahahaa)

My cutie tutie house: Republica Masculina, behind the main office of Crianca Feliz. So pretty right? I have been staying here for these first 2 weeks, not in the Casa De Meninas (the girls home) because I have been more urgently needed in the newest home (Casa de Irmaús), which I transport to in the mornings.

Nubia, Warrly, and Paulo.

My view from outside: Belo Horizonte.

This is a community home where all the kids from the streets and favela situations that have been rescued through this program... the ones who have been a part of Crianca Feliz ministry for more than three to five years... live. These are older kids getting ready to live on their own. It has been a great time to hang out with them and share language. They crack up at me and my broken Portuguese, as well as my joy; God is so good. We have had some very beautiful moments together. Nubia is the only girl in the house; she is 21 and dear to me.

My time in Casa de Irmaús has been sweet. We have already finished three projects and I will be leaving them with about a month´s worth more for their own use with the children.

Beautiful to me! How did I get so blessed to get to love them so? How could they have come from somewhere without any love at all, Jesus? Just look at them! Precious! Made perfect for a Dad like You.

(Allessandra, Sula, and me in the downstairs "furnace room" just before our power prayer hour together for the house and workers.)

We have also started a power prayer hour there for the staff who have (some) just started in a work like this. The first day we prayed together the coordinator was literally caught in Daddy´s arms! These times have been fun together to encourage one another and lift up the 15 children living in the home. If we think power prayer hours are important before going out into the ministry feilds for Paradise Found The Streets team where we are only doing the hardcore ministry for three hours in San Francisco, CA, then how much more important for this small ministry home full of little cuties that have just been all ripped up by their original home situations now placed in our care?!

This is a picture of Irlane, the coordinator of Casa de Irmaus. God bless this precious one, who is sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit!

Sam is my translator here. He is out of this world, and the children love him. Please keep him in your prayers fro strength and energy for these cuties, as I am going to be working in the other homes now (all 6 more) also helping to bring in the expressive and creative arts through Biblical and social and behavioral principles. I see this brother as such a servant and man of God! He translated the Paradise Found The Streets ministry model into Portuguese for me and is absolutely precious. He has just started working with the children in this type of environment and I am so proud of him. One of my days at work, a mother of one of the groups of brothers and sisters came over to visit. She brought them all video games. I asked her if I could take her picture with her kids, and she smiled and said yes. I know the children are a bit uncomfortable when they see their birth parents because they know that everything is all screwed up at this time, but Happy Child mission really tries to help reunite families as well as treat the problems through accurate therapy sessions, temporary (sometimes long term) home placements, and the powerful Christian emphasis.

Here is Fabia (the one pointing to the KING OF KINGS). She is one from this family who has given her life to the Lord while I have been staying in the home during the days with the children. I have bonded with her, and held her in my arms a bunch of times as she has cried. She is a truly set free life bomb for Jesus; I love her!

Sweet, sweet love.
An amazing missionary, overseer of Happy Child, UK, and now dear friend of mine, Carolina had a sit with me while she visited the homes here in Brazil for a week; we talked 'garlic' together very intimately at first, and then.....YIKES! Everybody piled in!

Ericke and me. This little one has stolen my heart forever! Severely emotionally disturbed, but a priceless jewel in the Father´s crown. Please pray for him as he needs peace in his heart so tremendously. Getting him to smile is rare, as he is always so preoccupied in his mind and needs so much physical touch.
From me and all the Brasillian cuties loved by Crianca Feliz to you: Jesus Te amo!

God is sending angels this very moment concerning all His loved ones across the earth. He is nourishing us with good things to eat right from His Holy Spirit, He is being greatest of all providers, and He is loving to spoil us with surprises!

If you can, beloved, please spend some time in the end of Mark this week (just a few scriptures) and get back to that POWERFUL reality that Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is alive and actually working WITH you to perform great and mighty deeds in him as you dwell on this earth. He is always with us! Mark 16:9-20...He only asks for Peter style faith as we move along.

I love each of you and will write up some more with some more photos soon. Please pray for me that the schedule for me will be supernaturally easy here, as well as all of my new relations with the children in different homes. I had to say a very uncomfortable goodbye yesterday to the children at beloved Casa De Irmaús becuase I will now be moving into the next home for a week to bring in the creative arts expression curricula. This will be how things go the rest of my stay here, a different house each week, as well as work in Contagem, a different city. I like it this way, but ask for strength from on high to move accordingly with Papa in every single move.

Thanks and miss you all tons. Send big hugs!

Oh! If anyone had it on their heart to donate financially, please get in touch with me via email and I will connect you to my mama, or address here . Those in San Francisco can talk to Megan Patry with Paradise Found The Streets ministry. Thanks so much and God bless you!

I am praying for you and with you always. LOVE!

Yours in Christ,

Jeanne Gergis

Journey to...

Crianca Feliz this week and next... with eyes wide open. I am going to stay in the Girls home for two weeks away from precious Casa De Apoio where I have been staying ever since I journied into the real ministry of Brazil 2008... on the face of the earth...in this time... as we know it.

Casa De Apoio, which means House of Care, is where I have been living and ministering for the last month. What a prophetic name huh? I have enjoyed every minute of it, even the strange times that have actually been recently only because all of the children who usually stay here during the week about to move out while a group of American missionaries will be coming to do some outreach with Byron Shore. I will be packing everything up to give a sister whom I have never met my empty bed for this time.

Please pray for this group of folks that will be coming to Contagem, Brasil and working in all of the places I have been working with Casa De Apoio: Novo Contagem, Waterfall of Souls, Casa De Apoio here in Contagem, and the small villages around these areas. The group will officially be doing ministry, some probablly for the first time in their lives, for one full week, but many preparations are going on with them now for this time up-coming, and I will not be with them nor meet them. Pray that they will be amazingly productive and blessed in their interactions with the children. Amen!
Also pray that this missionary, Byron shore, will be fully recovered from his sickness he cuaght a week ago. We (the little cutie from North Carolina, Sarah, who has been my roomie here in the house for three weeks and doing great in her experience here, teaching, even preaching a bit, and playing with the children) prayed over him, anointed him with oil, and made some good, old fashioned, veggie homestyle soup for him last night; he says he´s feeling better! Praise God!

I will love your prayers for a great burst of freedom to be released over the children I am about to go and minister to through mama style work over the next two weeks. I will not be at all on the blog to update, only to view your comments and prayers, so please bare with me, family, as it is hard to call or write personal little notes- a- roos.; you know I love each of you and so appreciate you even so.


Here is a pic of some of the conditions the families are living in where I have made social work visits. I took this pic on my way to the garlic factory to minister to the women there. This is nothing compared to the last house I visited where there was literal plastic up for a barracade, an extremely dangerous, very tall, man-made brick staircase leading up to a dingy, literal hole in a wall with garbage spewed out all over, a bunch of dust everywhere, the materials of some type of cotton bursting out of the mattress where a young mother lay in bed with two children: one a filthy infant who probablly had not showered for days, and the other a 13 year old girl, dressed as a boy, not in school because she is trying to be the `man of the house`. How twisted can it be, family? Please pray for Bahbara: she is the 13 year old. I held her gently and spoke to her sweet things about her being a very special flower in a field of many, one with a unique color. She seemed to have just melted in my arms, as I do not believe she has ever experienced this kind of physical, healthy touch and attention. I cried when we were finally out of their sight. These are the normal family situations going on in the poor communities and slums; ones like this will be treated accordingly by Casa De Apoio. Praise God Almighty. Bahbara is now going to be put into a school nearby and assigned a special phsycologist perhaps, beacuase this was only our first visit to the home.


Here are a few of the ladies I love in the factory; the woman to my left is Betche and she is about to pop! So precious! so pregnant! She is the one in charge of the others. We pray together and have Bible studies in that factory behind us, and all is amazing. None of these women know the Lord yet, but they are so eternally grateful for any time I spend with them. They are hungry for love and not afraid to shed tears when it comes roaring across because of the AWESOME HOLY SPIRIT, not me or anyone else.

Look! The Waterfall children. I have grown to adore these children we visit as an outdoor ministry every Sunday about an hour out from Contagem.

They literally run after the car waving and laughing and screaming their goodbyes to us in Portuguese so lovely, when it´s time for us to leave... sometimes we have to almost rip ourselves away from them...IT DOES rip out your heart in the spirit! They are beautiful, and they love all the attention they can get.

We are here with their goodies we passed out for the day after our Sunday lesson while Jehovahs witnesses eyed us in jealousy, looming around the gazebo trying to talk with all of their parents who stay inside and don´t know what to think.

The only idea of anything remotely having to do with God comes from the famous Catholic churches towering high above all other houses and buildings to show their authority in the desolate unreached villages like these ones. The children know nothing about the Bible and are not being taught unless we come. The people do not know about Jesus, only about old catholic religeon that they are all very strictly raised in. Pray for the starting of a radical church out there; we need it soon. Especially now that the Jehovah´s Witnesses found the village out. But praise God for our already WELL established relationships with these gems who know Jesus in us while we REALLY bring in the words of love and teaching, the words of Jesus, too much to be swayed by religion.

Before we start an art lesson we always gotta limber up a bit! Creative movement style! I mean lets get silly for a while for goodness sakes! These kids really do know how to boogie down with some east coast holy hip hop during musical chairs too, man! cOME ON! As this really sweet brother out there(in my New york years) used to say at the end of eeeevery worship service in Abounding Grace Christian Center...`Well praise the Lord somebody`!

Here is one of my art classes being taught in the Casa De Apoio on a Tuesday with Raquel.

Lots of wonderful works! We are doing a pretty pretty projecta that´s not quite done yet!

This little girl was priceless. She was as briliant as a star. Glad I got to hold her in my arms for this moment of time as we visited the family in devastaing situations that day. Pray that this little girl will remain bright and always kept from danger. Also pray life as you do...there is a spirit of death trying to overtake her family; many are dying rapidly from various different reasons. Our God is so huge! He is the Great Giver OF LIFE!!! And we know that superstitions don´t work...JUST PRAYER!!! Halelujah!

I cherish your prayers over my life these upcoming weeks. I will share soon all that God is doing through Crianca Feliz; I know you are ready to see the pics there...and me too! I am so blessed out here with all of what God is doing and so glad he knows all the pictures already in the heavens...not just of my life but all of yours too!

Hope your Summer is going restful and beautiful in the states. I love you and miss you all very much. The Winter here is neat; it is like a crisp, Spring San Francisco Day. Remember that Jeanne Gergis in Brazil is always looking to the King, and praising Him for His countless blessings of peace and refreshment in the marvelous works He uses us kids to help Him accomplish in the earth!

Much love for me to you,

His hand extended as long as this life may last,

Jeanne

Life in Brazil...

(a house that fascinated me with it's simplicity, yet serious character... a pic that I shot on a friend's camera)
(...that is a pic in the middle of the street...Ouro Preto, Brazil... the famous mining city. I put this one in for you Megan...of course I gotta do SOME horsin´around!)


(a pic shot during one of our family visits in the social work department of Casa De Apoio; this picture was taken in my favorite area to work thus far because of the extreme need for God in the children and families. Novo Contagem...the date up in the camera is wrong, of course. More like a couple weeks into my work here in June 2008!!)

Hi precious ones,

First off, thanks to all who are keepin in touch; I so need you and that´s gone be a forever thang! I was taking the day with the Lord today because I was super busy Saterday and Sunday this week...so here I was doin´ my old school day with Jesus...the Miraculous Monday style that I havn´t done since I was in the states; Saterday is the only day I have off sort of out here.

Well, it is usually pretty lively around here (at the Casa De Apoio where I live with a bunch of cuties) so I had to dteal away to the little shopping mall up the street to get some batteries for my disc man (thanks Ker...I use it EVERY Saterday... the new day I take with the Bridegroom King...I love you!) to soak in the presence of God with some quiet music in my ears for a while and sorta zone out...but God is just GRRRRREAT! Why?

Well, we all know He is no matter, but I am telling you, as soon as my feet step out in the front of Casa De Apoio, I am literally whisked away in a whirlwind of the Holy Spirit. My eyes become emmensely sharpened to the pality in our area where a spiritist clinic is right next door on the left of us, two schools as the neighbors on the right (one a special school for mentally retarded children) and a bar across the street... I begin to intercede as I take each step (as usual when I walk alone lots of the time), but this time, already aware that God is up to something deep today, I start to actually look for His hand moving. As I get to the special school, I see a precious little girl in the van window. I hear God say `look at me Jeanne`and my heart cried. The little girl was more beautiful than I had ever known. I may have looked silly to the brasillian passer-bys, but Daddy was tugging hard on my heart.

I saw the peace of the Lord wrapped all around this little child and it was as if I could feel the Fathers love holding her and shaping her little plans for the future. His peace was so thick in the gaze we had locked together. I smiled long at her and prayed for the sealing of those plans Daddy seemed to let me in on just for a single moment to seemilgly join in with joy and praise, then I kept on going up the street.

I got to the stop light and watched as this woman, dressed way more revealing than some get even in the night clubs in the states, cross the street with tons and tons of men honking and gawking. As she came close up I noticed something...her eyes were so far away, she rolled them as the people stared... we only locked eyes for a second but I prayed God give me your fire... When we were in that moment, I smiled again, big...and guess what? So did she. I watched as the same peace God allowed me to take part in to witness His NOW care-taking of the little child before, also break over this young woman.. in her cheeks and precious forehead, and eyebrows and (especially her smile) like a butterfly. I almost watched all of her anger and coldness there just seconds before seriously just wash away like water off of her...right in front of my eyes. So beautiful!

And one more woman...she was in the store where I purchased the batteries... a store that has become a friendly little hilarious situation of a place: a store called `Los Americanos`. There are all these American cover songs of bands like Chicago, and Def Leapord, and Whitney Houston, and it´s pretty poppy, with Walgreens type merchandise and some clothing and cd´s and such... well also with a huuuuge long line every time just to get a little something like batteries.

I am almost through the line with my batteries, along with some dulce de leite candies, just a couple people in front of me...uh.. I mean actually a few... in particular this one- an old woman with lots of determination trying to cut in front of what looks like about three people. I am getting ready to chuckle as it looks pretty obvious that I will be the one to let her in as my very t-shrit today reads in beautiful Portugues: `A country of futebal (on the front with the Brasillian flag and a soccer ball in the middle): a country of adoration (on the back with a rather artistic fish symbol and a soccer ball in the middle of that)... but then I remember our beloved walk thus far, Papa and me, so I start to pray a miraculous touch from the Lord over the woman in front of me... so I can just sorta see His hand move; I know He loves me, and hears my prayers when filled to the brim with the depth style love for His creatures, so I DO pray... so I CAN praise God and give Him some glory and someone else some far out love in the end! Literally as I am starting to pray I hear the woman start huffing and puffing. She starts to shift her body back and forth on the weight of her legs until she is fully turned towards this lively little elderly lady, when just a moment before her entire body language was back facing her in the ignoring state. I watch her hold back her feet from moving up in line, still breathing with sighs every other breath, but she clearly allows the woman to gently step in front of her.

I tap her on the shoulder and say it: ´Deus te abençoe, Senhor Jesus Christo ver voce coraçao` (God bless you, God sees your heart) she turns around to catch me eyes, and what was first a confused and irritated look (becuase it was, of course broken Portugues, but understandable if one wanted to) erases in slow motion into an actual glow! `Obligado`she says back with a smile...(`thank you`). Though I do not know the language so well yet, it was clear she had understood that someone saw what she did and it wasn´t only me.

In the park up the street the soft warm breeze, the faint chatter of a child kite flying with soft, low-toned mother chime -ins every so often, someone hard at work hammering a roof nearby, and cars with only deisel gasoline scurrying past in the far enough distance to still create a sweetness to the sounds instead of chaos or distraction to fill my ears. God so knows us, beloved.

He knows what we need every time in every situation. He opens His arms for us to jump in and be utterly loved! To experience Him alive and at work in and around us every day! He cherishes it! He wants to speak right now. In James 4 it says to `draw near to God, and He will draw near to you´... He is waiting to woo us! What does your love story entail today?

I love you, and send a big hug to you, as well as just a few random pics this time of certain places and people I have come to cherish...and really the moments when the camera said...`NOW` sometimes without me even knowing it).
I got this King on my heart...ALL THE TIME!!

Jumping into Daddy´s arms,

Jeanne