It's been a while, but here we are.

  It has been over a month since I last updated my blog (a month, Amelia? Really?!) and... I apologize. It has been a crazy month though, and what a great one it has been! So much has happened in the last 4 weeks and I've seen God move and begin to change the lives of the kids I'm working with in many ways.
  On last Friday, the 1st of July, we finished up the semester of school as kids began their month of vacation.

  Here is a little of what has happened since my last update:

Discipleship


  For the last several months in our discipleship classes, we have been teaching on relationships and all that ensues: friendship, dating, love, purity, marriage, family, abortion, self-value and the valuing of others... It's a long list of several great topics.
  We finished up talking about relationships with the teens in mid-June and to end the topic, we had them write letters to their future spouses. This was something they'd never done or ever thought of doing before. Several of them let Mana and I read the letters. They were beautiful.  Many wrote about wanting the perfect family, the way God had designed a family to be, the kind of family many of them do not have. I hope and pray that these letters will help them stay focused and be strong during tough times of waiting, because one day, when the time is right, God will bring their true love to them and they can have that perfect family: A loving husband, a loving wife and a loving God. This is something most definitely worth waiting for.

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:12 

  Though many of them have, at times, complained that they've heard this subject on 'Love, Sex & Relationships' several times before, I encouraged them to be open to learning something new and it turned out that many of them learned so much more than they thought they would.
  As we had a time of feedback in our last class of the semester, a few of them shared stories of how they were noticing changes in themselves towards friends and family members. Many have been reading their Bibles and sharing with me all that they are learning. Whenever they share with me, I start smiling so big with my mouth, eyes and heart. It's been so encouraging and exciting to see them have a hunger to know Him and to learn and grow.

English


  We had a little party for our last English class, with a little game involving candy to make them only speak in English. They really liked it and it seemed to work, though it got a chaotic at times. haha. But we had a great group and I know that I am looking forward to working with them the next semester.

Dance/Drama


  To end the semester, my dance/drama class presented the skits and dance for all of the children for the project on the last day. They all did such a fantastic job! I am a proud teacher!

  I have enjoyed the last four months so much. God has taught me so much about working with kids and teenagers. I will be continuing on as staff at Project Mão Amiga for the next semester when classes start in August and I am so excited for what God has in store for me and them in this next period.

  Now, in about 2 weeks, we will be having a camp for all of the teens from the project. It will be a 5 day camp and we are expecting about 30 teens, from the ages of 11 to 18, to be there. The kids are all so excited about the camp, as are the 15 others who will be staffing the camp along with Mana (who co-leads discipleship with me) and myself. Mana and I will be co-leading the camp together. We are seriously so excited for what the Lord has for us all during this time. We've still got a lot to prepare though. Please keep us all in your prayers before, during and after the camp. We believe this camp will be a foundation for their lives, a building block in their walk with Christ. Pray that the Lord prepares their hearts for what he has for them during this time and that he might give us staff guidance and wisdom from the Lord.

  Thank you so much for reading! :)
  God bless!