Wednesday 12th October
"After an impressive morning's work on site, which was considerably hotter than yesterday, we travelled to another part of Campo Largo to visit CEIFAR, a Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre which is known, and highly regarded, throughout Brazil because the success rate of its seven month programme is 2-3 times higher than the non-Christian programmes run by the state.
It was a very moving afternoon and we shared a very special time with these fellow Christians who were considered the worst of the worst in Brazilian society because of their previous addictions. We spent about 90 minutes in the auditorium answering and asking questions of the 27 very honest, and open men who ranged in ages from 18 to 60+.The newest arrival, a 20 year old, had been there for just four days, and had spent some time in the UK in Bracknell, where THREE of our team members go to church. Amazing!!
With the session coming to an end, they asked if they could sing for us, and as their instruments appeared they sang the song you can watch here:
https://www.facebook.com/charlton.ahndrews/videos/vb.100003096213338/1057373547709176/?type=2.
When our turn came we sang "My Jesus, my Saviour" and our time together closed in prayer. It was very humbling to hear these men excitedly speaking about their newly found faith, and how they realised they had been taking their families, and everything else around them, for granted while their lives were dominated by the darkness of their addiction."
(from the team's facebook page)
Amy's comment on the day :
"Today has left me slightly short for words (you'll all know this doesn't happen often). We worked on site this morning with lots of exciting wheelbarrows of stones but this afternoon was the real breathtaking moment... we visited Ceifar (a Christian drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre), there we met around 20 men whose lives are being transformed due to the programme on offer and because of God (their words not mine). We got a chance to listen to their stories (one guy had walked for 6 weeks solid to get there for help) we heard about their ambitions to leave that place free from addiction and even met one guy who had been in Bracknell studying English! We also got to sing songs of worship with them and pray together. Still lots of processing to do but watch this space..."