HOME OF HOPE PROJECT BY MICHELLE FERNANDEZ

Compassion With Action has been dreaming and slowly working on this project for some time now, and at the moment, it is more tangible and in progress. About a month ago, we read an article in a local newspaper about large amounts of land in the Andes mountains (Uspallata) that the government wanted to sell, in order to develop the area and increase the local economy. They asked for anyone interested to send in a project, to, in a way, compete for the lands.

We wrote up a quick “pre-project” and went to find out more details. The government is looking to develop the area, with businesses, tourism, or any other projects that would offer jobs to the locals and economic growth for the area. The prices for the land are very low (that is what we were told, although we have not seen actual prices yet), and it is an amazing opportunity to present our project for the rehab center “Home of Hope”. We are now in the process of presenting very detailed paperwork to the government. They ask for analysis of various statistics, kind of like a market study, budgets, and even a basic design and blue prints of the center. We also have to prove economic stability, showing that we are able to immediately start construction if we do end up having access to the purchase of the land. It is a little different in our situation since this is not a business, but they seemed to like our proposition. The following is a brief summary of the project (please note that this is translated from Spanish to English, and is a formal project that has been presented to the Argentine Government. (Also note that because it is being presented to the govt., certain "religious language" is not used, rather only speaking of biblical morals. As you know, discipleship and their spiritual growth and transformation will be the main priority):

“Compassion with Action is a foundation that has been working with the people living in the slum areas of 12 de Mayo, 8 de Abril and 9 de Julio since 2004. It has been 9 years of sharing and exchanging ideas, culture and customs, and creating deep and meaningful relationships with the people. We have worked with local foundations, churches and even with the local government offices. The people that work on field with Compassion with Action feel that almost a decade of work and experience has given them vast knowledge of the everyday problems that the families of this area deal with. We consider that teaching work ethics and providing real tools as a necessary pillar for helping these people. We also stand behind teaching morality and ethics from a biblical point of view, as we understand that it provides key instruments for the integrity of a person.

We define an integrate (whole, complete) person as someone who is able to positively contribute to society, forming part of a community and possessing of complete mental, physical, emotional and spiritual faculties. We do not wish to impose, but to exchange “life” and stand by the processes of each and every person.”

“We formally present the necessity of a place that provides a healthy environment for people that are in extreme vulnerable situations (addictions to alcohol and drugs, prostitution, or even unemployment and incomplete schooling) where they can rehabilitate and find tools to reinsert into society.

‘Home of Hope’ is a long-term project that has as a general goal, to provide a space to learn, produce and live in community, acquiring new ways of sustainment, and immediately putting in practice the skills and work ethics. We look to use different methods and programs to not only teach and provide tools that will later serve as work skills, but also offer, promote and create spaces of recovery, working with capacitated professionals to accompany the person in their recovery. We also point to a place that is self-sustainable, using the skills being taught to economically sustain the center.

One of the specific objectives is to raise up the value of work and the importance of education to be able to positively contribute to society. We want to combine the need for rehabilitation and recovery with capacitation, so we not only offer help, but also give specific and practical tools so that after the stay at ‘Home of Hope’ the person of family can leave with real knowledge and skills learned to reinsert into society, not going back to the same toxic environment.

Some of the skills and tools that we wish to teach are:

·         Cooking and kitchen skills

·         Fabrics, sewing, etc.,

·         Agricultural skills and farming (different fruits and vegetables, animals, etc.)

·         Waiter training

·         General Education

·         Cultural cooking and tourism

‘Home of Hope’ aspires to contribute to the regional economy, by supplying the development of different products and providing spaces of culture and tourism, where the same people staying at ‘Home of Hope’ can put into real practice the skills that they have learned.”

 

Personal Stories & Testimonies of Salvation

Estefania is a 17 year old with a 1 year old baby boy named Alexis. Estefania's mom abandoned all her children (all 5, including one with DownSyndrome), when Estefania was little. Estefania and her one sister Gisel are drug users and prostitutes. We have known these girls since 2004 and persistently pursued them with our love and God's Word. Unfortunately, mostly they have rejected both.
God opening those church doors with our family is a blessing and is working in lives that we would never have imagined. Estefania came to church last Sunday with her baby. She was with a young man. The guy was pretty high on some kind of drug, Estefania perhaps a little, but not much. Estefania listened intently to the message that Steve was talking on from John 11: 1-44. Towards the end of conversation, Steve called for salvation. Afterwards, Estefania came to us, sat down and started crying. She told us she wants to change, that she does not want this life anymore, that she sees what it is doing to her baby. She told us that she does all types of drugs, that she is addicted, that she goes out at night (with her baby) to rob or sleep around, whatever she can, for money and for drugs. She absolutely neglects her baby. She knows for years we have been talking to her about God, but now she wants to know how He can save her. She sincerely accepted Christ Jesus as her Savior. She sincerely wants to change, but in the environment she is in, it is so difficult for her. She has noone decent to help her in these daily struggles. She just called us a few days after church as she needed help to get her baby to the hospital because he was sick. She made a collect call to us for help. This is a first step and a big one. We went and bought shoes and socks for her baby, provided her with milk and groceries. We held her as she cried. We ask God to help her and comfort her, only as He can.

But this is not the end of the story. It continues. But right now I want to tell you the beginning of the story and why it was such a shock that she came to church. I had sent out a prayer request a month ago for her, as she had shown up at our womens meeting and sat on my lap crying for 15 minutes. Thanks for your prayers, because God heard and He is with her right now.
The Sunday before last, another young couple had come and wanted to talk to us. Please keep in mind that after working 9 years in this area (barrio), we know many of the families and have deep personal relations with the people. I will try to make this part of the story as simple as possible. This young man, (Misael), his dad is a drug dealer, and he is known to many as a leader of the "drug mafia". Misael, after being friends with us for so long, left that life of his family. Misael's "wife", Anahi, told us what happened with Estefania and her sister Gisel. Both girls were found sleeping with his father, the drug mafia leader. The were sleeping with him in exchange for Meth. The drug mafia's leader wife and daughter walked in while that was going on. This is not the first time, obviously. But the drug mafias wife freaked out because rumor has it in the barrio that the girls have AIDS. So, someone in that family went and beat up Gisel pretty badly, then went with a gun after Estefania. Estefania did escape unharmed with her baby. Crazy story, huh? Well, I tell you that while Anahi was telling me all this, I held my emotions. But as soon as I got in the car, I broke down weeping. "Lord please help Estefania". I cried and cried. I grieved. I love these girls. God loves these girls. The next Sunday, Estefania came to church and accepted the free salvation of the Lord. That is prayer working quickly!
We also had another young couple we have been working with through the years;  Debora & Lucas came to us after being separated for some time. They both have commited their lives to the Lord and to remain faithful to one another and their 5 year old son. Debora has a long story. I won't go into too many details but to let you know that she was a prostitue and a recovered drug user. She wants to help me with Estefania. She says she knows exactly what Estefania is going through and she has "been there and done that" and would like to help me disciple her, help her stay clean and off the street. The great thing about this is that Debora lives in the barrio, so she told Estefania that she can come to her anytime of the day or night if she is in trouble. We live 5 minutes away from the barrio, and many times we have been called there to help someone in trouble. It is such a blessing to see the ones we have discipled through the years, now wanting to help and disciple others that are in need of Jesus.
The same night that Misa & Anahi came to talk to us, another young lady we have disciped for years (Johanna) and has a relationship with Christ, went to talk with Michelle after being inspired by Hollie's testimony she had heard at the Wednesday Women's meeting. Since their daughters attend the same preschool they see one another all the time. Johanna really dislikes Gisel and has never wanted anything to do with her. Yet she felt the need to pray for Gisel and perhaps help her, so Michelle was able to explain to Johanna about spiritual warfare and the importance of her prayers for Gisel using Ephesians 6. It is amazing how God is lifting up disciples in the barrio to help their neighbors.
The last story I want to tell you about is a young couple, Claudio & Marylou. Claudio also comes from a family of drugs. 4 years ago Claudio was drugged and with his buddies playing russian rulette. He shot himself in the head. At the moment, Steve was passing by and picked the young man up off the street, (because ambulances at the time would not enter that area), and got him to the hospital. His life was saved, but now he is mentally and physically disabled. Since we opened the church, and Claudio found out that it was Steve pastoring, he has come to church faithfully with his "wife" and baby, also expressing to us that they want change and Jesus to be part of their life. God really touched Hollie's heart,( a young woman that came on the mission team), and Hollie very much connected with Marylou and her baby. Before Hollie left, she went and bought a baby stroller, formula and diapers, as this young family is suffering.
Please continue praying for deliverance & protection for Estefania and her babyboy Alexis. Pray for her sister Gisel's salvation. Pray for safety for Misael, his wife Anahi and thier baby Tristan (as Anahi is scared for their safety since there is such "war" going on in the area and they are related to the drug mafia leader). Pray for Debora and Lucas to stand firmly in their faith together. Pray for Johanna as God is calling her to stand in the gap. Pray for Claudio & Marylou to draw even closer to God and for the health of their baby Kayle. And pray for our family. Pray that God gives us wisdom and His Word to minister to the lost and hurting. Pray for our continual protection, physically and spiritually. Pray for continual financial support to keep this ministry going and to allow Steve to work full-time for the Lord, which requires more committed monthly ministry partners. Pray for our families safety. Pictures below of everyone we talked about here, so that you can connect the name with the face.

Gisel with Gina

Estefania looking at floor/baby alexis. Next to Estefania to the lft is couple Debora & Lucas.

Claudio is on the left of Steve

Claudio's "wife", Marylu with Hollie

Johanna with her daughter Juliana

Misael, Anahi & Tristan

Truck Update

We are still unable to get our truck. It is still with customs here. We are at their mercy for determing values, taxes and fees. We are waiting anxiously to get to the end of all this "red-tape" so that Steve can begin to work to provide for our family, for the ministry and for many other families that we are commited to.

If customs values the truck from the Texas Vehicle Registration (like they are supposed to do), then our figures puts us $1,500. short on funding. We will be grateful if this is how the numbers are. But, because of corruption here, we are very afraid that they will try to take advantage of us since this 1998 Freightliner is considered like "gold" here. That is why we are requesting prayer for fairness and justice and asking our friends to stand alongside us to the completion of this huge endeavor. We are tired of the unknown and fighting the corruption (which we already went through with the container, the motorcyle and even the mess in Chile to get the truck from there to customs here, in which the charges were more than double than what we were told and were supposed to be).

We look forward to getting this all over with. And if you say, "Was it worth it", we would say "yes", because we have already seen the benefits from the container and its contents of love. The motorcycle is our most reliable form of transportation. And the truck will help provide income to continue ministry. Thanks for standing with us.

There is no greater love than...& gifts of love!

We all have a love language. Mine is not gifts, giving or receiving.

During the last days before closing the container (the “box of love”), Steve and I were there finishing packing. An amazing sister in Christ came that day with her car filled with very specific gifts and a light lunch for us. What truly amazes me about these gifts was the thought that was put into them.

Throughout a period of 3 months, I had spent many hours talking to this friend and telling stories. Stories of people the Lord has entrusted us to. Specifically I am talking about Nancy (the lady that lives at the soup kitchen and gives of herself daily no matter what), and our adopted family—Mom Natalie and her husband Gabriel with sister Andrea and children Johanna, Walter, Alexis and Uriel. This friend evidently listened to absolutely every detail. She may be the best listener I have ever met!

She wrote a letter of encouragement to Nancy, Natalie, Gabriel and Andrea. These letters were so “Holy Spirit” led it truly blew me away. Then she made gift bags for each person. So much detail was put into these bags. For example, in Natalie’s letter she wrote something to the effect that she was so special to the Lord, refined as gold (I am not sure the exact wording as we already gave the letter to her)—then she had a pair of gold earrings in the gift bag! In Nancy’s bag she had a beautiful bible and an apron that is almost too pretty to get dirty! But all the bags were meant to show the love of Christ and how very special they are to the Lord. Well, of course, the boys were super happy with all the toys, especially the motorcycle toys. And Johanna, she felt so special with her own beautiful box that had a key (her own space for her hair and jewelry that was also given) and could not get over how soft the Barbie’s hair was!

I wish that my friend was here to share in giving these gifts. All I can say is that they were such a blessing to each one. We had kept our adopted families gifts back for Kids Day. Kids Day in Argentina is a huge deal and thanks to our friend, we were able to give beautiful gifts. Since I am not a “gift person”, it was amazing to take part in giving these gifts of love. It was such joy!

It reminds me of the good gifts the Lord gives to us. I am talking about friends. Friends are gifts from the Lord that are there in the good times to celebrate with you. And friends are gifts from the Lord that are there in the storms, helping to take down the sails on your boat and row with you. They are there to encourage you to “press on” in your faith and service to our Lord Jesus. Steve and I are grateful for each one of our friends that stand alongside us in prayers, encouraging words, gifts and finances. Truly the Lord has blessed us. I am reminded of the Words of Jesus, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We may not have to die for someone, but there are other ways to practice sacrificial love: listening, helping, encouraging and giving. I challenge you to think of someone in particular who needs this kind of love and give all the love you can, and then try to give a little more. I am grateful.

Young Mom, Diapers & No Love

This story is about Estefania who is 16 years old. We have known and worked with this family for many years now. As a matter of fact, you probably have seen in pictures (from newsletters through the years) her sister Rocio that has Down Syndrome. Estefania has a 2 month old baby boy named Alexis. Estefania and her sister Gisel (19 years old), have quite a story. But before I go into their past, let me tell you their present. They both do drugs and drink alcohol, even while breastfeeding their babies. I have been told by other reliable sources in the area that they are "working the streets". Knowing them, I certainly do not doubt it. Gisel has a 2 year old girl named Jasmine and a 1 month old girl named Sofia. They both had their babies in the hospital last week due with pneumonia. I received a text message from Estefania last week, "I am in the hospital with my baby and need help. I don't have any money for diapers. Can you help me?"

Of course, I begin to prepare a bag with diapers, bottles, pacifiers, hats, blankets, etc. All of these items came from a baby shower that was given for the "girls in general" in Texas this past March. Wow! What a blessing these items were and what an awesome way to bring the Gospel in action. Anyway, I went to the hospital and Estefania was so happy to see me and told me, "I knew of all the people, that I could count on you to help me." I silently thanked the Good Lord for all those years of gaining her trust. I told her many things during that hour, basically letting her know she could count on Esteban and I and also God. I told her if she wanted to change, she has help. I also let her know that I have heard many things, I know she is doing drugs, but if she wants a better life for herself and her baby, she does have help. BUT, she has to want that change. She did tell me she does want to change that she does not want this life for her baby. So, we will see. After an hour conversation, I left and prayed.

Now both the girls have their babies home. So, I went to see how they were doing. Estefania was not there, but the older sister Gisel was. In all these years, we have only been invited through the door 1 time, and today was no different. Gisel stayed outside with me while we talked. In the past, we have had more of a relationship of trust with Gisel than with Estefania. I basically talked to Gisel the same way I spoke to Estefania in the hospital, reassuring them that they are precious to God and that I love them so much. I told her that I am here for both of the girls and their babies. That I have heard many stories about them and I know that they are struggling with many different "things". If they want to talk, if they want changes in their lives, we are here for them. They have our phone number. Now, all we can do is pray.

What I do know is that these girls were abandoned by their mom. The mom of 5 children- which includes a girl with DownSyndrome, left many many years ago. That left the dad to do the best he could. And of course, the environment they live in does not help. Through the years, the dad has asked us for help with Gisel. But I believe that dad gave up many years ago with all his children (this man is not a man of good morals or even a believer!). Rocio, the girl with Down, does not even live there anymore. She is living with an aunt somewhere, and basically, the rest of the children have abandoned school, do drugs, alcohol and have babies of their own. They are repeating generations of mistakes, abandonement and abuse.

All of this leaves me in prayer. Seeds have been planted through the years. These 2 girls continually reject the love of Christ, and even our love. I do not think they can grasp what real love is. So, if they cannot understand and accept the love from another human being, how can they accept the love from God who is "invisible" to them? How can they get past their sorrows when they show none, even to themselves? They have been hurt so much in the past, that they do not care about themselves. They are detached, indifferent, and numb, something of a blank canvas. They are absolutely blinded with a veil over their eyes and a heavy, hard heart. When Gisel was listening to me, the majority of the time she could not even look at me in the eye. I know she felt shame, and perhaps a little conviction from the Holy Spirit (since she has heard the Gospel many times from us through youth and camps).

 I pray that God, in His mercy, lifts the veils from their eyes and softens their hearts to see and accept His love through us. I pray that Estefania and Gisel can feel love when they hold their baby and when they hear their baby cry. I pray that thier babies- Jasmine, Sofia and Alexis- are kept safe from all harm. Please remember this family in your prayers. Pray with me that they see their reality and realize that they do not want this kind of life and that they want change...that they want the love of Christ Jesus in their lives. Pray for generational transformation.

Matthew 14:28-31

The story of Peter walking on water. Note: Peter was not putting Jesus to the test, something we are told not to do. Instead, he was the only one in the boat to react in faith. His impulsive request led him to experience a rather unusual demonstration of God's power. Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. His faith wavered when he realized what he was doing. We probably will not walk on water, but we may walk through tough situations. If we focus on the waves of difficult circumstances around us without faith in Jesus to help, we too, may despair and sink. To maintain your faith when situations are difficult, focus on Jesus power rather than yon your own inadequacies. Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. This doesn't necessarily mean we have failed. When Peter's faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ's presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with you and is the only one who can really help.

I had never realized that Peters act was impulsive; but it was. So many times in our lives we have been impulsive, acting in faith. We get scared. And I seem to always here God saying to me, "o woman of little faith". And I think that I am hard on myself. But in all reality, I am a great woman of faith! I just get nervous and scared, just like Peter did. Wow, I am human! God is good and rescues us from the big waves!

Matthew 14:14

14: "Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. " Note: Jesus performed some miracles as signs of his identity. He used other miracles to teach important truths. But here we read that he healed people just because he "had compassion on them". Jesus was and is, a loving caring and feeling person. When you are suffering, remember that Jesus hurts with you. He has compassion on you.

This is one of our major focuses. Before Jesus healed them, he did not ask first how their relationship with God was, he did not see if what their sins were. Just plainly, he healed them from the compassion He felt for their suffering. In this, CWAF wants to do the same.