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Current Role 2018 + New Role 2019

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Resource Team 2018 - CO Belo Horizonte (L to R: Luca Diorrane, Marquise Piton, Fabiana Vidal, Jon Elam, Pedro Albuquerque)

Since January 2011, I have been charged with the role and responsibility of being the Resource Director for our CO Belo Horizonte team. I started as the sole administrative staff at that time, transitioning from 9 years of fruitful experience as a campus staff. Today, I am very happy to have several co-laborers with me on the Resource Team (photo above) and to be able to pass the reins to Pedro Albuquerque, a young leader ready to work and serve.

Therefore, 2019 will usher in some changes for the Elam family.

Leadership Team 2018 - CO Belo Horizonte (L to R: Melanie Rogers, Demps Dempsey, Jon Elam, Priscila Albuquerque)

By means of days of prayer over the past 6 months, conversations with our Leadership Team (see photo) and current circumstances, I will be stepping into a an Area Director role for our team next year. This is a role that will have a direct connection to the campus ministries at UFMG and to our campus staff in a leadership, strategic execution and shepherding role.

My new Area Director role will not only mean change for me, but change for the whole family. Our office is currently located at our hub-church building on one side of the Belo Horizonte metropolis, and we have lived within walking distance of the office for my entire tenure as Resource Director. We will be moving across the city to be close to the campus teams at UFMG and, also, to the majority of our staff who live close to the campus. In terms of distance it is not even 10 miles, but in terms of commute and traffic, that’s anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. Therefore, we will be making the move!

Isaac will be starting a new school, stepping into First Grade. Tathiana will be moving away from close proximity to her sister Fabiana (also on our Resource Team) for the first time. Fabiana and her husband Diego are an integral part of our family circle here in Belo Horizonte; every week our kids have several touches with their “tia & tio”. This might be one of the hardest changes we face. Also, Sara will start a preschool once we get settled.

We have prayerfully and consciously accepted this new role as part of what God has called us to with Campus Outreach. We are both apprehensive and excited about the changes on the horizon. Overall we believe this a good fit for us as a family and for our contribution to the ministry and mission for the next years. We want to be part of what God uses to build laborers in his harvest field NOW and FOR THE FUTURE (Matthew 9:37-38).

Please pray with us for a few specific things in light of this new role in 2019:

  1. To find a new apartment that fits our needs of being close to staff & campus and a family of 4 with small children. An apartment’s size, location, layout, neighbors and noise are things that can ADD a lot of daily stress or CREATE a restful home life.
  2. For Isaac’s transition to a new school and new social context (see Tathiana’s last update for more on Isaac).
  3. For Jon to be able to transition well from a Resource role that is mainly task-oriented and execution to a role that is mainly management, shepherding and people-oriented.
  4. For Tathiana to rest in God’s plan and to engage with our team now that our kids are a bit older, she has more free-time and we will be living close in close proximity to most of our team.
  5. For Sara as she will begin a preschool program 3 days a week at the same school at which Isaac will enroll.

An Extraordinary Boy [ENGLISH]

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This is Tathiana. I wanted to give an update about our family and, especially, about Isaac.

In a previous update I mentioned that Isaac’s psychological test scores over the past years show he no longer runs the risk of Asperger’s. He has, however, continued with his weekly therapy and Speech Therapy twice weekly. He has shown great improvement in his language development, he is even delving more into his English! He does still has a hard time organizing facts with time in his communication.

A few weeks ago, Isaac had a hard time at a birthday party with the boys from his school. It was a hard time for me as a mother. During the party, I realized that Isaac did not actual say anything as he ran around for 3 hours. I attempted to be a go-between for he and his friends, trying to help him converse with me so he would talk to his friends. Alas, he resisted. It seemed as if he wanted to talk, but wouldn’t allow himself. Isaac would even be in the middle of the ruckus, but then would distance himself when he felt unsure. In the car heading back home, I let my frustration get the best of me and scolded him saying that I didn’t see why he went to these get-togethers if he chose to not talk with his friends. I said that the other kids wanted to hear what he has to say, that he is a smart boy and able to communicate. I asked him if he talks at school and he said, resolutely, that he does not talk at school, only at other places.

Immediately my anxiety and fears ran rampant as I thought about next year at elementary school: new friends, new teachers, new situations, etc. If he doesn't talk at the pre-school that he loves, it will surely be worse at a new and larger school.

At home that same day, we all calmed down and talked as a family. Isaac said, “can’t think of words” and that sometimes he doesn’t understand what the other kids are doing because “my head is different.” At the end of our conversation, in the most vulnerable and clear way in his five years he opened his heart and explained (in his own way) that he feels pressured by us to speak and that we always want him to do the things he is afraid of doing. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. Jon and I asked him to forgive us and later that night we asked God to help us because we don’t know how to love our little boy like God loves him.

That very night, the most extraordinary little boy I know forgave us.

Yet again, we need you to remember us in your prayers. Pray for us to trust in God’s perfect plan for Isaac’s life. Also, pray that we continue to have the financial means to continue his therapies and a new school next year, for both Isaac and a part-time pre-school for Sara, who is showing signs of being behind in her language development.

Um Menino Extraordinário [PORTUGUÊS]

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Aqui é a Tathiana. Eu queria dar um update sobre nossa família mas em especial sobre Isaac.

Como já disse antes, Isaac não está mais dentro do espectro de Asperger e tem continuado com suas terapias e fonoaudiólogo 2 vezes na semana. Ele tem apresentado uma melhora na fala e agora até arrisca a falar inglês! Mas ele ainda tem uma dificuldade de organização de fatos e tempo.

Algumas semanas atrás numa festa de um colega da escola, houve uma situação difícil para mim como mãe. Durante a festa, eu notei que Isaac não falou nem uma palavra por 3 horas na casa deste amigo. Eu até tentei engajá-lo e fazer ele tentar conversar... mas não deu. Notei que ele queria falar mas não se permitia. Ele ate ficou perto dos amigos mas se afastava as vezes. No carro eu demonstrei minha frustração e falei que não via propósito nele participar destes encontros porque ele escolhia não conversar com os amigos. Que as crianças gostariam de ouvi-lo, que ele é inteligente e capaz. Perguntei se ele falava na escola e ele, decididamente, falou que na escola não - so em outros lugares.

Logo vieram minhas ansiedades e medos de uma escola nova ano que vem, amigos novos, etc. Se ele não fala na escolinha que ele adora imagina em uma maior e diferente.

Já em casa, Jon e eu conversamos melhor com ele. Isaac disse que “não consegue pensar nas palavras” e quando as outras crianças brincam muitas vezes ele não entende a brincadeira porque “minha cabeça é diferente”. No final de nossa conversa, pela primeira vez em 5 anos ele abriu seu coração, e disse (do jeito dele) que sente pressão vinda de mim e do Jon para ele falar e fazer coisas que ele tem medo. Eu quebrei várias vezes por dentro e arrependemos juntos de não saber amá-lo como Deus o ama.

O menino mais extraordinário que conheço nos perdoou.

Mais uma vez eu preciso que vocês nos lembrem e orem para que possamos confiar que Deus tem o melhor e mais perfeito plano para a vida do Isaac. Orem também para a parte financeira, que tenhamos os meios para continuar pagando as terapias e a escola nova ano que vem para Isaac e Sara, que também apresenta um desafio de atraso na fala.

Happy New Year 2018!

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Christmas 2017

We were so happy to spend Christmas 2017 with my family in Chattanooga. We always want to give thanks for all of God's good gifts in this season of his greatest gift to mankind!

Other gifts we celebrate are so many of you who labor and support us in so many ways as we labor in Brazil. THANK YOU! We will try to fit in as many personal touches that we can in the short weeks we will be in the US working on support. 

In the mean time, Happy New Year!

For any special, year-end gifts click here or the "Online Giving" links throughout the site.

Tathiana's Family Update: Nov 2017

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Over the past months I have felt a desire to send a family update. I believe this is a way to connect with you, our friends and supporters, with our family.

Isaac has made significant progress in his social interaction and speech development. His therapist is very happy with his development, and his evaluation scores put him in a not-at-risk position of the autism spectrum. However, he still has a hard time making new friends and describing details due to a limited vocabulary. He has a hard time remember names, also. We have continued to speak only Portuguese at home in order to help him. He told us several months ago that he “decided” to not speak at school, which is odd since he talks all the time at home and with other people in other environments. We believe it is in part due to his shyness, insecurity and his strong desire not to make a mistake. Due to these issues e some other factors, Isaac’s therapist suggested we increase his speech therapy sessions per week.

Currently, Isaac has 1 session with his therapist and 3 speech therapy sessions per week. That has generated a lot of extra getting around in during the day and extra financial strain. Together with his first year of school, the busy routine in a big city has been tiring and stressful, not only for Jon and I, but also for Isaac. We have good days and bad days, trying to trust in God’s provision and goodness. The truth that I seem to constantly forget is that God loves our little boy more than we do.

Sara is growing up, both in size and in personalty. She is a spunky and extroverted 1-year-old. She loves dogs and cats and destroying anything her brother builds. She spent the Brazilian winter months sick with ear infections, colds and allergies. She has begun a 6-month preventative treatment for asthma because of all these respiratory blights.

At the end of August, I underwent surgery in my right leg to remove screws and a plate from a childhood surgery that had begun to cause inflammation throughout my upper leg. My recovery has gone reasonably well, and I continue to walk with help of a cane and a noticeable limp. I imagine it will take several more months before I am back to normal. My doctor suggested I do water aerobics to gain flexibility and strength, but I have yet to begin.

Jon had 2 full-time jobs these past months - house dad and missionary. I am very thankful for his selfless service to me and the family. Beyond a doubt, the surgery was one more stress factor for our family, we’ve been exhausted!

Friends have continued to tell me that this difficult phase will pass. We are asking God to send challenges one at a time. I do believe God uses the “storm” to reveal himself and, also, reveal the sin in our own hearts. Oh, that my hope would be in His word!

Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I would like to ask for your prayers in these areas:

  • Financial support
  • Tathiana’s recovery
  • Rest for Jon and Tathiana
  • Isaac’s speech development
  • Marital and Emotional health for Jon and Tathiana
  • Sara’s health

Thank you for all your care and support! - Tathiana

Isaac's Journey [ENGLISH]

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Para PORTUGUÊS clique AQUI

This has been a post that I've put off for a while, because I don't really know how to write it. It may come out like a journal entry - but here we go.

Isaac is our first-born; he's almost 4. This year he's had a bit of a journey, and has taken Tathiana and I along for the ride. It began when his pre-school, which we think is great, suggested that their school psychologist observe Isaac a bit. We agreed and she proceeded to spend several hours over the course of several weeks observing. Afterward, Tathiana and I sat down with her and proceeded to hear that it might be worth consulting with a clinical child psychologist because Isaac does present some signs of potential risk toward a learning disorder, or an even more severe issue like Autism or Asperger's. As you can imagine, that was not easy to hear. We knew he likes to be alone sometimes and is a bit rigid, but hearing from some professionals who seem to really have genuine desire for Isaac's best interests motivated us to seek some help.

We began weekly therapy with a very well-recommended child psychiatrist/psychologist who specializes in early intervention here in Belo Horizonte. We have enjoyed her interaction with Isaac, her interest in helping us find other means of intervention, her instruction to Tathiana and me in how to interact with Isaac, and her explanations to us in parent conferences about what she is observing. We feel very confident with her and in her desire to help Isaac develop.

These weekly sessions have been ongoing for 6 months now. There are good times and bad times for us as we wade through the haze of just what God is doing and how Isaac is developing as a little person. We have received some second opinions and, also, involved Isaac in complementary group sessions and speech therapy.

To sum it all up, if Isaac does present a learning disability or other issue, we are calmed by the fact that he has been responding well to therapy and the consensus is his signs are mild at most. Everyone has commented on how intelligent Isaac is, and how he is sensitive to others - so there no real concern for any lack of mental capacity. We have appreciated that the professionals aiding him have been hesitant to give an official diagnosis due to his young age and mild signs. We have decided to establish only 1 language at home, Portuguese, to help him gain some independence in his language skills in preparation for actual school (which he will start in Feb of 2017 per Brazilian law). Lastly, God has given us some unexpected opportunities for Isaac to interact with more children, and time away from our apartment to be free to run, play and even argue with other kids. He is still using diapers, so there's still some things to work through - even if in our own hearts.

This has all been an exhausting journey both emotionally and financially. But as any parent will say, we'll sacrifice anything for the good of our baby boy. We have made it this far with a positive perspective for our little boy and his future. Kids are resilient, parents not so much! These next 6 months will be interesting as we welcome another baby into our home, and as Isaac likely begins school. We appreciate any and all prayers now for the next season that awaits the Elam's in Brazil.

A Jornada do Isaac [PORTUGUÊS]

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For English click HERE

Este post demorou para sair, e, honestamente, é porque eu não sabia como escrevê-lo.

Nosso primogênito, Isaac, tem quase 4 anos. Este ano, ele embarcou em uma jornada, e eu e Tathiana pegamos carona junto com ele. Tudo começou quando a coordenadora do maternal de sua escolinha, que achamos ser um amor de pessoa e respeitamos sua opinião, sugeriu que a psicóloga da escola observasse o Isaac. Estando nós de acordo, a psicóloga passou a observo-lo na sua interação com outras crianças ao longo de algumas semanas. Passado esse período, eu e Tathiana nos encontramos com ela. Recebemos a opinião de que valeria a pena consultar com um profissional clínico especialista em crianças. Em sua opinião, Isaac apresentava alguns sinais de risco potencialmente ligados a um transtorno ou algo ainda como autismo ou Asperger. Como poderia imaginar, não foi nada fácil ouvir isso. Já havíamos percebido que Isaac gosta, às vezes, de ficar sozinho e que, para certos comportamentos, é um pouco rígido. Porém, ouvir tal orientação de profissionais que parecem ter um desejo genuíno pelo bem do Isaac, nos motivou a buscar ajuda para nosso filho.

Desde então, Isaac começou sessões de terapia semanais com uma psicóloga /psiquiatra recomendadíssima em Belo Horizonte, especialista em intervenção precoce. Temos apreciado sua interação com ele, seu interesse em nos ajudar a achar outros meios de auxílio e sua instrução para mim e Tathiana sobre como interagir com Isaac. Temos nos sentido muito confiantes a seu respeito e sobre seu desejo de ajudar o Isaac a se desenvolver.

Em resumo, se Isaac realmente tiver algum atraso de aprendizado ou qualquer outra questão mais severa, temos nos acalmado pelo fato de que ele tem respondido bem à terapia e de que o consenso profissional é que seus sinais são leves. Todos comentam sobre como Isaac é inteligente (o que ele realmente é!), e sobre a sensibilidade que ele tem aos outros. Portanto, não há preocupações maiores sobre sua capacidade mental. Estamos agradecidos pelo fato de que os profissionais que atendem Isaac hesitam em definir um diagnóstico devido à sua tão jovem idade e sinais leves. Decidimos estabelecer apenas o português como idioma em casa, a fim de auxiliá-lo a ganhar mais independência na fala em preparo para o começo das aulas em 2017. E, por fim, Deus tem provido oportunidades inesperadas para que isaac interaja com outras crianças e tenha tempo fora do ambiente fechado de um apartamento correndo, brincando e até brigando com outras crianças. Ele continua usando fralda, portanto ainda há algumas coisas a serem trabalhadas, mesmo que seja questões a serem trabalhadas em nossos próprios corações, como pais.

Esta jornada já nos trouxe um grande desgaste tanto emotivo quanto financeiro. Entretanto, como qualquer pai faria, sacrificaremos qualquer coisa para o bem do nosso filho amado. Chegamos até aqui com uma perspectiva positiva para Isaac e seu futuro. Essa meninada de hoje geralmente superam as coisas facilmente, já os pais... não muito! Estes próximos 6 meses serão no mínimo interessantes, porque receberemos nossa nova filha aqui em casa e porque Isaac iniciará um ritmo escolar mais intenso. Desde já, agradecemos a todos pelas orações, desde já, pela próxima etapa de vida dos Elam aqui no Brasil.