Part 1: Family Front - 2019

(This update is going to be split into 2 parts, to help summarize and paint a picture of the past 6 months. This part is an update on the Family Front, the other in an update on the Ministry Front.)

We spent February, March and April in the search for a new residence on the other side of town, close to the UFMG campus and close to the majority of the team I am now leading. The total distance between the two neighborhoods isn’t even 10 miles. However, it is an average 45-minute commute each way due to traffic. So, while we were searching and negotiating those 3 months we lived the logistically-heavy reality of going back and forth to take Isaac to school, get to meetings, be on campus, etc - while juggling our one-car schedule.

In May, we moved into our rental house, right smack in the middle of where we wanted to be! It’s walking distance to the UFMG campus, close to ministry office space, and close to the majority of our staff team. It was great for a few weeks. Then, we noticed a mold problem in the kids’ rooms, and negotiated with the owners to replace the moldy closets. However, the first contractor started well, then lagged, then disappeared. That was hard on us, especially Tathiana and the kids as they were in the house most of the day and sleeping in other cluttered rooms with all their stuff. There is a possibility of getting some money back because we used a third party payment system, but we are not sure. We hired another contractor to finish and he did a great job. Finally, the two-week job took over two months to finish between the two contractors.

Isaac’s transition to his new Elementary school went very well. He is a shy boy, but now, well into the school year (which started in February), he is doing very well socially and learning to read and write in 1st Grade. Funny point: his best grades are in English!

In June, Sara started going to Pre-school at Isaac’s school a few days a week. She is enjoying it - and Tathiana is enjoying a few afternoons a week to concentrate on other commitments: discipleship with a student, our church’s children’s ministry, and meeting with team members as we hoped we would be able to in this side of town.

More to come concerning the Ministry Front!

OPPORTUNITY (Phil 4:10) - Year-End 2018

We love to be involved in what God is doing here, and the small strides are reason for celebration. We hope God will explode a new season of students coming to know Jesus and be burdened with a desire to be used by God to make the good news of the gospel of grace known through all walks of Brazilian life and to the ends of the world.

Here are some brief highlights in numbers to help summarize:

• 10 years: it has been this long since our Belo Horizonte campus teams have had a dedicated Area Director.

• 5: the number of new campus staff we have transitioned to our team in the past 18 months - and the possibility of 2 more in 2019.

• 35: number of full-time students who will participate in our Beach Project in December 2018.

• 115: participants in our annual Investigative Retreat in June.

• 3: new Christians on campus who were baptized and joined our local church!

• 80%: discount we were awarded for Sara to attend preschool 3x/week next year.

• 3: new monthly support partners in 2018

• $470: total in cancelled monthly support pledges over the past 2 years.

• -($1000): current negative support account balance.

As we approach the end of 2018, we close one chapter in a current role and home of the previous 7 years, and look toward 2019 and a new role (see post for more), we are entering in #GIVINGTUESDAY with a special request for Year-End Giving. I am sharing this opportunity for Year-End Giving, much as Paul wrote to the Philippian church, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” (Philippians 4:10). Thank you for your continued concern, prayer, pledges and care!

Please send an email to jon.elam@campusoutreach for more info that will not be publicly posted.

FULL OF THANKS - Thanksgiving 2018

FULL OF THANKS

Two things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving 2018:

1) An amazing 80% discount for Sara to attend pre-school next year! Praise God!

2) Each and every one of our financial and prayer supporters. We are FULL OF THANKS!

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.

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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.

Campus Outreach 40-Year Celebration Booklet

Every supporter with a donation made since January 2016 will receive a booklet.

The 2018-19 school year marks 40 years of Campus Outreach! Forty years later, God has multiplied Campus Outreach to the point where the gospel is changing lives on 125 campuses in 23 US and 13 international locations.

Together with you and thousands like you, faithful supporters of this ministry, we are taking time this year to celebrate all that God has done over the last four decades. One of the things that Campus Outreach as network of ministries has done is produce a movement-wide publication with 40-year metrics, stories of impact, global maps, and spotlights for each CO franchise.

For anyone who has given a donation since 2016, your copy of this publication should arrive in the next few days. As you read through this 40 Year Impact Report, we want to say thank you!

Please take time to find all the Campus Outreach locations and staff you support, and pray for our ministry. As you explore the broader context, we hope you’ll get a glimpse of how your support is making a difference on a global scale. Your prayers and partnership are the foundation of all that God is doing.

If you did not receive a booklet and would like one, there is an electronic version available. You can also see more celebration of God’s work over 40 years of CO at the website: co40years.org