Zoe's Testimony

From the minute I arrived as a volunteer, the Reborn House staff have welcomed me with such warmth and love and have really taken me under their wing. 

Jaque introduced me to the local favela where they focus their ministry - 
´The Twin Tower´- named after two huge desolate and ruined block of flats in the centre of the favela. As we were walking around, we came across some kids and teenagers who were hanging out by the street. We stopped to chat and soon learned that one boy, who was particularly out-going and talkative, was not going to school. He is only nine years old. This really saddened me because just from talking to him for thirty minutes, we could see that he had such a brilliant, loving personality with so much potential, and what´s more, the girl in the group later told us that he has been abused by his father.

Jaque was able to talk with him one-on-one to really find out why he wasn´t going to school. She tried to encourage him to go, speaking truth over his life - that he was só loved by God – during which a tear fell from his eyes. It was just a privilege to be able to observe such a loving conversation and contribute as much as I could with my limited Portuguese.

The work of the Reborn House is really about building and investing in relationships with the women, girls and families of the favela, and this, I have learned, happens over a long period of time. 

In order to do this, the staff visit these women and families nearly everyday, going into their homes and just showing love by listening to what´s been happening in their lives. Often we have the privilege to pray with these women and girls and speak truth over their lives, correcting the lies that they have believed over the past number of years - that they are worthless and have no value. 

One girl, Victoria, has particularly touched my heart because she is only 11 and like Mateus, she is brilliant fun and has so much portential but isn´t going to school. She looks like a 16-year-old which of course attracts boys, and at such a young age, this is worrying. After the first time I met her, I was praying for her and really felt God say to her to protect and guard her heart and to have respect for herself. Her mother is a craic-user and her step-father drinks alot só she is not surrounded by a positive influence at all. I really felt God say to her that she doesn´t have to have the same life as everyone around her. She doesn´t have to accept this. She can be different but in order to be different, she has to have courage and strength and she needs to put in the effort. Over the next few days, I was praying that I would have the opportunity to say this to her and God answered. Luciana translated for me and after we all had a really good chat and some laughs, I was able to pray for her. God was just só there during our time with her - I could really feel his presence over her life.

When there was more staff at the Reborn House, they were able to have young women´s groups for girls in their early teenage years. They mainly focused on sexual and female issues with an emphasis on prevention. One of the girls in this group was Sabrina. A few weeks ago, the staff found out that Sabrina was now pregnant at the age of 15 years old. The staff were só disheartened by this because they repetitively talked about these kind of issues with the girls but it was só important to make sure Sabrina didn´t feel any shame or judgement from the Reborn House. So they visited her house and the first time we did, she couldn´t even make eye contact with Jaque or I. However on the second visit, I got to observe something beautiful - Jaque and Luciana showed só much love to her and her family, showing absolutely no judgement and were able to chat and laugh with Sabrina again. She was able to talk about her baby with no shame and now the staff are going to follow up to ensure she sees a doctor for a check up.

One of the things I have particularly loved whilst being at the Reborn House, is the opportunity to play with the children at the favela comunity centre. It has just been só much fun and I don´t even need Portuguese to be effective. I just get to show God and his love through the way I have fun with them! How brilliant!

Finally, yesterday we had the Superwoman´s girls group with a group of five girls – two of which live at the Girl´s Recanto House and the other three were either from the favela or used to live there. We had a great time – I had the opportunity to play them a song which led to a conversation about the depths of God´s love summed up by one of the lines in the song; You still want me when I´m broken. Luciana and Jaque then distributed little gifts to the girls as it was the last Superwoman group of the semester as Jaque is soon leaving to go to another ministry. It was an emotional time for the girls. We then just enjoyed each other´s company by watching a movie and eating some popcorn.

Looking back over the past few weeks at my time here at the Reborn House has just reminded me of how good God is, all the time because of how much I have learned and experienced. What a great God we have! It has just been a privilege to serve and observe such a great ministry over this short time.

Psalm 96:1-7

Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his[a] holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth. 

Zoe was here as a volunteer at Reborn Project.

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