Hope Mountain Education Program

Today, I'd like to share an important and exciting new development in the lives of our boys here at Hope, and how you could be a part of this life changing opportunity. 

The boys who live at Hope Mountain are under child protection orders from a judge, because they are orphans, abandoned or have been abused. Many were living on the streets before coming to us.

Until 2010, Hope Mountain had its own school and, along with our kids, neighborhood children came to Hope Mountain each day. Unfortunately, financial constraints forced us to close the school in early 2011. This had a very negative impact on our boys. Currently our boys attend local public schools in neighborhoods where crime and drug trafficking are part of everyday life. Just like U.S. schools in similar neighborhoods, these facilities become places to sell drugs and recruit new users. 

We have dreamed of and prayed for a solution to this problem. Recently our prayers were answered when Good Samaritan, a private Christian school located near Hope Mountain, agreed to accept our boys as students. The school has a positive, welcoming environment and a committed leader and staff. This opportunity has incredible significance for these boys. Rarely do children from public schools in poor neighborhoods receive an education that enables them to pass the Brazilian equivalent of our SAT. Our boys at Good Samaritan will be prepared for success on the college entrance exam if they choose to go on to college. This past week fifteen of our twenty-five boys started at Good Samaritan. We hope to have as many as twenty boys attending Good Samaritan in the second semester.

Some of our boys have significant learning difficulties and learning disorders, often due to the traumas they've experienced in their lives. With special education assistance and time, many of these boys will be able to enter regular school. Isanon and myself, as house parents who live with the boys, also go to teacher conferences and are active in ensuring homework is done and behavioral issues are corrected.

What can your donation accomplish? 

•  $300 per month covers all the educational costs for one student for a month
•  $130 per month covers a month's tuition for one student
• $50 per month covers a student's monthly transportation cost
• $50 per month pays for one week of a daily hour of tutoring or special assistance
• $25 per month pays for a student's annual cost of books and supplies 
• $15 per month buys one library book monthly
• $15 per month pays for a student’s recreational, cultural or educational outing
• $10 per month pays for one hour of tutoring or special assistance

Your donation is really an investment in a young man’s life and the lives of his future generations. Hope Unlimited has twenty years of success in transforming the lives of adolescents at mortal risk. Historically, 80% of adolescents who complete all phases of our program go on to be gainfully employed and have successful family relationships. Without a program like Hope Mountain, the most likely future of these boys' lives would be prison or death before age 25.

How to donate:

Donations can be made by credit card at http://www.hopeunlimited.org/donate.html

or you can make a check payable to: Hope Unlimited for Children, PO Box 100 

Jefferson City, TN 37760   with 'HOPE MOUNTAIN EDUCATION PROJECT' in the MEMO

part of your check. 

Thank you for helping us change the futures of our boys! 

Meet & Greet Mondays. {Carlos}

Today, we meet Carlos Israel. A couple weeks ago, I told Carlos that I was going to write about him, and he immediately protested. 

After talking to him a bit about why he did not want me to, and explaining why I would really like to....he agreed, with restrictions. 

I have read what the "system" says about Carlos' background, and I have also been told quite a bit from his own mouth - his 

story is truly one rejection after another. For this blog, Carlos has requested that I do not share his story in details, but focus 

more on the boy he is today. I will do just that! :) 

Carlos arrived at 'Hope Mountain' in august of 2012. Before coming to the mountain, he had been pretty tossed around...

and had even spent some time living on the streets. Isanon and myself arrived at 'Hope Mountain' in November, three short 

months after Carlos' arrival. I remember seeing Carlos and thinking that he looked lonely. He got along well with the boys, but there

 were many times when we would find him just sitting somewhere by himself. He just seemed to be lost in his own thoughts 

or memories all the time.

At the end of February, Isanon and I moved into a new house and were put in charge of the youngest boys. There were three boys 

who completely helped us move in. Carlos was one of those boys. From carrying boxes over, to helping scrub toilets....Carlos willingly 

helped. It was during that time, as well as the weeks to follow, that Carlos stole a special place in my heart. I love this kid.

After being at the Mountain for a year, Carlos seems to be a happy boy. He makes friends easily, and is always flying kites! The only 

negative remark I would have about Carlos Israel, is that he is easily influenced. He seems to go along with others, even if it means doing 

something he knows they shouldn't. One reoccurring issue that we have been having with Carlos, is that he continues to get in trouble

 for making bad choices. 

Carlos asked for prayer for his family and also his best friend. He also needs prayer for school. He is a very bright boy, but spent

 years out of school and is behind. He recently began going to a new private school (more on that coming this week!) and is finding it 

a bit difficult. Carlos Israel is a good kid, but I believe he needs a lot of healing and forgiveness in his life. He completely shuts 

down when asked anything about his family or his life before Hope Mountain. 

Exploring: Convento da Penha

This past Saturday, we had an outing. 

We got to take our boys to Convento da Penha, which is a beautiful convent that sits on a hill over looking the city. The view is beautiful. Truly breathtaking. 

Our boys, on the other hand, were not so beautiful or breathtaking. I promised to always be truthful on this blog, so straight up, most of our boys were brats this day. In their defense, they had a long week, and an busy morning...but oh boy, they were complainers at the convent. 

Our little Josue had not taken his medicine, and had eaten cake, a Popsicle and candy earlier that afternoon. Not a good mix. When we got to the top, he decided he was scared. Like laying on the ground in the fetal position, screaming scared. It took everything in me to not laugh and snap pictures of the poor kid...but I did the grown up, "house mom" thing and grabbed his hand, and promised him anything he wanted if he would just stop making a scene. ;) 

Isanon showed up with a soda to "save the day". And, just like that....Josue was back to laughing.  Yes, it appears we will be "those parents" who give into the child, just to avoid a huge scene. 

Despite our little complainers, and a fetal positioned screaming fit....we had a great day. 

I absolutely love when I get to explore a new place here in Brasil. 

Sometimes I forget how blessed I am, and then God shows me His beauty. 

His & Her Valentine's Day Tradition

Happy Love day. (Two days ago)

I like Valentine's Day. I always have. 

I loved the cool little mailboxes you got to make in elementary school and taking hours to pick out which valentine to give who so that your crush wouldn't figure out you like him. I like the red and pink decor, and getting to spread hearts everywhere. I like that it is a day that romance and corniness (is that a word?) is expected and encouraged. I love it all. 

And, its a pretty good thing that I love it, because I get TWO Valentine's days per year. Yes, two. Being  married to a Brazilian (or someone from a different country/culture) definitely has its advantages and disadvantages. One of those advantages is that Valentine's Day in Brazil is not until June 12th, which means we get to celebrate it two times. 

Isanon and I have this pretty cool tradition where on February 14th, he is the one who plans and gets to make the day special for me...and then on June 12th, I am the one who gets to do the planning and surprise him. I absolutely love that we get to do "Love day(s)" this way, and I love it even more because the whole tradition was something that just sort of happened... 

My mister and I had only been dating for 4 months when we celebrated our first Valentine's day together. We had started dating in October, spent two months together...then spent the next two months doing the long distance thing. I arrived in Brazil on February 13th, with a red tin heart full of chocolates (later learned that he is not a chocolate fan) in my suitcase, not knowing if he even knew about Valentine's day. I woke up the next morning to find that Isanon had "went out". We were staying in a little two bedroom house, with 10 people. One room stacked with beds for the girls, and one room crammed with beds for the boys. I had breakfast, and then found a couch to read on. A while later, Isanon came in the door with a couple bags...said Bom dia (good morning) and went to stash the bags in his room. At this point, I was sure he did not know about Valentine's day...and didn't want to make him feel bad, so I decided not to give him the chocolates.

He came back out to the living room and we sat on the couch and spent the afternoon talking and watching videos online. He had set up with some of our friends for us to go out to a cute little restaurant to eat lunch, and he paid for my food...but still nothing was said about Valentine's day. We got back and I took a nap cause I was feeling pretty jet lagged still. I slept for way longer than I had planned and woke up around dinner time. Everyone had went out, so the only people left in the house were Isanon, myself and one of the other guys. Isanon was in the kitchen, with the bags he had come home with earlier scattered on the table.  He made me dinner, and had bought strawberry ice-cream for us to have for dessert. After dinner and ice-cream, we watched a romantic movie that he had picked out...and he had bought me some chocolate. At this time I'm starting to wonder if he knows it's Valentine's Day, but still didn't ask or say anything, because he hadn't said anything.

After the movie, its getting late so we say goodnight, and I start to head for my room. I remember the tin of chocolates I have and tell him that I have something for him, and to wait. I come back out with the chocolates, and before I can say anything...he says, "No, it's your Valentine's Day, not mine." I'm not exactly sure how the conversation went after that, but basically he explained that he did in fact know it was Valentine's Day, and that was why he had planned the day out for us (sweet) but that I wasn't supposed to do anything for him cause his Valentine's Day wasn't until June 12th.....and thus started the His and Her Valentine's day tradition. 

Here are some photos from my love day this year. 

Thank you, my love, for making this Valentine's day super special. I love that even though it was 90 degrees out, you not only braved turning on the oven, but you dressed up (coat and all) to have a romantic dinner with me. You have the best heart, and I am lucky to share life with you. Thank you for taking me to the movies, and buying me a milkshake. And thank you for not being upset that I threw the milkshake away because it really was just not tasty. :) I love you endlessly, and like you more and more every day. Falling in love with you was easy, you were always meant to have my heart. 

Weekend full of birthday parties..

February....
-the month of love. <3
-the month of the mister and I's half anniversary. 
-the short month. 
-the month full of birthdays! 

Yes, this short little month has proven to be a busy little one. 
This weekend we got to celebrate two special days. 
One on Friday and then another on Sunday. 

Friday night we celebrated Josue. Josue who was the smallest when Isanon and I arrived at Hope, is 15. He is growing and maturing every single day. I cannot begin to tell you the joy that Josue brings to us here at Hope Mountain. His hugs make my day, and Isanon and I truly feel so honored to be able to be a part of Josue's life and to be able to celebrate his special day with him. 

A week ago I asked Josue what type of cake he wanted, and he said a "cookie one". So, we had a cookie-cake, did a little treasure hunt, watched a slideshow of photos of Josue and then ended the night by filling our living room floor with mattresses and watching 'The Croods' together. :) 


On Sunday, we celebrated Rai - who also turned 15. Rai is another boy who has changed so much since we first arrived. Rai is the boy who says "thank you" (in english) when he should say "you're welcome". He is the boy who knocks on my door and asks if I need him to take my trash out or fill my water bottles. Rai is the boy who is growing up on us, and we couldn't be more pleased to have spent his 15th birthday with him. 

Rai's party went a lot like Josue's. We watched a slideshow, the boys prayed for him, we ate some (super yummy) fudge cake, and then watched the movie 'Red Eye'. It was a fun night. 

Happy birthday to our two special boys, thank you for letting Isanon and I celebrate with you! We love you both.