aVidaNova Blog

New year, new partners, new work, new lives…2010 is fully underway for aVidaNova!

The Vila in Conquista is expanding with the second house 80% complete. The community kitchen and dining hall are up and running. The new playground is in full swing. And, most importantly, two new girls are being reached and rescued!

Our first volunteer team spent the first week in January helping with three major projects. They worked diligently and ended up accomplishing five major projects which moved the construction work ahead by months. They also had a tremendous impact in the girls’ lives.

Talita & CrossBridge volunteer

Maria Luiza could barely get the words out before tears starting flowing as she thanked the CrossBridge volunteer team for coming all the way from the U.S. to help build the Vila. We join Maria Luiza and the other girls in saying, “Thank you very much, CrossBridge team, for the wonderful work you did and for the long-lasting impact you will have in Conquista!”

We, Curtis and Denise, have been stateside for the last month and a half working on documentation, fund-raising, and other official matters in order to ensure aVidaNova’s work in Brazil keeps going for years. We have been blessed with new aVidaNova partners and an ever increasing interest in the work. We are hoping to return to Conquista within the next few weeks.

As always, we are extremely thankful for all of you who support aVidaNova through prayer and giving. You are a vital part of this crucial work of rescuing young Brazilian girls from the extreme at-risk conditions of human trafficking, exploitation, abandonment, and abuse. Our goal is to rescue girls and provide the loving environment where they came become all God created them to be.

Many blessings,

Curtis & Denise Richardson

www.avidanova.com

The words found on the Brazilian flag read, “Ordem e Progesso” (Order and Progress).  The arrival of the CrossBridge volunteer mission team is “just what the doctor ordered” and much progress has been made in the few days they have worked at the aVidaNova vila.

The second house has been roofed, the first house has been thoroughly cleaned on the inside and painted, the backyard playground has been cleared, leveled, and landscaped. All of this done is just two days! Not to mention how much the aVidaNova girls are loving the extra attention they are getting from their new “tias” (aunts) and “tios” (uncles).

There are still two more days of work remaining and the plans are to install the windows in the community kitchen, pour the floor in the second house, paint the outside of the first house, build the playground’s jungle gym, and spend more time with the girls.

aVidaNova is preparing and providing safe family-style homes for young Brazilian girls who have been rescued from extreme at-risk conditions (www.avidanova.com). Thanks to the CrossBridge team, more rescued girls will soon have a safe and loving home.

“I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” – Jesus

We thank all of you who partner with aVidaNova through your prayers, giving, and volunteer service. You are definitely changing the world for good.

Curtis and Denise

www.avidanova.com

School’s out and the girls enjoyed an outdoor pool party on December 15th which seems quite unseasonal for those of us who are accustomed to the traditional winter wonderland around Christmas time. Christmas time in Brazil comes in the middle of Summer. No snow or icicles, no winter coats or gloves and mittens. It’s hot but the Christmas spirit still permeates.

Denise, Rosania, and the girls from the Vila were invited to an afternoon of backyard fun and swimming at a friend’s home. The experience was good for the girls; another opportunity for social interaction outside of the Vila and the Vila’s neighborhood.

Following the afternoon’s fun, everyone returned to the Vila hauling a donated Christmas tree and decorations. The evening was set to be a first for the  family. They would be decorating their first Christmas tree in preparation for their first Christmas as a family unit.

Christmas is defined by a child’s heart rather than the season. When a child gets that spark of anticipation in her eyes, you know it’s Christmas time even if you’re sweating from the summer heat.

There are more surprises in store for the girls as more gifts and donations are making their way to the Vila. Several have taken time to remember the girls and send presents. We are very grateful for such acts of kindness and generosity. They are reminders of what Christmas is truly about, giving.

For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support,
Curtis and Denise
www.avidanova.com

One section at a time, with some pounding and hardy pushes, the wall at the end of the Vila’s original property line came crashing down. The newly purchased land has been walled in and has increased the Vila’s property by a third. Now there is room for a playground, a garden, and for enlarging the houses.

The evidence of God’s handiwork has been amazing. As we watch the Vila gradually take shape through construction, we see a greater work taking place in the girls’ lives. They are being set free and transformed through many constant acts of compassion and love. One such act was the recent donation of a bicycle which has provided hours of much needed laughter, play and great fun. The bike was given by a couple here in Conquista who recently became aware of the Vila’s work.

Others continue to be divinely called out to join the efforts of rescuing and transforming lives. A team of 15 volunteers from the US will be arriving in Conquista at the end of this month. They will spend a week building and shaping the Vila and also, more importantly, building and shaping young lives.

It’s great to have a front row seat and watch God continue to tear down walls and expand the work of aVidaNova!

Thank you for your prayers and support,

Curtis & Denise

Brazil does not celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving holiday like the USA. No turkey and business as usual here in Conquista over this past weekend; nevertheless, we took time to reflect upon the amazing blessings empowering the aVidaNova venture.

We are grateful for the divine calling which enlightened us concerning the plight of young Brazilian girls living in extreme at-risk conditions. It is the heartbeat of God to see these young lives rescued and transformed. His compassion daily motivates us and guides the purpose and focus of aVidaNova.

We are enormously thankful for those who have caught the vision of aVidaNova and who partner with us through prayer, encouragement, and giving. There would be no aVidaNova without faithful supporters and partners.

We are appreciative of family members who have embraced with us the necessary sacrifices and difficulties required to fulfill the work of aVidaNova.

We give thanks for the first aVidaNova family: Beto and Rosania (houseparents), Milena (big sister), Maria Luiza, Talita, Cristiane, Loranna, and Laiane who daily live out and fulfill the God-given purpose of aVidaNova.

And, as you read this, please know that we are grateful for you and pray God’s richest blessings upon you.

Giving thanks in all circumstances,
Curtis and Denise

A picture paints a thousand words.  Here are a few thousand words painted by some aVidaNova pictures.

Laiane in her "Family Life" t-shirt

"inspecting" construction of house #2

Cristiane & future playground

Vila progress

story time

“Why are you here?” is a question we have been asked several times during the last two months.  It is obvious to the locals we are foreigners so the question is expected.  There aren’t many foreigners in Conquista and Brazilian curiosity seeks an answer.

Store owners, lawyers, taxi drivers, university professors, doctors, and bankers are among those who have inquired.  As we explain our purpose for being in Brazil as that of rescuing young girls from situations of extreme risk and placing them in family-style homes, the initial curiosity usually magnifies.

The reality of child abuse, neglect, prostitution, and exploitation is common knowledge here but many, who would want to, don’t know what to do about it.  The government, social agencies, and religious organizations are viewed as responsible for solving the problem.  So, again, the question, “Why are you here?”

We are here because we belong to a group of people who believe individuals, not just agencies, can make a tremendous difference when it comes to rescuing and restoring the lives of socially discarded little girls.  We call ourselves aVidaNova (theNewLife), made up of those who provide resources, pray for, and get personally involved in transforming the girls’ lives.

aVidaNova, like a stone dropped in a pond, has produced ripples among the local community.  If nothing else, our response has presented our curious inquirers with an avenue by which anyone can get personally involved and help stem the tide of human injustice and misery.  After all, it was Jesus who said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me.”

Lorrana celebrates her 9th birthday

We are blessed to belong to aVidaNova. Thank you for your prayers and support.
Curtis & Denise

Their eyes lit up as if it were Christmas morning. It was still October but the aVidaNova girls had just received some very thrilling news. aVidaNova was able to purchase some land adjacent to the Vila and a play area with playground equipment will soon be in place.

How the land became available is a story for another time; this story is about how the girls participated in the most exciting vote of their lives. We gathered the house parents and all the girls to tell them about the expansion of the Vila’s property and how the newly acquired land would be used. When they heard the word “parquinho” (Portuguese for playground), it was hard to tell who was most excited, the girls or the house parents. When we told the girls they would be the ones picking the playground equipment, the level of exhilaration went through the roof.

There were five available playground apparatuses from which they could choose three. “How do we pick?” they asked. “You all get to vote and the three apparatuses that get the most votes win,” we answered.

What came next was the birth of a new mini-democracy. Each apparatus came up for a vote and with great enthusiasm each girl voiced her opinion and cast her vote. From a slide, a swing set, a merry-go-round, a double swing, and a see-saw, these three won: the merry-go-round, the swing set, and the double-swing. The slide came in a very close fourth place.

That brief democratic process taught the girls how to make a group choice and how to live with the results of a fair vote. Cristiane really wanted the slide. She campaigned hard and feverishly to get the slide elected. However, since only three apparatuses could be chosen, in the end, the slide lost.

What is a childhood without a swing or a merry-go-round? Thanks to those who support aVidaNova, our girls won’t have to wonder what it would be like. And, Cristiane, who knows? Maybe that slide can sneak in on the coattails of the double swing…

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Blessings, Curtis and Denise

Before coming to the safehouse, Lorrana and Laiane had been locked in their house by their biological mother who then set fire to the house. Neighbors came to the rescue and saved the two little girls. Laiane was only five years old.  Currently, they are the two youngest girls in the aVidaNova Vila. One might ask, “How does a child recover from such a life threatening experience and extreme maternal rejection?”

Caring nurture of the child’s mind, body, and spirit is vital to holistic healing. The healing of a hurt little soul involves a lot of love as well as learning to read and write, jumping rope and blowing bubbles, praying and praising God.

When a young mind is no longer filled with fear and reactive survival instincts, it wants to explore and learn. Talita loves to write her name, especially on dusty car windows. She also loves to read story books and learn new words. She even loves to learn English. She enjoys school and wants to be a dentist when she grows up.

When a young body is no longer subjected to abuse and exploitation, it wants to run and play. Cristiane is athletic and full of energy. She is always ready for a physical challenge and can practically outrun anyone. She loves to jump rope, play volleyball, soccer, and ride bicycles. She even wants to paint the emblem of her favorite soccer team on the Vila’s wall. Since Brazil was awarded the 2016 Summer Olympics, some have suggested that she go into training and be ready to compete in 2016.

When a young spirit is no longer darkened by hopelessness, abandonment, and sorrow, it wants to rejoice and sing. Maria is a pre-adolescent whose cognitive abilities are becoming analytical. She reflects quite a bit over her young but memorable life. She rejoices much over the way her life is now. She has learned that no matter what she has been through, God loves her and has a great purpose for her life. She loves to sing praises and lead other children in worship. She also has learned that so many people need hope, redemption and new life. She prays for her biological parents and longs to see them set free from alcoholism, poverty, and despair. Her eyes filled up with tears when she told us, “My dad doesn’t know God yet.” That “yet” was full of hope.

We love going to the Vila to visit, play, read, and sing with the girls. It is a true blessing to see how they are being transformed in mind, body, and spirit. Thank you for being a part of the girls’ healing through your prayers and support.

With love and gratitude,

Curtis & Denise

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise. Psalm 8:2

aVidaNova’s work is new but there have already been many incredible reminders of what this work is all about. Here are a couple of recent reminders that touched our hearts:

- Maria sat at the table for lunch. For some reason she began to remember what she and her sister used to eat before being rescued. Before coming to the girls’ safe-home, they spent many days begging for food in the streets of Conquista. In a spontaneous crescendo she contrasted the scarce food scraps they used to live off of with the plentiful variety they now enjoyed.

She shared her heart with expressions like, “We had to eat old, rotten pumpkins…now there’s meat, salad, vegetables, rice and beans!  We never had enough food…now we have all we need!  No one ever fixed food for us…now our ‘mom’ cooks for us every day!”

Those at the table listened attentively as Maria’s spur-of-the-moment rejoicing ended with, “Thank you, Lord, for giving us this good food to eat!”

- It was Sunday morning and we were attending the downtown church. The five girls from the Vila were there. They usually attend a small church up in the Vila’s neighborhood. They quickly spotted us and smiled our way.

The pastor was speaking on how we should work to transform the lives of those in need. He then said, “We are going to have a special song sung by the girls.”

All five of them got up and moved to the front of the church. The music started and they sang a song entitled, Begin in Me. They sang, “Where there is sadness, let there be love. Where there is hate, let there be forgiveness.” They sang as if they had written the words to the song.

As they sang, a small still voice whispered, “That’s why you’re here in Brazil.”

Thank you for your prayers and support.  As a part of aVidaNova, you are here in Brazil as well.