Maria - House 3
Maria do Carmo was born on October 22, 1998. She comes to us with 4 older brothers and sisters. out of the half way house in our city where they were for a year and a half. Both parents suffer mental derangement and do not take adequate measures to take care of the children. Shortly after Maria do Carmo was born she too wound up with her siblings at the half way house.
The home that Maria do Carmo’s siblings come from is a hovel. The social workers commented that not even a rat would stay there. Waste and food were strewn everywhere. The father got the idea that he was a pastor and after reading the passage that Jesus’ followers would leave everything, including their family, he abandoned them to live on the streets where he walked all day long preaching to no one in particular. At night he would steal bricks from construction sites to “build” his own church.
The mother lost her wits and was institutionalized with mental problems. From time to time she was back with the kids but was so desperate that she threatened the neighbors with a knife so as to get food from them for her children. She is so deranged that she can no longer take care of the children. Maria do Carmo of course does not know what has happened. She has been well taken care of at the half way house and was the toddler that every one loves to hold and take care of. She is very content and well natured but noisy! She is presently with our 6th set of house parents, Jose and Alzira, along with her brothers and sister.
Maria has already made a decision for Christ, and has gotten better in all areas of her life, but is still quite immature for her age. She seems to be off in her own little world at times and can be quite authoritarian. She took gymnastics this year and did very well. At church she is in Sunday.School, the Christmas cantata and Pioneer Girls. She needs a lot of supervision to keep herself on track as to what she is supposed to be doing (gets distracted easily). She is slowly getting better at concentrating.
Main Prayer request: That Maria would be able to concentrate more in the day to day challenges that she faces.
2008 Update: Maria Do Carmo is nine years old and in grade two at school. She finds reading, writing and understanding difficult. Her work at home is to help clean the girls’ bathroom. She attends the girls’ club at church, has already accepted Jesus as her Saviour and is making some progress in her spiritual life. However, she is held back by her lack of reading skills. She loves to have fun and enjoys pretending to play musical instruments and imitating the musicians. Please pray that she would gain in wisdom and understanding.
2009 Update: Maria is now attending a different school with higher standards. She is trying hard at her studies and is improving. Please pray that she would be able to improve in her reading comprehension. Also, pray for calm in her spirit as she is impulsive and agitated at times.
Birthday: October 22, 1998
Brothers: Abraao, Jeremias, Arnoldo