Jacaranda Babies’ School

The rain poured down the day before, leaving the trails amidst the Marururi slums almost unnavigable. Brenda and I slipped and slided down these roads (mostly on our feet) to visit a few possible relocation sites for the growing babies’ school. Jacaranda Creations is a ministry that empowers women to work, and during its formation Brenda acknowledged a fundamental problem. When you see toddlers roaming the slums dirty and hungry and without anyone to care for them…you have to do SOMEthing. And thus, Jacaranda Kids and the babies’ school were born.

We peeked in at the young ones learning just like the big kids but in their tiny classroom. Three adults barely fit into that small room, but we wouldn’t stay for long. We did, however, enjoy our devotion time with these children…their little eyes closed and their hands together in prayer. My goodness, what would these little lives be like left untouched by the love and faith of this one woman. Yes, faith. Brenda sees the needs of the people and acts. She doesn’t wait for a plan or a prompting…she just moves in to fix the problem. “We can’t leave this child on the street for even one more day,” she thinks.

I thank God for people with such huge compassionate hearts. But we also need to pray for them and support them. Brenda moves in faith and that means she needs us to help. That means she needs us to be obedient to the prompting when the Holy Spirit tells us to move. Our response is the only way Brenda and people like her can sustain the kind of care these children need.