Gustavo

Gustavo is one of the children at Living Stones Cajueiro Claro. When he was little, his father was killed selling drugs. While he has many half brothers and sisters, he lives with his mother and her other son, Edivaldo (who also attends Living Stones). His mother is gone all day, cleaning other people’s homes to support her two children.

Their home is made of mud/clay, with sticks and a couple beams to support it. A tin roof lies on top, with a tarp protecting the sides. No bathroom, no sink, and electricity is from a wire attached to the street light; a dangerous but free way to have one light bulb illuminating the main room.

The main room is a queen size bed for the mother and bunk beds for the kids. There is barely enough room to get between them. There is a small hall where a couple of pieces of clothing are stacked, and a bucket of water with some dishes. No kitchen. No food. No clean water and you can bet wherever is found to use the restroom: no toilet paper.

Gustavo, 13 years old, grew up taking care of himself. He gained a bad reputation early on, and in a small community of 1000 people, that follows you everywhere. He lies through his teeth, and was basically rejected from the small group of boys in Cajueiro Claro. Gustavo always needed a story to tell—so if one was not readily available, he would make one up, or start trouble enough just to talk about it. Cussing up a storm, he was a problem from day one of Living Stones, and often had to be removed from the group. At school, his peers so rejected him he had to change to night school.

With time, and receiving daily love from the Living Stones workers, Gustavo began to need the attention of others less, and began to be able to cooperate with others. After a year, Flavio asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he said a policeman or a pastor. Three weeks ago, Gustavo (and another student named Paulo) asked about how to become a Christian. Flavio prayed with both of the boys and they made a profession of faith.

This has begun a new phase for Gustavo. He now greets everyone with the traditional Brazilian Christian greeting of “Paz do Senhor.” The other boys are watching, and are quick to point out any misbehavior and say how he “left the religion.” All eyes are on these two boys as they, and their peers discover what it means to walk with Christ. There are many falls, but even more “getting back ups.”

Gustavo’s house, in all this rain, is falling apart—literally. The dirt foundation is wearing away and one wall is breaking apart from the rest. He is still working on overcoming his bad reputation in the community. He lacks daily clothes, food, and clean water, and often has to work instead of attending school (whenever work is available). How can we help? A simple house could be built for about $5,000USD. But besides money, daily love through the Living Stones is vital for this young man, as well as your prayers to overcome these tremendous struggles.