Horses for Orphans, Brazil - Day 13

Our last day. This knowledge is a sadness that I carry with me everywhere. I have a home and a family and a horse to go home too, but it is too soon, now, to celebrate this knowledge. All I know is that I cannot bear to leave these boys. My mind puzzles and schemes, trying to devise ways of bringing them over to England, even if it is just for a visit. It doesn’t seem possible right now, but I am learning that my God truly is the God of impossibilities. You never know.....

Kate and I pack our bags, and then it is ‘God Time’. We have come to love these set aside times of worship and prayer and quiet listening so much that we have already decided to continue them when we are home again. As we pray my heart is filled with gratitude, a gratitude that replaces the sadness, and I record this gratitude and the reasons for it in my Journal. And then God reminds me of the picture He gave me at the beginning of the week. Of Him as an eagle, and of me flying on His back. Of his eyes gazing down, and the love streaming out of them. And of the all-encompassingness of that love. I am reassured that all I have come to love here at Betel is under that gaze, and safe in His hands.

We watch the boys playing football. Football is big in Brazil. And here at Betel it is the same. The boys play football at every opportunity. The smaller children race around, playing tag. Even in this heat, they are busy and physical. When Kate gets too hot, she stands, fully-clothed, under the outdoor shower. Slightly shocked and giggling with mischief, the other girls join her.

Later Kate sits on the swings and Reginaldo pushes her back and forth, back and forth. They laugh together, enjoying the moment. ‘Você é brilhante!’ This has been the phrase Kate uses on Reginaldo every time she sees him. And yes, he is brilliant. Brilliant to have taken on the challenge, at just 18 years of age, and with an orphan’s history, of being the project leader of the Horses for Orphans project at Betel - and to have succeeded at it. Now 20 years old, there are new horizons opening up for him. The plan is for him to go to Canada with Richard and England, and thereafter to spend some time at Kingdom Horse in England, improving his English skills and his horse management skills. And after this? God knows. The possibilities are exciting. The Horses for Orphans project in Brazil is entering an expansion phase. This knowledge helps with the pain of packing up what has been – for now.

Julie and the rest of the team will follow on Thursday. Between now and then there are a lot of things to organise and put away. And most of the horses will be turned out for the next few months – only the three Lusitanos and the youngsters who need extra food will stay near the arena so that Aurimar and Welliton can keep an eye on them and feed them.

After lunch Kate and I go with Mel and Julie to take the last of our gifts to the children’s houses. On our way we find some of the older boys, who immediately accompany us. Mischievous Douglas with his ever present grin. Marcos. Twins Fabricio and Fernando. And Rogerio. How it hurts our hearts to know that he will not be here when next we return to Betel. He is leaving at the end of the year, to live in a village far away. He and Julie have established a great friendship. She will miss him, for sure. One of her tasks, this week, has been to make absolutely sure that he remembers the email address and log in details for the Facebook account that Ingela has set up for him in the hope that somehow we will be able to keep in touch.

At the children’s houses we have fun, playing with the babies and building a marble run with some of the younger boys. Kate says ‘Goodbye’ to her special friend Antonia, who puts her head in her hands and sobs as we leave. It is very hard.

All too soon our driver arrives and it is time to go. Richard and the boys put our suitcases in the car while we rush around in a flurry of last minute photo-taking, hugs and teary smiles.

As we are about to go, Welliton comes running. I have been looking for him, and was wondering whether he would come - Ingela has warned me that some of the boys stay away when it is time to say 'Goodbye'.  Welliton hands me a Brazilian themed keyring. He says: ‘So you don’t forget me...’ I look him in the eyes and answer: ‘How could I forget you Welliton? You are in my heart’. Tears are not far away and I swallow, hard.

Reprieve! Our car has a flat tyre! There is mild anxiety about the possibility of missing our flight, but mostly we just enjoy the time for a few more hugs while the tyre is changed. And then we really are off. Fabio and Reginaldo travel with us – Reginaldo to keep us all company, and Fabio so that he can take his flight back home to São Paulo. Goodbye Betel, Goodbye! We carry hopes in our hearts that we will be able to return in February. And the sure knowledge that it has been an absolute privilege, and worthy of the cost, to connect with these people, so far away on the other side of the earth.