Crescimento Limpo, Supportive Housing for Homeless

What a privledge it is to get to see lives and whole families restored first hand! Working with CL has allowed me just that priveledge, as the story of Leon and his families resettlement in Brazil demonstrates-
In the last two years Crescimento Limpo has experienced a highly increased demand for support from friends arriving Venezuela as refugees. Leon came to live with us at the CL halfway house in 2019 with the first group of Venezuelans that we received. From day one he had one urgent mission- he would work hard and save money to bring his wife, daughter and sister-in-law to live with him here in Itu. He got a job at a local hotel and soon made good on his promise. He brought his wife Eucaris, daughter Kendall, and sister-inlaw Keyder. The first picture here is of their family, finally together again, worshipping with us at church one Sunday morning. 

This moment was especially impactful to me because his daughter Kendall was the same age as my son Liam, and I couldn't have imagined being separated from my baby for so long without the means to keep my family together. They lived with us at the halfway house until they were able to secure an apartment and move out. We helped Keyder get enrolled in school and we were able to hire Eucaris at CL's café, the Caféla, ensuring that we would be able to continue to support and disciple them after they moved on to their new residence. 

Recently Eucaris came to talk to us, brokenhearted. She told us that her brother Carlos and his family were needing to leave Venezuela for Brazil as well, but that she didn't have the means to bring them or to offer them housing in Itu. We told Eucaris, "of course you do! You work for CL; an organization that exists to help with exactly these life transitions! Your work opens enables us to keep our doors open to receive men and women needing housing during life crisis!" 

So we accompanied Carlos' journey. Between the Brazilian border and Itu, he would have to go through documentation process and wait for the dates for their flight from Manaus to Sao Paulo. This meant twenty days in the large city of Manaus where he, his wife and their one year old child would be on the streets. We contacted the Church of Christ in Manaus and explained their situation. Immediately, one of the church members went to pick them up and keep them at their home for 20 days! Because of the church acting as the body of Christ throughout our country, Carlos' family was never left unsupported or unaccompanied. 

Carlos, Grecia (wife), and Fabricio (1.5 year old child) arrived to our house two weeks ago, and they were eagerly welcomed by their family and our staff! Carlos is currently working with us at the CL Farm, in our garden and grounds maintenance. He is being mentored by myself and Rogerio, our monitor of 8 years. Fabricio, who was underweight when he arrived to Itu, is already looking chunkier and healthier! We are honored to be a piece of their journey of restoration.

Links:

• Crescimento Limpo Website

Links:

• CL Website (English version)

I started the CL housing ministry because of a very specific problem that I wanted to fix; I saw individuals getting off the streets, doing the hard work of drug rehab and then being abandoned back into homelessness because they had nowhere to start over from. I am very thankful that we are able to provide for a different reality today!

Please take a minute to jump over to the Crescimento Limpo Youtube chanel and watch Milton's testimony and understand how this was important in his life!  He tells his progresion from the early loss of family which led him to homelessness, through onset of neuropathy and now a new chapter of restoration. Milton's sense of hope and belief in the process is an inspiring reminder of why we should never give up on our fallen neighbors!

Thank you for your support in making recovery possible for friends like Milton who will pursue it!

Links:

• Milton tells his story of recovery

One of the most remarkable benefits to working with an organization like Crescimento Limpo (CL) is that you build more and more confidence in the tremendous capacity for restoration that God has stitched into the Human Spirit. We have all come across men and women who have found themselves with nowhere to call home, often lost in addiction, maybe unbathed, and even aggressive. But maybe you don’t get the chance to follow these lives and bear witness to their redemption. I wish you could. 

To give you a deeper look, I’d like to share the story of one of our friends, Milton. Milton grew up in abject poverty. There is no father recorded on his birth certificate or in his memory. He was raised by an elderly grandmother. His mother introduced herself to him when he was close to ten years old, but no relationship followed. Milton’s Grandmother passed away when he was a yong adolescent, and at the age of 18 he was reduced to living on the streets. He begged for money at stoplights and washed down his feelings of emptiness with excessive alcohol. He had no resources of his own, and no vision of hope. Then Milton's feet started to trip. An alcoholic person tripping doesn’t call a lot of attention, but this was different. Even when he was sober he was losing control over his feet, and paralysis was progressively freezing the movements of his legs and hips. Milton met with a doctor and learned that he was facing a crippling neuropathy; his alcoholism had led to a loss of neural connections between his brain and his muscles. Milton lost his ability to walk and became a wheelchair bound alcoholic beggar on the streets of São Paulo with no perspective on how to pursue anything else.One day a man named Marcos Bireli approached Milton and asked him if he would like to come live in a residential rehab community. Milton eagerly and immediately accepted. For the next year and six months Milton took part of the "Cidade das Estrelas" (City of the Stars) therapeutic community. He worked to stimulate his wanning nerve connections and sought to understand the meaning and worth of life. Learning about God’s goodwill towards him was very restorative to Milton and he gratefully received all that he was given.As with many of our residents, Milton came to us for help with the next steps and reintegration into society. Rehab communities are wonderful, but they are remotely located and unable to help their residents to progress towards independence. Before Milton came to CL we expressed some concern, unsure if our facilities and our reliance on resident's autonomy would be unrealistic for him, considering his condition. He responded to these concerns by sending us video recordings of himself transferring independently from his wheelchair to a walker, completing basic chores like washing clothes, mopping floors, and helping prepare lunch; and we received these videos nearly daily until we were able to arrange for his entry into CL.  Since becoming a resident Milton has spent his days at our urban farm proving each day that he is able to do more than we could have imagined. He has become skilled at pulling weeds with a hoe from his wheelchair, seeding new crops, and washing the dishes for the farm crew after lunch. He contributes to our morning devotionals and challenges himself to walk more and more each day with his walker. What most impresses me is that I see no disgust or despair in Milton, which I’m afraid would be my downfall if I were in his shoes. Rather, he displays an ever present relief and a hunger to take part in all that he can; he has started physical therapy sessions, enrolled himself in adult education classes, and is pursuing treatment with a neurologist. Milton reflecting on this moment in his life says, “The house (Crescimento Limpo) is offering me the opportunity that I wanted! I’m very grateful to everyone who has contributed to my growth. I will always carry this phrase, 'From Genesis to Revelation, God didn’t lose a single battle, so it’s not going to be my battle that He will lose'.” 
We are finishing a video testimonial by Milton and will make it available here shortly. But for now we want to say thank you! Your support towards the ministry of Crescimento Limpo is what makes stories like these possible!

Washington lived on the streets of Itu for over 10 years. As a result of his addiction to drugs and alcohol, Washington not only lost his leg but also any persuit of personal progress, family relationships, or even any sense of self worth. But in a moment of clarity Washington decided that he didn't want to die that way. He came to Crescimento Limpo for help to rebuild his life. Take a minute to watch Washington tell his story and take you through the places that marked his restoration.

Washington did the work and rebuilt his life. One of our central principals at Crescimento Limpo is that we don't work for our friends in recovery, we work with them. Washington did not need an organization to rebuild his life for him, he needed accompaniment as he took on the challenges of sober living. The programing of Crescimento Limpo helped guide Washington as he learned new interpersonal skills, developed work habits, rediscovered faith, and reorganized his finances; but he did the work.

Every Sunday morning you can find Washington in our garden café (Caféla) receiving the homeless and inviting them to partner with Crescimento Limpo in the persuit of their recovery as well. Washington works at the garden, but Sandays he goes as a volunteer because he caries the mission of recovery on a personal level. He finds joy helping others experience the new life that he has found!

Your financial support to Crescimento Limpo allows us to keep an open door to men and women like Washington who need a new start. But beyond supporting the recovery of these individuals, know that you are supporting many who will cary the cause forward as partners. Thank you for partnering with us!

Links:

• Washingtons testimony of restoration.
• Crescimento Limpo website