Publications
A good way to get to know more about the work
of Encontro com Deus and the stories of those who have been
touched by this ministry, is to read the autobiography written
by Pr Patrick, called rather unsurprisingly “Encontro
com Deus”!
An example taken from the book:
“Jaqueline was then taken in by a white family,
and tragically she was sexually abused by the father and her
new brothers. She was treated with utter contempt, and lived
as a slave which left her hugely traumatised. At the age of
ten Jaqueline ran away, and found a job as a maid in a small
provincial town, though her pay comprised of food and shelter
rather than money.
 To
earn money of her own Jaqueline would work as a casual prostitute,
roaming the streets and offering herself to anyone who would
pay. She was pretty and knew it but, having had all her self-esteem
sapped from her, she was gradually drawn in to a life of full-time
prostitution... Vitoria is now three and although
there have been some tremendous battles they are both doing
really well. Initially, Jaqueline struggled to love her daughter
and still has to keep herself in check so as not to vent her
anger on her. All of us at the Casa Lar worked on the practical
and emotional aspects of mothering and after about two and
a half years we helped Jaqueline move into a little house
of her own, out of the protective atmosphere of the Casa Lar.
Mother and child are now embarking on a new chapter, with
Christ leading them every step of the way.”
“Surpresas no caminho do amor”
is the Portuguese title of the book, which means “surprises
on the way of love”.
 This
true romance takes us along the moving story of Patrick. There’s
nothing banal in the change of events that leads a young English
executive to a poor district of Curitiba. The personal narrative
is marked by that which is parallel to human effort, as Luther
himself said: “God without us”, who is interested
in intervening with love. The author experiences God’s
love which is unimaginable, liberating and restoring.
Its important for us that people like Patrick and Iara, with
their significant technical and scientific knowledge, can
testify to divine intervention in their lives. They show sensitive
dedication to the victims of abuse and injustice. We have
the privilege to see expansive social work, which has become
increasingly visible through REPAS (the network of social
actions in Paraná), not representing a mere optional
accessory to Christian life. It is the differentiating characteristic
of Christianity, to serve our neighbour with the transparent
love of God in the midst of sufferers.
Werner Fuchs, pastor – coordinator
of REPAS (Encontro com Deus participates in the network of
social works in Paraná)
You can get a copy of the book by writing to
us at info@encontrocomdeus.org
|
