February 22, 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Overwhelmed, petrified, scared, uneasy, worried, angry, torn from inside out! I don't know that these words even come close to describing the feeling that came over us one month ago. As I look back it is a weird feeling, a daze.

On Monday morning the 21st of January, we encountered some major problems. For over three years we have been persecuted by some people in this town. Not sure if they hate God or just hate us. We have been trying to get our city requirements finished to receive our city document. Well, when everything looked like we would get it, things took a 180 degree turn. Within four hours, our home was completely torn apart. Of the 98 children that we had, there were only 12 left.

You are probably trying to figure out what happened. The people that dislike us had gotten a judge's order to come in and take over for ten days and do investigations on Odali for some really crazy accusations. Odali had no authority of the home or the children. They accused us of solitary confinement, refusing food to the kids, selling children to Americans, and beatings. The children started to get very uneasy. As the older children realized what was happening, they got their backpacks and ran away. They would say, "If Pastor Odali and Kathy are not staying here with us, we will not stay." We could do nothing but watch "our children" leave. Only God knew where they would go.

The group that came to do the investigation became confused and without direction. By 4:00 p.m. they were totally lost and started leaving. We asked them, "Which one of you is going to sleep here with the kids tonight?" None of them wanted to stay. Then the prosecutor looked in Odali's direction and said, "He wants them, let him keep them." The mess was done. Where were the children? Little ones from ages eight to sixteen; they were all scared. I know how I felt, and I can't imagine what those children felt at that moment, having their security devastated. Things are moving slow. Our lawyers are working, but all our children are still not back. We still do not know where some of them are.

Do I have you confused?! Hard to figure out what you're reading?! Well, that is how we have been feeling for a while. It has been hard to get back on track. Fortunately, through all of this, in a society where people are afraid to speak out, afraid to lose their jobs, we have been blessed with a lot of local support. As we go through this we are reminded that life is fragile and we have no control over it, even if we think we do. Please pray that God will give us peace and wisdom we need for each day. We need to remember that tomorrow is not ours. We only have today to do what He wants us to do and do it at our best.

If you would like to get e-mail with news from time to time, e-mail us at: odali_kathy@hotmail.com.

In Christ,

Odali and Kathy Barros