In 2003, Arms of Love, the Grove City Vineyard in Columbus, Ohio, and a church
in Brazil, PAZ Castanhal, partnered together with the objective of starting a
new Arms of Love Children's Home in the Amazon Basin of Brazil. Scott and
Michelle Toth, pastors of PAZ Castanhal, had a vision to establish a children's
home for children at risk in its region, and that vision was shared by Scott and
Becky Joellenbeck, a couple at the Grove City Vineyard in Ohio. In September
2004, a 30 acre property in Castahnal was selected for the site of the
children's home, "Sitio Shalom" ("place of peace"), and was purchased with funds
from the Grove City Vineyard and Arms of Love.
In
2004, the Joellenbecks spent about a month working with the Arms of Love
Children's Home in Managua, Nicaragua. During that time, the Joellenbecks learned
more about the Arms of Love vision and picked the brain of our Nicaragua
directors, Emilio and Gladys Padilla. Scott and Becky then spent a year on-staff
with the Grove City Vineyard as part of their preparation for missions service.
Following this time, Scott and Becky moved to Brazil in 2005, where they began
their formal training.
The Joellenbecks spent most of 2005 and early 2006 attending language school
learning Portuguese. However, they also spent three months in an intensive
program with an existing children's home in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, learning how
to work with street children and other children at risk. By mid-2006, the first
$30,000 was contributed by Arms of Love toward the construction of the first
children's home, and construction was scheduled to commence in September 2006.
As in other countries, the Arms of Love Children's Home will rely on local staff
and will be a ministry of the local church, PAZ Castanhal. The Joellenbecks will
help train the staff and oversee the project, putting to use their recent
training as well as their personal backgrounds in accounting, management and
social work.
Reproduced below are two site maps showing the planned development of the
property, which will include up to 6 children's homes and a short-term team
facility when completed.
