Teacher Tatiane told us a story about a very tough kid named Saulo. His mother would drag him into the classroom every morning, and dump him off in the corner like a sack of potatoes, boxing his ears of he protested.

One morning, Tatiane greeted Saulo and his mother at the door saying “Happy Birthday, Saulo!” Saulo looked at her and said “What?? Today??!” His mother merely looked at them both and shrugged.

One day, Saulo was particularly inattentive in class, and Tatiane asked, “If you don’t want to read, what do you want to do?” He responded, “I want to pee.” Whereupon, he stood up and proceeded to pee all over the floor. Later in the day, he repeated the same thing. This time, he was asked to help clean it up – whereupon he lay down in it, and then licked it, just to get a reaction.

In the cafeteria, Saulo would throw food, and even eat the napkins. Some of the staff would say, only half jokingly, that he was possessed. One day he was so agitated that he was hitting everything and everybody in sight. In complete exasperation, Tatiane got down on her knees, put her hands over her heart, and started to pray. Shocked, Saulo stopped what he was doing and stared at her. Suddenly a little girl, watching all of this, ran up to Tatiane and said, “Teacher, you need to pray for him ALL the time!” Tatiane tried to keep from laughing. But at that moment, God placed a burden on her heart for Saulo’s mother. That afternoon Tatiane arranged to talk with her, and gradually struck up a friendship. Tatiane learned that Saulo’s father was in jail, that his mother battled with ill health, and that she had three other troublesome kids, allowing little time to pay attention to Saulo. Over time, the teacher was able to convince Saulo’s mother to walk him into class gently and lovingly (much coaching was required) and even come and sit with him for the first ten minutes of class.

The effect on Saulo was almost immediate. After just a few weeks, his behavior had changed so greatly that he was permitted to walk to the cafeteria with the other children, instead of alone holding the teacher’s hand. He was permitted to go to the restroom alone. And now he plays quietly with his toys, and obeys the rules during game time. It is these kinds of results, said Tatiane, which provide the encouragement and motivation to continue—despite challenges like Saulo.

Tatiane concluded that she has taken the little girl’s advice to heart: she continues to pray for Saulo….ALL the time. (Maybe that’s had something to do with the change in him, as well.)