A week ago, I was on my way to attend a ceremonial event with the state governor at Hope Mountain on May 9. The event was to commemorate the government’s funding of HM, and provide an opportunity to introduce the project to business executives, who are supposed to step in with partial funding.

 

Unfortunately, I was unable to be in Brazil on Monday. I asked David Nowell to fly down and represent me and Hope Unlimited USA at the event.

 

I heard the event was spectacular. The Governor arrived in a large helicopter with his entourage of cabinet officials and business executives, and were welcomed by the HM band. A couple of our boys gave speeches and a ceremonial document was signed.  Evidently the officials were very taken by the project.

 

I was thinking of the contrast between last Monday's festivities, and another Monday afternoon a few weeks prior (March 21),  when we called first the staff and then the children together to announce that Hope Mountain would be closing forever in just over 30 days.  I remember one of the boys tearfully asking “Why doesn’t the government care about us?” and now the Governor himself was honoring the boys with his presence. 

 

Below you will find one of the students' speeches, and an email I received about the event from the former secretary of Justice, Dr. Marilza, who originally gave us the property when in office and has been our biggest advocate in our fight to retain it.   

God continues to work at Hope Mountain!

Good afternoon to all of you present here today!

My name is Marco Aurélio, and I am 23 years old.

I currently work at a freight company called Gabardo, which lends services to Cotia.  I live in Campo Grande in Cariacica, but a while back my address was Hope Mountain, here in Cariacica, where I lived for four and a half years and was able to learn and give structure to my life, just like some of my brothers who are present here today and who lived in this place of hope.

And on behalf of all of them and of my younger brothers who are still here and need this place in order to be someone, I would like to thank the company Cotia, the State Government represented by our governor Rentao Casagrande, and Hope Unlimited for this new partnership which will allow the children and adolescents to continue growing as I did and become citizens of character, participating in our society. 

Our thanks to you.  May God bless you all.  After all, this is and always will be our eternal home.

Have a great afternoon.  

 

Philip

 

You can’t imagine my sentiment by your absence today at Hope Mountain.  The ceremony  was beautiful and very moving with the testimony of  Hope children Marco Aurelio and Natanial.

In my perception the Governor will commit himself much more to the cause of children as a result of his time tonight at Hope Mountain. 

 

Clovis was an excellent Master of Ceremonies, and all of the staff and children at  Hope Mountain were very happy. 

 

In short, it was a party!  

 

I was touched and thrilled to see those children vibrating with excitement with all that was happening.  I spoke to some children and could tell how happy they were.

Marilza