Dear friends of
Horses for Orphans

 
It is hard to believe that is has only been two and a half years since we pioneered the Horses for Orphans project in Brazil. 
We started with nothing, and at present we have more than 40 boys and girls involved with the nineteen horses at Betel Children’s Home.
The children now have two outdoor arenas, six stables with a new roof, a round pen and a brand new tack and feed room available for their journey into healing.
Our heart is to raise up leaders from the underprivileged and through mentoring, training and equipping help them reach their destiny.
The children are learning to dream and vision is growing inside of them.
Whatever dream each person has in their heart, whatever they would like to become, do or build, for whomever they would like to work in the future or wherever they would like to go, we want to support them in their choices.
It is exciting to witness the changes in the hearts of the children, the horses, the friends that join us and in ourselves. We learn to feel the heartbeat of God and grow deeper in understanding His love. We can’t help but stand amazed at how awesome He is.

We wish you a beautiful summer and pray that you and your family will experience the love of God in a deeper way than ever before,

Richard & Ingela Larsson Smith





February/March 2012 Brazil Trip

Rogerio Jesus da Costa, 15, is one of the boys who has made his way deep into Richard and Ingela’s heart. The sensitive and quiet boy has been at Betel since he was seven. He still has a mum, but she is not able to take care of him. To him Ingela and Richard are the best mum and dad he has ever had. As a son to them, they have raised him as a horseman and he is showing exceptional talent. Strong and gentle, he is able to handle dominant stallions without loosing his calm. He also really enjoys taking care of the older mare Annica and her foal Espirito.
Rogerio is very caring and often puts others first. With many orphanages across the country potentially at risk of being shut down by the new government legislations, Rogerio said to Ingela: “You know I might have to leave this place one day and then you won’t know where I am anymore, but don’t worry mum, I will find you. It’s easy for me, you are all over the internet. I will find you.”
 
During February and March, Richard and Ingela spent nearly two months at Betel, taking four teams of people from several different nations with them. Everyone that came carried a heart for children and youth and willing hands to serve in any area they were needed. Richard and Ingela - together with the team members - mentored the boys, prayed with them and for them, taught them horsemanship and English and of course hugged up on them lots. Everyone got involved in fun conversations despite limited knowledge of Portuguese. The team members also helped with translating the H-Factor Horse Handling book and DVD into Portuguese, writing out horsemanship principles, stitching and tagging halters and building a tack and feed shed, a roof over the stables as well as forming water drainage outside the arena.
 
Reginaldo Isaiah Lopez, 21, another son of Richard and Ingela, has just begun his third year as the leader of the horse project. Once shy and reserved, the sensitive young man is now outgoing and cheerful, with a great sense of humour and so much joy it’s infectious. Having spent many years at the Children’s Home, this is his first paid job. He has overcome many challenges and grown to be a confident and patient leader. His great heart for God, children and horses shines through all that he does and many of the younger boys have started to call him dad. He is instrumental in the success of the project. Reginaldo is gifted with much feel and understanding for the horses and great riding abilities. He has become an excellent horseman and teacher.
All the advanced boys have made great progress since Richard and Ingela saw them last. Two boys joined the five who passed the H-Factor Horse Handling Qualification last October. Aurimar, 17, with his gaited horse Brancao and Antonio, 15, with Canguru, who used to rear whenever a human would ask him anything. Both boys received their certificates at the end of March.
Aurimar and Antonio spent endless hours practising with their horses to achieve the level of relationship and skill set for the required standard. They grew in their ability to keep a good attitude and to never give up, no matter how tough things got. This will prove itself a very valuable tool in any future situation that they might find themselves in.
Building a relationship with the horse has a lot to do with love, trust and honour. The harmony that develops between the children and the horses in the process is truly remarkable. As the boys endeavour to understand the horse, the horse responds with an affection and a connection that the boys – in their pasts deprived of relationship - had never experienced before.
 
Ingela and Richard love to see the transformation in the lives around them. The children are starting to understand the parallel between the wounding in a horse's heart and their own. As they feel the desire to help the horse overcome his fear and lies about humans, they start to discover that their Father in heaven wants to do the same in their hearts, to bring them to a place of freedom. They begin to feel loved by God.
It is very important to Richard and Ingela that the boys have real encounters with the Father’s love and come into a living relationship with Jesus. They believe that if the boys have Him, they have everything.
 
We appreciate your continual prayers for the Horses for Orphans projects.  The hearts of many are being reached, touched and healed.

Thank you so much for supporting us and God bless you!

Horses for Orphans Team


For more information on Horses for Orphans you can view a 20min documentary (1.5 yrs old now) on www.horsesfororphans.com or on YouTube, and you can see more photos on the Horses for Orphans Facebook page.
 
 
Halters for Sale
 
Another two boys who are in Richard and Ingela’s hearts - Fabricio, 16, and his best friend Patrick, 16, have shown great dedication in learning how to correctly knot a natural horsemanship halter. On this last trip we brought them many yards of high quality rope, made in the UK. Fabricio and Patrick produced over 70 halters during February and March, which can be purchased to support them for their futures.
Fabricio, who lost first his mum and then his dad, is an amazing horseman with outstanding talent and self motivation. If you would like to see him in action with his foal Daisy, click here.