Give us a break

By -
It was on the 8th grade, the third floor supervisor escorted us to the Vice-Principal’s office. The Vice-Principal had a reputation of being a strict disciplinarian. We trembled at his laud drill-sergeant voice. As we walked the long corridor and stairway to the second floor, my mind rushed ahead thinking on the consequences the three of us would suffer for being naughty during recess and what explanation I was going to come up with to explain the sure detention to my parents.
We were not assiduous visitors at the Vice-Principal’s office, but had had our share of encounters with the floor supervisor. This time was it, we were doomed; there was no way we could get away. The Vice-Principal sat behind his desk looking not too happy to have to deal with not just one, but with three troublemakers.
My legs were shaken and my knees began to hit each other, and my head moved up and down agreeing with the charges pressed against us. The Vice-Principal pause before the final verdict, but in a moment of brilliance, thinking totally outside the box, Jose Luiz, which we nicknamed Galego, because he was from a Portuguese family, politely addressed the Vice-Principal: “Sir, give us a chance?” For my amazement he said: “Well, I will give you a break this time”, and sent us out of his office.
Now, why am I writing this story? God always wants to give us a chance; He is ready to give us a break if we dare to ask.

Comments

Sher Sutherland said…
Marcos & Carla: My son is just finishing Gateway and will be joining the Africa Mercy on March 9. He will be crew for at least 12 months. I was fascinated that you are from Brasil. We have had over 20 Brasilian kids live in our home over the last 20 years and we have been to Brasil numerous times. We have become so close to so many of our Brasilian families and we still visit them (and now their children--our Brasilian grandchildren) all over the world.

As a mom of a Mercy Ship-er I am devouring all the posts of the the many Mercy Ship bloggers as a way of getting to know my son's new family. I'll now be a regular reader of your blog. Bless you, and thank you for sharing.
February 14, 2009 at 9:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Oh, I love this story! Thank you so much for brightening my day! You are my favorite dad!

-Tamar
February 23, 2009 at 6:49 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forty Years With Mercy Ships

By -
Image
  Today marks a milestone in my career. Forty years ago, on July 2, 1983, I joined the Organization #MercyShips. Back then, the dream to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor was mainly work, a lot of hard work. But as my parents used to tell me, work doesn’t kill anyone; I’m here to say that they were right. In those forty years, I sailed the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Visited three continents and ministered in 42 countries. Countless volunteers from around the world worked without ceasing on the first Mercy Ships, the Anastasis, and the other ships that followed her, the Good Samaritan, the Pacific Ruby, the Caribbean Mercy, the #AfricaMercy, and now our newest ship, the #GlobalMercy. #Mercy Ships has delivered services to more than 2.86 million beneficiaries during this time. Provided services and materials in developing countries valued at over $1.77 billion, including the following: Performed more than 108,000 life-changing or life-saving surgical procedures
Read more

A Tribute to Pelé

By -
 I was 15 years old at the time of the buzz about Pelé’s 1000th goal. The countdown began on the 910th. Local, national, and international media followed his team, Santos FC, everywhere. The conversation at the offices, factories, bars, street corners, and the no-grass soccer fields was about when, where, and how the historical feat would happen. At the time, the closer goal scorer was four hundred goals behind. We wanted to know who would go into history by association just for being under the crossbar at the wrong time for them but at the right time for the rest of the world. Our imagination wondered what kind of special magic Pelé would use to score a goal that would be in our memories forever. Would he score with his head after rising a foot above his marker? Or would he score after controlling a crossed ball with his chest, looping it over a defender before kicking it to the back of the net? Would the goal happen after a spectacular run from the mid-field leaving behind counte
Read more

Happy Father's Day!

By -
It is a beautiful East Texas Sunday. A perfect day to celebrate Father’s Day. No matter if he is your biological father, an adopted father, a stepfather, or just someone who has the role of a father figure in your life. Today we celebrate fathers. I can’t resist reflecting on my father, Mr. Manoel Barbosa Dos Santos, a hardworking man who was always there present in my life. He brought me to my first day of school, took me to my first soccer game at Maracanã stadium, was with me when I joined Merchant Marine Academy, and helped me to fix my first house. It is hard to remember an important event in my life when he was not present. He was always there. And he did it without saying anything. He was from an era when it was unnecessary to say to those you love; I love you. I know of his love for me not because he said it but because he demonstrated it. I remember one time when I was playing soccer at the local fire station’s futsal court when I glimpsed my father with a grin on his fa
Read more