Torch, Summer 1992

a o; Vini Jaquery , having compassion means seeing a need and saying, "What can I do to meet that need?" As director of International Reach , Vini is doing a lot to help the homeless street children of his native Brazil. Vini's concern for Brazilian street children began one night when a young boy approached Vini's car and asked for help. He said, "I need your help , sir. Not money or food . I don't know what it is , but please help me ." Vini says, "That common occurrence in the streets of Sao Paulo was uncommon to me . I felt a sudden rush of thoughts and emotions . 'What do I do now?' I felt compassion for the boy, but perhaps 'anxiety ' is the best word for my overall state of mind. I thought, 'Why isn 't anyone doing anything to help these children?"' His initial, naive response gave way to an understanding that certainly some people were trying to help them - but he could, too! God had given Vini a heart and mind He could use to help the street children. "For a moment I wished that I could place my arms around every needy child. Then I realized they needed more than a hug." Vini used his administrative mind to begin a systematic fact-finding tour of Brazilian government agencies , orphanages , churches , and slums . He found that, as in the case of the first little boy , the children would ask for help , but they did not know what they really needed. Through his research , Vini decided the best way to help these children was to find them homes with loving Christian families. He found that many people want to adopt infants , but adoption of children over one year of age is not common in Brazil. Besides, most people avoid these children on the street. Would they take the children into their homes? Since Vini was nearing the end of his seminary experience in the United States during this time , he was able to consult with a number of U.S .