Latest News

Dear Friends,

It is time to write and send greetings once again. I would like to write sooner but life as you can imagine is quite different for us now. Both challenging and exhilarating.  As many of you know we had quite an adventure just before Christmas as we went to the YWAM Family Gathering at Caldas Novas – but without return tickets! A big thank you to all of you who so generously helped during that time on the way back.…..It was so very important we were at the YWAM Brazil leaders meeting just before the main event.  It was a very good time and wonderful to meet up again with old friends from years ago and make new friends.

                                                                 News

 Our children’s school – Escola Crista Agua Viva started the school year in January. This year we have over 60 children enrolled.

……As we are located in a poor area  - We have continued to provide free schooling for a number of children…..And continue to visit the nearby Mangroves where the poorest live.  Please pray we may be able raise more sponsors for the children in the areas around us and provide Education, after school activities and meals. 

Our hope is that we will be able to start offering free school books for next year when enrolling starts next September.                                                                    

Please pray for sponsors, each set of school books per child costs 100 – 150 UK pounds. We would be working in partnership with MacKenzie http://sme.mackenzie.br/mackenzie/Home/Conheca-o-Sistema/Material-Didatico who produce Schoolbooks of excellent quality with a clear Christian worldview and Biblical values.  If we are able to provide these, free to all children it will make a big difference.  School books are always a big cost to parents - so our hope and prayer is we can provide this…Please pray with us the Lord would open doors for us to find churches and sponsors….. If were able to provide the MACKENZIE school books it will be a great encouragement and witness – 100 pupils supplied with school books would cost 10,000 - 15,000. UK pounds.

 

Josi telling the story about the Girl and the Sunflower.   Children's book day is  April 18th    And Josi chose to read to the children a story written by herself, inspired by Dorothy and her friend Carla, who is a student on the DTS.  

I have included a photo below of one the houses in the areas, which are in the poorest areas ...these are the areas under threat from drug traffickers, who assume command. and offer "protection"  Not far from us. And  (about 4 kilometres) at the bridge from Caucaia to Fortaleza....the drug lords have basically taken over...it’s not advised to go alone without someone from the area with you. They invaded the local prefeitura (Council) school one day looking for the children of some of the rival gangs....the teachers abandoned the school and fled leaving the children at the mercy of the drug gangs.  We had been warned the gangs were threatening to invade all the schools in the area.....As you can imagine Josi was upset. And we kept a close watch on the

school gates...We have 4 metre high walls so its not exactly easy for anyone to get in. I suspect this was the criminal gangs trying to exercise their rule by intimidation.   This year we haven’t had any more trouble like that.   But we have had a number of new pupils from the area where the Drug Traffickers are controlling...the parents are afraid as the prefeitura school offers no protection...just abandons the children.

YWAM

Since the New Year, we started our first 5 month Discipleship Training School for the base, with 5 students, 

one of whom is from Guinea Bissau Africa.   We also ran a 15 day Holiday Missionary School in January.We recently ran a 3 day NIKO Challenge adventure course. NIKO is not an ordinary camping trip for youth ……But is designed to build character, develop leadership skills, Serve others,  work in teams and laying down ones rights.   Having already done a NIKO in the USA at YWAM Richmond, Virginia many years ago, I now had the opportunity of leading a NIKO for the first time.   Our team organized for over 30 young participants and had many opportunities to minister the Word of God during the NIKO as the young people faced various challenges.

NIKO – JOCUM PRAIA

Last Saturday night I took pencil and pens to our local Praça (Square) in Iparana with our YWAM Team.  We prayed for Iparana and for those at Praça São Pedro, knowing all the challenges this area has. Praça São Pedro is a popular place Friday and Saturday nights …and sometimes a place not without problems; in January 2 bandits were caught after exchanging shots with the Police, a third escaped.

We indeed need to pray and declare Gods Word over Iparana, and the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 “Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done awesome deeds! His right hand and powerful arm have brought him victory!”  Psalm 98:1

Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"............Isaiah 6:8 

 Recently I drew the picture above…….The eye of the Lord like blazing fire……And a vision of waves flow out from the centre – His people are catching those waves obeying the call to missions, using their gifting’s like surf boards.     As I pondered how surfers in real life catch waves, we too can learn spiritual lessons.    Theory does not work – only practice and learn by doing - to have our own program and agenda to control what God wants to do - will not work.    In fact the waves will wipe out anything which refuse to flow in the right direction.  A surfer who expects waves to pick him up and carry him along,  just because he has the right gear and surf board will be disappointed.   Many times a wave can pass a surfer by because they have not read the sea correctly.   Surfers must learn to be flexible.  (Humility)  watch and observe the ocean waves (Keeping our eyes upon Jesus)  get the timing right, (Keep in step with the Spirit)  and climb on the board at the right angle…(Faith)….In the rhythm of the wave. (Obedience)        “What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 NIV

Teaching about the Prophetic Arts on the DTS  - Daddy with Dorothy helping

Praia Iparana  -  Translation (God is faithful - No matter how dysfunctional your life is, or how big your frustration; Come to Christ and give it all to Him, for He will turn it into a beautiful work of art.) 

I mentioned in my last newsletter about exhibiting pictures again – Since then I am going through quite a productive phase with my Art, and often post on Facebook. Nevertheless, as I mentioned previously I am also looking to exhibit at Public places, Squares, Churches and Conferences.  However, there are other opportunities - last week our students and staff went down to the beach to spend time with the Lord and pray.   I took my pens, pencil to sketch…..It was a beautiful day, a calm and peaceful breeze, and we were the only ones around. Often times the solitude of a beach can help us unwind and reflect on life.    I did a rough sketch, while our students and staff spent time strolling, relaxing and reflecting  – I also had a time to reflect too………Life can have many ups and downs,  disappointments, but how we react is very important….Do we see them as opportunities? Because God is Faithful no matter how we may feel….In Christ we are more than conquerors – that is our destiny, and we must put our faith in God or we may miss God’s best for us.   Many times, He waits for us to just lay down our own broken plans, and turn to Him.  

Prayer

• We give thanks to the Lord for answered prayer and provision for our previous journeys.  We will also need to attend a YWAM Brazil Leaders meeting on the 27th of April in Rio de Janeiro in the South of Brazil.  And we need to raise finance for Flight, bus tickets, Taxis and finance for our stay.  Please pray, as Leaders we will need to attend.

• Please pray for our regular financial support and for new donors/supporters to join us in this work discipling the nation of Brazil. We give thanks to the Lord for all those who have stuck by us through the years……You don’t know how much it means to us – Thank you!  The challenge since we are leaders is our responsibility to ensure no one goes hungry……Often times not everyone who comes to serve on the base or is a student has sufficient support.  That’s fine – we want to extend grace to all who seek God in missions with the right heart and give everyone a chance no matter who they are.

• Pease pray - Our Laptop is in need of renewing. if anyone has a spare Apple Ipad they no longer use – please post to us ……I would find it incredibly useful to sketch with. A new one here costs over 700 UK pounds. Awhile ago we took our old laptops to be repaired – one is working but without sound, the other has a problem with overheating.  

• Please continue to pray – I am still planning to print pictures and prepare exhibition panels for exhibition – Cost  £500

• We give thanks to the Lord for our school – Escola Crista Agua and for the security and protection, the Lord provides.. Please pray for school uniforms, agendas, and Schoolbooks for next year.

• Please pray for food, health,  transport and security.

We are grateful to all who support our work and ministry, for your prayers, messages of encouragement and financial help. But most of all for your friendship and love. 

Best wishes and thanks in Jesus wonderful Name!

Peter, Josi and Dorothy 

For those who would like to help financially please contact me for bank details.

For those who wish to pay through STEWARDSHIP  We have an account.  Please ask for details if interested as it makes giving cost effective http://www.stewardship.org.uk/ 

Donations may also be sent via Western Union which we are able to receive here, please ask for details.

Peter and Josi Millward, Rua Pintor J. Figueiredo No. 805. Praia Iparana. Caucaia, Ceara. CEP. 61.600-000.  Brazil. 

https://www.facebook.com/escolacristaaguaviva     *Email: petermill@ibest.com.br

*Please note the email address is the current one I use

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