Peter and Josi’s Newsletter
May 2019
Dears Friends,
Greetings from Brazil! And belated Feliz Pascoa! (Passover) as we would say in Brazil
The photo of us in rural Shropshire where we stayed in January and enjoyed wonderful hospitality…..How time flies and how we miss those times with friends too!
Since returning to Iparana, school is now well underway and also Crianças do Rei project.
We are having some of the wettest weather in living memory, one gentleman who is seventy and lived here all his life, said he has never seen this amount of rain.
We still need to raise finance for finishing the wall with ceramic wall tiles - We still have some way to go to reach our target of 6,000 UK pounds…... Here is a couple of videos showing some of the challenges we face - Video of front of the school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVJnHeJbLwY&feature=youtu.be
and school structure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq4VMYOaG7E&feature=youtu.be
and school structure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq4VMYOaG7E&feature=youtu.be
We see a lot of sadness - Josi and myself were talking, a week or two weeks ago about this and praying......It's incredibly heartbreaking....and we are very sad. But how can we help?......
When you realize just how difficult life is for many poor families here and the government system to take care of them is extremely inadequate There are a lot of broken lives and we need to bring hope to break the cycle - Hope which is both supernatural and tangible. When we see situations like the ones we see...and there are many tragic cases here….it’s overwhelming - Brazil is going through a very tough period, food has become very expensive and a lot of families are struggling. Children coming to the Criancas do Rei project and Escola Cristã Água Viva arriving hungry…...With all this we have parents who are struggling, who owe the school over 2,000 reais...but who pays the teachers salaries? This is the price being paid to preach the Gospel to the poor…..and the only way to keep things in perspective is to look at the great price Jesus paid to reach the poor with the good news. Please pray.
Charles Wesley’s - Hymn “And Can it be”…. Is still as inspiring and relevant today as ever...May it continue to inspire the Church and Christians the world over to make known the reality of God’s great love real to all who Jesus came to save.
The Broad and Narrow Way - North American Edition 1855
Since last year I have been researching various old evangelical pictures. ( I am supposed to be writing a book about the Broad and Narrow Way picture) …..researching and collecting all the material is quite a challenge and I also stumble across quite a few pictures and artists I was not aware of. One such is John Warner Barber (February 2, 1798 – June 1885) he was an engraver and historian whose books of state, national, and local history in the USA. The Connecticut engraver was also a committed Christian. I discovered he made a picture called the Broad and Narrow Road...which was also called called "A miniature of the World in the 19th century" which in the hands of American missionaries, was said to have been the principal means of converting the Queen of the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) to Christianity. And has been assured the picture has been a means under God of turning several from the wicked course to the path of Life.
In due course I hope to have it translated into Portuguese, and prepare teaching about the picture for the children at school…...
J W Barber’s work was very popular among Bible believing Christians and was reproduced throughout many Christian books – profusely illustrated to disciple and educate Bible principles and Gospel message. It could be said Barber’s work was instrumental in moulding the worldview of a generation during his lifetime and beyond, influencing and helping to define beliefs and principles which help make nations become great. The history of the United States would be very different if it were not for individuals like J W Barber fulfilling their destiny and calling in Christ, living out fruitful and godly lives for their Saviour. To see more of the picture and more information please visit the link http://pictureswithamessage.com/100/100.htm Please pray - The book I am writing...I enjoy immensely, but I never imagined just how much history needs to be covered and investigated as I discover much has been either forgotten or is off the beaten track as far as popular church history. But I wonder just how many people today know how God blessed our forefathers in the faith? Looking at the story of missions and the church I see something great and magnificent back in those days and wonder why we don't hear so much about those who blazed a trail? And blaze they certainly did for the glory of God - We need to re-dig the ancient wells which our spiritual forfathers drank from, "Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them." Genesis 26:18
We no doubt have a fairly good idea who todays philistines are trying to stop up the ancient wells....but we need to make sure we redig the wells our spiritual forefathers drank from.... The water is still there....
Prayer and Praise!
Since returning to Brazil we have had a drop in regular support. But we are very grateful for those who have been so faithfully supporting us for many years and we do understand life and situations change….we are just so blessed and grateful God has given us such faithful and loyal friends and pray God's richest blessings. We are also grateful to the Lord directing new friends and supporters to help, May God bless you all for partnering with us in missions!
Please pray - We are planning to attend a National YWAM Leaders meeting, next week at Sao Luiz do Maranhao, North Brazil….. and would be grateful for prayer and provision.
Please keep praying for the Art Gallery and Art competition …….We are certain these two projects will make a very big difference… But we do need to find partners able to help.
Please pray for the structure of the school and project, also a number of items need replacing which are broken….one is the school loudspeaker which must be getting on for 14 years old - it broke just as we are getting ready for the school Mother's day party! Thankfully we were able to borrow one at short notice. The washing machine has been broken along time, and various pieces of equipment and tools - But we praise God for the wonderful provision to help fix the front of the school gate and wall and for all the many blessings in different ways the Lord provides.
Please continue to pray for the Disciple Nations Alliance Arts Workshop in July in Bogota, Columbia organised by Yarley Nino of ADN/DNA in Latin America. It has been an honour to have been invited to attend by Darrow Miller. I sometimes make comments on Darrows Blog page…..one subject in particular caught my attention was about the parallel of the rise of the Nazi’s with today’s Social Justice Warriors I shared some thoughts and some sketches made during the School of Jewish Studies with YWAM in 2000. With this and all the many things we do, we ask for prayer and grateful to all who help
Till next time…..
With love and best wishes!
Peter, Josi and Dorothy
For those who would like to help financially - Giving through Stewardship
An update - For those who kindly wish to support us in missions with YWAM Brazil. We are registered with give net - Stewardship Services in the UK. Monthly and one-off donations can be easily processed with Debit and Credit cards - please visit the link below to see our giving page. Give net has made some recent updates which should make this easier - for those who wish to remain anonymous, give net makes this provision. For people outside the UK who wish to give - the payment process allows International donors to opt out of UK Gift Aid system. Stewardship Services are a Christian organisation serving charities and missionaries from the UK.
For those who wish to pay through STEWARDSHIP We have an account at https://www.give.net/20089559 Before confirming any gift on give.net you will be asked whether you wish to remain anonymous. If you choose this option your personal details will be will not be made known. If you have any questions please ask for details
Donations may also be sent via Western Union which we are able to receive here.
Peter and Josi Millward, Rua Pintor J. Figueiredo No. 805. Praia Iparana. Caucaia, Ceara.
CEP. 61.627-250. Brazil. https://www.facebook.com/escolacristaaguaviva
