Celebrating Dorothy’s 14th Birthday!
Peter and Josi’s Newsletter - September 2022
Dears Friends,
Greetings from Iparana, Brazil!
It was last May we sent our last Newsletter. Thank you to all of you who respond in some way
through prayers, encouragement or gifts and donations. We appreciate this and Praise the Lord
for all His blessings and good friends He gives to us!.
This public Newsletter doesnt cover everything, For those who wish to recieve the PDF
version of our News/Prayerletter with all the news to pray for - please ask I can then send
to your email.
Escola Cristã Água Viva
After our last newsletter, and explaining our challenges - We are very grateful to the Lord for the
donation which came through in June to purchase eight new fans and 30 new chairs…plus we
were able to purchase 8 new tables! Below is a photo of the school sitting in the new chairs and
with the new tables. Thank You to those who kindly donated - it makes a big difference and a
wonderful answer to prayer!
Praise the Lord!
Peter is ready to unpack eight new Ventilator fans! What a difference it makes in the classrooms
with the hot weather now the rainy season is over! Other maintenance challenges for the school
are ongoing and will be mentioned later, but what a relief for the children and teachers in their
classrooms!
Mothers Day Celebration for Crianças do Rei with volunteers kindly helping.
(Last newsletter shared about Mothers day in Escola Cristã Água Viva)
The project ministering to needy families from the mangroves. As mentioned in
our previous newsletter, explaining the challenges of helping those who are the
poorest. One of the most important aspects of discipling is to sow hope in the
hearts of those who are struggling. Please remember in prayer.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Jocum Praia
Financially it is very challenging....as maintenance has been eating into our
resources and I can't avoid having to repair or fix structure issues. One
building we have had water leaking into the roof every rainy season for a
number of years and was in danger of collapsing the concrete ceiling if I
don't fix it. (It is now fixed praise the Lord! But we need to repaint it, also
the floor - it was a storage area, but we will be using it for Crianças do
Rei and Art workshops ) Because we are near the sea, the rain is salty
and corrodes the steel reinforcing. With this and a host of other structural
challenges - my plate is full. We have spent years praying for the right
staff, the Lord wants to bring to our base. While our school has teachers
who receive offerings each month. People who are on staff with YWAM,
do need to raise their own support to serve with YWAM. Of course it is a
big challenge…Jesus didn't say it would be easy…He said deny yourself,
pick up your cross and follow me… if one really believes God and His call
on our lives..…we better put our best foot forward and live by faith in Him
and His promises.
Holiday Missionary School July 2022
When we had two staff members with YWAM with us for a few months. We were able to plan
and run a Missionary Holiday School in July. It went surprisingly well considering the challenges
we had. We are very grateful to those who helped and hosted the two teams on their outreach
practical During the school we had a Art Workshop Vocation and Calling and each student
was able to paint a picture about what this means for their lives - Link
Continuing with the theme of “No Stress”
The Cheese Sandwich of El Alamein
- "The 75 is firing. The 37 is firing, but it is traversed round the wrong way. The Browning is
jammed. I am saying "Driver, advance" on the A set, and the driver, who can’t hear me, is
reversing. And as I look over the top of the turret and see twelve enemy tanks fifty
yards away . .. someone hands me a cheese sandwich."
I have seen this humorous story of the cheese sandwich a few times posted on FB and it
always gives me a chuckle, so I couldn't resist making it into a picture. I didn't know very
much about the background....So I researched to make sure I got the details right. I found
the famous quote belonged to a British tank commander, Lt Ken Graves, of the Sherwood
Rangers Yeomanry, and first published in Keith Douglas' book Alamein to Zem Zem.
It’s just a funny anecdote from the war. But it made me reflect on many things…and has
applications for the Christian life too when we are in a tight spot…In the heat of a spiritual
battle - I really think the Lord wants us to enjoy a nice cheese sandwich….a spiritual one
that is! …..because He has already won the battle! He has put the enemy under our feet!
We need to be looking to the Lord to sustain us in the heat of battle, If we are trusting and
resting in Him…then we will enjoy the spiritual food He gives. Or will we be stressed and
anxious? I think I know what I prefer.
*The source of the anecdote from the war - Reading more about the accounts of those
who fought certainly makes for humble reading. Sadly, Lt, Ken Graves, was killed in
action on 15th January 1943 at Wadi Zem Zem. Capt, Keith Douglas was killed in
action 9 June 1944. ( Keith Douglas was also a noted war poet.)
Prayer and Thanks!
Praise the Lord for new Ventilator fans, plastic chairs and tables - Our cup runneth over!
Thank You to those who kindly donated and helped make this possible….it even extended
to being able to purchase plastic tables!
Praise the Lord for two new members of staff we had, one has stayed on to help as a
teacher with the school. But now we longer have YWAM staff with us.Please pray
Please pray. We have a YWAM Leaders meeting for 3 days in December plus
YWAM Family reunion 09- 12 December 2022.in Caldas Novas, Goiás. In the south
of Brasil. I estimate the cost of staying in the Hotel plus plane flights for all three of
us R$12, 276 reais. It's about over £2,000 UK pounds. With all the needs we have,
we need a great deal of wisdom too!
Please pray we might be able to purchase a new laptop computer
Prayer for the school and project, the need for safety and maintenance etc. To
realistically keep pace with maintenance etc, we need to raise sufficient finance to
cover costs. 10,000 UK pounds would go a long way to resolve much of it. Running
a school is not for the faint of heart! Please pray.
Please pray for the Bible Museum and for partners. If anyone has suggestions or
thoughts please contact us.
Please continue to pray for more volunteer staff and for evangelism. And Praise the
Lord for answered prayers!
Please pray for a return visit to the UK, hopefully we can stay longer next time.
Dorothy enjoyed it very much and we feel it particularly important for her when we
visited in 2018/19. We don't want to leave it another 11 years to pass by! We know
it's a challenge to raise the finance...but ask for prayer and trust in the Lord to make a way.
God bless you all and thank you for all your support and prayers
With our love - Peter, Josi and Dorothy
For those who would like to help financially my bank details are as follows.
Giving through Stewardship
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
