Missionary Letter
Barbara Knoyle
Abiah-Oasis Brasil, Rua André Saraiva, 783,
Vila Sônia, SP – 05626-001, São Paulo, Brazil
E-mail: knoyleb@bmsworldmission.org
www.bmsworldmission.org/bknoyle
June 7th, Sao Paulo
Dear Friends,
Dear Friends,
I have just returned from a decidedly hot and sticky Recife, having spent the last two weeks teaching English to the students. I very much enjoyed being back in the classroom with a roomful of chatty students! Two of the girls are coming to Sao Paulo next month, to participate in a PEPE placement, which would enable them to run their own PEPE group or open the door to assist Inez, the Pernambuco state PEPE coordinator in the future. Both are theology students and are akeady involved in children's ministry at their work experience churches. Lucivania and Soknge are lovely and I am very much looking forward to having them over in Sao Paulo! During my time at Recife, I gave a PEPE Child Protection
Child Protection workshop. SEC students Lucivania, far right and
Solange nearest to the door, remaining two ladies being PEPE
missionaries
course at SEC, training to 20 new PEPE Missionaries from various Baptist churches in Recife. I praise God for all he has done during this last year. I was at SEC in March 2009, on my way down to Sao Paulo, after my BMS work in Rio Grande do Norte state did not work out. I was just entering PEPE, unsure of what was ahead, and still hurting from a failed project. The only certainty I had was that it was God's will that I go to Sao Paulo and use my teaching experience within the PEPE network. This year I returned to Recife with much more peace in my heart, a year's worth of PEPE experience and for God's glory, was able to give a training course that I know will be a blessing to many missionaries and children within the PEPES of Recife. I was very happy with the feedback I got from the course and again thanked God when I remembered a time in my life that I could not speak one word of Portuguese!
I also enjoyed visiting some PEPE groups in Recife: The Afogados Baptist church and Betesda Baptist Church PEPE groups. It was great to be amongst the children again! They all wanted to talk to me, tell me their names and what they like to do at PEPE. Of course they swarmed around Inez and I when the cameras appeared! We distributed the donations of bread rolls that are kindly donated- 150 rolls a week! They will be used at the PEPE groups during break time, as a snack for the children. The Pastor of Betesda showed us around, and is clearly a visible presence at the PEPE- all the children gather to greet him and laugh at his jokes! The children were practicing a dance and song presentation- the two classes present an item once a month
PEPE Children practicing their dance item to present to their
parents
within a church service, and all the parents come to see their children on stage. It is also a great opportunity for the whole church to see the value of the groups in preparing the little ones for school, giving them the independence and confidence to enter with ease, as well as being able to enter with basic writing, reading and numeracy skills and a broad experience of experiences in Arts and RE. I left Recife last Saturday and it is good to be back in Sao Paulo again, catching up with friends from church and the office. Next Monday I will be travelling to Rio de Janeko, where I will be accompanying Holly Eves, BMS volunteer, in visiting some of Rio's PEPES. We will then be returning to Sao Paulo, I to my work in the office and Holly to her work in assisting at local PEPES and church holiday clubs. July brings the month-long PEPE holidays, and it will be during these weeks that we will be training new missionaries and preparing materials for the new term in August. Solange and Lucivania will be in Sao Paulo by then, along with BMS volunteer Emily Lyall, who will also be also involved in church holiday club and PEPE activities.
During these past few months, I have been praying very much for guidance in my future. I thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. At the end of the year, I will be coming to the end of my 2 years with BMS. I trust that the Lord will guide me in my next steps during the new year ahead. I am I am looking forward to being able to see many people at home face to face and share my experiences of my work in Brazil!
For those of you that are praying for me, could you please remember the following:
Thanks:
1. My time here in Recife, the hospitality
of SEC, its students and Inez Recife PEPE
coordinator Inez
of SEC, its students and Inez Recife PEPE
coordinator Inez
2. new PEPE groups just opened and
about to open in Recife
about to open in Recife
3. The opportunity for Lucivania and
Solange to come to Sao Paulo and bless
the children and missionaries there
Solange to come to Sao Paulo and bless
the children and missionaries there
Requests:
1. Health- I have just returned to a cold Sao Paulo,
from a very hot Recife, and need to keep flu-free in
order to be able to travel to Rio in a weeks' time!
from a very hot Recife, and need to keep flu-free in
order to be able to travel to Rio in a weeks' time!
2. The July training course in Sao Paulo- details
need to be arranged and much prayer is needed.
need to be arranged and much prayer is needed.
3. that the Lord will continue to guide me in regard
to my future once my time with BMS comes to an
end in December.
to my future once my time with BMS comes to an
end in December.
With love in Christ,
Barbara
Barbara
Pontygwindy Road
Caerphilly
CF83 3AD