Wow, how beautiful! It touches me that a book I wrote more than 20 years ago can still deeply encourage people in their faith, and what a privilege that, even though it is online, we can continue to teach so many international students.
Students in Porto Velho watch Johans teaching together
I teach here in Portuguese
In the meantime, we are also busy organizing the next online seminar, to encourage missionaries working with children in need, anywhere in the world, and to teach them principles and skills they need in their ministry.
We were a bit skeptical ourselves at first: would students still want to take online courses? Isn't everyone getting a little tired of those Zoom screens? But on the other hand, it is still exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, to travel to developing countries, which is where we have the most students.
So, after prayer, we have set up and offered another online course. And we have already received more than fifty registrations for the course that will run in November! Awesome!
Thirty nationalities
The students, most of whom are (young) missionaries and already work with children in need, are again a very international group.
From Africa we have two groups of students from South Africa and Nigeria, as well as students from Mozambique, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Madagascar, Togo and Uganda.
From Asia, we have a few groups from Cambodia and India, along with students from the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Then there are students from South and North America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, the USA, and Canada; of course, Europe is also represented with students from Romania, Slovakia, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and England.
How wonderful to have such a varied international group--but also quite a challenge!
Golden people!
A few weeks ago, we were able to celebrate that the NGO Rescue and Restore from Holland, that has partnered with us for many years, has had more than 100 meetings and in the meantime had folded and sent tens of thousands of newsletters, for the foundation, for the work of Youth with a Mission in Belo Horizonte, as well as for us! This is our 180th newsletter!
We have been missionaries for 41 years now and Jacob van Bodegraven, treasurer and one of the founders of Rescue and Restore, has been our contact person in the Netherlands from the very beginning. How cool is that!?!
Most of those more than one hundred meetings were held at Jacob and Elly's home—gallons of coffee and soda were served, the donations for work and for us personally were kept up to date and sent monthly, appointments for speaking engagements during our home visits were arranged, prayers were lifted up, and some more newsletters were folded and sent! Wow, how blessed we are by loyal friends like Jacob and Elly! They are worth their weight in gold! Thank you, Jacob and Elly!!!
In the photo you see us together with them and some other close friends. These are all very special and lovely people who together form the board of Rescue and Restore and are committed to serving God and helping children and families in need by using their specific gifts. What a wonderful team! We are so grateful to them and thank our Lord God that we get to work with such wonderful friends!
Surprise visit
Because of Corona we have not been able to hug our children and grandchildren living in England and the US for almost 2 years. We miss them all so much. But to celebrate my birthday in October, Johanneke surprised me with a visit from England for a few days! How nice that was--the best possible birthday gift! The days flew by as we shopped together at our different favorite stores 😊, cycled and chatted for hours!
To Denmark, (if possible…)
Early next month we have been invited to teach about working with children in need at YWAM Copenhagen. We have already bought our tickets, but it remains unsure if we will really be able to go or whether the Corona rules will be tightened up again. We are really looking forward to having physical "3D" students in front of us again, not just on a screen. If we are unable to go, we'll continue with Zoom.
Hybrid lessons
Looking to the future, we don’t think we will completely stop offering Zoom classes, because we see that we reach a large group of students whom we would not have been able to train otherwise. But perhaps the best thing is to combine a mixture of lessons on Zoom and lessons in the mission field, where you can give the students practical experience. We will see!
Christmas
The log cabin that we built next to our house is now completed and painted. Davi has stayed there several times, as well as other family members. We’re so happy that it is now possible! During the upcoming Christmas break, Davi and Dilma hope to come and stay with us for a few weeks.
We’d like to wish you all a very meaningful Christmas, where the celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus, our Lord and Savior will be the centerpiece, where we will take time to thank and honor Him. Jesus, the light that shines in a dark world, then and now, gives us hope for the future, meets us in our wavering faith, and gives us love for those both near to us and far from us. Glory to God!
Much love and lots of blessings!
Prayer Points
- Pray for the students who will participate in the seminar online. That the internet connections continue to work well, and the lessons will really be a significant help and blessing to them and their work.
- Thank God for the wonderful team at Rescue and Restore, who have been faithful in their support for so many years.
- Pray that we will be able to keep peace of heart and adapt easily and flexibly if our class schedule must change again because of Corona.
- Thank God for the miracle of Christmas—God who became man, to save us.
