Aldergrove Mission Board UpdateJan Kottelenberg

http://www.brazilianreformedmission.org/ Winter 2017

Education Worker, Elias Barbosa. Both of these brothers were able to visit the home front recently to get further acquainted with their boards which supervise the work from afar. We also congratulate the Boersema's on the new addition to their family.

We continue to see evidence of increased independence and growth in the IRB churches, due to the preaching and engagement of the missionaries. Mission Board supports the missionaries in finding ways to increase this important preaching and teaching and while we have not been able to secure a third missionary at this time, we continue to pay attention to this matter. Any names you may wish to forward to us for that purpose are welcome!

One mission project that Mission Board is supporting and that we would like to highlight is the work of Pastor Elienai B. Batista, who labors out of the CLIRE Reading Room in Recife. A few years ago pastor Elienai B. Batista started this mission project and has helped start the IRB church of Imbiribeira. Imbiribeira is now an instituted IRB church with its own pastor and so now Pastor Elienai is working intensively as the missionary of Imbiribeira with a church plant or mission post in Paulista, which is growing with people interested in the Reformed faith in a remarkable way. Pastor Elienia is giving many lectures out of the Reading Room on the reformed faith, creating some online training courses for women's bible study, e t c , s p e a k i n g a t s o m e R e f o 5 0 0 Conferences celebrating the Protestant Reformation and the planting of a new church in Paulista. The Lord is blessing the

work of this busy Brazilian missionary pastor!

Mission Board, in conjunction with the missionaries and with input from the IRB churches, is currently engaged in a review process of the long-term plans for the work in Brazil. We

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Greetings from the Aldergrove Mission Board. It has been another eventful year with a number of changes to the mission work in Brazil and here on the home front. First of all, we may take note of the fact that our 'new' missionary, Pastor Jim Witteveen, was able to go to Brazil earlier this year. It did not take him long to acclimatize and gain greater f luency in the Portuguese language. Before long, he was delivering speeches and sermons and having visits with our brothers and sisters in Portuguese. If you've been following his FB posts or seeing the local bulletins from the Mission Board, you'll know all about his experiences. He has been a great blessing in helping to carry some of the load previously carried by Pastor Ken Wieske on his own. We look forward to the time when Pastor Jim, his wife Nallely and their three younger chi ldren, wi l l be reunited permanently in Brazi l , pending the permanent custody settlement.

Earlier this year a big project was completed when the Wieske's moved into their new residence on the Aldeia Training Centre property. You may have seen pictures of it elsewhere. They are very happy to be there after a long wait. We thank the supporting c h u r c h e s a n d m a n y o t h e r s f o r contributing to this particular project. The residence should provide a suitable residence for our missionary for many years to come. Pastor Ken has been busy over the past year, teaching at the IJC and also making visits to many churches, seminaries and parties interested in the riches of the Reformed faith.

We also want to mention the invaluable work done through Mission Aid by Br. Chris Boersema and the new

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Some views of the new Wieske Home

Personal Finance SeminarsChris Boersema

It is always a good question to ask, even if time and time again, why are we doing mission work in Brazil. Or a very similar question - what are we now doing with mission in Brazil. This will help everyone - those laboring on the field, the boards who support the work, the supporting churches, and those who we are here to serve - to be well aware and to focus on the end goal. There is no question that in the broadest s e n s e w e s e e k t o c o n t r i b u t e t o w a r d f u l f i l l i n g t h e G r e a t Commission - “...go and make disciples of al l nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Mt. 28:19-20.

There have been plenty of books, articles, and papers written on what foreign mission is to look like and to achieve. So there may be varying thoughts on methods, use of resources, length of time, and all the many aspects of carrying out the work of foreign mission. But it is hard to imagine that the end goal and “work plan” would not be to: share the gospel, establish a local church, continue cooperating in sharing the gospel and establishing more local churches until you have an established federation of churches that are independent of foreign oversight, and then continue cooperating until this sister church is mature to the point where they say they no longer need help with foreign manpower or resources. Independent. Autonomous. Mature church of Christ. After 46 years of CanRC mission work in Brazil we have certainly done a lot, by God's good grace. We are in the latter phases of this summarised description of steps to be achieved. There is so much more I could say about this, but my point is to drawn our attention again to where we are today. And what should be now be focussing on? The short answer is to continue to help building our sister federation, the Igrejas Reformadas do Brasil, to maturity, with resources, experience, and manpower that they still do not have or are limited in. If our efforts go beyond

that there is certainly no end to what can be done in this country of over 200 million people. But we would never be able to do all the labor that can so easily be found in such a large county. What

would be even worse, as we spread ourselves so thin, is that our dear brethren in the IRB, who we have come alongside for so many decades, will suffer with our divided attention and resources (because we do have limitations), and the progress that we would like to see toward their growth and maturity will take so much longer to achieve. So, in view of our limited resources for foreign mission work, and desire to focus on what we began, we continue to work alongside and in service of the

Brazilian Reformed Churches specifically, to see a strong and independent sister federation as soon as the Lord willing that is possible.

I could now go on to describe each area of the work that Mission Aid Brazil is involved in toward this goal. However, in this article I will simply focus, briefly, on the seminars we have been doing on Personal Finances. Our plan has been to visit every one of the IRB congregations with this 3 part series. Over the last few years we have nearly reached our goal. I have presented the series in about 15 different locations. The photo here was taken at the end of the series presented in the congregation of Alberto Maia, in the Greater Recife Area. Each of the seminars is 1 ½ to 2 hours long, presented over three evenings, with ongoing homework over the course of the series. Some of the topics covered are: basic principles about how money works, the sin of the sluggard and blessing of work, teaching your children

about money, singles and finances, couples and finances, tithing, a financial plan for your life, getting out of debt, where to invest, and a life of contentment. It always seems like the 6 hours

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Eng VanLaar is also an intermediate elementary school teacher with many years of teaching experience. Her assessment, after the trip:

· “Overall, speaking and presenting at this symposium was both an honour and a pleasure. In a very short time we experienced Brazilian hospitality, conversations regarding struggling and special-need students, cultural differences, and the love for the Lord in our tasks as teachers. We have also learned from their concerns and struggles, as they are teachers who teach in a Mission School where many of the students and/or parents are not Christians.”

· “It is essential to give credit and honour to God in all aspects of learning and as teachers to continually look to Him for guidance and support in our daily task.”

And how did the approximately 50 Brazilian brothers and sisters who participated experience this week-long convention?

· Facebook posts showed tremendous levels of enthusiasm for the instruction and activities presented.

· Excitement and appreciation was evident when manipulatives and materials were taken out of suitcases and distributed.

· The written assessments given to the organizers indicated profound appreciation for the relevance of the topics, for the manner in which the presentations were delivered, the encouragement that could be provided, and the fellowship that was experienced.

Thanks are in order to our financial contributors so that this symposium was possible. Thanks are in order to the organizing team at Escola Biblica Cristã at São José who did so much of the local organizing. Appreciation should be expressed to Chris and Elias who were involved in many aspects of the conference, including the necessary translation. Thank you, Linda and Eng, for your willingness to travel such a great distance, and for preparing and delivering meaningful presentations. And of course: thank God for his continued provision and blessing.

Every year, a Teachers Symposium in Brazil is financially supported by either Hamilton's Board of Mission Aid or else the Mission Aid Board from the Fraser Valley. This year it was the latter's responsibility. Two teachers from Western Canada – Eng VanLaar from Tyndale Christian School in Calgary and Linda VanSpronsen from Credo Christian Elementary School in Langley – traveled to Brazil to make presentations to Christian teachers there. By all accounts, it was a rich experience for all involved.During the months leading up to the convention, there were numerous discussions involving some Mission Aid Board members as well as Chris Boersema and Elias Barbosa da Silva. The conclusion was reached that the presentations should focus on relevant, practical and successful pedagogical practices. Topics which were addressed included classroom management, reading, storytelling, differentiation, being a reflective practitioner, mathematics, science, a teacher's daily spiritual life, and a Biblical worldview in the classroom. Since almost all the teachers who participated are involved in elementary level education, the presentations had a deliberately elementary focus.Linda VanSpronsen is an intermediate elementary school teacher with over 20 years of teaching experience. After her experience, she shared:

· “It was wonderful to share what I do in my classroom and why. What a rewarding exercise to reflect on different classroom management techniques used, how teachers learn, grow and change. The Brazilian teachers wanted practical lessons, so we shared. They were enthusiastic participators.”

· “Taking the time to reflect on my teaching and to frame all the presentation with the Word of God was an enriching exercise. Seeing God's hand guiding my life, remembering and sharing teaching experiences made this time of preparing and presenting rich indeed!”

Teacher SymposiumOtto Bouwman

Update on the Aldeia Training CentreNeal Gelderman

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The ATC property is maintained by a board appointed by the church at Yarrow. This past year we have again been busy with a number of maintenance items, as well as enhancements to the property. One of the larger items that was completed at the beginning of the year was the manse at the back of the property, now occupied by the Wieske family. While this project was financed by the sending church (Aldergrove) the ATC board was tasked with seeing the project to its completion. By all accounts, the Wieske family is enjoying their new quarters!

This was completed just in time, as we also had to prepare for the arrival of the Witteveen family who were going to take up residence in the space vacated by the Wieske family. In preparation, walls were repaired and repainted, floors were refinished, electrical work was done, and air conditioners replaced. While there are still some repairs needed, the Witteveen family is also now enjoying their new quarters at the ATC.

In March a Short-Term Volunteer group consisting of 3 young men and 2 young women went to Brazil and could help with some of the work at the ATC. In addition to painting (with the high humidity, painting is something that constantly needs to be done), the group was able to begin some work on improvements to the library. In addition to the regular use in hosting books, the library is also the room at the ATC that hosts seminary classes and other meetings. This room has full windows up to the raised, sloped, ceiling and this can make the room very hot in the beating sun in addition to making it difficult for the participants to view the presentations over a projector. The STV team was able to install boards to cover up the upper windows, and begin installing posts for a roof and covered entrance area. This project was completed by a contractor after the team left.

A n o t h e r m a j o r project that was c o m p l e t e d t h i s y e a r , w a s t h e instal lat ion of a playground for the children who live and visit the ATC. This playground was designed and bui l t by severa l volunteers f rom Yar row and was

conveniently able to be tucked into the shipping container that was bringing the Witteveen's belongings to Brazil! It has since been installed at the ATC and has already seen good use!

Other items of note: Taking care of some trees that were showing signs of breaking, and replacing the fence along the

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It has now been almost six months since Jim and the boys moved to Brazil officially, and the younger children and I have just returned to Canada after a six-week stay with them. In this time together much was learned and enjoyed! It wasn't until after Jim and the boys left for Brazil that our possessions were packed onto a container and shipped away. After that happened, and our house in Prince George was finally emptied, we moved south to Abbotsford, where we'll be staying for the next while. Meanwhile, Jim and the boys first moved into the Mission Aid suites at the ATC (together with Sparky, our cocker spaniel), and then into the house that the Wieskes used to live in. But it wasn't until August until the container finally arrived, and they could start to set up the house.

While Jim has taken up his task immediately, the children have enjoyed some time adjusting to their new surroundings. Jesse and Ashton have begun taking Portuguese lessons from Abigail, Pr. Laylton's daughter, who also lives on the ATC grounds. McKinley has been successful in transferring his basic knowledge of Spanish to learning Portuguese, and he has become better and better at communicating with church members without too much trouble. The younger ones just follow along in play, and we feel confident that as we spend more and more time in Brazil the children will learn and be speaking Portuguese in no time. All of the kids are enrolled with the Traditional Learning Academy for their homeschooling, and that support has really helped through the changes that have been happening over the past few months.

We have been blessed with plenty of invitations from local churches and their members, so much so that we hosted our

UpdateNallely Witteveen

first dinner gathering already, and enjoyed the company of fellow missionaries as well as a local pastor and church members. We also enjoyed sharing a Thanksgiving luncheon with the people that live at the ATC. Although we substituted chicken (galeto) for turkey, and the beans didn't work out, Tamara Wieske saved the day with delicious Pernambuco pumpkin pies and ice cream!

We also had the joy of visiting neighbouring churches, one of which is turning into a reformed church, along with a mission post that they have about an hour away from their city. That visit was an eye-opener for me, to see how much thirst the people have to learn the solid and edifying word of the gospel, and the challenges that this brings to the mission field. The warm welcome that we receive in every place we visit is very

encouraging, and a living example of the communion of saints in action. When complete strangers welcome a family of eight to stay in their (small) home without ever having met them before, and at the end of a weekend we feel like friends, and brothers and sisters, that communion is shown to be something very real, and very beautiful.

All in all, it has been a time of learning and work to continue to bring forth the truth of the gospel in Brazil, and I feel extremely proud and honoured to be part of such a commission. We're looking forward to the conclusion of the adoption process for our three youngest children, and to being reunited as a family on a permanent basis, in the very near future. The p ro ce s s i s m u c h s l owe r t h a n we h a d anticipated, but we trust that the Lord will work everything out, as He has so far. I'm very

thankful that we have already been able to start the work and get settled to a certain extent, even though the process has dragged on.

May God's name be glorified and exalted in all this!

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Aldergrove Mission Board UpdateContinued from front page

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hope to complete this process by the end of the year so that we may be able to carry on the work with a roadmap that has been agreed upon by all of the parties engaged in this work. In November, Mission Board is sending two delegates to the Mission field as part of the Board's annual visitation requirements and to get acquainted with the work and visit the IRB churches.

The Mission Board and Mission Aid Board along with the Yarrow ATC committee, continue (Aldeia Training Centre)to work well together in governance of the Brazil Mission project, particularly in ensuring the Missionaries are well supported in their role of preaching and teaching, but especially in their role as provider and protector for their families. Mission Board requests that all our supporting churches continue to pray for our missionaries and their wives and children as they labor in the mission field, away from the supporting care of close family and home church community.

We at this time also like to make the supporting churches aware of a specific health concern of Pastor Ken Wieske. Pastor Ken has been recently diagnosed with colon cancer and will be undergoing intensive medical procedures to treat this disease. Please remember this dear Pastor in your prayers that the LORD will bring healing and that Brother Ken and Sister Tamara may receive the necessary strength and patience to deal with the effects and treatments of this disease.

We give thanks to our Lord in heaven that he has blessed and sustained this Brazil Mission work thus far and we pray that he will continue to provide all that is needed for the missionaries and for their families and us as supporting community in the years ahead, for the furtherance of His Kingdom.

of presenting that I dedicate to all these topics are never enough to cover so much that can be taught. But I have never finished one of these series and not felt or heard that everyone was able to benefit by seeing a few ways to change their view and practice in how they manage their finances for the glory of God. Our goal is to see all our brothers and sisters being wise stewards of the resources our good Lord has blessed them with, free of any debt, living contently in gratitude, and contributing generously toward the growth of Christ's Kingdom. This is no easy task in a godless culture of consumerism, and where a large number of the IRB church members are fairly recent converts with a lot of baggage of a pretty messy past. That is why our work within these churches does and will take time. Nonetheless, the progress and fruit of the work is visible and greatly appreciated. I can assure you that the words of gratitude that I hear and read in response to all the work the Mission Aid does is encouraging and glorifies our Lord.

driveway of the ATC that was also feeling the affects of the high humidity.

Next on the horizon are some much needed painting and repairs to the dorms at the ATC; these dorms are used to host larger groups at the ATC and have both men and women quarters. Planning is in the early stages for a Spring STV trip, and if you are interested in joining us, or finding out more information, please drop us a line at yarrowatcboard@gmail.com!

We are only able to complete this work under God's blessings, so please continue to remember the ATC Board as well as the ATC Caretaker, Dado, in your prayers as we do our part to help in bringing the gospel to Brazil

Update on the Aldeia Training CentreContinued from Page 4