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The Early Days – Caring for Basic Needs The Church at New Westminster, B.C. called Rev. C. Van Spronsen in 1970 to begin mission work among the natives of Brazil. After some orientation and consideration about where there was not yet a Presbyterian or other Reformed witness, this minister settled in San Jose da Coroa Grande in 1972. That same year Mission Aid began to assist this missionary work by sending out John and Ardis Kuik. From the start the principle was adopted and put into practice that they should be sent out “two by two”. They assisted the missionary by doing social work as well as by helping with the Sunday School, Bible classes, services and filling in during his furloughs. John’s focus was on doing works of mercy among the poor in North Eastern Brazil. He began by starting a nursery for the malnourished and sick infants in the area. This nursery was connected to his house, and he and his wife cared for these children 24 hours a day until they were well enough to go home. This same type of work continued with the next Mission Aid worker, Gerrit and Aafke Glas who arrived in the fall of 1981. The need for medical care was still very high at that time. The Brazilian health care system was underdeveloped, and many poor families had few options for their very sick children. During their time on the mission field, a large nursery was built on a separate property in order to enable Mission Aid to care for a larger number of children. Gerrit also concentrated on educating the mothers, since it was clear that many of the ailments the children suffered were related to the use of poor quality drinking water and lack of proper sanitation. The hope was that by educating the mothers and helping them care better for their families, fewer children would become sick and need this assistance. The Souman family worked in Brazil from 1982 to 1989. Their primary focus was on an agricultural project that tried to increase the standard of living of believers in the area. The next Mission Aid workers, Jake and Darlene Kuik, were in Brazil from 1989 to 1999 and continued to focus on caring for sick infants in the nursery and educating the mothers. Jake trained members of the church in health care practices and hired them to nurse the sick children. During his time on the field, the Brazilian government began to focus more on improving the health care system and so at the time of repatriation, Jake closed the nursery down completely. No Mission Aid worker was slated to take his place as the need for this type of medical care had greatly diminished. Used clothing has been sent from Canada to Brazil for many years as well, until 2003. These were given to the neediest families in the church, as well as to women who participated in the baby weighing program and those in slums visited by our Brazilian sisters. The baby weighing program began with Gerrit Glas and continued to be run by Brazilian church members after he left. Expectant mothers took health and nutrition classes and received a package of vegetables and milk powder to augment their typically poor diets. After their baby was born, they came once a month to have their babies weighed and to get information on proper sanitation, breast feeding and the negative effects of smoking, drugs and alcohol. The average age of these mothers is between 15 and 20 due to high rates of teenage pregnancy. This prenatal nutrition and education program was stopped in mid-2005. Building a Solid Foundation – Christian Education in Brazil When the nursery was closed down, it became clear that the situation in our small Christian school in Sao Jose was at a critical point in its existence. Originally it was started in 1984 in a building attached to the church in Sao Jose. The classrooms were very small, the ceilings very low with very little ventilation. The playground area for the children was small and as the location was right in town, the teachers would have to scour the playground every morning for garbage left from people walking through the previous night. Also, passing vehicles with gigantic speakers blaring out messages would disrupt classes on a regular basis, making it very difficult for the children to study. At this time, the principal of the school, Moises Lins, approached Mission Aid to see if it might be possible to renovate the nursery for use as a school. The location of the nursery was perfect, on a main road but not within the city. It was quiet, clean and available. Mission Aid agreed and the transformation began. Rooms were divided to provide more classrooms and a gymnasium was set up in one of the side buildings, previously unused by the nursery. Within two years of opening the new facility, the parent committee approached the principal about the possibility of adding on further grades. They saw the importance of continuing to educate their children in a Christian setting, especially during their formative years. The parents found that as soon as their children left the Christian school, Escola Bíblica Cristã, at the age of ten to attend public schools in the area, they were negatively affected by the pressures of the world. They were taught evolutionist theories, health issues regarding abortion and similar unbiblical ideas. The parents wanted their children’s education to be based on the Bible. Mission Aid agreed to the proposal to expand the school up to Grade 8. Although this may seem at first to be a shift in focus from the original concept of Mission Aid to help the missionary in his evangelization, it is really a natural continuation. The school’s policy was to accept students also from families who did not attend the churches, allowing it to become an evangelistic tool as well as a means of providing an excellent Christian education to the covenant children. In order to maintain Escola Bíblica Cristã’s Reformed character, the missionary and principal visit with the applicants and their family to try to determine the commitment of the family to their child’s education and their acceptance of the school’s discipline policies. The parents are expected to volunteer at the school and to attend a monthly program in which the students demonstrate their learning. Also each family is required to attend one church service per month. Each year the family is revisited. By August 2001 thirteen families had begun regular participation in church services through this school contact. To make this project a success and accommodate the tremendous increase in enrolment, a school bus was needed. The parent committee requested funding from Mission Aid for the one-time purchase of a bus with the agreement that the Brazilian membership would pay for future maintenance of the bus. Mission Aid agreed, and a bus was purchased for less than what was budgeted. Escola Biblica Crista – Toward Independence Mission Aid is trying to have the parents contribute more toward the financial and decision-making aspects of running the school. The parents have contributed a little more, but costs have also gone up so that the overall percentage of parental input has only slightly increased. Mission Aid is working on a seventeen year plan toward making the school financially independent; during this transition time there will be frequent reviews and assessments on progress made toward this goal. As of April 2005 the student enrolment was 265. This Christian school, “Escola Biblica Crista”, has been noticed by the community leaders and was asked to sing the national anthem for the president of Brazil on tour in the area. The school has also received thousands of dollars in textbooks, library books and science equipment donated by local government officials. So the school has been a shining example to the greater Brazilian community. Mission Aid also sent a Canadian principal/teacher, Apko Nap, to teach two courses to Brazilian teachers in September 2003 and July 2005. These courses aimed at increasing the teacher’s ability to give effective Bible instruction and to integrate a Christian perspective in unit plans for different subjects. A Reformed Church History book, Flame of the Word, has also been made available in Portuguese to assist in teaching this subject in the school. Strengthening the Community – Building Employment Opportunities Mission Aid also offers support for a few needy students currently taking university courses. Each request for support is reviewed and accepted on an individual basis. Mission Aid hopes that by aiding the Brazilians in getting a higher education, they will help them improve their future standard of living and provide future leaders for the church. This Student Assistance Project will hopefully also benefit the school since about ten young people are studying to be a teacher. Finally, opportunities for supporting the Brazilian brothers and sisters in Recife abound. Currently the sisters in this church make cards which members of Mission Aid sell in Canada, the proceeds of which help the fledgling school there. Mission Aid hopes to have the resources to provide aid in this Brazilian city as well in the future.
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