Peter and Josi’s Newsletter – October 2025

                                                   

Some admirer’s of Dorothy’s artwork depicting fish.

Peter and Josi’s Newsletter – October 2025

Dear Friends,

Greetings once again. Time passes quickly, and we are now in the run up to Christmas! Thank you for your prayers, messages and support. We give thanks to God for you all!

School started back on 1st August this year. Josi is with some pupils in a Welcome back to School display.  

Celebrating Brasil Independence Day in School 7th September.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12 

Dorothy created a 23 page colouring book about the Creation of God, for the school celebrating Children’s day in Brazil…and Daddy helped with the technical stuff! We produced around 50 copies and had good feedback from parents and children .

     

Children: God's Project.

This was the theme for Children's Week  for  Children's Day. We concluded with this reflection.

Then Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Each child is a special project of God, created with love and purpose. From the moment of conception, they are unique and have an important role in the world. God made them to be loved, taught, and guided. Childhood is a precious time of learning, where children discover God's love, develop their skills, and form values ​​and principles.

It is essential that they are surrounded by affection, education, and positive examples, because they are called to be heirs of the kingdom of God and have the potential to impact the world around them. God bless our children.

In Memory of Ruth Hughes (1925–2025)

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.” — Psalm 116:15 (NIV)

Recently we learned that our dear friend Ruth Hughes has gone to be with the Lord. We give thanks for Ruth’s long life and faithful witness, and we want to honour her memory.

I first met Ruth many years ago at Carreg Clwydd church in Oswestry, Shropshire. Only later did I discover that she was one of the Kindertransport children - rescued from Germany before the Second World War. Ruth became a Christian after arriving in the UK.   In January 1995, television coverage marked 50 years since the liberation of the death camps (1945). I had planned to avoid the documentaries - they are hard to watch. That very week, at our Sunday evening service, Ruth shared her testimony: how she escaped Germany before the war, how the Lord brought her to the UK, and how Jesus became her Saviour.

That evening Ruth held up two rough railway spikes, the kind used on the tracks in Auschwitz. Friends had given them to her some years before during a reconciliation journey in Germany. Ruth had travelled with a group of mainly German Christians; she was the only Jew in the group. “They treated me like a queen,” she said. “Please let us do this for you - you represent the Jewish people,” they told her. It was deeply moving.

As Ruth spoke, about the nails… The nails Ruth held in her hands made me think of the nails that pierced our Lord Jesus and thought that would make an interesting painting. After the service, as we were heading back down the stairs after tea and biscuits, Ruth said to me, “Peter, I think you should make a picture about what I shared.” That simple confirmation felt like God’s nudge.

Over the next seven weeks I researched, watched the documentaries I had avoided, and painted. The work became a small act of remembrance and a pointer to the cross -“the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). A few years later, a German Christian couple purchased the painting and took it back to Germany, where it was used at reconciliation events across the country. Only God could write a story like that.

Fast-forward to last year. When our family returned to the UK, friends kindly arranged a small reunion where we were able to sit with Ruth again. She was cheerful and warm -as ever - and quietly said, “Peter, this will probably be my last time I see you.” In May this year, we rejoiced to hear Ruth reached the wonderful milestone of 100 years. We thank God for Ruth - her courage, her kindness, her humour, and her steadfast faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please pray for her family, May the God of all comfort be near.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
                                                                                                  - 2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)

------------------------oooOooo------------------------------

Further news about the roof mentioned in our last newsletter in July.

We had to take part of it down as the wind was starting to make problems for it. It's the covered area that we have for games and other large group activities etc.

Please pray with us as we seek the Lord for the next steps with the roof and wait on the Lord’s provision. Approximate cost for this £5,000

 Prayer Points

We give thanks to the Lord for continued answers to prayer and for health. Recently, I (Peter) I can only think it must have been COVID for a number of weeks. Very strange symptoms, but seem to have recovered now. Praise the Lord! For a number of months now, a lot of children in school have been sick with various flu-like symptoms.

• UK’s Proposed Islamophobia Law Answers to prayer - It sounds like it is being ditched - An answer to Prayer, Praise the Lord!

• Provision for Phase 4 and Art Gallery resources.
  
  

• Strength & grace for Dorothy’s learning and discipleship. Dorothy has started a course to train as a school secretary

• Wisdom as we disciple pupils and families in a complex culture.
  
  

• Guidance for the UK visit (2026) and long-term planning.
  
  

• Provision - Personal support as we navigate each month.
  
  

• Jocum — As we continue to pray for Volunteers and Staff.

With our love and thanks in Christ,
Peter, Josi & Dorothy 

Plus Suki, our dog. 

Support - For those who would like to kindly help financially, my bank details are as follows.  Please contact me.