Coronavirus continues to
cause serious problems for the children and teachers at our schools. The virus is still spreading causing all our schools to close.
Teachers have been doing a good
job in filming lessons and putting them on the internet. Most children know
someone with a mobile phone so can access lessons. The teacher goes to the
homes of those children who cannot watch the lessons and leaves written ‘homework’.
Teachers also delivered more food parcels for their families because we know
the only proper meal most of these children have is when they come to school.
So, we make sure they receive this help in this distance-schooling period.
On 23rd December
Liz and John visited the Action School in Patos where a team was distributing
Christmas presents to the children which resulted in many smiling faces! We do
try to take special care of our pupils at this time because they are especially
under pressure with the pandemic's restrictions. Liz and John were able to encourage
the team for all their dedicated work throughout a difficult year.
Please pray for this school
as the headteacher, Gerlânia, has decided to move on to different work after 17
excellent years in our Pastor Frank Dyer School. She will not be easily
replaced so please pray for God to guide John and Liz in this situation.
I personally will be grateful to Gerlânia for her love
and attention to my brother’s sponsored girl, who all her life has been treated
badly and ignored by her mother who only wants to live the ‘high life’ and
consequently has ignored her own daughter for at least all her school life.
Schools continue closed so our team produces work and
exercise sheets and delivers them to the children's homes every two weeks. They
have given all the children masks as well. The children receive food hampers
periodically which helps all the family.
These 2 children study at Action School Flores and their
mum is pregnant again. They live in a tiny house, a precarious, awful
situation. The family received a food hamper, and also the church organized a
campaign to buy things for the baby.
Reports from our schools have been coming in
all the time along with many photos including Manaira, Tavares, Imaculada, Juru
and the school at Green Pastures farm.
Coronavirus in Latin America has been described by the
Guardian newspaper as "unimaginable - lurching from bad to worse".
That about sums the situation up there! Brazil is the second worse country in
the world in the number of Covid deaths.
Sacha Medcraft, who deals
with the Action Schools in Brazil, writes:- “I
have heard of some children here that caught it but had it like a normal cold,
nothing serious. I haven't heard about this passing it on to adults around here
because the schools and playgrounds are closed, so the children are at home
most of the time.
The hospitals here are working at full capacity
unfortunately. I lost a dear friend and my husband lost his uncle. My doctor
also died. He was the father of one of my close friends.”
We greatly value your
prayers.
Marian Rashleigh - 59, Rosewall Road, Southampton. SO16 5DU
Phone 02380 345 945
eabchild@gmail.com
