The Atkisson Family Update
News for Friends, Family, and Partners
Spring 2002

In This Issue

“Patches”

Escola de Português

City of Youth

Caê

Prayer Requests

How do you keep in touch with us?

David and Lynn Atkisson
Hilary, Jacob, Taylor

Mailing address:

**c/o Mission to the World
1600 North Brown Rd.
Lawrenceville, GA 30043

Field Address:

Rua São Pedro, 328
Cambui
Campinas ­ SP 13025-350
Brasil, S.A.

Email Addresses:

DALASDG02@aol.com or
datkisson@mtwla.org
web page:
www.mtwla.org/people/
datkisson.htm

Make support gifts to:

Mission to the World
**P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
Atkisson support acct. #10130

(If you have an email address, please send it to us if you would like to receive this letter in that fashion so as to save on postage. Also, let us know if you would not like to continue to receive it. Note our email address above.)

** New mailing address


“Patches”

It's amazing how the Lord many times uses the common things in life to make Himself known and to show us time and time again how we need to just trust Him and believe that He has everything under control. He has brought this truth to bear on our lives most recently through our rambunctious family dog, Patches. She is an Australian Cattle Dog and thus bears the usual markings of that breed. However, because this breed is unusual in Brazil, she draws quite a bit of attention when we have her out on walks. Therefore, she has been the center of attention nearly every time we take her out. Either people are terrified of her because of her stocky build and playful friskiness mistaken for aggression or fascinated by her distinct markings. There seems to be no middle ground. Even still, the Lord is beginning to open doors of opportunity for us through her for the spread of the gospel in our neighborhood.

One example is the relationship that David has developed with the commander of the local police station near our apartment. It all started out over a conversation about Patches and has now led to a friendship that is building around Sgt. Cardosa giving David Portuguese lessons and David giving English lessons in return. David is praying that the Lord would use him as He prepares Sgt. Cardosa's heart. So, we stand in amazement as we witness the Lord Jesus using even the mundane activity of taking the dog for her daily walk as a means to His eternal will. What a privilege it is to serve our sovereign King!

Escola de Português

We arrived in Campinas on February 5 and started attending Portuguese language school the following week. Interclass was founded in 1973, and is considered to be one of the best


language schools in Brazil for estrangeiros (foreigners). All of us are attending the school every morning five days a week. David, Lynn and Hilary are in a class together with another missionary couple from Trinidad, Martin and Chamine McDowell. Of course, the star pupil in the class is Hilary, who after a month and a half of language study is able to converse with just about anyone. Lynn and David are desperately trying to keep up with her... Taylor and Jacob have their own class with two different teachers and are also doing very well. They particularly enjoy the “cultural” field trips to the padaria (bread store) to sample the hot, fresh pão de queijo (cheese bread). We praise our Lord for providing this wonderful school with dedicated professors and other missionaries to have fellowship with. We are particularly thankful for the school's director, Pierre Coudry. Besides being one of our professors, he has been a true blessing in helping us in more ways than we can detail here. Muito obrigado, Pierre!!!

City of Youth

We have written before about Hope Unlimited and their outreach to street children. Now we are privileged to be able to visit the campuses (separate boys and girls facilities) whenever we can arrange a ride. The first Sunday we were in Brazil, David was able to participate in the morning service at the boy's campus chapel by assisting with the sacrament of the Lord's supper. We were also able to witness 12 of the children take communion for the first time after their baptisms.

Please Scroll Down to the Next Page
A typical daily routine:

-Rise and shine between 6-6:30. Get sleepy children up, get ready, eat breakfast, take Patches out.
--Leave for our 12 minute walk to language school.
--Classes from 8:15-9:30 & 10-11:15.
--Walk home from school, occasionally stopping at the store or running errands.
--Eat lunch, do chores, do Portuguese homework, children do some homeschool work.
--Ballet for Hilary two afternoons/wk.; Jacob & Taylor soccer training two afternoons/wk.
--Lynn & David study Portuguese and converse as much as possible in the community.
--David or Lynn stand in lines to pay bills at various and sundry locations around town.
--Home for dinner
--More study, a video, family reading (currently The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis), or worship.
--Sometimes Internet instant messaging for the kids.
--Off to bed for the kids. Lynn & David try and work on anything else that didn't get done during the day.
--Thankfully off to bed for the tired Mom and Dad!

Tax-deductible donations to the car fund can be made to:

Westminster Presbyterian Church
2343 Knob Creek Rd.
Johnson City, TN 37602

Note: On the subject line of the check, please specify Atkisson Car Fund.


It was a glorious morning of praise and worship. Hilary, Jacob and Taylor have also been able to go with the children who had recently had a birthday on a special outing. The directors of Hope Unlimited, Philip and Corenne Smith, arrange this special evening once every month for the children through the generosity of some business owners in town. The kids eat at McDonald's, go to see a movie at a cinema, and have ice cream. It's a great blessing that my children have been able to see first-hand in the faces of these kids.

Caê

Each of our children have been able to make some friends, but one friend who stands out is Caê (pronounced “Kah-aye”). We (and many of you) had been praying that Jacob would find a friend here in Brazil. The Lord graciously

granted that prayer in this young man. We met him at his work, Pão de Açucar (our local grocery store) one day, and he has become a “staple” at our apt. ever since. He is studying English, so he likes to practice with us, but more importantly (at least for Jacob), is that he is a “Skatista” (skateboarder), and a very good one at that.

Caê attended church with us for the first time in his life the second week we were here, and he has been several other times since. He has told David that he has many questions about Christianity, so they have had some great discussions. Please pray that the Holy Spirit would move in Caê's heart and that he would see the love of Christ in our lives. We also ask you to pray that we would be able to clearly present the gospel to him in a way that he can understand, and that he would respond by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.


Our Prayer Requests

First, we praise the Lord for each of you and your faithful prayers for us. Many times we take it for granted that missionaries need our prayers, but when you are on the “front lines” you covet them with renewed vigor and realize their great importance. Thank you so much. Here are some specific things that you can pray for us:

--Continued adjustment to the Brazilian culture and language.
--Stamina, energy, and brainpower to understand, interpret, and respond to Portuguese (in a way that is coherent).
--A fervent call for you to pray for our children and their adjustment to life here without their friends in the States. Each day that passes by we see more and more progress, but we still have many kilometers to go.
--Speaking of kilometers, please pray that the Lord would provide the funds necessary for us to purchase a late model used car. So far, we have been able to “get around” by bus without too many problems, but we are limited in where and when we can travel.
--A keen awareness and constant focus on why we are here and who it is that we serve, our Risen King Jesus.

Soli Deo Gloria,

The Atkissons

P.S. If you have Internet access, please visit our web page for previous updates and a link to a “picture page” that is updated regularly of our life here in Brazil. That address again is: www.mtwla.org/people/datkisson.htm

“Porque Deus amou o mundo de tal maneira que deu o Seu Filho Unigênito para que todo aquele que nele crê não pereça, mas tenho a vida eterna.”

João 3:16
(John 3:16)

- Tuesday, April 9, 2002