Les and Debbie Bowden Serving His Servants …It’s Happening!
Today ends the first semester of our 07-08 school year at PQQ, our boarding school for children of missionaries here in Brazil. The students all go home and spend 6 weeks with their families.
…Kandi and Joe Tie The Knot
September 28 dawned with a glorious sunrise and promised to be a beautiful day for a wedding in the park. Our daughter Kandi was married to Joseph Depue on Doty Island in Menasha, Wisconsin at 11 o’clock in the morning in at the Wedding Garden in the city park. There were approximately 150 guests to see them make vows before God to loves and cherish each other for life. God blessed them with a beautiful fall day, full of sunshine and flowers.
SCHOOL BEGINS AT OUR AMAZON BOARDING SCHOOL
After a summer filled with scrubbing walls, painting, and making new curtains we were finally ready! Tomorrow the school’s boat would leave early to go pick up our boarding students from town. A lot of prayer and planning had gone into the preparations for this school year. Our boarding school for missionaries’ children was about to begin classes for another year.
Prepared Hearts
Pray that our hearts and the hearts of the students that will be staying in our dorm as well as those of their parents will be prepared for this coming school year. We pray that it will be a year that will bring honor and glory to Him. Our heart’s desire is that each student will grow in their walk with the Lord.
Preparations for The New School Year
Please pray for us as we make preparations at our school for the children of missionaries. We will be dorm parents for the 5th – 8th grade students this year and our building has not been used as a dorm for several years. There are many little maintains projects that need attending and lots of painting.
…Welcome Home!
After a year of home assignment in the U.S. we were excited to be getting back to our home on the Amazon and the ministry God has allowed us to be a part for nearly 30 years.
June NEWS!! NEWS!! NEWS!!
NEWS! NEWS!! NEWS!! NEWS!! NEWS!! NEWS!!
Just what’s so exciting?? Les and I have been having a few days at Debbie’s parent’s home to rest up after the past couple of weeks of whirl-wind activity.
Kandi and her fiancé, Joe Depue graduated from New Tribes Bible Inst. on May 18. We were privileged to be able to attend the graduation. Kandi was our fifth daughter to graduate from New Tribes and the only graduation we have been able to attend. But we weren’t the only ones attending from our family. Les’s parents and his sister and her husband as well. Charlotte Rasmussen, a family friend was also there to see Kandi graduate.
Joe’s parents, Larry and Linda Depue , were there to see Joes and Kandi graduate as well. We were able to have an Open House for Joe and Kandi the next day in Menasha, WI. This was a great opportunity for friends from our church to meet Joe and his parents as well as congratulate the graduates.
We also took this time for everyone visiting to go and see Smith Park on Doty Island where Kandi and Joe plan to have there wedding.
We will be returning to Brazil on June 23. Between now and then we will be attending NTM’s Refresher Course in Camdenton, Mo. June 13 – 19. After that we will be driving up to Wisconsin to leave our car with our daughter Kandi and then fly to Orlando on June 22 and on to Miami on the 23. We will arrive in Manaus, Brazil on June 24.
Our ministry this year will be some what different than it has been for the past few years. We had been in charge of the kitchen and dining room. This year they asked us if we would like to be dorm parents to the 5th – 8th grade students. We accepted that position and are very excited about being dorm parents to 6 students. Our first 20 years of missionary life were spent in being dorm parents to the 1st- 4th grade children.
Please pray that we will adjust well to being back in Brazil and that God will give us wisdom in serving Him.
…April News Letter
April News From Les and Debbie
Wow! So many miles and so many blessings!! Since January we have made trips to Minnesota, New England, Canada, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. These trips were used to visit those who are partners with us in our missionary work through prayer and financial support and family members (who are also an important part of our partnership team!) Each visit gave us the chance to deepen friendships and encourage our fellow Believers as we told of God’s faithfulness. We praised God together for all He has done in our lives and theirs!
What are some things we are excited about????
Since purchasing our ’89 Buick in July we have traveled over 31,000 miles. We have been blessed to have the car run well. So many of the trips included travel in the snow, that we were accused of bringing snow with us where ever we went. It even snowed the day before Easter in Texas.
Our daughter Kandi and Joe Depue announced their engagement on March 3. They are both graduating from New Tribes Bible Institute in May and are planning September wedding. (See our website for details)
Our tickets to return to Brazil are purchased from Miami for June 23. We are still working on our travel to Miami and of course our return trip for Joe and Kandi’s wedding. We would appreciate your prayers concerning these plans.
What things are yet to come????
We are participating in World Christian Week at Calvary Bible Church in Neenah, WI this weekend through the following week. This is our home church. We pray that we will be used of God to be informative and challenging as we share the things God puts on our hearts.
Packing, planning, and spending time with our family and friends will keep us very busy until we go to Missouri for our New Tribes Mission Refresher Course June 13- 19. Pray that this will be a time of blessing and renewal for us and all who participate!
Les and I are so thankful for each one of you who have a part in our lives through your friendship, prayer and financial support. Thank you! More detailed information about us can be seen at our website. www.ntm.org/les_bowden
Les and Debbie Bowden
Ministering to Missionaries’ Children in Brazil
… Candy Hearts Ask Kandi The Question
It really is a story of two young people who desire to live a life that would honor God. They both knew that God had missions in their future and more specifically, tribal evangelism. Their desire to train for this work led them to attend New Tribes Bible Inst., in Waukesha, WI. There they have been studying God’s Word and missions for nearly 2 years.
Their friendship at Bible School developed as they worked together at Milwaukee Rescue Mission. Because Kandi and Joe were both raised on the mission field, Kandi, in Brazil and Joe, in Bolivia, they had very similar experiences growing up. Their childhood gave them a passion for soccer and the out doors, but above all it opened their eyes to the need for the people in tribes to hear the good news of salvation through Christ.
Just recently, Joe and Kandi were out in a park , despite the snow and wind. Joe made a shelter with a tarp so they could enjoy their devotions in the beautiful outdoor setting.
After some time in the Word Joe pulled a thermos of coffee and some candy out of his back pack. They had some coffee together and Joe offered Kandi some candy hearts with words on them that were arranged to say "Will You Marry Me ?"
Getting a positive response he opened a little box with a ring that had a beautiful Bolivianita (not sure on that spelling!). That stone is only found in Bolivia, which made it very precious to Kandi. Each side of the beautiful purple and yellow stone had a little diamond.
Kandi and Joe graduate from NTBI in May and are looking to a possible late September wedding date.