My Aunt Marian kept many of the letters my mother, Donna Biel, wrote to her. She returned them in 2010. Most are recorded here. They were not entered in chronological order, so the best way to view them is by year, found in the index on the sidebar.
Dear Marian and Frank, Lisa and Eric,
Since I didn't write anything on the Christmas letter, I now will make an effort to tell you the news.
Before Christmas, I helped an agronomist missionary family as they got their things ready to move to another city. The seven of them slept here a night. A neurotic lady from our church came a week before Christmas and stayed for four days. Cliff had programs for three days in various places so he didn't have time right away to talk to her family. She has had mental problems for over twenty years and has stayed here before. She calls many times or stops by to talk, then I listen for an hour to two hours. About the only way I can help her is to listen to her problems. Her husband says he has a cross to bear, but the family could try to be more understanding. Another family that has problems is a Church of Christ missionary family. When she is overtired or under pressure, she has emotional outbursts. They have been in Brazil for one and a half years and now are packing up to go back to the United States for the other couple that works with them wrote to the U.S. recommending that they be ordered back. I feel sorry for them for they have many things to sell, then have to rebuy them when they get back. They were a risk to be sent here for they spent two years in Africa and she had emotional problems there.
The Church of Christ has different ideas. They don't use instruments in the church for the Bible says "to make melody in your hearts" which they interpret to be without the help of instruments. Also, they don't celebrate Christmas for they say we don't really know the date of Christ's birth, which misses the whole point. Some date has to be chosen so that we can observe it.
Helen is happy to have a second hand bicycle. It's been about two years since she decided that she was too big for her tricycle. Charles's old bike was traded in for a new one. Rachel got science sets which have a microscope. For a science project in school, Cliff helped her build a telegraph, which she got a good grade on. Another father helped his child build one. Cliff said it was going to be a battle to see which father got the best grade. The kids are enjoying the kitten born in the first part of November. Another one was given away on Christmas day. We think our kitten has a hernia. Cliff says that some day it may bump its head too hard against a post.
Next week we have Vacation Bible School. The children have vacation now until February 12th. Then Helen will start first grade Brazilian School. Right now she is half way through the first grade English course that I give in the mornings. Charles doesn't have too much homework, but Rachel does, so I have to supervise that during the school term. The teacher makes them work hard. Every two weeks they have to give a book report. Even though Charles doesn't have any competition, as he is the only one in his class, the teacher says he is doing very well. At times, Rachel lets things pile up and doesn't get good grades on a test, but her final grades are alright. Rachel, almost eleven, is 5 feet 2 inches tall. Charles is almost nine and is getting too heavy. We decided we should eat more fruit as all of us could lose some weight.
Some more urine tests done show that Helen doesn't have an infection, but she continues to wet. The urologist in Minneapolis wrote indicating that a medication which was given last July at higher dosages, so now she is taking it for two months at a lower dosage. Our field representative of the mission office said that we can take her to the Mayo Clinic when on furlough. I hope that the problem is solved soon. Before Christmas I spent many hours sewing plastic pants bigger for the night wetting, but the biggest bother is daytime wetting.
Our church was used in December for Baccalaureate services for college graduation for those who are Protestants. This week a junior high school (included ages 14-25) held services here after first going to the Catholic church. cliff had the service for the junior high school. A week before Christmas, Cliff attended graduation of the first class in our Bible Institute in Londrina. There were six that completed the three year Bible course.
We had an enjoyable New Year's with the Louie Becker family who live one hour from here. We played games with the children, went for a walk to the park and finished the day by singing Christmas songs and eating my birthday cake. Just before Christmas, we got a tape Cliff's family sent. We enjoyed hearing it even thought most only said a few words. It seems like they had a hard time thinking of something to say with everyone sitting around and watching them when they were trying to talk. Seems like Frank found it the easiest to talk. I haven't had Lutafisk or however you spell the fish dish.
We haven't gotten a letter from you in a long time. Hope you will write us right away when the baby is born. LaVonne wrote that Lisa is quite the artist, that she sent Mike a picture when he was in the hospital. I hope to get Helen to write to Lisa before I mail this. It's almost 100 degrees today and we are at the swimming pool.
Love,
Donna and Joey
Showing posts with label 1973. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1973. Show all posts
1/1/11
Letter to Marian and Frank, October 18, 1973
Mom and Charles with Duchess, the cat.
My Aunt Marian kept many of the letters my mother, Donna Biel, wrote to her. She returned them in 2010. Most are recorded here. They were not entered in chronological order, so the best way to view them is by year, found in the index on the sidebar.
Dear Marian and Frank,
It seems like ever since we got back it has been raining a lot. We got some big leaks fixed but have more to do. The hard rains were starting to damage the wheat crop which was being harvested. we were fortunate to have a beautiful day last Sunday when we had our annual fund raising dinner, bazaar and cake selling. Everything sold well.
I was gone for four days to Londrina for orientation for leaders for Ladies Aid. The next week cliff and I were gone for two days to a district pastor's meetings with the wives. Cliff has gone to several meetings. One was for a regional meeting of our church and now he is gone for three days where a study will be given on "Our faith, Our Life", a pamphlet which was put out by the church and many studies are being done by the lay people in which they seem to be well accepted.
A week from tomorrow, Helen will be a flower girl in a wedding at our church. She is quite happy about it and has a light blue long dress that is being made for her. The children are happy that Duchess has three kittens- two are almost all white like she is. Rachel painted some boards and with some bricks made a bookshelf for her room. Charles has his 3-speed on his bike, but hasn't been using it much. He has been roller skating some, but Rachel has let her friend use Charles's skates and she has done a lot of skating.
Helen in uniform, 1972
The children are in a Catholic school about four blocks from our home. They are there from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Saturday and have English at the American school from 1 to 2:30 P.M. they like the school and it seems quite neat and orderly compared to many public schools that I have seen. One thing that I find a nuisance is that the Brazilian school doesn't furnish books, so we run to several book stores to get what we want. the children have to wear uniforms- navy blue skirt or slacks, sweater, white knee socks for the girls, black shoes, white blouse or shirt.
Rachel in a Regina Mundi Parade, 1974
Helen doesn't get any science in the Brazilian school and Charles doesn't get much so I'm buying the American textbooks from the school here and giving it during the three month vacation in December to February. Charles needs help on math for the Brazilian school gives more things sooner than the American system- we have been working on the multiplication and division tables. Charles and Rachel have English at the Brazilian school but don't have a textbook as it is very simple- names of animals, parts of the body and they know more than the teacher. This next Monday students from the small American school in Londrina will come to have a sports day in the afternoon.
This next week I plan to go on a bus at night with one of our church members who has to go to the Swiss Embassy in Curitiba. She has huge sores due to varicose veins on her legs and needs to show them so that she can get help from the Swiss government to help pay for medical bills and for a helper to do the housework. Her husband is from Switzerland. Last year, I helped her get a document stating that she is an invalid and can't do her work. She suffers from high blood pressure and has liver problems, so she can't travel alone.
Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have many Jews living there. We have many Arabs in our area- mainly from Lebanon. I don't know what percentage of petroleum Brazil gets from the Arab countries, but they will be getting more from Venezuela, however, this may not be enough and if the war continues for some time, gas may have to be rationed here.
When our large suitcase ripped across the top on the way back, I thought a sheet was missing, but now have checked through everything and can't find the material for two pillow dolls that Cynthia gave me, the green and white checked dress Marian gave Helen, and Rachel's music sheet. Helen feels bad about the dress you gave her and when she mentioned the dress I looked for it and discovered that we don't have it. Don't buy a suitcase like the one you paid us for, for in the long run it is expensive and can't be used again. Helen forgot many words so we have to practice reading. How does Eric like the picture Rachel took of him? Your family picture turned out well.
Love, Donna and Joey
12/23/10
Letter to Marian, February 22, 1973
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| Aunt Marian |
Dear Marian, Frank, Lisa and Eric,
Yesterday your package arrived. It is quite nice getting presents after Christmas for everyone seems to enjoy or appreciate them more. Rachel and Helen were thrilled with their music boxes. At supper time we had enjoyable music. Rachel can hardly wait to start her cat paintings. Charles was busy shooting his gun and getting his games ready to play with Joey and I experimented the candy. The calendar is hanging in the kitchen- it is lovely and the sachet has already made my clothes smell better. The tie will go very well with a new suit Joey had made a year ago. We had a Crazy Eight card game that got lost so the game was familiar. I showed Helen and two of her friends how to play it. The other one will have to wait a bit until Helen learns to read better.
I suppose by now you have another son or daughter. We are anxiously awaiting the news. You sent your letter to Loanda and it was forwarded to Maringa. Our box number (caixa postal) is changing this year to number 1281. We will still use 964 this year plus 1281 for it will take a while to notify everyone of the change. The church did not have its own box number so decided when some new ones became available to buy one.
The children are back to studying. Helen goes to first grade Brazilian school in the afternoon. They have to wear uniforms- white blouse, navy blue skirt, white socks and black collegial shoes. I wish she didn't have a uniform as she has plenty of clothes that she could wear.
It is a grind to get her English assignment done in the morning- it takes about 2.5 hours.
Rachel likes to wear bermuda shorts to school but she wore most of hers out during vacation. I made four of them for her before school started.
Charles had a low fever for four days which developed into a bad cough. I took him to a doctor and he is much better.
Because of Helen's wetting problem we have decided we will fly right away to Rochester to see what treatment she needs. I wrote the Mission Board to see if she can have an appointment for June 25th. I told Joey that I can't possibly enjoy a trip until we get her problem taken care of. We plan to leave here June 19th and may spend a couple of days in New York.
The week after Lent starts we will have a week of Evangelization. It is more to wake up or alert our members for it says that our church doesn't have anyone converted to our church as many others do. Joey was gone one week to two preaching points three hours from here. He used the summer vacation time to give one week of Confirmation class and in the evening he held services.
He got back in time to give three services on Sunday at different preaching points then took a bus Sunday evening to Joinville. He had meetings for two days, then spent Wednesday traveling back here with the Regional pastor getting here in time to have a meeting with two men that came from a church in our district that is about an 8 hour trip from here. Thursday Joey and the Regional pastor visited two neighboring cities to discuss problems with pastors there. Now in a week he will be going to a Bible Camp for 5 days.
Confirmation class in a rural preaching point in Brazil.
He got back in time to give three services on Sunday at different preaching points then took a bus Sunday evening to Joinville. He had meetings for two days, then spent Wednesday traveling back here with the Regional pastor getting here in time to have a meeting with two men that came from a church in our district that is about an 8 hour trip from here. Thursday Joey and the Regional pastor visited two neighboring cities to discuss problems with pastors there. Now in a week he will be going to a Bible Camp for 5 days.
... I'm glad the Viet Nam war finally came to an end. Every time I took the children to their dentist he gave me a lecture on the war and wanted to know what is wrong with some of my people. I told him most of the people wanted the war ended. He said a magazine interview with a US colonel said that the war was necessary to test some of the weapons. I told him that many career service men may be cold hearted and look at war as something necessary. The time Magazine told how one little girl told in Baptist 5.5 that her father was a prisoner so when the mother went to a parent's meeting someone asked her why her husband was in jail.
I'm going to see if I can get the others to write now.
Love,
Donna
Saturday two Missouri missionaries stayed overnight. Each has two children, one which is a baby. We had a barbacue dinner. One of the families stayed with us in July. They live quite far away and were on their way to see the water falls of Iguazu, about a six hour drive from here. They happened to get a hot time- about 100 in the shade every day this last week.
Guess I had better get this in the mail. Thanks for all that you sent.
Love,
Donna and Joey
Donna Biel
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