Humming along

Summer 2024 newsletter

Kathy Bond and Flávio Rocha, Brazil

Kathy facilitating a positive body and self-esteem workshop for fifth-grade girls

Dear family and friends,

Warm greetings from Joao Pessoa, Brazil. June is a festive month here as our northeast region celebrates the corn harvest with Brazilian country music, square dance competitions, corn dishes and dancing to the Forró rhythm marked by the accordion, drums and the triangle. The culmination of the season is St. John´s Feast Day on June 24, when bonfires glow on many streets as people light firecrackers and share sweet corn tamales with neighbors and family.

Kathy with fifth-grader Kathleen

From Kathy:

Flávio and I are working together in a wonderful new project in public schools to promote a culture of peace. Every week our team (including two Brazilians from AFYA Holistic Center) visits seven to eight elementary and middle schools to facilitate workshops focusing on movement, breathing, meditation and theater techniques to help students deal better with anxiety and stress.

Monday morning is my favorite day because I get to work with two groups of fourth and fifth-grade girls. One issue that many of them deal with is embarrassment and anxiety, especially related to body size, which sometimes transfers into a low, timid voice.

This week we spent the whole session on activities to build self-esteem. The most successful one was the “bee breath,” followed by an identity dynamic using their name and favorite animal. The bee breath is a humming exercise that uses throat vibration to reduce stress, induce calmness and produce neurochemicals such as oxytocin.

After class, one of the girls, who is also named Kathleen, came up and gave me a big hug, saying in a firm, clear voice, “Thank you and make sure you come back next week.”

Flávio working with fifth-grade boys

From Flávio:

Our project at the public schools started because last year one principal asked the AFYA team to work with some of the kids who were self-harming. Seeing the positive result of the meeting with the adolescents, she asked to continue the project this year.

My part is to work with the boys. Sometimes school is the only place where they receive positive affirmation. Most of them live in violent areas and come from families that don´t provide good male role models. Little by little, they are starting to use the anger management techniques we teach them to avoid fights in soccer games and in other stressful peer situations.

Besides working with the kids, we also meet with the school staff one Saturday a month to share the exercises we do with the students and to offer a healing therapy at AFYA, as we know that their level of stress is high, especially post-pandemic.

Update on Maya

Maya has her first year of international studies at American University under her belt. She is living and working on campus this summer. This is her second summer in DC, and things are much easier. We miss her a lot, but we are very happy that she adapted so well to college.

We hold you in our prayers and ask you to hold us in yours. Thank you for accompanying us in mission. As always, we are grateful for your financial contributions that support our ministries in Brazil.

In peace,
Flávio José Rocha and Kathy Bond

Please consider supporting our mission work in João Pessoa with a donation through the link below.

We invite you to walk with us as our “COMPANIONS IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, visit Become a Companion in Mission. Thank you so much for your generosity!