
Pedro Ruela
Photo courtesy of Brazilian White Center - UNASP.
Ruela, Pedro de Oliveira (1940–1985)
By The Brazilian White Center – UNASP
The Brazilian White Center – UNASP is a team of teachers and students at the Brazilian Ellen G. White Research Center – UNASP at the Brazilian Adventist University, Campus Engenheiro, Coelho, SP. The team was supervised by Drs. Adolfo Semo Suárez, Renato Stencel, and Carlos Flávio Teixeira. Bruno Sales Gomes Ferreira provided technical support. The following names are of team members: Adriane Ferrari Silva, Álan Gracioto Alexandre, Allen Jair Urcia Santa Cruz, Camila Chede Amaral Lucena, Camilla Rodrigues Seixas, Daniel Fernandes Teodoro, Danillo Alfredo Rios Junior, Danilo Fauster de Souza, Débora Arana Mayer, Elvis Eli Martins Filho, Felipe Cardoso do Nascimento, Fernanda Nascimento Oliveira, Gabriel Pilon Galvani, Giovana de Castro Vaz, Guilherme Cardoso Ricardo Martins, Gustavo Costa Vieira Novaes, Ingrid Sthéfane Santos Andrade, Isabela Pimenta Gravina, Ivo Ribeiro de Carvalho, Jhoseyr Davison Voos dos Santos, João Lucas Moraes Pereira, Kalline Meira Rocha Santos, Larissa Menegazzo Nunes, Letícia Miola Figueiredo, Luan Alves Cota Mól, Lucas Almeida dos Santos, Lucas Arteaga Aquino, Lucas Dias de Melo, Matheus Brabo Peres, Mayla Magaieski Graepp, Milena Guimarães Silva, Natália Padilha Corrêa, Rafaela Lima Gouvêa, Rogel Maio Nogueira Tavares Filho, Ryan Matheus do Ouro Medeiros, Samara Souza Santos, Sergio Henrique Micael Santos, Suelen Alves de Almeida, Talita Paim Veloso de Castro, Thais Cristina Benedetti, Thaís Caroline de Almeida Lima, Vanessa Stehling Belgd, Victor Alves Pereira, Vinicios Fernandes Alencar, Vinícius Pereira Nascimento, Vitória Regina Boita da Silva, William Edward Timm, Julio Cesar Ribeiro, Ellen Deó Bortolotte, Maria Júlia dos Santos Galvani, Giovana Souto Pereira, Victor Hugo Vaz Storch, and Dinely Luana Pereira.
First Published: July 17, 2021
Pedro de Oliveira Ruela was a missionary physician from Brazil.
Pedro de Oliveira Ruela was born in a farm in the city of Aimorés, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, on June 29, 1940. His parents were João de Oliveira Ruela and Adelina de Oliveira Ruela, who were Seventh-day Adventist. At twelve years of age he passed through a trying situation when, in 1952, his mother passed away. Consequently, all their children abandoned their faith: Carlos, Carivaldo, Clarindo, Air, Carolina, Maria, Malvina, Leci, and Pedro.1
He attended part of high school in Curitiba, state of Paraná, completing it in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. On December 23, 1964, he married Elenice (1946-), who besides being a friend since childhood, was a passionate Methodist. Together they had two children: Renato Ribeiro Ruela, who was born in 1967 in Mantena, Minas Gerais, and Gisela Ruela, born one year later.2
Afterwards, Pedro studied medicine at the Higher School of Sciences of Santa Casa de Misericórdia (EMESCAM), in Vitória, state of Espírito Santo, graduating in 1975. After this, the family moved to the city of Coronel Fabriciano, countryside of Minas Gerais, where he worked as a doctor for five years until 1979, when sadly Elenice suffered a traumatic brain injury that left her paraplegic, caused by a surgical procedure. However, her strong testimony amid this situation led Pedro to surrender to God and return to the Adventist Church. He was baptized at 40 years of age, in September 13, 1980, by pastor Tezinho Pereira Bahia. After that, the family moved to Belo Horizonte permanently, where it would be easier to attend to Elenice’s needs.3
In August of 1981, Pedro was invited to work at the Belo Horizonte Adventist Hospital, which was the beginning of his medical missionary work. There he was the clinical vice-director and coordinator of the gynecology and obstetrics medical residency team. In addition, he held many lectures at the local church and others throughout the state about family and women's health.4
He attended the Central Church of Belo Horizonte; however, as most of the hospital’s staff lived in the same neighborhood, they began a church there which today is the Jaraguá Adventist Church. In addition, he created a Bible study group in his home and, in less than a year, it reached an attendance of about 120 people.5
On December 27, 1984, during a family vacation, Pedro was victim of a car accident in the south of Bahia, near the city of Nanuque. He was in a coma for five days, and died on January 1, 1985, at the age of 44. Although his ministry was short, he left a great legacy of service to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, mainly in the capital of Minas Gerais.6
Sources
“Pedro de Oliveira Ruela.” Revista Adventista, year 80, no. 2, February, 1985.
“Hospital Belo Horizonte — Marco da Obra Médica em Minas Gerais.” Revista Adventista, year 78, no. 8, August, 1983.
Notes
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Renato de Oliveira Ruela, interviewed by Luan Alves, Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, São Paulo, February 19, 2019; “Pedro de Oliveira Ruela,” Revista Adventista, year 80, no. 2, February, 1985, 28.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Renato de Oliveira Ruela, interviewed by Luan Alves, Ellen G. White Research Center: UNASP-EC, São Paulo, February 19, 2019.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Ibid.↩
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Ibid.↩