Happiest of New Years to you all. We are so grateful for another year to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. May this year find us faithful and fruitful for His honor and glory.
December was a wonderful time. One of the highlights was our Christmas cantata. New Life Baptist Church’s choir came and blessed us with their singing. We had everything set up in the neighborhood square, and it was to start at 7 pm. We had a dry week, and yet the forecast was rain that evening. We had prayed for the rain to hold off. It poured in the morning, and as a result, we made a second option of having the cantata in a local gym should the rain persist. About noon, it completely cleared out. It was gorgeous! Until…about 20 minutes before the cantata was supposed to start. It rained for about an hour, and even though we didn’t have quite the attendance we had hoped for, we still had a wonderful time. Best of all, 4 people were saved that evening. Please pray for Isabela and her family. She came with her two daughters, two nieces, and two other aunts. She was saved, and her daughters and one niece. This is exciting, as this is one more family in the new neighborhood we’re working in. Lord willing, this week I will be going by to meet her husband and have a chance to witness to the rest of the family. Continue to pray for Moreira César and the work there.
One afternoon, I was passing through a neighborhood and noticed a piece of property with a large “For Sale” sign in the middle of it. I quickly got the number and sent a message. Just a few days later, I was able to meet with the owner. Long story short, while there are a few legal details that we would still need to work out, the property is an excellent opportunity for the church and its future. It’s an elevated, corner lot with about 5,400 ft². There are several empty lots below it, and it’s in a growing, prominent area of the city. We initiated negotiations with the owner shortly before Christmas. There are several things we’re asking you to pray for: 1) the zoning to be approved for a church, 2) the legal hurdles with the lot to be quickly cleared, and 3) the financing to be able to purchase it outright. The original price he was asking was $77,500, but we’ve already been able to work it down to $72,000. As a church, we already have $12,000 saved and recently had a church bless us with a $1,000 for land purchase and construction. Please be in prayer with us about the other $60,000. We know God owns it all, and our people have worked hard and sacrificed and given. It’s exciting to watch the Lord work in hearts and wallets!
We recognize that land is just that—dirt. It’s not about the property. It’s not about having a beautiful or distinguished building. It’s about what the Lord can do both in the hearts of our people, those that will be reached, and certainly the long-term stability and establishment of Victory Baptist Church. It’s about the souls that be saved, the hearts, lives, families, and eternal futures that will be transformed because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is preached, taught, and discipled in this place. We also recognize that we are at the outset of a large undertaking. We covet your prayer. We cannot take one single step forward without His provision, wisdom, and protection.
Summer came in with a vengeance here in Pinda, and Christmas was a very green and warm affair. Despite the heat, we praise the Lord that we are all well. The kids have lost a few teeth, we all gained a few holiday pounds, and enjoyed a little break from school. Thank you for your faithfulness and confidence in us as your partners in the Gospel here in Brazil. We love you all and pray for each of our supporting pastors and churches on a regular basis. May the Lord richly bless you all in 2026 as we continue forward by faith.
P.S. We’ve been asked over the years for our earlier prayer updates. Please know that you can find every prayer update we’ve ever sent at the link below. This past year, several times we had churches let us know that they hadn’t been receiving our updates. While we strive to maintain an updated database, pastoral, personnel, or email changes are not always communicated. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.