Can it really already be August – back to school and more than halfway done with 2026?! These past few months have flown by and I apologize for the lapse in reporting. Thank you for your faithful prayer and support on our behalf. We continue to press on here in Pinda.
At the beginning of May, we had our missions conference. Pr. Diego and his family were able to be with us. The Lord used his preaching in a great way and this year we more than doubled our faith promise commitment! I was so encouraged by that and I praise the Lord the people have been fulfilling their promises these past few months. Pray with us as we partner with several new projects and families to get the Gospel out!
At the beginning of June, we moved out of the building that we had been renting since the start of the church. We have been challenged this year to have “Everyone in Everything”. What a joy it was to watch our people get involved in the move! We had wonderful weather and within just a few days we were able to clean and return the space. We have been meeting in a member’s home where they have a party hall they rent out. This is very close to our old location and has been a wonderful blessing. Certainly, there have been some adjustments needed, but our people have been extremely flexible and helpful in making it feel like church.
This move allows us to save the rent that we were paying for a future purchase. Sparing you the details, we’ve had several pieces of property that have not worked out. Two weeks ago I received a listing in an interesting, central part of town. We have looked at it twice and are praying about purchasing the property. It’s about 800 m², and the owner is asking for $85,000. We’ve been able to save as a church about $13,000, and we’ve received $38,000 from several supporting churches. We praise the Lord for His provision and trust Him for the remaining $44,000. Please be in prayer with us for the purchase of this property! We know that God will supply our need in His time and manner. If you would like to be a part of this project, please feel free to reach out to us.
While a property purchase is important and exciting, it’s not the main work. We praise the Lord for those that the Lord has allowed us to reach over the last few months. I’d ask that you especially pray for Emmanuel, Angelina, Emmanuel (18), Carlos (11), Ezekiel (5) and Eloá (1). They came to the new church plant in Moreira a few weeks back. I witnessed to them and they both got saved. Emmanuel their son is not saved and has been very closed to the Gospel. Pray for his salvation as well as this family’s growth and obedience in baptism. Another couple I met a few weeks ago is David and his girlfriend Luana. I asked her if she knew where she’d go if she died. She told me flatly that she can’t even think about tomorrow. It’s all about here, now and today. I witnessed to them both. Please pray for them to be convicted of their need to be saved. Also, it’s been a joy to disciple several families in the church. Please pray for Márcio and Valéria. They got saved shortly after we returned for furlough but they have really struggled to grow.
We had the joy of hosting a young lady from Indiana in June and then a group from Midwest Bible Baptist Church in Minnesota for our 4th anniversary in August. Our church worked hard in preparing for them. The group of 6 was a huge blessing to our family and church. We distributed nearly 10,000 invites for the anniversary services. We didn’t have quite the number of visitors we had worked for but the Lord was good to us nonetheless. It’s hard to believe it’s been 4 years at Victory and we know that the Lord has big things in store for Victory Baptist Church and Hope Baptist Temple.
It’s been busy, but school starts back up soon. Everyone is well. Jamie had cataract surgery in June and all went well. I apologize for not getting an update about that out sooner. The Lord worked it out for her to get the surgery sooner than we thought possible. She is doing very well and her vision improved substantially. We praise the Lord for His care for us through you all. We love you and pray for you.
The Putnams in Pinda