These past few weeks and months have flown by, and it’s hard to believe we are now in April! Thank you for your faithful prayers and investment in what the Lord is doing in Brazil. We are so grateful to be your co-laborers for the cause of Christ.
I want to begin this letter with a personal request. About two years ago, Jamie started experiencing vision issues. After extensive testing and consultations, we discovered that she has a cataract in her right eye. While we trust the Lord to give us grace and wisdom as we seek to have it removed, we ask for your prayers for guidance in how to proceed. Her medical team is confident that the surgery will be successful, but the timing remains uncertain as we plan to return home to Brazil in June. Please join us in praying for the Lord’s direction in this matter.
An exciting development is that our assistant pastor and his wife will be traveling to the U.S. in the summer of 2025 to complete candidate school and begin deputation. Please pray that the Lord will open doors as they work to raise support so they can return to Brazil quickly. If you are interested in supporting a proven national, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Their goal is to return by 2027 and continue partnering with us in planting churches in Brazil. Please pray for the church back home in Pinda as our dear people navigate these changes in the coming months.
Traveling has been a blessing—between February and March, I traveled over 7,000 miles. God has blessed us with several new partners, and it has been a joy to report back to many faithful churches. It is exciting to see how the Lord continues to use our supporting churches and pastors, not just to hold the ropes but also to be a lighthouse in their respective communities.
At a new church in Iowa, after sharing my testimony and preaching, an eight-year-old boy named Josiah told me that he hoped God would call him to be a missionary. That was such a challenge to me! I remember God working in my heart as a boy, and it is exciting to see that He is still calling—and that many are still listening. May my heart continue to burn with that same desire! How we need and pray for laborers in His harvest!
The church back home continues to move forward. We are so encouraged to see people bringing friends, neighbors, family, and co-workers to hear the truth of the Gospel! This year, we have been focusing on the family, and God has used the preaching and teaching of His Word to challenge us to be families that please Him.
We recently had our Carnaval camp, with 27 people attending from Victory Baptist. Though our family was sorry to miss it, we were excited to hear how the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of those who went. Luciano, Gisele’s husband, attended. Though he has not yet trusted Christ, we are thankful that he was confronted with the Gospel multiple times throughout the week. Pastor Jonata has emphasized how his heart is softening. Please continue to pray for him—we eagerly anticipate the day he trusts Christ as his Savior!
We will be returning home on June 10. Please pray with us as we make preparations to leave and return to Brazil.