Since becoming the interim pastor of Templo Batista de Cajuru a year and a half ago, all that I thought was important and part of being a missionary and pastoring people has been challenged through the light of the Word of God and the convicting power of the sweet Holy Spirit.
During the 6 weeks before the 40th Anniversary Conference in July 2024, 140 people from 7 like-minded churches within an hour and a half of us gave of their time to take a John and Romans and a first-class invitation to nearly everyone here in Cajuru. The young people of the church and I also spent a couple of hours doing the same in a neighboring city of Cássia dos Coqueiros after we prayed for God to stop the rain. While the church is restarting, these efforts helped to reestablish our presence in these 2 cities that have a combined population of 30,000.
During the conference, God blessed with 25 visitors from our city. Five people heard the Gospel during the invitations, and 2 trusted Christ.
While in Bible college, I often heard that it was easier to start a church than to pastor an existing one. After helping to start 2 churches, serving in over 200 churches through the GANHAR Ministry, and loving the people of this church that was started 40 years ago, I can understand the reason behind that statement. However, the very important question is, who is willing to listen, love, and lead a people with deep-rooted needs?
Also, after giving of ourselves to serve our Saviour through Team Brazil since 2015, serving 4½ hours from Taubaté is teaching us, more than ever, the need and blessing of working with like-minded people.
Please pray with us, as we are asking for the Holy Spirit’s leading to the right man to pastor the church here in Cajuru. We are asking God for a husband and wife who are zealous in the work of the Lord and are active, daily soul winners. This city needs a family that is wholly committed to serving our Saviour until He returns.
In the past couple of months, Dawn and I were very sick. Praise the Lord for the complete restoration of our health. In November and December, nearly every week, we were trying to keep the rain out of the church.
GANHAR Ministry
All of the John and Romans that we received in 2023 have been used and/or given to other churches. There are churches asking for more material, but we won’t receive any more till this July. Recently, I traveled to Ji-Paraná, Rondônia, to go soul winning with fellow missionary Sam Rogers and to preach a Soul-Winning/Missions Conference in the church that he started.
Praise the Lord for several divine appointments to share the Gospel, where 4 people trusted in Jesus. After landing in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, after the first of 2 flights to Rondônia, I offered to help an elderly man carry his bag. Shortly thereafter, he told me that he was a doctor and was returning to his home in Ji-Paraná. Because of heavy smoke in Rondônia, everyone had to finish the second leg of the flight on a 15-hour bus ride. Dr. Geraldo and I became friends during that time of sitting, talking, and eating together. Pray that he will remember what I told him about salvation and trust Jesus as his personal Saviour. Bro. Rogers and I were able to meet with him briefly the day I was leaving.
Pray with us as we prepare to start a weekly soul-winning time. Recently, we had 8 people baptized, 2 of whom the Holy Spirit used me to lead to Christ. This week we are praying together every night as a church family. We are seeing God heal and fix hearts.
We are more than honored to continue serving our Saviour among the PEOPLE of Brazil. Thank you for your understanding with the delay in getting this prayer letter to those who are faithfully supporting us through prayer and sacrificial giving.
Dave + Dawn and Zachary Whitmore
