Dawn, Zachary, and I praise the Lord that this month we are celebrating 18 years of serving our Saviour among the PEOPLE of Brazil! Never would we have imagined the many blessings we have received, nor the necessary lessons we have learned in being obedient to His calling.
“So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy.” (I Thessalonians 2:8, 19-20)
Our God continues to bless the work in Taubate, Sao Paolo, through New Life Baptist Church, with people being saved, baptized, discipled, and taking on responsibilities.
A few months ago, Marcos and Elaine, a couple in our church, took me to witness to Cida and her son Edson, a 38-year-old drug addict, but I did not meet the son until we were climbing the hill to leave their property. A short time later, Edson started coming to church with Marcos and Elaine. On his third visit, I took the time to talk with him about his need to be saved. The Holy Spirit had prepared his heart, and that Sunday morning, November 21, 2021, he understood his need to trust Christ as his Saviour. On Sunday, January 30, 2022, he was obedient in baptism. He is praying for his family and friends to be saved, and at least six of them have come to church with him.
In January, Hugo and Helena, who live one street away from where we live, finished the 15 discipleship lessons. Helena was saved before coming to our church, but Hugo was saved and baptized about five years ago. Pray for the husband to understand his need to join the church. Another couple, Anderson and Laila, are on Lesson 5. Please pray for these two couples to continue growing in their walk with our Saviour.
Since 2004, we have been encouraging other Baptist churches to request Bibles through the BEAMS Ministry. At the beginning of this year, our family started a ministry called GANHAR, Ganhando Almas Na Hora e ao Nosso Redor (“Sharing the Gospel Everywhere”), as a ministry of NLBC to help strengthen the local churches principally in the area of soul winning. Dawn, Zachary, and I, along with Jonata, who finished our church’s four-year seminary in December of last year, are traveling to 6 churches over 28 days to go soul winning with the pastor and his people and to teach and preach about the importance of being a soul winner. Praise the LORD for over 30 people who have understood their need for a Saviour and, in their own words, have put their trust in Jesus as their one and only hope for Heaven. By the end of the trip, we will have spent over 60 hours traveling to the 5 different cities. Please watch this video about the first part of our trip: https://youtu.be/h4tSGZas1Os.
Here is a list of those with whom we have shared the Gospel of Christ and the city where they live:
• Wadson, Rosivaldo, Ana, and Yuri – Itabuna, Bahia
• Ana Claudia, Natalina, Gelariza, Rosivaldo, Wilson, Iolanda, Daniel, Itamar, Thamara, Isadora, Kesley, Jessica, Larissa, and Livia – Aparecida de Goiânia, Goiás
• A men’s home of 60-plus men, Rinaldo, Nelson, workers at two different furniture stores, and Flaviano – Catalão, Goiás
• Kauã, João Vitor, Jonatas, 20-plus teenage boys, and Stefanie – Uberaba, Minas Gerais
• Rafael, Fernando, João Vitor, and Mayara – Delta, Minas Gerais
For the PEOPLE of Brazil,
Dave + Dawn and Zachary
