We want to thank you once again for your faithful prayers and support for this ministry. In May, the ladies were excited about our Mother’s Day Banquet. Thank the Lord! After many hours of working on a 1995 van for the church, it was working well enough to bring the ladies from our new church plant to our Sao Paulo church for the banquet. Somehow, we packed in 17! The ladies did a great job with the meal, and Amy was blessed by Juan’s help setting up the tables and backdrop and Esther’s willingness to help decorate.
In June, we celebrated Brazilian Valentine’s Day with an elegant dinner for the couples in Sao Paulo. It was a very nice evening for those who were able to attend. In Cotia, we celebrated with a spaghetti dinner for all of the church and had a great time as well.
A truckers’ strike, a lost money transfer, and expired debit cards delayed the work on the prophet’s chamber. During the strike, the roads were blocked on the right side. At one time, they decided to close down the highway, and we were stopped on our way to our Sao Paulo church service. Some of the truckers who tried to fight through the roadblock were stoned and killed. We were miraculously allowed through when we told them we had small children in the car. We never missed one of our services or ran out of gas—the Lord truly spared us.
We have been working on the prophet’s chamber out at the camp. The Lord has led us to take in a refugee family from Venezuela. There was so much work to do to prepare the space for them. We have been putting in the cement floor, tile, plumbing, and electricity. Some are asking how they can help. We are in need of $10,000 to cover the cost for the work on the prophet’s chamber and the Sunday school rooms. Thank you for considering this need.
We praise the Lord for a safe arrival of our Venezuelan refugee family, for immediate acceptance of refugee status for them from the Federal Police, and for work permits granted to them within the first week. We have helped them plant a garden, and we are working on an area for raising chickens, as well as a milking cow. Our dear Brazilians have given a mattress, blankets, dishes, knitting material, and food. We have been so encouraged by their generosity and thoughtfulness as the cold winter is upon us. Most of these families are in need, yet they have given cheerfully. Cleide picked kale and onions from her garden, and Odette picked limes from her tree and brought them over. We have provided for the rest of their furnishings. It will cost us an extra $350 per month to sustain Johann, his wife Mirlenys, his mother Sonia, and their nine-year-old daughter Veronica until they are able to find work. With the Brazilian unemployment rate, it will not be easy for them to find jobs, even with their education and experience.
In our last letter, we asked you to pray for Nathan’s parents. His mother Gorginna finally came to church and trusted Jesus Christ as her Saviour! On a recent visit in her home, she said most days she returns home from work at 8 p.m. Cleide was walking to church with Lucia, and the neighbors yelled out that it was going to “rain,” meaning a miracle was in the making. When we visited Lucia months ago, she was cooking beans on a fire outside in the cold. We bought gas for her stove, and she told us she was Catholic and not to even try inviting her to church. After months of praying, she came, and Esther patiently shared the Gospel with her. She trusted Jesus Christ as her Saviour, and it “rained”!!
Amy started a ladies’ sewing group (at the new church plant), and it has taken off! The ladies are excited about all of the projects she has in mind, making use of donated material and clothing. We are also playing volleyball a few days a week for an hour, and the neighbors are joining us day by day. We all need a lot of practice, but we are having a blast!
May the Lord bless you. Thank you again for your care for missions.
In His service,
The Vallejo Family
