My wife Dawn and I, with our then six children, moved to Brazil in February 2004. Our youngest son Zachary was born here in Brazil in 2011. Our youngest daughter Karlene and her husband, Jonata Oliveira, are currently on deputation preparing to return to Brazil. We are honored to continue serving our Saviour through Fundamental Baptist Missions International, a ministry of our sending church, the First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana.
For the past ten years, we have served with two other missionaries in Taubaté, São Paulo, who are also sent out of First Baptist Church. New Life Baptist Church in Taubaté was started on September 19, 2015, and will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year. Praise the Lord, we started a second church in the neighboring town of Caçapava in August 2025.
Two years ago, I became the intern pastor at the church where we served with a national pastor twelve years ago. The Cajuru Baptist Temple is located in Cajuru, São Paulo, 4½ hours from Taubaté. A Brazilian missionary is taking on the responsibility of the church as we prepare for our furlough.
Since arriving in Brazil, I have served as the coordinator for the distribution of the BEAMS Bibles throughout our great country. When we arrived, there were 11 pastors receiving the Bibles. To the glory of God, there are now more than 400 pastors and missionaries using these Bibles in their local ministries.
When Jonata enrolled in our church’s seminary in January 2017, he started helping me organize the distribution of the BEAMS Bibles as part of a work-scholarship program. In 2020, during his last year of seminary, he and I started the GANHAR (Soul-Winning) Ministry to better serve the Baptist churches throughout Brazil. Besides coordinating the BEAMS Bibles, we provide soul-winning materials, and upon request, we schedule time to travel to the churches to go soul winning with the pastor and people and teach and preach on the importance of being soul winners. In the near future, we are preparing to start a church with Jonata and Karlene and a Brazilian family, who is also serving with us in the GANHAR Ministry.
Our greatest thrill in the ministry is telling others about our Saviour and how they can know that they are going to Heaven. Sharing the love of Jesus here in Brazil is something that everyone should experience. Come and see firsthand what God is doing here in Brazil.
We would be honored to go soul winning with you and the people of your church and share how God is using the GANHAR Ministry to encourage and strengthen the churches primarily in the area of soul winning. We covet your prayers and financial support!
Missionary David Whitmore
“. . . Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
(John 4:35)
