Thank You!
Thank you seems like such small words to express the overwhelming gratefulness I feel before God and to you His instruments of grace that have blessed us so richly this past year! But I will say THANK YOU again! Thank you for your prayers! Thank you for your support and encouragement! Thank you for your sacrificial giving, especially in such a difficult year when everyone is suffering! Thank you for partnering with us in God's "Great Commission"!
Thanks to you we have been blessed to complete an incredibly important year of investment and renewal. We have been privileged to invest in our walks with the Lord, our marriage, our family, our children, our vision, our hopes, our dreams, and our future.
Leaving Brazil last year to come to the USA for a sabbatical was one of the most difficult things we've done. It was difficult to leave the "ministry/work" still in process. It was difficult to leave our spiritual children because we love them dearly as a mother loves her children. It was difficult to leave the new Bible studies we had started and those we were evangelizing. God has begun a great work in them that He will bring to completion! It was hard to leave our fellow staff and young leaders we have been helping to grow and develop. It was difficult to leave our young Church plant at such a critical time in its growth and development. It was difficult to leave our "extended family" and friends that God has blessed us with over these years in Brazil. But in all things God meets our needs and has cared for all these concerns and desires. His ways are always best!
What’s Next?
One of the important parts of our time here this year has been seeking God about how He would position us for the second half of our ministry and life. After praying and talking in depth with our leadership team in Brazil we have arrived at our next steps. Here are some of the highlights:
We will be continuing to labor with Campus Outreach and will continue to need your partnership, prayer, and financial support as we move forward “Building Laborers Through the Campus for the Lost World”.
We will not be going back to Brazil at this time in order to provide space, time, and opportunity for the young Brazilian National leaders to grow and truly take on the leadership for the ministry in Brazil. It is a very important time in the development of the ministry and Church where it is Nationalizing in its leadership and function. We are saddened and excited about this. Saddened that we are not going right back. Excited that God has done exactly what He promised and called us to do in Brazil. He has raised up laborers from among the Brazilians to lead and labor in His Kingdom for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. When I look at these laborers and this Church, I can’t help but envision the GENERATIONS of men and women who will be eternally impacted through them as a result of your partnership! I can’t thank you enough for this privilege!
We will be transitioning to Birmingham, Alabama in July where I will assist Kent Bailey with the development of several new initiatives within the ministry of Campus Outreach called Global Development. I have worked closely with Kent for the last sixteen years (in Birmingham and Brazil) and God has given us another exciting opportunity to take on some key initiatives for the Global Campus Outreach Movement. We are at a strategic point in the history and development of the Campus Outreach Ministry where we have years of experience to draw from in order to understand what we are doing well and how can we do it better (DEEPENING). We also want to understand the things we are not doing or doing poorly and how we can help make these things happen and happen better (DEVELOPING). With the commitment to raise up and mobilize even more leaders/laborers, teams, and ministries for God’s Kingdom (DOUBLING/MULTIPLYING). I look forward to sharing more with you about this as we move forward!
This will be a huge transition for our family! We are very excited about all that God has for us to do! We want to thank each one of you for your faithfulness and partnership. This ministry is a partnership! Without you it would not be possible! Thank you for encouraging us and supporting us that we may continue to Build Laborers Through the Campus for the Lost World for the Glory of God!
Prayer
Thank you for all your encouragement this year! We are so thankful for you and appreciate your faithful partnership! Here are a few of our current prayer request. Please join with us in prayer through this transition:
-That we would finish well all that we are currently doing in Atlanta, GA
-That we could raise the additional $1700 in monthly support that we need to replace that which we’ve lost over the past year of economic turmoil and challenge. Thank you again Jesus for meeting our needs for last year’s costs.
-That God would allow us to close on a house and move to Birmingham in June to settle before school and work starts full force there.
-For wisdom as we help the children make a healthy transition emotionally and physically.
-For the growth and development of the ongoing ministry and team in Brazil!
God Bless You and Keep You!
