We have done so much in two months that it feels like we arrived about five months ago! Renovations on our house are underway; our fence is about three-quarters complete; we’ve worked on maintaining the property; we’ve been serving as much as we can in church. I am still leading songs, and Joneia has already started teaching the children for Wednesday evening services. Getting plugged right into our ministry here has been a real blessing.
What are the horrors of missions in Brazil? Number one: The Spiritism. I had spent three months in Brazil in the past and had yet to see anyone performing rituals and sacrifices at intersections. Within the first week, we witnessed two of them with people wearing red capes, lighting candles, and beheading a chicken…creepy. Number two: The Government Paperwork. We first went to the Federal Police just to be told to go to City Hall, just to be told to go to the Licensing Department, just to be told to go two hours south to the American Consulate, just to realize that we needed to go back to the Federal Police. Number three: The Wildlife. After being warned about the snakes and spiders of Brazil (which we were assured were primarily a threat in the Amazon Jungle) my father-in-law came within inches of a venomous pit viper called a Jararaca! I also narrowly escaped putting my pants on with a poisonous spider making its home in my pant leg! It’s been a blast!
All of this to say, our time in Brazil has already been incredibly productive, eventful, and a truly exciting time in our lives.
WE ARE IN BRAZIL! We have been so overwhelmed with how loving and generous all our churches have been on our deputation. We took a calculated leap of faith purchasing our tickets, and God proved Himself once again! Our deputation is finished, and we begin our work in Caxias do Sul. January certainly was a whirlwind of events. When temperatures dropped at the end of December, we managed to pack everything and move in with some friends of ours to keep warm and have running water. These friends have blessed us tremendously throughout our deputation and have helped make our time in the States much easier. With our stuff packed and ready to go, we worked through our final month of our deputation.
Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Not surprisingly, December was one of our slowest months. Because Christmas and New Year landed on Sundays, we only had two meetings this month. One in Amarillo and the other in Burleson. We enjoyed catching up with some old friends in Amarillo and were grateful for the meetings we had during one of the busiest times of the year. We cannot believe we are within a MONTH of leaving for Brazil!
This has perhaps been the most exciting month of our deputation. So many incredible things have been happening in the past month. Since the beginning of our deputation, we have looked ahead with the goal of making it to Brazil as quickly as possible, yet unsure as to how soon that could possibly be. Now, as of this month, we can see the end of our deputation journey! WE HAVE PURCHASED OUR TICKETS FOR OUR FLIGHTS TO BRAZIL!!! What we have been traveling and working for these 14 months is finally coming to completion. We will be flying directly into Caxias do Sul, Brazil on January 24th of 2023! We praise the Lord for all of His provision and protection during our travels.
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