Life is starting to normalize a bit here in Brazil. My Portuguese is coming along. Our home renovations are coming along well. The foundation for the added portion of the house has just been laid! It was a wonderful and relatively normal month in our lives and ministry in Brazil.

We have had a few events this month. First of all: Easter. It was a wonderful resurrection Sunday. One thing Joneia loves to do is create and direct church programs. Since we had limited time here since our arrival, we were able to do a relatively simple church program. We sang songs and read poems, all with the theme of Christ's final words on the cross. It was an impactful and enjoyable service.  We had a few visitors, and all heard the Gospel.

Another major event this month was the organization of Igreja Batista Vitória. Our church here in Brazil is now in the final stages of being organized with officers, deacons, secretaries, and a pastor. John Yelle is still the head pastor of the church, and we are still searching for God to lead a called national pastor. We are very hopeful for the fruit we see in some of our church's young men. We've seen several willing to serve, but none have taken up the call yet. Please pray that God will bring us the right man at the right time.

Speaking of service, at the end of the month, we had our church-wide evangelism outreach on the fifth Saturday. We had sixteen people come and pass out tracts around the neighborhood. For me, that's about all I did. I'd give a small wave, a friendly "Boa Tarde!" and hand them a tract. Others in our group had some excellent conversations with a couple of people. Please pray for the fruit that we may see from those seeds planted. Our time in ministry has been a blessing, and Joneia and I have been connecting well with some of the other couples our age. We have an amazing opportunity to come beside these couples in discipleship and to help them grow in their Christian lives. 

Thank you for your prayers for our safety; they are working! As we've maintained and worked on our property, we've encountered two deadly snakes so far! That is not a common occurrence on our property. We think that as the city grows in our direction, it is pushing more wildlife onto the property. Fortunately, we disposed of them before they could cause any harm. Also, for the first time, I saw two aggressive spiders about the size of a tea saucer! My father-in-law showed me that if you tap a stick in front of them, they will raise their two front legs straight up! Even after he sprayed it with Raid, it still attacked and grabbed onto the stick he was using to get rid of it. It was quite the site! But God is protecting us, the ministry is continuing, and our house is well underway. Keep praying for our renovations, my Portuguese, spiritual growth in our members, and continued growth in the church here. 

God Bless You.