Bits July

Opportunities. I feel like that is a good word for this update.

In our Wednesday night Bible study we started the New Testament this past week. The first story is the birth of Jesus. Before getting deep into the study one friend explained how we had gone through the Old Testament first because it gives a base and tells us why Jesus is important. Well said. I did not even have to pull that out of anyone. The discussions during the study continue to be very good.

Arcoverde is getting a football team! "haha, you say, Arcoverde has tons of football teams, the FOOT ball!" "On the contrary," I reply; "an american football team." A guy whom I met in the park that speaks English told me he also played football and loves it; and just recently he told me he is forming a team here that will be part of the state league and will be supported by the sports department of the state government. I am trying to assist him in this. I told him that maybe we could get some people to come down and do some teaching/coaching if he let them share their story about their Christian life. He said of course. So, let me know if you are interested and what kind of experience you have! This is a brand new team and I am pretty sure that most of the team has never played football before.

I have had several opportunities to speak, teach and preach and will have several more this month including some Good Soil training August 16 and finishing the Old Testament module I am teaching in Recife on the 22nd and 23rd.

Sarah is looking to do a baby shower for a friend. Imagine that, Sarah trying to plan a party! (that was sarcastic; Sarah loves parties and does a wonderful job on them)! She is loving the life here in Arcoverde, super excited for the house we are building (click on this for pictures), and has recently started running again. She received more presents and attention than she ever has on her 22nd birthday that she had earlier this month. :)    (To not be accused of a liar; that smiley face represents a purposeful typo in the previous sentence, fyi).

We are both excited to receive our friend Ben Foster this month here in Arcoverde and also to see Alisson and Christina Arruda in Recife as they will be here visiting family! We love visitors! We just had a family here that are looking to come to Brasil as missionaries in the future and the Outback is an option! We were able to spend some time with them and show them around. Pray for the Surrett family as they make a decision regarding their future!

Our Pastor's group really flourished this month. There seems to be a strong unity, friendship and common goal of seeing the Outback reached for Christ! Just today I heard from them of two new works that will open up in nearby cities.

I also started teaching English at a local school here once a week. I have 12 students and had a good time in my one class I had so far. I am also arriving at a point where I will have to decide to say no to some things, which simply means we are not as new here anymore and that we have a good amount of friends! Please pray that we would use our time wisely. We are also at the beginning stages of looking at land to buy for the future church that we will have here. Please pray for wisdom in that and we will let you all know details as soon as we have time to work through them ourselves. But we will possibly be starting to ask for land and building money and also building work teams (which will be our first time as missionaries to do this)!

Thanks for all your prayers. They are evident and sustaining. Please keep them coming.

All for HIS glory,
David, Sarah, the very creative singing little mommy who enjoys playing house, and the climbing, running little monkey that we found standing on the dining room table the other day.