Bits January

 

We’ve got land! Last month I said that we hoped in 2021 that we could find a more permanent location for the church in Tupanatinga. We started searching for land and what it would look like and God already supplied a donor that took care of a land purchase! A relative of our colleagues Roger and Marcy Smith asked about projects and Roger graciously told him about Tupanatinga. His donated amount takes care of pretty much all of the land cost and the Arcoverde church has enough saved to cover the rest and some of the purchasing costs and then start building some. We also have some ministry funds saved up to start working on it. We really wanted a good location and God provided it; it even has a wall, well and small office building. Rodrygo is a civil engineer and started working on a project as soon as he negotiated the price. The next afternoon he had this programed out. We are working through how we would really want it, but this was better than we could all picture.

 

If you are interested in being involved in this church construction project, please let me know! We could start as early as this month. We are all pretty excited. The Arcoverde church already has some fund raising ideas as well. 

My mom came to visit us. She arrived on Monday and we are enjoying our time with her. The girls especially enjoyed Nana’s arrival. We also are about to receive a new coworker! Sarah Rogers visited us a year and a half ago and has decided to come back as a short term missionary for two years. Pray for her this month as she arrives on the third, looks to get settled and get going in ministry. 

I included a picture of some from our church praise team just to say that they have been a blessing to the church. There used to be more conflict and the group has grown to really do well in having a peaceful environment so that when the praise service time arrives we can have more meaningful worship. I am really grateful for the serviceful hearts and talent God has sent our way! We structured this year’s preaching around the Servant Leader’s curriculum we are going through; hoping to go deeper in Old Testament, New Testament, Bible study methods, Christian Family, Processing Life biblically and Good Soil (Evangelism and Discipleship). Sarah’s counseling classes have helped with some dynamic book requirements for the classes. 

She did her first module of the year this week. It was also the last module in which our colleagues and her professor, Al and Kim Yoder will be active on the field as they are retiring. Well, they love ministry and counseling and will continue to be active with the classes, but technically they are retiring. I met Al and Kim as a 10 year old in the Amazon. We then did an internship with them in the Amazon in 2010. Kim counseled Sarah during our first term and had a great impact on Sarah’s spiritual growth. When they moved to Fortaleza they started offering a master’s class for Biblical counseling and convinced Sarah to take the course. They have been very instrumental in Sarah’s studies and honing her abilities in the area and we are very grateful for them! 

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, and my little fish that love having Nana here