Bits March

Church anniversary month this past month! We celebrated four years of having an organized church in Arcoverde with a ministry fair and some cake. The church is starting to get some of the pre-covid momentum back which would be great! One of our main objectives this year has been to develop our leadership and we have been working with a group that will be able to take growing responsibilities. Sometime soon we are planning on hiring one of them so that he can stay with the church, join ministry, help with administration as well as receive training in ministry. He is a very capable guy and we are excited. He will help with the church in Tupanatinga as well during our furlough.

The construction in Tupanatinga is in the final stages for our main meeting building. The other phases are happening simultaneously. As we do this we are seeing that it would be easiest to do the third phase now rather than cover the building which would cost a lot and then uncover it later. We have enough money to keep going for a little more time, but not much. Help! If God leads of course. We have been very blessed on the project up to this point. We started it by using saved up ministry funds and then several generous gifts that really got us going. Then we had one main generous donor for the second phase that really allowed us to purchase great material and build it right the first time. As much as I have been a tight wad in life, cutting corners in construction is not good in the long run! We have a do it right the first time philosophy which is more expensive on the front end but more efficient in the long run. 

My main project for this month was building a playground. We had a little mission trip in the begining of the month and put the structure up. Then each week since I would take another person to continue to work on it. Sarah and Sarah R. painted it last week and now there are just a few more details to finish. The slides are supposed to be delivered on Friday! While I was sleeping some nights in Tupanatinga to work on the playground, I scheduled our men’s study which is normally online. We had a good group of guys present as we study how to process life biblically. We are over halfway through it and I plan to continue it this month.  

Sarah continues to grind out her dissertation as well as counseling several women and then leading a couple small groups. We have had conversations with people within our own church as well. On April 9 we are putting together a marriage workshop for about five hours. The prep for it is intense! Pray God uses this study in the life of the church to strengthen our family units. 

Evie with her youth group and
leader (Sarah Rogers)

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, my nursery volunteer/babysitter who is a bit help during all these studies and our friendly last born that is a play leader for all her friends

Bits February

The kids pitching in painting

Last week I started a Servant Leaders course called Processing Life Biblically with the men in Tupanatinga. During the month of February the Servant Leaders group has been going through it again online and it was a great opportunity to work through it with the group in Tupanatinga. The basic premise of the study is that God allows circumstances in our lives, both good and bad, to mold us into the character of Christ. The study shows how we can learn from what happens in our life. I have taken the course a couple times and taught it a couple times and it is always a good reminder of our need for growth.

But it is also bad because it seems like God likes to give up to date illustrations to use. Last week’s theme was patience that He seemed to be teaching me. The last couple of days really worked on my ego and selfishness. I am not sure I can take 7-8 more weeks of this beating! haha. 

Biblical Counseling Module

This month we were able to have another module; this time Biblical counseling with our new boss Randy Richner, who also taught a couple of Sarah’s modules for her Master’s. The course got a couple people interested in counseling and there are always opportunities for it. Especially when it comes to family life. Pray for our families in our churches! Living together can be hard but the Bible has answers! Sarah has been diligent in her courses as she dives deeper into how God’s Word can transform the heart and in how people can see that for themselves. 

The youth kickoff luau

Speaking of family, the girls are doing great. Evelyn takes all our training courses. This month three of us took a training for kid’s ministry. Evelyn is already helping out with nursery and does a great job. We always get great comments from adults in our lives about the girls. I would love for the girls to one day come back with us as missionaries as they would be great to work with! 

The last couple of days I have been in Tupanatinga working on a park for the kids just like we have in Arcoverde. We have a lot to do to get the church ready. I am planning on painting and being the main person on organizing the park. We got a good dent in it today. I plan on going on Monday afternoons for the next few weeks, doing that study Monday night; working during the day on Tuesday and then coming back. Please pray that we can get the building done and usable maybe even this month! (then we will still continue on to the second phase of the project). 

My brother Philip was here for two and a half weeks and we had a great time with him.  We did a few hikes in some of the natural beauty points of interest around us. We got a little taste of what it is like being around family as we are realizing how close our furlough is (August) and it seems to be affecting us a little as that date approaches (or as we realize how long we have been going hard in ministry in a foreign country since having a good break). Pray for our steadfastness as well as preparing the different ministries for our absence. 

Philip and the family in Catimbau

Matheus and Evie wearing the same camp shirt

Thanks for your prayers!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah my long fish doing swimming lessons and my English curriculum designer (yes, Anna Claire developed her own english lessons so she can teach a friend)