Bits October

She is done! Sarah turned in and defender her dissertation for her Master’s degree in Biblical Counseling. We are all excited for her to be done with her school work, but the real work of counseling will just continue as normal. While counseling sounds pretty formal, many aspects of it are just active discipleship. She uses the skills in her own life, in our family life and in ministry. She was also asked to publish at least a booklet with her study on Women and technology and so she is looking into what that would entail as it will take some editing and rewriting to put that in book form. 

We were on the road the first half of this month. Actually in the air! We went back to a different part of Brazil for nine days to attend the All Brazil conference, a gathering of ABWE missionaries from all over Brazil. Before the actual conference we had a security training to take over three days time. This helped us be more prepared for any assaults, online security amongst other security situations. 

At the conference we were able to hear from Paul Davis, the ABWE president. It was really encouraging for us to hear the direction in which ABWE is headed as well as good spiritual challenges from the Word. During the conference we were able to fellowship with all of our friends and colleagues around Brazil. We have a great group of missionaries and a great challenge in Brazil.

One question that is asked about Brazil is why we still need missionaries as there have been so many missionaries in the country in the last century. While Brazil has had a lot of evangelism, there are many areas that haven’t. South Brazil has many cities considered unreached (less than 2% evangelical). Where we are targeting we consider underreached (less than 5% evangelical). 

The bigger problem to me is the lack of doctrinal purity. There are few churches that are not charismatic or not preaching the prosperity gospel or another watered down version of the gospel. ABWE missionaries want to provide mentorship in theological education as well as support in reaching the unreached and underreached areas. After the conference we had one more meeting to attend, a leader’s meeting. In that meeting we talked about working as a team to reach the Hunsrick people, a German influenced culture in Rio Grande do Sul that has very little gospel influence. Pray with us for this project and that there would be unity and excitement in working together for the gospel.

Evelyn has been able to teach kid’s church in 4-5 churches since we have been back. This month she taught at Calvary Raleigh Church in North Carolina while her dad preached in the main service. Then she repeated the following week in Ringgold at Crosspointe community church. After that service during announcements, one of the kid’s workers used Evelyn’s lesson to get his point across. It was neat to hear. 

Thank you for your prayers and support as we reach Brazil for Christ!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah and teacher Evelyn and my little cheerleader Anna Claire

Bits September

Evie's birthday dinner

The gospel has been my meditating point for this month. How does the gospel directly affect our daily life? You probably say, well you are missionaries, so the gospel is pretty big as you need to take the gospel to all the world. Yes, that is true. But I have been more and more convinced of our daily need for the gospel. The gospel should affect how we live our lives, how we relate to others, how we treat our families. So if you have been around me this month, chances are you have heard about the gospel.

Tupanatinga church meeting

We started the month speaking at our church we attend in the Chattanooga area while we are here, Cloud Springs Baptist. On September 18 we went to Prattville, AL where we taught Sunday School and preached the morning service. Then this last Sunday I spoke at Alaska Baptist Church in Caledonia, Michigan where my friend Mike serves. Each church has been very receptive and in each church I have been able to preach about the gospel transformation going on in our lives.

We got hooked up with Bama tickets!

I am grateful for some other opportunities this month. Sarah has been able to encourage a friend in ministry as well as be encouraged by this same friend. She and I are also leading a small group at our girl’s school. Then last Wednesday I spoke at chapel as well. I am rather encouraged by the attentiveness and interest shown by the youth at that school as well as my brother’s youth group where I spoke on Sunday night. I pray that this generation will be a difference making generation! 

My brothers! 

I am writing this while in the middle of a ten day trip up north. I had a brother’s weekend where I connected with five of my brothers for three days and had deep conversations and Carrel competitions/activities. I have missed this being gone in Brazil and it really was a great time to connect. I am then going to a Servant Leader’s connect time where I can be with that community and connect and participate in what God is doing through Servant Leaders. On Sunday the 2nd we fly to Brazil as a family for the All Brazil conference. This every three year conference was pushed back two years cause of Covid and fell on our furlough. Since we have a required security training to do (that was supposed to be done by last year) as well as another meeting after the conference, we decided it would be good to go. We won’t be going back to Arcoverde, but a different part of Brazil. Pray for our safety! 

We are grateful for you! I don’t think I express that enough. Traveling to churches we hear of people who love getting these updates and are consistently praying for us. Many of you support us financially and we know that takes sacrifice and we really appreciate it. Thanks for your love!

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah and our now teenager who is taking advantage of being able to raise her hand and answer questions in class, and our youngest who already has classmates bummed out that she won’t be there next year