Bits from Brazil

This month was a blessing for us with our rest and recuperation goals. Mainly, the mental rest. We find that we are normal people in that we can get drained living in a different culture. We love Brasil and can’t picture ourselves anywhere else, but we needed a break before our trip. We now feel ready to return and get to work. We feel rejuvenated and are excited for the second semester of activities for the year. 

Being able to worship in church services without responsibilities has been helpful for paying attention to the Word and letting praise music speak to us. Several times we sang teary-eyed. Let me encourage you all, wherever you are, to advocate for your Pastor to have time off so that he can be in a healthy spiritual place. It seems like there is a generation of Pastors retiring, and so the less Pastors there are who are quitting, the better for the church. We were encouraged to meet an Air Force chaplain while hiking a mountain; he asked everyone at the top of Mount Major (in New Hampshire) for a photo together, asking where they were from. 

One Sunday this month, we were able to speak at a North Georgia church where Sarah’s parents attend and her uncle is pastoring. We also attended two small groups in which we talked about what God is doing in Brasil. It was very encouraging to dialogue and be able to have questions as we talked about the different church plants. This Sunday, we will be able to speak at our sending church in Michigan. 

In Batalha, Stefan has had a couple of workdays for the new property. An architect who attends our church, but is not yet a member, is volunteering to work on the design. Because there was no rebar or solid structure in the walls, we decided to take down the current structure and build it the way we would really like it built, rather than adapt an unstable building to our needs. It was a blessing that several men from Batalha worked on it the first day, and then several men from the Arcoverde church worked on it the second day.

On Tuesday, the 5th of August, we fly back to Brasil, arriving on the 6th. Pray for smooth travels and a good entrance back into ministry! We have a busy few months coming up, with a couple of groups this month visiting, a module, preaching and organizing in the church. 

We so enjoyed seeing a few of you all this trip. Please know how much we appreciate you all! 

All for HIS glory,

David, Sarah, my girl with her driver’s permit, and our trampoline gymnast