Where We Are Serving

Since 2004 Marla and I have been serving in the country of Brazil.  Since arriving we have learned Portuguese and been attempting to learn exactly what it means to be Brazilian.  Though we haven’t got it down as much as we want God has been with us.  

Up until now, we have been working in a town called Londrina, which is in the southern state of Paraná.  OMS arrived in Londrina about 50 years ago, and has by and large accomplished much of what they had initially set out to do in: spreading the Gospel message, starting churches and training leaders.  This past September, we met together to discern and try to map out God’s will for us as a mission from here on.  What we were able to articulate was that we want to: partner with a good biblically based Brazilian denomination to start and establish churches (which would include telling people about Jesus and training local leadership) in areas of Brazil with no or little evangelical presence.

The past year and a half we have been in the city of Maringá for a time of training and more hands on experience working with the Igreja Misionaria church (the church started by OMS) Micah has been able to be involved in various ministries of the church, as well as to grow in his preaching and teaching abilities. He has had the opportunity to travel to different parts of Brazil to get to know some of the Igreja Misionaria churches. We are also working in a young church plant in the neighboring city of Marialva where we are involved in a variety of things. A few of our favorites are teaching kids, singing in the worship team and Micah being able to really come along side and pray with, learn from, encourage and work along side the pastor. It has been a good and yet challenging time of observing, working with a Brazilian pastor, teaching, preaching and learning the patern of the Igreja Missionaria church so that in te future when we go to plant new churches we’ll have a foundation to work from.
Where exactly in Brazil that leads us from here… only God knows.