Today, August 29th,
marks 5 years that I arrived in Santarém, Brazil. Sometimes it
feels like yesterday and sometimes it feels like forever ago. I arrived as a newly 23 year old, only
a year out of college and ready to take on the world. Now looking back, as a newly married, 28 year old, I can see
how much I have been blessed during these past 5 years. It hasn’t always been easy. There have been countless struggles,
times of homesickness and times where I wondered if I was even worthy to be a
missionary. One thing I have
learned is I probably am not worthy but the one I am working for (Jesus) is
more than worthy. There are times
when I have thought about what I am “missing out” on in the US. But as Becky Hrubik, PAZ co-director,
told me, “There is nothing better than
working full-time for Jesus.” I
have no doubt that she is right.
Before getting married
and even shortly after, Lucivan and I had thought a lot about what our plans
would be after getting married.
What would we do? Where
would we go? We thought a lot
about moving to Southern Brazil and working regular jobs and being involved in
a local church. I thought a lot
about having my own job so I could make money and not have to live on donations
and rely on other people. Maybe my
faith was too small. We sat down
with the Directors of PAZ to talk through the plans for the future and they
challenged us to pray and seek God about jumping on board as a couple full-time
with Project AmaZon. Now we would
both be missionaries. I know we
both walked away that day very thoughtful. What were we supposed to do? We both felt torn between what our flesh wanted to do and
what God was calling to do.
For those that don’t
know, my husband is from a river community along the Amazon River. 6 months before we met, I went to his
community on a PAZ trip to help with the construction of the church there and
to do children’s ministry. The
trip that I went on really marked my life. Sometimes we go to so many places that we just don’t
remember them all but this community was different. 6 months later I understood why when I met Lucivan. God is so neat in the way He writes our
stories. I know it was not just by
chance that an American missionary and a Brazilian guy from a river community
were joined together. God’s will
must be done.
With all that said, and
on the 5th anniversary of my life in Brazil, we would like to
announce that we will be serving full-time as PAZ missionaries. God is in control and the time tables
are in His hands. What we know for
now is that we will be serving in any way we can to further His Kingdom here in
the Amazon Basin. This will
include but not be limited to: Guesthouse support, administrative duties, river
trips, translating, ministering, leading cell groups and discipling.
With this change, we
need your prayers and support! To
be able to dedicate ourselves 100% to this ministry, we will not be able to
work outside jobs so financial support is vital. Cost of living here is high and we never can be too sure
what the dollar is going to do.
Please prayerfully consider joining with us financially on a regular
basis. Also, we will need to
travel to the US at the end of the year in an effort to raise support. If you or your church would like us to
come share please get in contact with us.
On that note, the big prayer request right now is for Lucivan’s
visa. He has his interview for a
tourist visa in Sao Paulo on September 9th at 9am EST. It is essential that he get this visa
so we can make our plans for raising support in the US.
Thank you so much to
all of you have so graciously supported me over the past 5 years and thank you
in advance to those who will now partner with Lucivan and I in the next years
as God leads.
God bless,
