Exciting Weeks Ahead!

Dear Family & Friends,

We are preparing for our departure to FMI's Missions Training this coming Tuesday, Oct. 27th. We will be in training venues daily until Nov. 6th. The books we have had to read have been wonderful. We have especially enjoyed John Amstutz's book "Disciples of All Nations". This is so well written and so challenging. I wish I had read this book 40 years ago and then re-read it yearly, but it was just written this year. There is a study guide, present in the book, created by Gary Matsdorf and it is excellent for doing in a class with others. It is not information that I have not known, but it is formulated and shared in a unique and anointed manner that prompts the heart and spirit to process it all anew, and draws you up to a new level of understanding The Great Commission of Christ for all of us. I just really recommend this book for every church and every leader.

We want all of you to be able to follow our "adventure", so I'm going to share a tentative itinerary for the months of Nov. & Dec. As the Training venue closes on Friday, Nov. 6th we will head back home to Indio, wash cloths, check mail and re-pack to leave for the east coast. We will be re-uniting with our daughter Denise, who will be here on the mainland for a TDY with the Air force. She will have a few days in Virginia at Dawn (our oldest daughter), Ray and their children, Quinn & Quincy's home. We will be there until Denise's departure back to Guam where she is stationed. We will also be visiting the Mt. Vernon Foursquare Church, where our children attend. We look forward to seeing many dear and long-time friends while there.

Near the end of November we will be heading north to New England to visit the Portuguese-speaking Foursquare Churches in the NE area. They have all been very supportive of our plan to accept FMI's invitation to return to Brazil for a season of mentoring and supportive serving.
We will be blessed to accept several other invitations to share in our English-speaking churches that desire to reconnect with us, and give prayer support to what is happening in our lives and the Brazilian church.

We want to thank Dr. Cairo Marques & his very dear wife, Iracy, who have been 100% with us in this project and been so encouraging. They share oversight of the Portuguese-speaking churches under the leadership of Jim & Melinda Scott, the New England Supervisors.

Those of you who are prayer-partners, please continue to hold us up in this respect. We are in a "applicant/candidate" status in the sending process, even though we were approached by our director, Jonathan Hall of FMI, and we must complete the entire process. It is a wonderful and enriching training and we are benefiting greatly. Just please continue to pray with us, as this is totally a "faith" venture on our part and we are completely reliant on God for this season of the journey.

We especially want to thank so many of you who made great sacrifices in your budgets for our "Missionary Trip" to investigate the demographics and the"climate" of receptivity in Brazil; it was really overwhelming and we have had so many pastors and leaders share their desire to receive us back into the Brazilian Church for this season of ministry. We also share this great burden in our own hearts. We thank you for making that 3 months of ministry possible; we could not have gone without all the kindness and generosity of each one of you, as God prompted your hearts. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

As soon as we move from "applicant/candidate" status to "appointed" status we can formally do deputation to undergird our permanent return to Brazil. We desire your prayer for us as we complete all that is required. God will have to do the rest. Thank you dear family and friends for your loving prayers and support as we walk this path of faith. It is definitely a new level of trust for us and may God be glorified by our obedience and steadfastness in staying the course.

God bless until the next update,

Much love,
Dale & Patti