To family, this sight is very familiar, but to many of you it is unknown. This is one small swath of the enormous, third largest city on the planet, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. It is approximately the land size of the LA Basin with a population of approximately 25 million inhabitants. This was home to us for 9+ years between 1982 and 1991. Our children learned to love it and its citizens. Dale and I learned to navigate it (Dale better than I) but I did learn how to get lost in it and then to get found, more times than I care to remember. :)We are on the brink of returning to this city and this wonderful country; our hearts are full of excitement and wonder about what God has planned for us in these coming days and years. Our Portuguese is coming back and our Spanish is diminishing...I wish there were a way to keep them both on the tip of the tongue but alas they are so "alike" and yet so "un-alike" that you have to suppress one to speak the other. So we are making the switch and I have to say, for both of us there is an inner joy at reclaiming our Portuguese. It is such a fun and delightful tongue, that one just enjoys it way too much!
In the event that any of you have missed the news of our approval, we are finally fully approved and have begun the serious work of mounting a "support team" both prayer and resource. Would you add us to your prayer list and remember us as often as you can. There are 15,000 churches and meeting places in Brazil and 2,000 in the state of São Paulo where we will be, serving the church, the majority of our time. There are 27,484 licensed workers in the nation-wide church. Last year alone nearly 1/2 of the converts reported in our Foursquare yearly reports took place in the country of Brazil; 1.4 million world-wide and 731,821 of those were in Brazil. There are 60 Bible Colleges and 150 Bible Institutes. Last year alone they planted 331 new works all thriving.
You might ask yourself, "What in the world do they need you for?" In the burgeoning rapidly growing miracle of a church, there are many great men and women who are working day and night to see their communities reached; pastors are stretched and their families are burdened and fragile from the strain of the labor. It is into this venue that we go bearing encouragement and care for the hearts, marriages and families of our workers there. Obviously we will not be able to carry a load of that magnitude by ourselves but we can, by the grace of God, begin a system of care-giving that, it is our prayer, will rapidly multiply and catch the all-to-frequent fall-out of tireless workers in the harvest.
In our wonderful Foursquare world-wide family there are all kinds of ministries going on simultaneously and this is one that will join with them to help our brothers and sisters "finish well". It is our prayer that if the Lord places us on your hearts you will pray with fidelity for our strength, wisdom, resource, national cooperation and the trust of those hearts that stand in need. It is our prayer to be "Jesus" with skin on for our laborers and workers in the Brazilian field; that they may have respite and renewal in the battle and be resourced by our American Church with "ministry gifts" that will come and share in the encouragement of these men and women of God.
Thank you for following our journey and lifting us up in prayer, as well as, with resource; we could do nothing without this backing by our American Church. We also realize that here in the USA we are in a season of tremendous financial uncertainty; much like some of the churches in the New Testament who gave out of their clear and apparent need, in order to see their brethren encouraged and fortified spiritually. Brazil does not need our financial resource, but they need our spiritual support and care and the Lord has seen fit to call us back to the harvest field to stand in the gap and urge and encourage (Heb. 3:13-14) "one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14) For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end..." It is for this purpose we set ourselves to return for a season and we desperately need your prayer and intercession for this task.
We are in our home, which is for sale, and actively saving resources for the upcoming mission. While waiting, we are working. Dale is this week serving in security for the Tennis Tournament in our community; I am available for substitute teaching and have applied for Census work, as well. We are speaking during the week-ends in our wonderful Foursquare Churches in the So. California area. I need to say that each Sunday is an absolute delight as we are gathered in by our loving and gracious pastors and their flocks; shown hospitality and renewed in heart and spirit as we worship together and share the word God has placed on our hearts.
Thank you for all your love and support in so many ways!
May the Grace of God visit you in these unique days when all that matters is HIM and His purpose.
Dale & Patti :)
