Dia Gratia | April 2023 Mission Update

After 8 years in the mission field of Belem, Para, Brazil the Lord has called us to move on to our next adventure in Christ. It is a funny thing being a missionary, you really learn that your home is not here in this world, but in heaven. At times it has been the hardest thing to give up ‘home’.

We had to do it when we left everything the first time when we left Colorado for our first mission adventure on the sailboat, then onto northern Brazil, and here we are again packing up for the next deployment in missions. We have learned that this life in ministry and missions is not determined by our own timeline or expectations, or even the expectations of others, but is guided by the Lord and His desire to use us where, when, and how He desires.

One of the hardest, but most amazing things we have learned in our 15 years in ministry, and 8 in the mission field, is that we have no control over our own lives. For a time, this lack of control was so hard to accept, but now it feels like an exciting adventure because we know we go where the Lord calls us and serves How He leads us.

When we first arrived in Brazil, we never could have imagined that He would call us to plant a new church, work with individuals in prostitution/human trafficking, serve the refugees, and minister to the marginalized throughout our mission city of Belem and beyond to the river communities on the mouth of the Amazon River. We just started by doing the first thing the Lord put in front of us.

We did it faithfully and consistently and from that we can look back and see how the Lord used our hard work and our lives to grow His church, His ministries, and to transform His people. It was not because of our strength or our knowledge that we were used, but it is our weakness and dependence on Him that allowed these things to grow and succeed. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we trusted that the Lord would show us what needed to be done and bring the help and resources that were needed. And, He did. We just had to be obedient to what He was calling us to do for Him and He provided.

It is exciting and scary to leave everything behind again and to take another step of faith to the unknown, but through past experiences we no longer let fear paralyze us because we know that the Lord is good, that He will provide and that He will continue to use us for His kingdom and glory even when we don’t have all the pieces to present to the outside world.

We have always viewed successful missions as those who don’t stay forever but go and serve in the vision they were called to, lead/raise up others from the area to take over for it to grow and then the missionary moves on to the next area the Lord has guided them to. It’s an interesting way of life, not knowing how long the Lord will call you to one place but being flexible and available to go wherever and whenever He calls. So, that is what we are doing.

We have handed over Calvary Chapel Belem, the Proverbs 24:11 ministry, and all of the other ministries under Calvary Belem to the nationals here in Brazil and have left them a thriving, healthy, and Spirit filled church. We have completed the work the Lord has called us to do here, and while we are sad to leave our ‘home’ for the last 8 years, and all of the incredible people we have loved and who have loved us, we are excited to see how the Lord will continue to use us in this next step of faith. It is always an adventure in Christ.

We have been so grateful to all of you who have loved, encouraged, prayed and supported us through our missionary journey thus far. We ask you to continue with us in this support, love and encouragement as the work is not finished, we are just on to the next location and mission for the Lord.

Your support through our ministry, Dia Gratia, has not only supported us as a missionary family, the ministries, and the church over the years but it has also supported 6 other missionaries in the field as well. Aside from us, here are the missionaries that your financial support continues to help in furthering the kingdom of God: