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Looking Back, Pressing Forward

January of 2025 found us leaving a light snow in North Carolina, and arriving in Brazil to start a fresh new year of ministry.  Our hopes were high with two missionary couples all set to begin assisting in the interior work of church planting and evangelism.

The new rented space for our church meetings in Lage dos Negros was full on many Sundays and people seemed excited for the possibility of seeing a Baptist church established with a list of members and leaders.

Byron and I did something we had never done in Brazil - we bought a motorcycle.  Our oldest son and his wife were all set to travel overland from the USA to Brazil by motorcycle.  We wanted to meet them along their route sometime in the summer.  We started getting ready.

In May our regular summer visitor, Phillip Layne came with a fellow named Alex.  Their time with us was actually rather brief.  On this trip Phillip spent half of his time with one of our national missionaries and quite a bit of time in Lage dos Negros.  It was still great to host both fellows, and they assisted in making the new wooden benches for the congregation while in Brazil.

July was a busy month as we hosted a mission's group from a church in southern Brazil in conjunction with our supporting church in Juazeiro - Bahia.  For five days the group of close to 100 people visited different communities with activities, doctors, free medicine and evangelism.  All involved hoped that this campaign would spread the word about our little congregation and increase our numbers as a result.  


Just after this big event is when William and Kerri crossed the border into Brazil and we left to meet up with them.  All of our preparations didn't quite ready us for some of the bad roads we encountered on our very first day out.


A little bruised and a little battered, we chose to press on.  It was not easy, but the prize of riding along with our kids was worth it.  We traveled two days to meet up with them and then around five days together.  It was nothing in comparison to their trip of over three months and twelve countries.

Sadly, it was just after the high of our mission's event and our motorcycle adventure that things began to unravel for our missionary assistants in the interior work.  Through a series of unfortunate events we lost both of the couples that were working with us.  It was like another crash in the sand, but we chose to get up, brush off the dirt and press on.


It has not been easy.  We were left alone doing the work of a team.  We have done our best over the last part of 2025 to not just hold things together, but to move forward.  We are hopeful for the new year and pray for the completed establishment of a local church in Lage dos Negros in the days to come.

Pray with us to that end.

For I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, 

to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11





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