Prayer Letters - August 2025

Hello all, 

As things are starting to cool a bit there, we’re just coming out of our “cool” time. It won’t get really hot until probably November. We didn’t get a good rainy season so it’s getting a bit dry. The few who planted without irrigation lost most of it. Most people seem to have given up even planting as rains are sparse and irregular. 

Since our return we have been trying to pick up the pieces. The main church ministry did well but some of the peripheral things are rather stunted. We’ve kind of been in a “holding pattern” as there are a number of people to figure out who’s doing what. One of the bigger mysteries is why I’d even be holding a pattern since I don’t sew, but we’ll save that for another letter. The point is there are a lot of people’s plans and visions to organize. We asked a local church to be the mother church of our work. I don’t believe that is just a formality and the pastor – in whom I place great trust – and the church as a whole has taken to the project warmly. 

But that’s a lot of heads to get thinking the same way and when 2 of them are new graduates who just finished reading a book on it, it can be challenging. But that’s one of the beauties of “newbies”. They’ve got all these ideas, and plans, and energy and the sky’s the limit – untainted by the cynicism of reality (case in point). The trick as an old guy is to give them enough room to take advantage of that fervor, but not enough to run off a cliff. 

More on that later. The college student we were expecting this summer came and brought a buddy. They weren’t with us real long but with their help we managed to get 6 benches almost ready. The legs held us up as my welding is even weaker than my optimism. But the benches are now done, and we have 10 fairly nice-looking benches to replace the plastic chairs that were starting to break. 

The big event was a group of people from a church in another state that came for what they call “Evangelism and Action”. They brought about 80 on a bus and in cars, and the mother church brought about 40. They had donations and doctors and medicines and kid’s events and, more importantly, visited almost every house in the smaller communities around Lage. They gave us a list of people who made decisions or at least were good visits and we are starting to re-visit those contacts. It made a good impact in the area, and many are still commenting and thanking us. 

On a more personal note, our oldest son and wife just visited us. Kerri was only at our house for just over a day and William just over a week, but that’s because it took over 70 days to get here from the U.S. – on a motorcycle. Some old coot had a sudden bout of optimism and thought he and his wife could ride the last leg with them. So I bought an old bike and off we went. Literally. I told Michele when she first started trying to talk me into it (yes, that’s right), I said “sooner or later, we’re going to fall”. I may have undersold the concept. We tried to build up to the trip by going to Lage and Abreus on the bike, even choosing the worst of what are already bad roads. My big fear was sand, where I don’t have much experience, so I asked for help from those who have ridden these roads since they were 10. 

The advice was unanimous – the secret is speed. “If you go fast you don’t fall in the sand.” They were right. The sand still knocks you over, but if you go fast enough you sail right over that nice soft sand. When you finally do land, you fall in the ditch or the weeds or even the trees, but you don’t fall in the sand. Then again, maybe I should have asked exactly what they meant by “fast”.

Still, being able to ride along on the last leg was a life moment and we’re glad they asked us to be there. (The trip’s last leg, not mine!) But as soon as they got home, they had to start packing to move to a new location and a new ministry far away in one of those third world countries somewhere between Virginia and Canada. But seriously, they are stretched pretty thin, so we’d appreciate your prayers. 

When we first started going to Lage we would sometimes eat at a little restaurant. The owner was interested in a study but was already doing one with a cult and didn’t have time. Later she squeezed us into whatever free time she could make at the restaurant but never made a decision. She was one of those people who isn’t Catholic, doesn’t drink or party (much) so they’re almost Christians. Seems everyone along the road to Lage is a cousin and I sometimes commented that she was God’s cousin, but not His daughter. Was. We’ve grown closer over the years, and it was so exciting to see her pray one night in her home and to watch her grow now. Pray for her and her mixed up modern family. 

Two more news/prayer items. Whenever we visit Dona (Mrs.) Maria, she won’t let us leave without a Bible story and prayer. Her husband, Seu (Mr.) Walter, would always study our sand rail car. A few weeks ago D. Maria’s brother and husband both died just days apart. Her grown daughter and 2 grandkids live with her. They are one of the poorer families we visit. Please pray for them. 

The other item involves one of the couples working with us. One of our jobs as veteran missionaries is to not let the new workers over-extend. Carlinhos is a fireball and is amazing at making friends and building relationships but there were a lot of changes and moves – including just getting married. All the stress brought out some unresolved trauma in his wife’s past and she seems to have had some kind of breakdown. They are moving out of Lage to be closer to treatment but still say they plan to return. The mother church is helping them for a while, but this seems to have really taken the wind out of the pastor’s sails. He, too, is somewhat overloaded but was excited and invested in this work and now this. Of course, all this falls at the feet of the last man standing so pray for us as we deal with delicate questions and issues and try to pick up the slack and continue what works we can. 

Well, I think that guy in the back of the auditorium is sleeping so I better quit . . . for now. We’ll catch you later. 

The Athas in Brazil

Men at the church plant on Brazilian Father's Day in August