Coming Home in May

Dear Family and Friends:

How are you? I hope this letter reaches you in good spirits.
Some of you might be surprised, but I am returning to the States at the beginning of May. Please don’t be concerned for me because I committed my life to Jesus a long time ago, and I will go wherever He sends me. I am pleased to be where He is. I have led a very blessed and satisfying life, and I am looking forward to what He has ahead for me. The Bible says, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
I served in Mozambique for a very fulfilling year, and there are going to be some things that will be very painful for me to leave behind. I am going to leave behind a dynamic Healing Place Church campus, friendships I’ve made with Mozambicans, and the simple, no fuss, no makeup lifestyle that I started getting use to. I was a part of something bigger than myself; “missionary” started rolling off the tongue pretty well.

I’ve grown so much during this time. Someone told me right before I left for Africa that God was going to teach me that things don’t have to go my way. I’ve known that truth only logically because I led such a disciplined life that I pretty much got the results I expected. Please don’t misunderstand me, I have not had an easy life, but I have had a blessed life because I applied the principles of God from childhood. And sure enough, none of it went my way. I was stretched beyond what I thought I could handle, but God is so very loving and gentle, I absolutely surrendered to His dealings with me. Romans 5:5, says that, “God has poured out his love into our hearts.” Andrew Murray, a South African minister in the late 1800’s, said it this way: “The love of God is always the love of God in its entirety, in its fullness as an indwelling power. It is a love of God to me that leaps back to Him in love, and overflows to my fellow-men in love.” When I couldn’t do it, God showed up and poured out His love into my heart. I would never trade that for sunburst or marble halls.

For my family and friends who are staying behind, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for every sweet word of encouragement you gave me to pursue God. You will never know how much you blessed me. Isaac and Carol, I love you; thank you for demonstrating a selfless life. Pastor Ben and Susan, thank you for waking up each day with such passion for the mission God gave you; Don and Diane, thank you for showing me that it’s never too late to do something crazy for Jesus, what commitment and faith; Jacci and Jessie, what can I say about you two, what gentle spirits, serving God without grasping for male companionship; Sandra what commitment to excellence. There are many more, Missy, Sarah, Zinty, and Janet. I am indebted to you all and I will take with me all the good memories I had with you.

How does this all fit with the rest of my life story? Well, only time will tell, but I believe this experience is a stepping stone for the next chapter of my life. My Portuguese has improved 100%, and now more than ever I realize that I am meant to work on an international level to some capacity. It’s no coincidence that I was born in Brazil, have an international face, and my heart yearns for the rest of the world. I plan on taking this to the next level. I want to learn more about helping people from other countries. How this will play out, I do not know, more schooling, an international company, I have no idea, but I am looking forward to finding out. In the end, my African experience has made me a better servant to the King and that is all that matters to me.

Thank You

I was able to raise enough funds to come back for 2 months. Thank you Jesus for any time I could spend in Mozambique with Your people. I do not take it lightly, I am priviledged to serve as a missionary. I don't have to understand everything, I am just grateful to be a part. Thank you all who supported me. Please pray that I can make the most of my time here with the Mozambicans.