May has been a very busy and blessed month at Sitio Shalom.
On May 8th, Guta was the guest speaker at PIB Caxias. Her message focused on the importance of global missions and was very well received by the congregation. The following day, we were invited to speak to the College and Career group at PIB Caxias. I shared a message from James 4:13-17, emphasizing that true success in life comes only when we include God in all our plans and decisions.
During our time here, we have been blessed to make many new friends. One such couple is John and Neila Yelle, who have faithfully served as church planters in Brazil for more than 25 years. Neila was raised in the Amazon, where her parents served as missionaries. A few months ago, Neila was diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer. She recently underwent surgery to remove the cancer, and after a brief recovery period, Guta and I had the opportunity to visit the family. We had one remaining "Quilt of Love" from Trinity Baptist Church, which we were honored to present to Neila. As the family gathered around her, we prayed together for her continued healing and strength. So often, pastors and missionaries pour themselves into ministry, giving sacrificially without expecting anything in return. In many cases, they receive very little recognition for their years of faithful service. Neila was deeply touched by this expression of love and encouragement, and tears filled her eyes.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Quilts of Love Ministry of Trinity Baptist Church. Your faithful work is making a difference far beyond your local community and is having a global impact for Christ.
Recently, we also had the opportunity to minister to Pastor Lucas and his wife, Thafni. Thafni's father passed away unexpectedly, and her mother, Anne, was visiting with them during this difficult time. We felt it would be a meaningful opportunity to show Christ's love to the family. Since we had no Quilts of Love remaining, we purchased a beautiful shawl and presented it to Anne as a small expression of our care and support. In the coming months, we plan to invite Pastor Lucas and Thafni to Sitio Shalom so they can spend a few days resting and fellowshipping with us.
We also continue to teach our weekly Bible study class and remain encouraged by what God is doing through His Word.
Thank you to all who faithfully pray for us and support this ministry. Your prayers, encouragement, and partnership make this work possible.
In our Savior’s service,
Guta and Jim