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Dear Family and Friends,
April showers have certainly brought May flowers this year, along with lots of pollen and allergies for the family. It has been awhile since we experienced spring in Missouri. After living in the Dakotas it is easy to forget just how green the world can get in spring when there is so much moisture and trees everywhere.
Over the past couple of months our primary travels have been in Kansas. It has been a joy building relationships with the NAB churches there. In every church we have been blessed by the warmth and love that we felt. It was exciting to share about the ministry in Brazil to so many that were not familiar with the details of the work the NAB does in Brazil.
In April we visited the NAB office in Sacramento. Our teammates in the office encouraged us and prayed for us. During our visit we also recorded a video of how God has shaped us to be sent to the mission field. This will be shared at July’s Triennial conference.
Also in April we received news that the final paperwork has been signed to secure us an apartment in Porto Alegre. This has brought so much joy as we see God preparing the path for us on the other side of the world. The apartment has three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. It is within walking distance to the seminary and is in the same building as our partner missionaries, Lyndell and Paulo. It has been exciting to see God work at both ends of preparing our path to go to Brazil.
Brandon continues teaching a Systematic Theology class at the seminary online, using Lyndell as his interpreter. The class will conclude in early June. The questions the students ask each session are sharp, and the first round of papers have shown that the students are grasping the material well. Keep praying for them!
Once the class is over, our family will complete the COMPASS pre-field missionary training in Colorado Springs in June and July. This will give all five of us helpful tools on how we can cope with the transition to another culture together.
Here’s an updated picture of our family. The kids have grown quite a bit since we started our missionary journey. May 25th marks the end of their school year. Daniel will be finishing 8th grade, Monica 5th, and Olivia 2nd.
We are pleased to announce that in August and September we will visit Marci’s parents in Kenya. This will be the first time Brandon and the kids will see where Marci grew up, and the first time Marci has been back in 18 years. Going to Kenya has been a family dream for some time!
We are praying that this trip will mark the end of fundraising and shortly thereafter we will begin our first term in Brazil. We are closing in on 60% of our support goal and need just 20% more to make plans to go to the field. Join us in prayer that God will provide what we need.
If you haven’t already, please visit our website, www.teachingbeyondborders.org. Here you can read more updates on our family as well as see more pictures of our new apartment in Brazil. We also have an email newsletter that we send out regularly, which you can subscribe to directly from our website, using the “subscribe” button on the homepage.
Thank you so much for all your prayers and your support.
Joyfully,
Brandon and Marci Jones