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Monica and Olivia after getting their faces painted while visiting the Cipia tribe in the Amazon.
As we get closer to home assignment, both our girls are feeling it. Monica is preparing for college this fall, and Olivia will be starting her senior year of high school and will not be returning to Brazil for a third term with Brandon and me. There’s a lot of good ahead, but also a lot of hard goodbyes. This “in between” space is hard to explain. Our girls feel Brazilian. After all, this is where their memories, friendships, and everyday life have been, and yet they’re stepping into the US—a place that’s supposed to feel like home but doesn’t fully feel that way.
I think in some ways it points to something deeper. As believers, we know our citizenship is in heaven. We build our lives here and love people deeply here, but there’s always that quiet sense that this isn’t our final home. And honestly, that’s a little where we find ourselves right now, not just as a family but in ministry, too.
Brandon and Marci with the students Larissa, Camila, Ana, Filipe, and Ítalo.
As we come to the end of this second term, we’ve been trying to finish well, making the most of the time and relationships God has given us. Brandon has had a busy semester teaching New Testament and Church History in our area, as well as an intensive Introduction to the Bible course in Santa Catarina. But in addition to teaching, we both feel that a lot of the ministry happens outside the classroom as well, sitting with students, listening to their stories, and walking with them as they try to understand what God is doing in their lives.
Students of the intensive Intro to the Bible in Santa Catarina.
We have found a common understanding with the students, as we’re not the only ones who feel that “in between.” We see it in our students, too, as they prepare for what God has next, often without having all the answers yet.
One of those students is Ítalo Carmelio. Missions has been on his heart for a long time. He’s spent years doing mission trips while living in Curitiba. He has traveled to places like Paraguay, Iguaçu, Japan, Germany, and China, and when he talks about it you can hear the passion he has for the nations. That’s part of why he came to the seminary. He wants to be prepared, to grow, and to better understand what God is asking of him, especially with his passion for discipling young people between 16 and 24. At the same time, he’s still figuring things out, not knowing where God will call him after seminary or what preparation should look like to get there, wherever that may be.
Students who attend the weeknight classes, most of whom live on campus.
Most of these students work through the week and take intensive classes on Saturdays.
And maybe that’s part of this season for all of us—living in that space between what is known and what isn’t yet clear, trusting God with what’s ahead. For our girls, for Ítalo, for the other students, and for us, we’re learning to take the next step with what God has already put in front of us, even when the road ahead feels uncertain.
We’re so grateful for each of you who pray for us and support us. In a season like this, we’re reminded that we’re not walking it alone. Your partnership allows us to invest in students like Ítalo and to be present with our family through all these transitions. Thank you for being part of what God is doing here and for walking with us in it.