April 2002

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Being back in Brazil and involved in church planting and evangelism is refreshing. This term we are in Salvador, Bahia, a city of 2,500,000 located on the eastern coast of Brazil. We are working with an organized, 60-member church in town that has been without a pastor for some time, another church that’s about two hours from here, and we’re beginning new work close to town. They are three very different settings, but the purpose of our work is the same in each location—to help people come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and enable their present relationships to grow and fortify.

We are enabling people to meet Christ where they live and work with their families, peers, and neighbors. We are building leadership in the churches, so that they can continue to reach out to others themselves. We are working with some very gifted, experienced Christians and others who are new in their faith. We are bringing people back to their churches and reaching out to new folks through home Bible studies, visitation, and a variety of programs, plus strengthening the existing programs.

Our churches have a variety of programs which meet the people’s physical and spiritual needs. Once such program is a monthly soup kitchen. Children who have little to eat and very poor nutrition come on Saturday afternoon for a short program which includes singing, games, and a Bible story, followed by a hearty bowl of vegetable beef soup. Between 60 and 75 children are served this nutritious meal. The church is praying and working to expand this program to offer it more times a month and in two different parts of the city. Saturday evening, folks, mostly adults, attend an outdoor evangelism/worship service.

In Salvador, a second program involves reaching out to the children in the large neighborhood with a preventive dental care program. Church members are trained to spot visible minor health problems, thoroughly check teeth, provide educational, fun, and informative programs which help the children incorporate the new information in their everyday lifestyles, give fluoride treatments and keep detailed dental records. Children are seen once a month by a church volunteer and twice a year by a dentist. About 50 children participate, so check-ups are held biweekly to reach so many children.

Each group of folks that we work with are squeezed into their meeting locations. Our Salvador church is located in a congested neighborhood with very steep hills. The houses are three or four stories with a different family on each floor and are touching already, thus there is no room for church expansion. We are creatively trying to find a way to expand meeting space. The other church has a nice building, but there is little classroom space. They used to have a single pastor. Now the manse and sanctuary serve as educational space, with tightly squeezed classes. The third preaching point, whose work just began in the beginning of March, is renting a small storefront room as a meeting place.

There are many lives to touch and needs to be met spiritually and physically. Please support our work by praying regularly for wisdom in sharing the good news and love that Jesus Christ has for each of us and knowledge to know in which areas we can best help people physically. Thank you for supporting our work and making this all possible!

In Christ Who Makes All Things Possible,

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell

The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 258