July 2007

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Gordon Gartrell family in May 2007. Clockwise from front left: Daniel, Gordon, Dorothy, Elizabeth, John.

Greetings from Brazil. If you painted a picture of everything we did this weekend, the collage that resulted might give an idea of the variety of our ministry. Gordon is the stated clerk of the presbytery, and on Friday there was a meeting of the executive committee of the presbytery.

Our presbytery has five organized churches and is beginning new work in three other places. The national church is celebrating its 104th anniversary on July 31, so the presbytery is planning a presbytery-wide worship service. In addition, each church will have its own celebration of the anniversary.

On Saturday afternoon, the presbytery held a training event for Sunday school teachers. Dorothy did a section aimed at helping teachers to improve the quality of their classes. She explained different ways of planning classes (as some churches don’t have the luxury of a ready-made curriculum), and she gave them some examples of things they can do with children.

On Sunday night, we led our English worship service at the American School. It’s a monthly event that reaches out to the international community and to Brazilians who want to improve their English.

Dorothy and Gordon Gartrell (front left) with Brazilian pastors and mission workers at the mission consultation sponsored by the Independent Presbyterian Church for pastors and mission workers who work in north and northeastern Brazil.

Recently, presbytery leaders attended a mission consultation sponsored by our national church, the Independent Presbyterian Church, for pastors and mission workers who work in north and northeastern Brazil. It was a great four-day event that focused on what mission work means for our national church and our goals as mission workers. It was refreshing and uplifting to get away and participate in the worship and fellowship.

During May our oldest son, John, was visiting us. It was wonderful to be together again, and to be able to introduce him to our life in Recife. Our daughter Elizabeth graduated from high school in June. She will be going to Maryville College in eastern Tennessee this August. Please pray for her, as she has developed mixed feelings about leaving Brazil for four years and the challenge of beginning college. Our youngest son, Daniel, who is 13, isn’t looking forward to being the only child at home.

Prayer requests

• For the possible new directions in our ministry.
• Elizabeth’s college adventures.
• For the challenges that face each of us in our variety of situations.

Thank you for your prayers and support of our work.

In Christ,

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 41