Henry and Lottie Haswell
Caixa Postal 1061
Sapiranga, RS 93800-000
Brazil
Email: Henry and Lottie Haswell

For almost 30 years Henry and Lottie Haswell have been doing evangelism and church planting in partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Brazil. Their goal is to establish self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating churches. Since 1995 they have made their base in Sapiranga, Rio Grande do Sul, an urban center of 70,000 with an economic base in shoe manufacturing. Sapiranga is located in the far south of Brazil, 45 miles from Porto Alegre in a river valley in the foothills of a mountainous area.

The Haswells write, "There have been difficulties: illness, death, separation from family. . . But God has been faithful!" Lottie says, "All the hardships seem as nothing when compared to the joy of seeing people we led to Christ lead lives of faithful service to the Lord." Evangelism is living and telling the gospel and the Haswells have used the strategy of "bridges" to build relationships that lead to opportunities to share Christ. For many years their children, Matthew and Daniel (now adults), were important "bridges" relating to Brazilians in school and other activities.

Letters from
Henry and Lottie Haswell

• January 2006
• November 2004
• June 2004
• October 2003
• February 2003
• October 2002
• April 2002
• January 2002
• September 2001
• February 2001
• August 2000
• December 1999

Earning her degree in psychology from Le Tourneau University in Longview, Texas, in 1994 has enabled Lottie to use Christian counseling as another relationship-builder. Leadership training has been a hallmark of the Haswells' ministry. Henry has trained the men to govern and provide spiritual leadership to their families and the church. Lottie has worked with women and children in Christian education and ministry through the Presbyterian Women's Auxiliary.

Prior to Sapiranga, the Haswells spent four and a half years in Sapucaia do Sul, a bedroom community 30 miles north of Porto Alegre. There they successfully helped three churches to become self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. Although these congregations had more than 30 years of mission support, they had not reached maturity. They were not able to govern themselves, to carry on the ministries of worship, service, and outreach, or to support the needs of the church and its pastor. Henry and Lottie have also served in Petrolina in the state of Pernambuco in northeast Brazil and in Sao Luis, the capital of Maranhao state, located on an island just off the northeast coast.

"Although we aren’t young," the Haswells write, "our enthusiasm is growing, and our dream is to continue to help new church development in Rio Grande do Sul just as long as the Lord gives them health and strength to carry on."

Henry earned his BS degree in floriculture from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He worked for six years for the city of Dallas Parks Department before entering Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, where he received his MDiv degree. He served as a youth worker for Calvary Presbyterian Church in South Pasadena and St. Paul's Presbyterian Church in Anaheim, California, before his first appointment in 1972 to serve in mission in Brazil. Henry is a clergy member of Grace Presbytery.

Lottie pursued her interest in the social sciences at Pasadena College in California and El Centro Community College in Dallas, Texas, where she received her associate's degree in 1983. She also studied education at the University of Texas in Dallas and mission and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. In 1994 she received a BA in psychology from Le Tourneau University, Longview, Texas. Lottie is a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas.

Birthdays:
Lottie - January 21
Henry - August 6