After four years serving as a missionary in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, I was invited to become the director of AFM’s new sister agency, AFM Brazil. Being a Brazilian pastor myself, I was glad to go back to my home country and manage such an exciting project.
My years in Northern Cyprus working undercover with Muslims gave me a good view of the challenges of missions in the 10/40 Window. My wife and I ran a business in the capital city, but our real goal was to reach the unreached people of that country, which is 98-percent Muslim.
In the years we spent in Northern Cyprus with our two daughters, we had the privilege of talking about our faith with many Cypriots. We always prayed that God would send His seeking children to us, and He did. Now, we continue to pray that the seeds we planted in Northern Cyprus will grow, and that someday we will see our friends again in heaven.
In 2014 I met AFM President, Pastor Conrad Vine, and he introduced me to the work of AFM. A year later, he invited me to serve AFM in Brazil in the new missionary sending agency AFM was praying about opening. So, in May 2016, my family and I moved back to our home country.
Now I have this new challenge to lead AFM Brazil, recruiting young Adventists to serve as frontier missionaries among the unreached. What a challenge, and what a joy! This year we had the joy of seeing AFM Brazil’s first group of student missionaries launch to Cambodia, the Middle East, Benin, Guinea and the Philippines. They attended a three-week intensive course with AFM’s training team before their departure. Among many other things, they learned about cross-cultural missions, culture shock and the various religions of the world. The morning devotions were a special blessing as we learned how to turn to God when things get difficult and to depend on Him for everything. Mission life can be very difficult sometimes, and trusting the Lord is essential.
The new Brazilian missionaries launched in February 2017 with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts, knowing they have the best job in the world—telling others of God’s love.
As the six missionaries arrived in the countries where they are now serving, they told us of their first impressions of their new cultures. Although they can see the differences, and some of them are in tough places, they are all very excited to see what God has planned for them this year. We know it is going to be an amazing year for all of us!
We are now recruiting new missionaries to go to the field in 2018. Finding the right people is challenging yet interesting. The Lord already knows whom He will send, and He is preparing their hearts. Our goal was to send four missionaries in 2017, and by God’s grace six launched. Our goal for 2018 is to send 15 missionaries, and then 30 in 2019! Please pray that we will be wise. We are already inundated with applications as the word spreads across Brazil that the door to frontline missions is now open!
I would like to invite you to pray for us here in Brazil and for the challenges we have in this new work. Please pray for these young missionaries as well, so they can be even more blessed through your prayers.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may 2017 be a blessed year for you!
