2025 is off and running! Hard to believe that our furlough is half way done. We are excited to report what the Lord is doing both here and back home. Thank you for your continued prayer and financial support. 2024 was a wonderful year and we eagerly anticipate what the Lord will do in 2025!
God’s providence is a truly awesome and humbling aspect of His character. While here in the States, I recently visited with Luis, who had sat with my brother in church a few months ago. He requested a follow-up to discuss baptism. During the visit, we learned that he had grown up riding our church bus but had been out of church for some time. When the visit was nearly over a lady, who we discovered to be his girlfriend came and intently was listening to our conversation. As I looked at her she seemed familiar to me. I told her just that and she pulled out her phone and asked me if I knew the people in the picture she was holding. It was a picture of Jamie and me and several other bus workers in her home 9 years ago in a completely different town. She too had ridden the bus as a girl and then had allowed her 3 older kids to ride when Jamie and I were leading one of the routes. Jamie and I were able to go by later that week and reunite with the family and it was a sweet time. Please pray for Luis and Raquel and their kids. God is undoubtedly trying to get their attention. Luis and Raquel came to church the following Sunday morning but there is still much work to do. What a joy it was to reunite with this family all these years later and to hopefully be able to further invest in them!
Back in Brazil, on the first Sunday of the month of January, we had 4 for baptism. Isaac and his wife Regina started coming with Gisele a few months ago. They were both saved shortly after and then decided to follow the Lord in believers’ baptism. Samuel and Julia, 2 faithful teens, also followed the Lord in baptism. We are very excited about the Lord working in each of these hearts. Please continue to pray for Pr. Jonata and Karlene as they continue to lead the work while we are stateside.
We are excited for the co-laborers that the Lord has given us in Jonata and Karlene. They have been a huge blessing both ministerially and personally since we’ve been back. They have been living in our home and driving our car which has helped them and been a huge peace of mind for us. They plan to come to the US in 2025 to begin deputation to return to Brazil as church-planting missionaries. Please pray for them as Jonata has an interview with the US Consulate in Rio on the 16th and 17th of January. Please pray for the Lord’s will concerning this—both this interview, the timing of coming to the States and them getting their support.
January is back to school for the kids and several meetings for me. Please pray for the miles ahead, especially in the Midwest during this time of year. I am enjoying being around but I do miss the Brazilian people, warmth, and sun. We are excited about what the Lord is doing but we prayerfully anticipate our return home. Thank you for your faithful prayer and sacrifice so that we can continue the work in Pindamonhangaba.
Keith, Jamie, Lainey, Clayton, and Silas Putnam | Philippians 2:16