A Story of the Providence and Provision of God
Barbara , wanted to travel to England as an exchange student, but by the providence of God she ended up in little Bedford County, Virginia. We met early in our senior year of high school and dated throughout. In July, I traveled to Brazil with her and in August 1992, fresh out of high school, we were married. We returned to the US a few months later and began building a life together. Although, I was not a Christian that first trip to Brazil greatly impacted me. Until then I had never even seen a homeless person.
By the worlds standards we built a pretty good life. By 1999 I was a Regional Manager in the Hospitality Industry and Barbara was working for a major textile company doing International Customer Service. However, in the spring of that year things changed drastically. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly in March and a Baptist minister ended up preaching the funeral. As he proclaimed the Gospel my eyes were opened and for the first time I understood my own sinfulness and the surpassing worth of Christ. I repented of my sin and trusted in Jesus as my savior. Later that day when I shared with Barbara what had happened I was overjoyed to hear that the Spirit had also moved in her life as well.
We immediately joined a local church and began to learn what it meant to follow Christ. We spent a difficult year and half which included two miscarriages; one in the second trimester and some medical problems. However, the Lord was faithful and we drew closer to Him and to each other through that difficult season. In the end, the Lord used those trials to draw us into vocational ministry. We left our careers and spent two years serving at a local Christian group home for children and teens.
We learned to trust the Lord during that time. Having taken over a $55,000 per year pay cut we trusted the Lord to sell our house right away, after all we were being obedient. However, the Lord had a different plan. The house did not sell for two years and with a mortgage payment that was more than half of our $24,000 annual salary we were just about wiped out financially. In the worlds eyes we lost everything, but we had gained a treasure the world could not comprehend!
Upon leaving the group home ministry we spent a year in prayer seeking the Lord's will for our lives. Shortly after receiving Christ we were given a vision for a work among the poor in Brazil. The Lord used that first trip in 1992 to begin to prepare my heart for serving the poor and needy. However, we had been too afraid to step out and begin a ministry. Having learned through suffering to trust the Lord to meet our needs we were now ready to walk by faith.
In early 2004 we stepped out in faith to begin Living Bread Ministries, a church planting ministry among the desperately poor. To get the ministry started we committed our remaining assets to the cause. We cashed out life insurance and retirement funds. We downsized and moved into a small thirty plus year old doublewide trailer. We often had to resort to selling our personal belongings and furniture to get by. The cost was high, but we can honestly say it was worth it.
Today, we have been a part of planting eight churches among the desperately poor of southern Brazil. Each of these churches are ministering in word and deed. They are feeding hundreds of children and many elderly and handicapped. They are assisting young people with school supplies and educational help. People are being discipled and are caring for the widows and orphans among them. Addicts are being set free and children have been spared from being drawn into the drug trade and prostitution. Women who resorted to prostitution and living with any man that would have them are experiencing new life in Christ. Many have gotten married and by the grace of God are building Christ exalting homes!
The Lord has been good to us. It is wonderful to look back and see His sovereign hand guiding and orchestrating our lives. From a seventeen year old Brazilian girl ending up at a small rural high school in VA to us both receiving Christ at the same time; the Lord's hand has continually been upon us. He has called, equipped, and provided for us every step of the way and He will do it for you too. Just trust Him and go for it!
By the worlds standards we built a pretty good life. By 1999 I was a Regional Manager in the Hospitality Industry and Barbara was working for a major textile company doing International Customer Service. However, in the spring of that year things changed drastically. My grandmother passed away unexpectedly in March and a Baptist minister ended up preaching the funeral. As he proclaimed the Gospel my eyes were opened and for the first time I understood my own sinfulness and the surpassing worth of Christ. I repented of my sin and trusted in Jesus as my savior. Later that day when I shared with Barbara what had happened I was overjoyed to hear that the Spirit had also moved in her life as well.
We immediately joined a local church and began to learn what it meant to follow Christ. We spent a difficult year and half which included two miscarriages; one in the second trimester and some medical problems. However, the Lord was faithful and we drew closer to Him and to each other through that difficult season. In the end, the Lord used those trials to draw us into vocational ministry. We left our careers and spent two years serving at a local Christian group home for children and teens.
We learned to trust the Lord during that time. Having taken over a $55,000 per year pay cut we trusted the Lord to sell our house right away, after all we were being obedient. However, the Lord had a different plan. The house did not sell for two years and with a mortgage payment that was more than half of our $24,000 annual salary we were just about wiped out financially. In the worlds eyes we lost everything, but we had gained a treasure the world could not comprehend!
Upon leaving the group home ministry we spent a year in prayer seeking the Lord's will for our lives. Shortly after receiving Christ we were given a vision for a work among the poor in Brazil. The Lord used that first trip in 1992 to begin to prepare my heart for serving the poor and needy. However, we had been too afraid to step out and begin a ministry. Having learned through suffering to trust the Lord to meet our needs we were now ready to walk by faith.
In early 2004 we stepped out in faith to begin Living Bread Ministries, a church planting ministry among the desperately poor. To get the ministry started we committed our remaining assets to the cause. We cashed out life insurance and retirement funds. We downsized and moved into a small thirty plus year old doublewide trailer. We often had to resort to selling our personal belongings and furniture to get by. The cost was high, but we can honestly say it was worth it.
Today, we have been a part of planting eight churches among the desperately poor of southern Brazil. Each of these churches are ministering in word and deed. They are feeding hundreds of children and many elderly and handicapped. They are assisting young people with school supplies and educational help. People are being discipled and are caring for the widows and orphans among them. Addicts are being set free and children have been spared from being drawn into the drug trade and prostitution. Women who resorted to prostitution and living with any man that would have them are experiencing new life in Christ. Many have gotten married and by the grace of God are building Christ exalting homes!
The Lord has been good to us. It is wonderful to look back and see His sovereign hand guiding and orchestrating our lives. From a seventeen year old Brazilian girl ending up at a small rural high school in VA to us both receiving Christ at the same time; the Lord's hand has continually been upon us. He has called, equipped, and provided for us every step of the way and He will do it for you too. Just trust Him and go for it!
Posted by Patrick at 6/9/2011 5:39 PM 
Categories: Christian Life, Global Missions, Testimonies
Tags: Jesus salvation church Gospel church planting missionary missional missions needy Latin America global poor poverty South America testimony Brazil
Categories: Christian Life, Global Missions, Testimonies
Tags: Jesus salvation church Gospel church planting missionary missional missions needy Latin America global poor poverty South America testimony Brazil
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