Dear Friends,
Praise the Lord! We had a great time down in Texas and God blessed us with several churches taking us on for support. We were also able to schedule some meetings for when we will be back down next year. We had our last meeting in Texas on May 11 and had 3 days to make our way up to Wisconsin. God gave us the opportunity to stop at Branson, MO and see the production of “Jesus” at Sight and Sound Theater. The experience was breathtaking and really brought the events of the Bible to life with a full set and live animals. We are so blessed to be able to see and experience so many things as we travel on deputation. Serving God really is the best life.
We had a few meetings in the Midwest and were able to attend the wedding of a friend. We even had the opportunity to present at his church the next day. Soon after that we headed towards Tennessee for year 2 candidate school at BIMI. It was an amazing week. We got to meet several new missionaries and learned so much in the classes. We are so thankful for the care and training that BIMI gives to each of their missionaries. They really do all they can to help us succeed on the field.
After candidate school, we headed back to the Midwest, which allowed us to spend some time at home. There was “no rest for the weary”, however, as we began the process of moving out of our house. God has given us a very full schedule and we are on the road full time. Because of this, taking care of a house and yard have become very difficult. Each time we came home, we were trying to catch up on house cleaning and yard work just so we could leave again. God opened the door for us to be able to store our things in a friend’s basement and they are even caring for our dog. We will be staying with my grandparents who keep part of their house available to my family for furloughs. They have invited us to stay there whenever we are in town while on deputation. God is so good to provide for us.
Over the past 2 months our support has continued to grow and we are now at 36% of our support goal. We are over the 1/3 mark! It is so exciting to see God partner us with so many wonderful churches as we seek to do His will in Brazil. We were able to be home for the 4th of July and then we headed to the Northeast to visit more churches. We will be in the Northeast for about 2 months before heading back to Indiana. Pray that God would provide housing between our meetings while we are here.
God is giving us the opportunity to take a survey trip to Brazil in November. We have just purchased our tickets and are looking forward to being there. We will be helping in my parents’ church while we are there and will be visiting several cities as we seek God’s guidance for our future. We will be there for 3 weeks and will have the opportunity to be involved in the church’s Christmas cantata. Lily is working overtime on learning as much Portuguese as she can before we go. She is determined to be able to at least communicate with some of the church members and witness to people on this trip. Pray that God will help us as we continue to make plans for our visit. Thank you for your prayers and financial support.
David and Lily Johnson
Missionaries to Brazil
Psalm 139:14