First Post

Well, I guess I can now say I'm a blogger!! This is my very first post to my new blog, the Joinville project. Here, I wish to inform those who care to know about the work God has called my family and I to do in the largest city of the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil.

We moved to Santa Catarina February 17, 2003, to a small coastal town named Piçarras, about 30 minutes drive from Joinville, until God opened the door for us to move to the city in April 2005.

On May 03, 2003 with the very helpful assistance of my Father, veteran missionary to Brazil, Dr. Phillip R. Allen, Victory Baptist Church in the Petrópolis neighborhood was started. Just a few months after starting this work, we came to the US for a 10 month furlough, during which I found out I had Testicular cancer, and with much pray by so many of God's people around the world, the Lord healed me and we returned to Brazil in March 2004. My Father continued in Joinville for that year.

The church is now six years old, has 35 members and a Brazilian leader named Ricardo, who graduated from Bible College in November, 2008. We also have a weekly preaching point in another neighborhood called "Morro do Meio". We are currently on furlough until June 2010. Upon returning to Joinville, we are planning on ordaining Ricardo and helping the Victory Baptist Church call him as their Pastor. Then, we plan on starting a new work in another one of the 43 neighborhoods called Adhemar Garcia.

My Brother Scott and his family are currently raising support to come to Brazil as church planting missionaries. For their first year in Brazil they will work with us in Joinville. Ricardo, the Victory Baptist Church family and I are excited about this, and we are praying that we can together reach out to the almost 600,000 souls that make up this great Brazilian Metropolis with the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please pray with us so that God will open hearts and minds to the preaching and teaching of His Word in Joinville. Thank you.