Greater Portland Baptist Church

Juan and Amy Vallejo: November and December 2006

Dear Pastor and Church Family,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!
We are rejoicing at what God is doing here in Brazil. With your prayers we are able to withstand the devil's attacks, live in peace in a fearful land, and be a light to a darkened world. May you realize your part in our ministry and where we would be without your faithful support financially and prayerfully. Your gift of love has blessed our hearts with joy.

In October of 2001, shortly after our wedding Amy and I flew to Washington state with 6 suitcases to Pastor "Iglesia Bautista de Toppenish". 4 years later, to God's glory we gave that church to my Assistant Pastor, one of the 5 who had attended Bible College while I was Pastoring. In October of 2006, God brought us to Sao Paulo, Brazil after 2 1/2 years on deputation. We arrived with 3 children and 10 suitcases. God gave me a burden for Sao Paulo when we began our deputation. With the help of a National Pastor we have found a home with great ministry opportunity here in Sao Paulo. We believe God has prepared this home for His work and we would like to use what He has given us to see many souls saved. Now, with long awaited prayer and anticipation we will move in to our home and continue preparing for the work that God has called us to. Please pray for God's provisions as we need furnishings for our home and have found that many times the quality is very low and the costs average 3 to 4 times what we would pay in the states. We are looking at some used appliances that will help us from spending all of our house fund savings and allow us to make some needed repairs on the home as well. We are grateful to God for His provisions as we have saved since our wedding for our home in Brazil for such a time as this! We have made preparations for our home, yet we are still in need of a larger vehicle for our ministry. If you would like to be a part of this great need you may contribute to the vehicle fund and see what Marvelous things God can do!

We arrived on the 4th of October in Sao Paulo, and on the 24th, we took a one-hour bus trip to the center of town to visit the Language School. We spoke with the director; she asked us to contact her at the end of January, once we have our paperwork filed, find a home, and are settled in. She told us that the best way to learn the language was through conversation. We are using all the Portuguese we know and learning more by practicing every day with Brazilians. She also advised us that since we knew Spanish and were already speaking and understanding much of the language we would do well with a personal tutor.

I took my family to a park nearby last month and we enjoyed some family time together. My wife noticed 3 ladies who were watching us and as they left she asked me for 3 tracks to give them. The last lady smiled and thanked Amy when she handed her the track. She saw the name of the church and said, "I knew you were Baptist". Two weeks later, while shopping at a market, a lady came up to my wife and asked if she remembered giving her a track and inviting her to church. Renata remembered us from the park and told us that she attended a Baptist church many years ago for a short time. She and her husband have been attending the Universal church. We invited them to come and that Sunday evening they drove to our church and when they walked in to the service our hearts were blessed. We visited with Renata and Rodrigo after the service and are continuing to visit them each week. We ask that you pray for God to open their eyes to see Salvation by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ alone.

When Carlos came to church, he was sitting alone and after about 10 minutes I noticed he was about to leave the service. I caught up with him and asked if I could talk with him a few minutes before he left. He was unsure of where he would spend eternity and allowed me to share with him through the Portuguese Bible how he could know for sure! Before he left the church he had accepted God's gift of eternal life. Please pray for Carlos. I was invited to preach in a church about an hour away last week. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to serve Him. We were encouraged by the sweet spirit and receptivity of the people to God's word. Many gathered around after the service and made us feel so appreciated. The Pastor asked for help and although we are still learning the language we are ready to use what we know of it to God's glory.

Fernanda's family has invited her to church for some time. My wife won a young teenage girl to the park one morning and later was passing by Fernanda's home. She had the plan of salvation in Portuguese fresh in her mind so she was able to go through the verses with Fernanda and teach her the gospel. When Amy invited her to pray for salvation she was ready. She has since visited the church and when Amy called to invite her to the Ladies Christmas Tea she promised she would come and she did.

Thank you for your continued prayers for our safety and souls saved. Praise the Lord for many souls saved in November and December to the glory of God. We love and pray for you daily. May God bless you.

For God's Service,
The Vallejo Family