Tom and Linda Gilmer: August 2019 Prayer Letter

Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Linda Gilmer
Church Planter, Bible Translation in São Paulo, Brazil

August 2019
Dear Friends of Zion:

Linda and I are deeply grateful for your prayers and offerings. The LORD has provided marvelously through insurance, volunteer help, and two special offerings to help with Linda’s recovery and the cataract surgery on my right eye. Surgery on the left eye is scheduled for September 2.

SMALL CHURCHES for outlying areas are needed because bus and metro services in São Paulo are limited in the evenings and on weekends, making transportation difficult for people who do not own cars. JACUÍ and ITAPECERICA, our newest church planting projects, are two such congregations, presently meeting in homes. Brother Leocy, in whose home we meet in Itapecerica, went to be with the Lord this past month. He invested much time and money to adapt his garage to accommodate services. His wife says she wants the church to continue in her home, but she does not have the physical strength or income for further adaptations needed.

LARGER CHURCHES centrally located in heavily populated areas are also necessary because of their accessibility from various points of the city, making specialized studies and seminars available to more people. Our first church, TEMPLO BATISTA DE INDIANÓPOLIS, is such a church. Because of its central location, an intimation received from the government requires an upgrading of its facilities to meet new building regulations for handicapped people, such as an elevator for the three-story educational building, and other requirements. I will need to help them get some creative internal fund-raising going. Our goal is to make every ministry self-supporting and self-perpetuating from the start, but moments arise that require our financial investment to boost the ministry forward. We endeavor do so in a way to provoke offerings locally from the ministry we are helping.

OUR POST OFFICE HAS MOVED. ANY SENSITIVE MAIL OR PACKAGE COMING TO US IN BRAZIL PLEASE CONTACT MOUNT ABARIM BAPTIST MISSION OFFICE FOR ADDRESS.

May God richly bless you all.

Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:
1. Professions of faith: 7.
2. Progress (even though not obvious!) in digital and print projects.
3. Linda is able to be up and about, using a walker.

PRAYER:
1. Salvation decisions, Jews and Gentiles.
2. Ongoing projects (Bible study helps, media outlets, warehouse for Bibles, exportation of Bibles).
3. East Timor Tetum Bible translation project.
4. Continued healing for Tom and Linda.