Tom and Linda Gilmer : October 2022 Prayer Letter

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

October 2022
Dear Friends of Zion:

Linda and I are grateful for your continued prayer and financial support, which makes our work possible. Our successes in ministry normally take months and sometimes years. The salvation of one of the two Jews mentioned in last month’s prayer letter began more than ten years ago. I was standing in a line, waiting for service and handing out tracts to everyone near me. A man tapped me on the back and requested a tract. He wore a kippah (yarmulkah, or skull cap). I asked about his Jewish connections. He identified himself as a Rabbi.

Some years later I spoke in a church on their prayer meeting night and was partnered with a young Jewish believer at prayer time. We exchanged written prayer requests. His list contained the names of seventeen rabbis to whom he had witnessed, some of them many times! One of them was the rabbi to whom I gave a tract and had endeavored to meet at his synagogue. The young man now lives in another country. He was in São Paulo recently and visited our church. He told me this rabbi is now a believer and is growing in the LORD, but like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, he is not yet ready to make an open confession of faith. He continues as rabbi in the synagogue. A preacher friend, an ex-Catholic priest, Anibal Pereira Reis (now deceased), was saved six years before he openly confessed Christ.

Ruth, our first child, and her husband Cliff Hammond recently moved to Pennsylvania with their two youngest children. Daniel is now in college, using distance learning, and Samuel is in 10th grade in a traditional Christian school. Ruth and Cliff are teaching in that school this year. Cliff stated he is available for pulpit supply or to become an associate pastor or even pastor. May God bless.

Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:

1. Professions of faith: 10.
2. Our most basic Bible App has been successfully upgraded.
3. Various church plants are adding ramps for the handicapped as local Brazilian funds or missionary offerings are available.
4. Successful ladies’ retreat with Linda, Rachel, and Roxanne speaking.
5. Partial success in recent primary election in Brazil; the number of professing Christian, conservative senators and representatives increased. The current president is a candidate in the run-off election on October 30.

PRAYER:

1. Salvation decisions: Jews and Gentiles.
2. Ongoing projects (Bible study helps, etc.).
3. New entry-level employee for Bible Ministry with leadership potential.
4. More churches to support the work of Harold Ralph and Lílian.
5. Expanding church planting ministries.
6. URGENT: Brazil run-off election on October 30. We cannot over emphasize the need of prayer for this election, for the future of Brazil.