Tom and Linda Gilmer : May-June 2026 Prayer Letter

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

May-June 2026
Dear Friends of Zion:
Linda and I are grateful for your continued prayers and offerings for our multi-ministries. Early in our ministry, as I was preparing to go out, the thought hit me that I was just hoping for some decision to put in the prayer letter that I would write the next day. I stayed in and took care of other matters that needed attention. Later, I realized that thought was from the devil, trying to keep me from my basic reason for living, which is TO EVANGELIZE, to PRESENT THE GOSPEL, and WIN SOULS, preferably accompanied by someone I am training.

To give a glimpse of just one day of my work, I am looking at notes I made in my datebook on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Too much happened to record it all, but here are a few details:

1. Retired lay evangelist Francisco Aires called to update me on the recent results of the Thursday outreach at our first church, Templo Batista de Indianópolis: (a.) A young man accepted Christ at one of the services held between 12:00 noon and 1:00 p.m. The church is open at that hour with a signboard on the sidewalk and a person handing out tracts, inviting passersby to come in for prayer. (b.) Brother Aires is making plans for meetings to be held at the store of Sr. Hilmer on Mondays at the 5:00 p.m. “Happy Hour” (without alcohol, of course), as people are leaving work and heading home. Sr. Hilmer was an alcoholic that Aires led to the Lord and discipled.

2. Later that afternoon I went to a Shell service station, which has an interesting coffee shop with a box of used books for clients to read while having coffee, or even to take home. I went to see if the new Bible I left in the box had been taken and needed to be replaced. I also wanted to talk with Alan, a young man I met there some time ago, who accepted Christ but has not yet gone to church. The owner of the station was seated alone on the outdoor bench in a covered area for having coffee and informal conversation or reading. I asked him if Alan was working. “No,” he said, “but his father is.” He called the father and shortly left us alone to talk. Sr. Ademiro reminded me we had met weeks earlier when he and others were seated on that bench, and I gave each one a Gospel tract with an invitation to attend our church nearby. I presented the Gospel on that occasion and invited all who would to call on the LORD for salvation. He said he did, and I gave him a Bible.

3. That day Ronaldo, a taxi driver who accompanied me, accepted Christ and is being followed up by a church near his home.

The highlight of the month of May was meeting with the Israeli Consul General, Rafael Erdreich, along with Pr. Marcos, Pr. Alexandre, Pr. Ricardo and other pastors, to discuss issues shaping the contemporary international landscape. This was a wonderful opportunity to give a clear witness of the Gospel and strengthen the ties with the Jewish Community. The news was published in the Times of Israel: “Israeli Consul’s Notable Meeting with Evangelical Leaders.”

Pray for these. May God continue to bless.
Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:

Salvation decisions: 10.
Conference for the blind held at church of Pr. Sales.
DETRAN, Brazil’s traffic department, just informed me my driver’s license is being renewed.

PRAYER:

Salvation decisions of Jews and Gentiles.
Bi-annual National Bible Baptist Congress in July; provision to help subsidize expenses so more can attend.
Revitalization of churches that are closing or almost closed.
Linda’s healing from erysipelas in legs; foot and knee issues