Tom and Linda Gilmer: December 2019 Prayer Letter

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

December 2019
Dear Friends of Zion:

With gratitude to you for your prayers and offerings for our ministries, we wish you

HAPPY CHANUKAH (Dec. 22 pm to Dec. 30)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

HAPPY NEW YEAR

One of the salvation decisions in December was that of a Gentile manager of a kosher restaurant where Linda and I ate after attending a major Jewish meeting. The Minister of Justice of Brazil, of Jewish descent, was the featured speaker. I witnessed to him, and he invited me to visit him in Brasília. Another salvation decision was that of an Indian who is fully integrated into Brazilian culture but lives only four miles from the tribe. He is ostracized because he left and can only go into the tribe if he is accompanied by his grandfather, who still lives there. He was fascinated with my dream of having a church and camp with a school for Bible translators on property bordering the Indian reservation.

As of the writing of this letter at the beginning of December, we have received from our Brazilian church and USA contributors about 24% of the amount needed to receive the $10,000 matching gift offered by one of our contributing churches for the ACCESSIBILIY PROJECT—first of all, an elevator—now required by city government. Our people are being challenged to give a birthday present to the One whose birth we celebrate on Christmas Day. We give presents to others—but many times not to Him! Many years ago I began giving my biggest Christmas gift to Jesus, normally to a local church need. Would you give a present to Jesus this Christmas to help us get the elevator? Based on the state of finances in Brazil, it will take a miracle for the church to give another $1,500 by December 31. We would need another $6,000 from the USA.

May God richly bless you all.

Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:

1. Professions of faith: 3.
2. Offer of $10,000 matching gift until Dec. 31 for ACCESSIBILITY PROJECT.
3. More progress on the East Timor Tetum Bible translation project.

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. Two new directors for Bible printing ministry.
5. More churches to help in the government required ACCESSIBILTY PROJECT for the handicapped at TBI, our first church.