Tom and Linda Gilmer : December 2022 Prayer Letter

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

December 2022
Dear Friends of Zion:

With thanks to you who pray and give to make our ministries possible in Brazil, reaching every Portuguese nation and Israel, we wish you joyous and blessed celebrations. (And many thanks for the special Christmas offerings!!!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS – HAPPY HANUKKAH (Dec. 18 p.m. – 26 p.m.) – and a PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

The Family Conference of the Emanuel Baptist Church in Limeira gave us an opportunity we had been waiting for! Since February 2020 (when the titanium rods in my back separated and slipped out of place, making it impossible for me to twist to get in and out of bed), we had avoided meetings that required an overnight stay. The pastor was insistent that he wanted us to participate, so we experimented putting the recliner where I sleep in the back of our small van and taking it to Limeira with us. The hotel graciously arranged a handicap room with space for the chair and helped us set it up for our weekend stay.

Inspired by the successful annual ladies’ retreat in Limeira last September, where Linda, our daughter Rachel and granddaughter Roxanne spoke, the pastor of the church wanted to continue the theme of “Passing Your Faith on to the Next Generation,” using Psalm 34:7 as the basis. He invited three missionary families who have second and third generation children serving in Brazil to participate in the week-long conference. Our family was last, participating on Friday and Saturday night and both services on Sunday. Harold Ralph and I each spoke twice.

In my last sermon, I labored to move people to witness to everyone they meet by at least giving them a tract or New Testament. A small girl, greatly moved, raised her hand when I gave the invitation. The counsellor who spoke to her told me she said, “I didn’t raise my hand to be saved! I’m already saved! I want to give New Testaments to my five friends when I go back to school!” The LORD provided funds for Harold Ralph to give each person in attendance a New Testament to pass on to someone they want to win to CHRIST. This NT, mentioned in his prayer letter last month, has soul winning helps provided by a mission from Germany. Harold used their notes and diagrammed the pocket-size NT. The LORD provided for us to print 50,000 copies, and we were able to get the price down to an affordable range so that even poorer Brazilians could buy at least one regularly to give to someone to whom they are witnessing. May GOD richly bless you all and make you joyful soul winners!

Yours for the Messiah,
Tom and Linda Gilmer

PRAISE:

1. Professions of faith: 4.
2. Family Conference in Limeira successful.
3. The LORD permitted the progressive, socialist ex-president of Brazil to be elected. Praise the Lord for Proverbs 21:1, “The king´s heart is in the hand of the LORD, . . . he turneth it whithersoever he will.”
4. Several unexpected offerings received at critical moments!

PRAYER:

1. Salvation decisions: Jews and Gentiles.
2. Ongoing projects (Bible study helps, etc.)
3. New entry-level employee with leadership potential needed for ministries.
4. That more churches will respond to support the work of Harold Ralph and Lílian Gilmer as we cease to mention his needed support in every
   prayer letter.