Ann and Bruce serve as missionaries in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in partnership with JAMI, the international mission agency of the National Baptist Convention of Brazil. They equip Brazilian missionaries to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in countries around the world, including unreached people groups in Brazil. Based at JAMI's missionary training center in Belo Horizonte, they serve as teachers and pastoral counselors training new missionaries in the areas of cross-cultural ministry skills, Christian community and economic development, and English language for mission.

 They write: Our new students arrived in early February with shining faces and lots of excitement to begin JAMI’s intensive cross-cultural missionary training program. These men and women left behind their family, their church, and their professional career to respond to God’s call. Some came with school-age children. Pulling up roots and relocating to Belo Horizonte for a 7-month residential training program is not a simple thing!

 It takes a lot of courage and commitment to make this leap of faith. We feel deep excitement as we witness God at work in Brazilian Baptist churches as they raise up their own cross-cultural missionaries. Did you know that the “center of gravity” of the Christian faith has shifted from the wealthy, industrialized countries of the global North to the developing countries of the South? And the cross-cultural missionary sending movement has shifted with it! What a joy it is to see all God’s people being mobilized to take part in God’s mission in the world today!

 Our students have come from all over Brazil to form a new learning community here at the training center. We just finished leading the 3-week orientation program that was followed by an intensive course in Linguistics taught by a missionary Bible translator. Next week we begin our month-long intensive Conversational English for Mission course.

• Please be in prayer for our students as they prepare to serve in various countries around the world: Glauco, an architect and graphic designer (Italy or Albania); Dianna, a teacher (Mozambique); Cida, a retired administrative secretary (Angola); Elza, a nurse, her husband Carlos, a pastor and professional athlete, and their son Philippe (returning to Senegal to work with an unreached people group); Yara, a PE teacher (Guinea-Bissau); Denilson, a pastor, Fernanda, an elementary school teacher, and their son Daniel (Portugal); Rose, a nurse, and Wagner, a pastor (Portugal).
• Thank you for the privilege of being able to help train and mentor a new generation of Brazilian cross-cultural missionaries! Your prayer and financial support make it all possible, and we are grateful to God for your partnership in this “new thing” that God is doing in our world.