Twelve pairs of bright eyes were fixed on the blue globe in my hand. After we talked aboutGod’s great love for all the peoples of the earth, I asked, “What language does God speak?” Without missing a beat, one little boy blurted out, “English!” What do you think? How would you have answered that question?

The language we use to communicate the good news of Jesus is crucial to whether another person can “hear” the message. When presented with a New Testament in his own language, an elder in an indigenous community in the Amazon exclaimed, “Now I know that God loves our people because He speaks our language.” All of a sudden, the gospel was real to him.

Several of our former students are now studying the language in their new country of service. Pray for perseverance as they learn Arabic, French, Creole, English, Wolof, Tetum and two indigenous languages of the Amazon. Making the effort to speak another person’s language certainly facilitates communication. More importantly, it communicates your love and respect for that person and their culture. As new missionaries, our students must master the language of the people they have come to serve so that they can communicate the gospel in both word and deed. For example, Davíria, an ICU nurse by profession, is studying Tetum so that she can provide much-needed health care services in a poor community in East Timor.

Is there a family in your neighborhood that speaks a different language? Someone at your workplace that comes from another part of the world? Are there people near your church that need to hear about and experience the love of God? How can God use YOU to communicate with that person?

Bruce (L) sharing stories about our ministry with the Allen family

In the last six weeks here in the U.S., we have been sharing the news of how God is blessing our ministry of training and sending Brazilian missionaries to serve in 22 countries around the world. In this short time, we have worshipped, taught, preached or sung in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Swahili, Russian, Ilonggo, American Sign Language, Tukano, and English. Amazingly, God speaks all of these plus the over 7,000 other languages of the world!

Please pray for us as we continue to visit many of you over the next 3 months. Pray that God would use us to encourage and challenge our churches to reach out with the love of God to those close to home and to people on the other side of the globe. Bruce will be in Indiana, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania this month (October). Ann will be in West Virginia, Kansas, and Oregon in November, and our whole family will be visiting churches in Washington, Oregon, and possibly Texas in November, December, and January.

Asa (L) enjoys a chat with Pastor David of First Baptist Church of Portland, Oregon

Lord willing, we plan to return to Brazil in January just in time to welcome JAMI’s new students in February. Asa is enjoying his classes at Bremerton High School here in Washington, but says he is looking forward to getting back together with his buddies at Colegio Batista Mineiro in Brazil – and eating some fresh-from-the-oven pão de queijo (cheesy cassava bread).

We say it often because it is true: we praise God for you and your partnership with us in this ministry.

Com amor de Cristo,

Ann, Bruce, and Asa
c/o 4205 Westview Drive NE
Bremerton, WA 98310
borquist4all@mindspring.com