Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - February 2019 Update

Dear friends,

Greetings from Brazil in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The church here had a difficult fall. Several members of the church have people in their families who are seriously ill. I thought I would be officiating funerals any day but am glad to report that I was wrong. One of the men has recuperated nicely. He has home care around the clock but is doing very well. Another gentleman has had a brain tumor for many years. This past year, he has been in the hospital numerous times. He also has home care 24 hours a day and continues to be in very fragile health. His 25-year-old nephew, Valter, is responsible for taking care of him. Valter does not receive much family support, so church folks are giving him extra tender loving care and encouragement.

The Outreach FoundationFebruary 6, 2019Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - February 2018 Update

Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:19

Dorothy and I are in the United States for six months speaking at churches about our work in Brazil, where we are PC(USA) missionary co-workers working in partnership with the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil. We are working in leadership development in the local church as well as evangelism. We have been in Governador Mangabeira in the state of Bahia for the last 2½ years, which is a couple of hours from Salvador on the coast.

We arrived in the U.S. the first week of December. We spent several days at headquarters working on our talks and being oriented by the staff. Everyone was focused on Christmas in December, so we took advantage of that and went to see our children.

South America, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationFebruary 21, 2018Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - August 2017 Update

Dear friends at The Outreach Foundation,

The grace and peace of the Lord be with each one of you. Dorothy and I are doing well. In July, we attended the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil (IPU) which was held in São Paulo. Our Regional Liaison, Dennis Smith, and Valdir França, PC(USA) Mission Coordinator for the Caribbean and Latin America, were present as well. The IPU invited us back for another term beginning in January 2018. This will be the first time in over 23 years of ministry in Brazil that we have been invited back to the same location (Mangabeira) in which we have been serving. We are comfortable with that decision. We have served in seven different locations during our time in Brazil as a couple.

During our first two years here in Mangabeira, the adult group at our church lay dormant. This year they decided to come alive and participate in the life of the church. They plan special events and commemorations and are in charge of making things happen. They were instrumental in helping one of the ladies of the church, Dona Maria, celebrate her 80th birthday with a devotional and cake. She was most appreciative. For Mother's Day, the ladies in the adult group made aprons to put clothespins in to make it easier to hang clothes to dry since folks where we live do not have dryers.

Missionaries, South AmericaThe Outreach FoundationAugust 17, 2017Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - March 2017 Update

Dear friends and family,

We are south of the equator, so this time of year is our summer. It has been very hot and unfortunately seriously dry. Our church work, however, has NOT been dry, but lively and refreshing. Presbytery meetings here are held yearly and last from Friday to Sunday, beginning with committee meetings on Friday afternoon. We have only seven churches in our presbytery spread out over this large state. The last few meetings have been in a meeting center in the capital, Salvador. We hosted the January 2017 meeting. It was a wonderful experience for us and those who attended. There were about 40 people there. Our church members have the gift of hospitality and are realizing they can serve the Lord by opening their hearts and homes to others. They are good cooks, so their meals are delicious. The attendees spent two nights and ate five meals with us. They slept in our homes and ate together at the church. Our church used to have an elementary school, so it has a small but nice kitchen in which large meals can be cooked. The presbytery meeting began with a meeting of the Adult Group on Friday afternoon.

South America, Projects, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationMarch 23, 2017Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell (PCUSA) - December 2015

Dear family, friends and supporters,

Thank you for your support of our ministry. It’s going well, and good things are happening. More people are worshiping with us each week. It’s nice to see young folks in the church, too. Without your prayers and support, these people would not be learning about the Lord.

However, we recently received a letter from World Mission of the PC(USA) informing us of the current financial situation. Giving is down, and the endowment funds have run out. In the 1960s endowments and Shared Mission Support made up 80% of co-worker support. In 2014 they paid for 16% of missionary support. We realize that many of you give to our support, and we are grateful. We were surprised to learn that only 15% of congregations give directly to mission support. Up to 40 co-workers (of 162) could be downsized next year!

Missionaries, The AmericasThe Outreach FoundationDecember 8, 2015Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell (PCUSA) - July 2014 Update

Dear Friends,

In May we celebrated Family Month by having a week of daily Bible studies each evening, led by a different person. Many of the people asked to lead the studies said they didn’t feel that they could do it, but everyone did a wonderful job. It was refreshing to experience different styles of presentation.

Missionaries, South AmericaThe Outreach FoundationAugust 6, 2014Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell (PCUSA) - November 2013 Update

Dear Friends,

Our monthly church visits to the farming community are a wonderful time of fellowship. It is a witness to the congregation that our faith is important to each of us and that the people of the community are important to us, too. In this picture you see us gathered around a church member’s table. After our worship service, we stop at her house for regional food and a great time of sharing and laughing. The young people often bring their boyfriends, so it helps the local folks realize that men are welcome in the church, too. A young couple joins us when we go, showing that families and young people are a strong part of the church.

South America, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationDecember 12, 2013Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - May 2013 Update

Dear Friends,

Holy Week celebration at the Sacramenta congregation was wonderful. The adults participated in special services. The children helped make a bulletin board with the important events of Holy Week, created a variety of artwork, and sang at the Easter worship service. After the worship service, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of the congregation with cake and soft drinks.

South America, MissionariesThe Outreach FoundationMay 2, 2013Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell, Brazil

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