"What's next for you?" This is the question that I get asked more than anything else. For nearly two years my answer has been, “well I’m working on this... and maybe this will happen... or maybe this... I have to wait and see...” And while I always appreciated peoples’ interest, I absolutely hated it every time I couldn’t give a good answer. So I could not wait to write this newsletter. I’ve been waiting so long to finally be able to say I AM GOING BACK TO BRAZIL!
Ever since I joined Wycliffe Associates three years ago, I’ve wanted to serve long-term overseas. After spending a year learning Portuguese, I had my heart set on that overseas location being Brazil. But those plans never came to be, and I found myself serving full-time at the headquarters in Orlando. Over the course of 2013 I watched the probability of a long-term assignment in Brazil dwindle down to nothing, and eventually I had to let go of that dream and try to move on. It was hard, but necessary for me to reevaluate and refocus my priorities and motivations. And then something amazing happened. Right around that time when I began to let my Brazil dream die is when it slowly started to come back to life. I was apprehensive about the whole situation for several months, but when my bosses started talking job descriptions and visa applications, I allowed myself to get hopeful, then optimistic and eventually confident enough to write this letter and share the news with all of you.
What I love about Orlando and what I'll miss the most: my sweet family
"Where are you going?" I will be based at a training center located in Chapada dos Guimarães, a little town on a plateau at the southern edge of the Amazon basin. It’s just outside of Cuiabá, where some of the World Cup games were played. If you look at a map of South America, it’s right in the very center of the continent. This is the same place I visited for a week when I was in Brazil in 2012. I went there to volunteer at a huge indigenous christian leaders conference, and it’s the place where I originally had been assigned to work after language school two years ago, but never had the chance until now.
The center is called AMI and is operated by an American organization called South America Mission and staffed by various foreign and Brazilian missionaries. I’ll work under their umbrella for 1-2 years once I arrive, while Wycliffe Associates will continue to be my sending organization. Yes, I said 1-2 years!
"What will you DO?" AMI runs a training course for indigenous people to learn how to translate the Bible into their own languages. This is important because native speakers can translate the Bible much quicker and more effectively than foreign translators. My role in this endeavor will be to coordinate all the logistics for the participants and volunteers, especially housing and transportation.
"What do you need?" Thank you for asking! Please join me in praying that I’ll get all the needed paperwork to apply for a visa soon, that I’ll receive my visa this fall and be able to arrive in Brazil by December, in time for the next course. Other than your prayers, I really need your help in a tangible way too. My finances are getting very low and my travel costs, overseas insurance, visa fees and everyday expenses are quickly adding up. Please, would you consider a one-time or recurring monthly donation?
Whether you can give or not, just know that I appreciate you so much, and I’m excited to share this journey with you. Thank you for your friendship and encouragement. Love always, Kelly
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