Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,

Greetings from cool and rainy Colorado.  I remain thankful for your faithful prayers and support.  The initial expenses of furlough have been covered thanks to your regular giving.

In the last report, I asked that you pray that we would find a reliable vehicle within our budget.  I am now happy to report that we are driving a 2014 Ford Expedition.  It is a high-mileage vehicle that required some standard maintenance, but it is running well.  We have traveled thousands of miles with only one issue that was quickly resolved. 

We have enjoyed seeing friends and family in Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, and Colorado.  The churches have been very kind, and we have enjoyed good fellowship with each one.  We are looking forward to spending the rest of September visiting churches in Colorado.  Thank you for continuing to pray for our travels as well as the meetings. 

We have also made progress in preparing Elijah for college in the Spring.  Between meetings, Elijah was able to take the ACT, obtain a learner’s permit for driving, and complete the classroom and driving portion of driver’s education. Please continue to pray for this transition.  I am thankful for the grace for God and His faithfulness toward us in uncertain times.

I have also been in touch with some of the men in Belém.  One of these is the young man that several months ago asked me to help him as he was reading the King James Bible to improve his English.  I had not heard from him for a while.  Please pray for God’s will.  Also pray for the Mendozas as they move forward in the work while we are away.  May the Lord richly bless you.    

For the Glory of God,

Chris Bell

Brenda’s Bailiwick

Greetings, friends. The principal plotline of the past 2 months has been, “The Bell family travels from place to place and gets treated like royalty in every case.” From sweet family time in Garland to the encouraging Rodgers Baptist Missions Conference to the Texas coast to the Kansas plains to eastern Wyoming to the beautiful but insufficiently-oxygenated mountains of Colorado and back to God’s country–I mean, Texas– we have been blessed and encouraged by God’s people, some of the best of whom are directly related to me. Thank you!

Bulletins from our house-and-pet-sitter in Belém have decreased in frequency and severity, which I hope means that he and the animals are getting on well. I checked in with E, the lady who is a Jehovah’s Witness, a few weeks ago via WhatsApp and received a cordial reply. I, in turn, had an old neighbor somewhat surprisingly check on me—we agreed to meet for coffee when I return to Belém; I’m holding it loosely but plan to follow-up. Please continue to pray for these folks.  

After a riotously good summer break, which included time with doting grandparents, aunts, uncles, and a truly impressive (if slightly less doting) assortment of cousins, the Bell Academy student body has been back at work for two weeks. Thanks to Chris’s thoughtful planning, Sarah and Caleb were able to start the school year stationary, but most of their school days will be on the road this semester. Traveling schools aren’t nearly as fun as traveling circuses (although on some days there’s a mild resemblance) and I would appreciate your prayers for them as they cope with the extra challenges.

Meanwhile, Elijah has nobly avoided gloating (much) over his alumnus status and is making progress toward acquiring his driver’s license and gaining admission to the college of his choice, somewhat hampered by our peripatetic lifestyle. On the plus side, he and Chris got to climb Pikes Peak together while we were in Colorado, which experience, I think, is being more fondly remembered as it recedes in time! I know that several of you are praying specifically for Elijah during this critical transitional period and I really cannot thank you enough.

We are currently enjoying a few days in well-oxygenated Edmond with family and church—always a breath of fresh air. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Thanks for reading, and for praying!

In Christ,

Brenda

Prayer Requests:

– Preparation of hearts in Belém to receive the Gospel – Building relationships with neighbors

– Language Acquisition – Outreach Efforts – Bell Academy—Furlough Travels