Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,

Thank you for remembering our family in your prayers as we continue to report to our supporting churches.  We have covered a lot of road over the past two months and praise God for His protection.

It has been a privilege and a blessing to minister in many of the Lord’s churches.  We have renewed old acquaintances and made new friends.  I am encouraged by the knowledge of so many people continuing to hold up our work in Brazil before the Lord in prayer.  I look forward to seeing what the Lord will do.

Life on the road can be hectic and disorienting.  After a while, unpacking and packing go from science to routine.  Hours spent in the car can grow tedious.  There are definite upsides, though.  I enjoyed all the time with the family.  We have gone from the Oregon coast to the coast of Maine and back to the mountains of Colorado.  While not the extended vacation that some might imagine, we took some time on the way to enjoy the sights.  We visited with family and saw good friends.  I have been keeping in mind that our time with Elijah is growing short and have been intentionally making memories for when we are not near.

Earlier this week, I bought four tickets to return to Belém.  We will arrive February 29^th at 6:00AM.  I’m thankful that I was able to buy the tickets at a good price, and that we will be able to fly directly from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Belém.  We still have several meetings scheduled before we return.  Spending the Christmas holiday with friends and family will be a blessing.  Elijah is rapidly getting everything squared away to begin school in January.

Thank you again for your continued support and faithful prayers.

May the Lord richly bless you.    

For the Glory of God,

Chris Bell

Brenda’s Bailiwick

At this point in our reporting journey, if you ask me where we’ve just been, the answer is likely to be “Ohicolotexahoma.”  Since our last update, we have literally gone from coast to coast. We had an enjoyable week in New York City celebrating Elijah’s graduation; he was able to check some of his “To do in my lifetime” boxes, and we were able to make it to Carnegie Hall without practicing. He is gradually getting things in order for the start of his school year in January—transportation, insurance, identification, spiritual armor—oops, I may have added that last one.  Thank you for your continued prayers on his behalf, and for Sarah and Caleb as they continue their own school year on the run.

One of the joys of this season has been reconnecting with friends all over the country. I’ve been reminded that kinship in Christ is what cements the best relationships. I am so thankful to have friends who are also my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Somewhere in Ohicolotexahoma, I broke a tooth on a fast-food sandwich (name withheld to protect the guilty). Thus, our travels have been punctuated by dashing back to Edmond for dental work. On the bright side, I have finally received a crown.  I mention this not only because it’s punny but also because the extra miles were a reminder of the Lord’s gracious provision of safety on the road.

The Bell Family Academy adjourned for the week of Thanksgiving. We were able to spend the week at the cozy Bell family cabin near Manitou Springs; while there, we enjoyed a full day of snow. Elijah, Sarah, and Caleb worked on their sledding skills while I polished up my how-not-to-freeze credentials.  Thanksgiving Day we stayed put and counted our blessings, although obviously not all, or we’d be at it still!

Although our house-sitter has suffered a few setbacks recently, from Rocky eating the washer hoses to a sink falling on his toe, he is hanging in there, and has even undertaken a limpeza geral, which is akin to spring cleaning. I wish him well! Please continue to pray for him—he’s the second of the three R’s.

Thanks for reading and for praying!

In Christ,

HRH Brenda

Prayer Requests:

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

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