Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,

Thank you for continuing to invest in our family and the Lord’s work prayerfully and financially in Belém, Brasil.  I have been encouraged because of the interest shown by God’s people as we continue to visit churches and report on the progress we have seen.  The special Christmas offerings we have received have also been a blessing and an encouragement.

I am thankful to have been more stationary over the past month.  We have spent most of the time in Edmond, OK, with some time spent with family in Garland, TX. We have visited churches closer by, allowing us to avoid school in the car.  The children enjoyed two weeks of Christmas break.  It was good to celebrate Christmas with family.  It has also been refreshing to be in several services with our home church.

Elijah is getting settled in at my parents’ house, where he will live while attending the University of Central Oklahoma.  He will begin his studies towards becoming a physical therapist.  It is strange not to have him “around the house.”  The spring semester starts January 16^th, and he is ready.  I am excited to see how God uses this next chapter in his life and continue to pray that God will bless him and encourage him in God’s truth.  Thank you for praying for all of us during this time of transition.

This past month I have been in contact with a couple of the men in Belém.  One has been asking some pretty serious questions, and I have pointed him towards Scripture that will address his concerns.  Both men want to meet up when I get back, and I am looking forward to seeing what God will do in their lives.  Even though we still have a handful of meetings, my mind is focusing more and more on our return to Brazil.  There is much preparation ahead of us and some loose ends that need to be tied up before we leave at the end of February.  Please pray with us for wisdom to accomplish all that needs to be done and for a smooth transition back to Brazil.  May the Lord richly bless you.    

For the Glory of God,

Chris Bell

Brenda’s Bailiwick

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful…” Okay, technically, it’s a brilliant day without a cloud in the sky—but COLD. This automatically, in my utterly biased opinion, equals frightful weather. I acknowledge that this may be a weakness of character… but don’t worry, if the Lord ever calls Chris to Newfoundland, I will gladly (and heavily bundled) go.

I hope that your Christmas season was full of “tidings of comfort and joy!” It was a blessing to be able to spend Christmas with our Oklahoma family, then drive to Garland for the first week of 2024 and get spoiled all over again by our Texas family. One of the many blessings of living overseas is that it brings the inherently precarious privilege of being with loved ones into sharp relief.

Speaking of, Elijah has been staying at his grandparents’ for nearly a week now and it’s been a disorienting experience to be only four, after years of being five. Although his siblings have been feigning indifference, even they missed him acutely when we readjusted the dishwashing schedule!  He starts classes in 3 days. Thank you for your continued prayers as he steps into this new season.

 The Bell Academy just completed the first week of school for 2024 and, all things considered it, it went well. Not surprisingly, there was a certain reluctance to get back to work—oh, and the students didn’t want to start, either—but we all pulled up our mental socks and made it through. Thank you for your prayers!

Apart from the pain of leaving family, I am looking forward to returning to Belém and the people God has placed in our path. Thank you so much for literally making that possible. And as always, thanks for reading and for praying! May the Lord bless you and keep you  and make His face to shine upon you in this new year.

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