Dear Praying Friends and Supporting Churches,

Greetings once again from hot and humid Belém.  We arrived safely and without incident February 29^th around on 6:00AM.  Thank you for remembering our travels in your prayers.  I am thankful for our partnership in the Gospel.  I would have liked to have visited each of our supporting churches on our furlough, but time and schedule constraints did not allow it.  If we did not get to see you while we were back, please know that we appreciate you and would like to maintain better communication going forward.  I maintain my U.S. phone number and do not incur extra charges to talk or message using it from here.  The number is 405-919-5480.  If you call and don’t get an answer, send me a text and I will return your call.  My email address is the same.  You can also use WhatsApp or Signal to reach me. On my end, I am planning on giving regular reports by email and updating our family website (https://bellfamilyupdate.blog ) with prayer-letters and pictures.

We arrived back to Belém with one less child than when we left. It is strange to not have Elijah around the house. Where did 18 years go? It is safe to say that we all miss him (even though his siblings are reluctant to admit it).  He is doing well, though.  I am thankful for our family and church being there for him as he pursues his education to become a physical therapist.  I truly appreciate all the prayers offered up on his behalf.  Please continue to remember him during this time of transition. 

We were thankful to arrive back to find our house and pets all in working condition.  The animals are getting readjusted, and the house is getting reorganized.  The first week back was a Bell Family Academy holiday.  We worked hard to clean the house and prepare for resuming a normal schedule.  That schedule resumed today (more or less).  Brenda was able to finish the paperwork and schedule and keep two different appointments to renew her driver’s license.  I will have an appointment later this month to renew mine. 

Aaron and Amanda Mendoza met us at the airport and helped us get everything to the house. They did a great job of keeping up with the pet sitter we left here to take care of the animals.  Aaron also maintained our car.  Aaron and I are prayerfully planning our next steps in the work. 

Please pray for us as we meet up with acquaintances and readjust to life in the city.  We are looking forward to what God will do as we continue to labor for Him.  May the Lord richly bless you.

For the Glory of God,

Chris Bell

Brenda’s Bailiwick

Wherever you go, there you are. That might sound like bad speechwriting, but it’s really more of a repiphany. Somehow, along with our 15 pieces of luggage, we inadvertently brought our fleshly selves right back to Belém— and mine, at least, is no “small, personal item!” It’s one instance in which I would have been happy to lose my baggage…

As always, it was wrenching to leave family; I’ve done that multiple times in my life but leaving our son added a new dimension.  Thank you for your many prayers for Elijah. He seems to be doing well and is involved in the ministries of our church, for which we are so thankful. On the home front, I know that he has been a blessing to his Edmond family, as they are daily to him. Still, please continue to pray for him, that he would navigate this season well and that he will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for praying for our travels! We had a seamless, customs-free trip. Roughly 24 hours after leaving Oklahoma, we stepped through the security exit doors in Belém and saw the Mendozas’ smiling faces. From stuffing their car with our luggage to buying and laundering fresh sheets for us, they made our first day back less exhausting and more enjoyable, and we are grateful.

Rocky (mostly Lab), Smokie (pure Rag Doll), and Charlie (100% Alley) were happy to see us, and are all doing well, although Charlie has apparently forgotten what few manners she had. I had correctly anticipated that the house would need our full attention for a few days, with the result that the Bell Academy student body finally got that Spring Break they’ve been hankering after. Although understandably not thrilled that it included Spring Cleaning, they got it done—and still found time to work furiously on the “cousins’ book,” a Mendoza-Bell joint project that’s been hampered by the authors’ separation.

The house is now clean(ish), school is back in session, and we are working our way through the getting-back-to-normal-but-with-improvements list. Details to follow, the Lord willing.

In Christ,

Thanks for reading and for praying!

Brenda

Prayer Requests: – Preparation of hearts in Belém to receive the Gospel – Follow up with Contacts– Language Acquisition – Outreach Efforts –Bell Family Academy