Some of you may remember This Blog Post that I wrote a few months after we first moved to Peru. It told one of the first miraculous testimonies of what God was doing in Peru!

Today I want to tell you another story about how God has grown an unlikely friendship into something that is changing the world.

I say an unlikely friendship, because Dumassais’ native language is French. Chris and my native language is English. But Dumassais doesn’t speak English and we don’t speak French, so we talk to each other in Spanish. He came into Peru as a refugee after the earthquake in Haiti and we came to Peru as missionaries. I love to tell this story because it only proves how absolutely incredible God is and how beautiful His plans are! I keep thinking back to that first moment when Chris and I decided to study Spanish after following a nudge that God was giving our hearts. Dumassais had that same moment when God told him to move to Peru and work to provide for his family. And because we all took those little steps and were obedient in the small things, God did a miraculous thing by bringing us together and building a friendship that is so dear to us.

Dumassais moved to Brazil in order to bring is daughter over from Haiti because Peru would not give his family visas. In Brazil, he and his wife had a second daughter. They moved to a city in Brazil called Pomerode.

After moving to Pomerode, Dumassais and his wife, Renette, saw that there were many Haitians living in Pomerode that did not speak Portuguese and were having a very hard time living as refugees separated from their families. They also saw that there was no church available for them because they could not understand the Portuguese language. They felt God calling them to start a church for Haitians living as refugees in Brazil and talked to a pastor who let them use his church for their meeting place.

Not long after that, Dumassais called us and asked us if The Lily and The Sparrow would be the covering of their church. Covering means different things to different people. After talking with him about what it means in the Haitian culture we realized that he was basically asking us to be the Paul to his Timothy. After praying on this and receiving much counsel and confirmation from the Lord, we knew that God was telling us to say yes and to “adopt” their church.

What started out as an unlikely friendship has turned into a dear friendship and partnership to reach the world with the love of Jesus. We are so excited and honored to tell you that The Lily and The Sparrow is partnering with Dumassais and Renette to reach Pomerode, Brazil with the love of Jesus! 

Here’s how you can get involved!

HELP: 

-Help us buy Bibles for the Haitians Christians who are living in Pomerode, Brazil. You cannot buy French Bibles where they live and many of them were not able to bring their Bibles when they entered into Brazil as refugees. We are raising money to buy French Bibles and bring them to Brazil on a mission trip in July. Our goal is to buy 50 French Bibles for $500. Donations for Bibles can be made on our Donate page. Remember to specify in the comments box that your donation is for Bibles for Brazil.

PRAY: 

-Over 30 Haitians are already a part of this church. Most of them are separated from their families and facing nearly impossible situations. Pray for supernatural favor with visas and immigration documents/paperwork so that they can be reunited with their families. Also pray that their hearts would be strengthened and encouraged.

-Pray for Dumassais and Renette as they take on the leadership role as Pastors for the first time. Pray for their 2 daughters, Anne and Deborah, and that their family would be protected and blessed.

-Pray for provision. Dumassais says that there are many Haitians living with very little resources and that their church is working to provide practical things such as clothes and food for those in need.

-Pray for the Brazilians living in Pomerode that need to be reached with the gospel and the love of Jesus. Pray that the Haitian Church will have an incredible impact on their community.