#2 Testimonies - Year-End 2024, New Year 2025

I referenced one confirmation that God has me in the right place for impact in my previous post (see here). More validation continues to push my resolve to work hard to keep CO missionaries on the field for longer, healthier, and hopefully, fruitful ministries.

As we look toward 2025, I desire to give even more time and effort to my International Network Operations role. Read the field testimonies below to understand why! 

Rodrigo in Monterrey, Mexico: 
Jon, your coaching and training are beneficial to our development and resourcing of our campus ministry team in Monterrey. It helps us connect and see what other regions are doing. Hearing best practices and networking with other international regions will be very helpful.

Zack in Guadalajara, Mexico: 
Thank you so much, Jon. I've talked to our Director and we are going to adopt some of these support-raising strategies as a team and individually. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us, super helpful!

Fabiana in Belo Horizonte, Brazil:
Your role as a liaison between our field team and other regions, network leadership and CO Serve is valuable because you bring vast international field experience where you walked in our shoes and understand the specifics of what our needs are. 

Jeff about Lima, Peru:
Thank you so much for your prep work for the team in Lima. The document you drafted with perspective and practical points about hiring was worth gold. I think this type of information will be so helpful as they consider their first national hires in Peru.

Dan in Birmingham, England:
We are still very much at a pioneering stage in the U.K. That brings with it a lot of excitement but also uncertainty and unfamiliarity. As a Resource Director, Jon’s experience and encouragement are invaluable to me. Having someone who understands the challenges and can give gospel perspective and practical help makes a massive difference to our day-to-day ministry in Birmingham.

Thank you so much for doing your part in reaching college students around the world. I hope that you are encouraged as your investment continues to reap benefits in God’s harvest field in the new year!

To put us in a position of strength for the mission ahead, our 1-time goal for 2025 is $12,000. With your increased monthly investment or year-end gift, together, we can be more effective to boots on the ground in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and England.

Scan the QR code to click on the image to go to our online giving page.

#1 Year-End 2024, New Year 2025

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At the close of our first full year at Campus Outreach SERVE, I will be sending several updates over our different media, and am mailing a physical year-end update to many of you. We are glad to share how your partnership and investment are impacting our lives personally and CO ministries around the world..

Here is an encouraging message I received recently from a team member in Brazil about the podcast series I produce with CO SERVE:

"The podcast helps keep the vision before me, and even gain a greater vision, for my primary work of evangelism and discipleship on the campus. The interviews, filled with biblical truth and practical ministry experience, are incredibly encouraging. I've even used quotes directly from StaffCast episodes in my one-on-one meetings with staff members."

This is just one confirmation that God has me in the right place for impact. As we look toward 2025, I desire to give even more time and effort to my International Network Operations role. Read the field testimonies below to understand why!

Thank you so much for doing your part in reaching college students around the world. I hope that you are encouraged as your investment continues to reap benefits in God’s harvest field in the new year!

To put us in a position of strength for the mission ahead, our 1-time goal for 2025 is $12,000. With your increased monthly investment or year-end gift, together, we can be more effective to boots on the ground in Mexico, Brazil, Peru and England.

Scan the QR code to click on the image to go to our online giving page.

Keys in Hand

On Monday, July 8th we closed on our house! With keys and deed in hand, it's official. 

The whole process of finding the house that is now ours was fraught with ups and downs. Please read the previous post for more on that. I am certainly a post-processer, so just now I am beginning to think more about what God is teaching us through this process. By no means have I figured it all out, but trusting in God's sovereignty, wisdom and goodness was where our battle of faith was fought. 

This update is meant to celebrate the Lord's faithfulness. Me and my family testify to His sovereignty will, His wise guidance and His good timing. We don't understand it all, for truly His ways are higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9)

We have already entered year 2 of our transition. Now, our house is a key piece for us to be able to think long-term in Birmingham for the next 10-15 years. We are excited to see how our fight to walk by faith is shaping this new phase of life and ministry.

Thank you for praying with us, encouraging us and partnering with us!

Our First House

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In our almost 18 years of marriage, we have had several abodes—apartments, a house, rentals and ministry housing. We made each of them into a home for our family, no matter how long or short our stay was. And now we have wonderful news to share! We are days away from closing on our very first house as property owners. 

The reality of our journey is too much to include in an update. In summary, what we imagined would be a process that would fit neatly into our first year of transition to the US ended up not so "neatly" and came with challenges and the need to walk by faith. 

The market is not currently kind to buyers; we visited 30 properties and made a total of 6 offers over 8 months and were overbid on all of them. Our commitment to keeping the kids in the same schools (they have thrived!) and Birmingham's confusing mesh of incorporated municipalities with their own school systems limited our search area. Tathiana and I were constantly challenged to think about giving up on the idea of finding a house in the "sweet spot" - where we needed to stay because of schools, what we wanted in a home and how much we could afford. We began to look almost exclusively at rentals within the same school zone over the past 2 months - really feeling that a move to a rental would be disappointing. 

We were confused. We believed that God had His hand in our first year with the ministry housing that was arranged, the schools that we loved, the churches we visited and the friends we made—to then have to think about leaving it all for another region of Birmingham after moving cross-culturally just one year before. I did not struggle in doubting God's sovereignty, but I wavered when considering His goodness and wisdom. "What are you doing, God?" I said over and over in my prayers.

Then, almost in an anti-climatic manner, we visited one last house on the last week that we could wait before committing to a rental. The house has all the "wants", is in an area that we need and is within the price range we can afford. Our agents were wonderful in assisting us, and we put in a good offer and it was ACCEPTED! We are now just days away from closing and excited about what year 2 of our new phase of life and ministry will be like as we plant roots with our first house.

We are amazed at the Lord's provision. We are thankful for everyone who prayed, listened, encouraged and bore our heavy burdens as we waited for His provision to become reality. Thank you for celebrating with us, also! Amém. 

Praise and Prayer: Housing and Support

I am happy to share with you that our 1-time goal of $20,000 to cover our support account from the transition expenses has been raised! I praise God for His provision and for the generosity of our financial partners. The vast majority of the $20k was donated by current monthly partners, and some partners even gave multiple 1-time gifts over several months.

This is an amazing confirmation that the Lord will provide for our ministry and our new season of life and ministry in Birmingham with Campus Outreach SERVE. We, also, share with you two very specific prayer requests.

First, we continue to labor in support raising for our new monthly budget based in the US. I am contacting current supporters to make sure we are well connected and also networking out into new relationships in Chattanooga and Birmingham. I want to be faithful and dedicated to doing the groundwork work as God connects us to new churches and individuals eager to partner. Until we are able to raise 100% of our monthly budget (we are currently around 72%), all 1-time gifts are greatly appreciated.

Second, we are in need of more permanent housing as we come to the end of our first year in the US. Our current housing situation in Birmingham has been such a blessing, this is a big reason for praise! However, we have a deadline for how long we can stay at our current missionary housing, which is June 15th, 2024. Our desire was to be able to use this first year to settle and take a good look at the market here in Hoover, AL (southern metro Birmingham). The market has shifted a bit, but not enough that we have found a property in the "sweet spot" that combines WHERE - so the kids can stay in the same school system, WHAT - our desires and needs for a house, and HOW MUCH we can afford.

I do believe that God answers prayers, so I earnestly ask that you pray with us for a property that fits into that sweet spot, or a rental option that allows us to prepare for a near-future purchase.

Thank you for your partnership and care.

Tathiana's First 6 months

Hey everyone, this is Tathiana writing today.

I don't even know how to begin this update; so much has happened in the last 6 months. Moving to the USA has been challenging for our family, each of us has coped in different ways. We've faced days of exhaustion, confusion, feeling misunderstood, frustration, and mourning the distance from family…from the familiar.

I've heard from missionary friends who've also gone through similar transitions that, after a while, it's normal for people to assume you’ve adapted and are adjusted to the new phase. I think the 'honeymoon phase', that new season where there is always something new and intriguing, has passed. The longing to return home is stronger—missing the food, the people, the climate. The seasonal dreariness is real and I have felt down more than usual.

Amidst this, we are raising support. We need a much larger amount than ever before due to the cost of living here. Donations have not come in yet as we imagined, adding to my disbelief and lack of perspective. My faith has wavered based on circumstances. I've prayed to God to allow me to be emotionally and spiritually stable. My faith has faltered, much like the apostle Peter's when walking on the water toward Jesus. Peter needed help trusting, even though Jesus was right in front of him with outstretched hands. I need help believing that He will provide once again and that He didn't bring us to this country to not be able to make ends meet.

Isaac and Sara are, in general, more adapted. Isaac recently had his Individualized Education Program (IEP) developed to help him with his auditory processing disorder and ESL assistance. Sara is doing very well in English reading and writing and making new friends. We really like the school; the teachers, administrators and assistance professionals are helpful and sensitive people who spare no effort to assist our children. 

What I prayed for the most from God in the last days in Brazil was real friendships, people who cared about us. I see God's care in this area, providing sweet individuals. God has truly provided good friendships for the kids and for me and Jon. I thank each of you, dear friends, for every word of encouragement and acts of service you've rendered to us.

I've been meditating on the term 'pilgrim' in the Bible. May God show me that my ultimate homeland is not Brazil or the USA, but the celestial homeland I long for.

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household" - Ephesians 2:19

Thank you to all our friends, family and partners.
- Tathiana

More about CO SERVE

As a global ministry, Campus Outreach continues to be an interdenominational college ministry targeting strategic college campuses with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1978 at Briarwood Presbyterian Church (Birmingham, AL), Campus Outreach has grown to impact over 100 campuses in over 30 regions in 12 countries.

Campus Outreach SERVE was formed in 2019 as an equipping, resourcing, and serving agency that will help the entire CO movement respond to global churches requesting help in building leaders. As we "empower and expand CO ministries under the authority of local churches", we will reach more students, develop more laborers, and deploy more leaders.

See these two videos for more about how my new role fits into the overall global mission of Campus Outreach through the CO SERVE team.

What is CO SERVE? from Campus Outreach on Vimeo.

5 minute (3:20 on 1.5 speed) video about what CO SERVE is and how it fits into the global mission of Campus Outreach.

What does CO SERVE do? from Campus Outreach on Vimeo.

4 min video (2:40 at 1.5 speed) with more about what CO SERVE does and how it services Campus Outreach Regions and Staff