We’ve Moved

The church movement we are part of has a vision to develop a community of passionate, mature, reproductive, Christ-centered disciples; to plant passionate, mature, reproductive, Christ-centered churches; and transform the world through love and good works, for the glory of God.

After ten years in Pacajá, the church blessed us to continue this vision by planting another church in the city of Palmas, Tocantins. 

The actual move went well but our arrival was not as easy as we were hoping.  We had electricity problems for the first ten days and both of us caught some tropical viruses. But we soon received our first guests Larry and Karen Pickett, who were a great blessing of moral support and helped us get organized and painted.  We are so very grateful for them!  We were even able to explore our new city together.

After much traveling in June and July, we are now “fully” moved in, and are engaged in meeting people and building relationships as we begin a new church in Palmas. Our new address:

Quadra 108 Sul, Alameda 13, Lote 62
Palmas, Tocantins  CEP:77020-116
Brasil

Palmas, Tocantins

Palmas is the capital and largest city of the state of Tocantins.  It is located between the Amazon Rainforest and the coastal savanna region of north-central Brazil. Palmas has roughly 310,000 inhabitants and several neighboring cities with 50,000-60,000 inhabitants. 

The southern red dot on the map is the location of a small community church in the Taquaralto neighborhood. It was organically started when a couple moved from Altamira around 2012.  The current pastors, João and Katia, were just new Christians when we worked alongside them ministering to remote interior communities in Altamira, back in the early 2000’s. They’ve been leading this group for 7 years now. The northern red dot (a 25 minute drive) is where our rented house is and where we are starting a city center church.  It is strategically located near the downtown area.  We look forward to working in collaboration with the Taquaralto church as a sister church in reaching Palmas and the surrounding regions.

We tend to start church plants out of relationship.  Getting to know people and letting them know us is what gives us credibility and the opportunity to demonstrate God’s love in a relevant way.  We are already engaging various strategies to find our place within the community, meet people, and love on them, but these first steps are very slow and difficult.  Please pray with us as we seek relationships in this strange new place.

Travels

In June and again in July we traveled to the city of Portel, Pará (a two day trip).  Portel is a mission-planted church that has now been turned over to national leadership.  The mission is still involved with a water filter project there where filters are fabricated and delivered to those living in the remote river communities, where access to clean water is difficult. 

Through our involvement with the filter project and accompanying an Ohio team to Portel, we have continued to build relationships with this wonderful Portel church family.  It has been a blessing to encourage them and also be encouraged by them. They make us feel like family when we visit.

Prayer

Please pray with us for God to connect us with key people in this new city and for direction as we continue to develop a specific strategy for initiating a new church here. 

Please pray for our health, especially Marsha as she continues to feel the effects of a mosquito virus contracted in May.

Blessings in Christ,

Keith and Marsha Wilson