Gabriel and Rachel Nunez serving in Brazil Another Nunez Baby…
There are so many things we’d like to update you on, however we’ll stick to the most exciting news and leave the rest for another day. There is another little Nunez baby due February 11th! That’s right, Rachel is three months pregnant! We are praising the Lord for this blessing. Apart from the normal first trimester nausea and tiredness, Rachel is feeling great. The hardest things for her have been the smells in the streets and a lack of variety in food.
Last week Avery and I were able to accompany Rachel to her first ultra-sound. We both held her hand and Avery kept laughing whenever the baby moved on the screen. It was a special family time. We’d appreciate your prayers as we plan for the baby’s arrival. There are many decisions that come with having a baby overseas. We’re trusting that the Lord will continue to lead us and give us wisdom in each decision.
Thanks for being a part of our lives!
Building Friendships to Last a Lifetime
We have spent the past six months living in a small town outside of the Ka’apor village. Although, at times we still get stared at or even laughed at because of our accent or our white skin, we have adjusted and have grown to appreciate it here. We look at his time as laying the groundwork for many years to come.
It has been a blessing to be able to build relationships with our neighbors and many others here in town. Gabriel has been helping out periodically at different schools by substitute teaching English. He has also been getting to know lots of people playing soccer. We have tried as much as possible to sit in front of our house in the early evenings to be out with the neighbors, this is very cultural.
Avery always enjoys being with the neighborhood kids. (some of them came over to watch the Brazil game last week, pictured). We want to show our neighbors and the people in town that we care about them and want to be a part of their lives, and not just the lives of the Indians.
Another blessing has been our involvement with a small Bible Church in town. Rachel has really enjoyed teaching Sunday School and being involved in a ladies Bible study. Avery also enjoys going to church, even though it doesn’t start until after his bedtime. He has made lots of little friends there, too. Each Sunday and Wednesday, Gabriel has been sharing a devotional before the church service. He was even able to preach a few times at our church and sister church in the next town over. We do praise the Lord for the warm welcome the church body has given us. We pray that their interest and involvement in the Ka’apor work will grow as well.
This time in town has been so beneficial to our ministry and to us personally. Lord willing, the friendships we have made will continue to grow and be fruitful onto eternity. Although we desire to be living in the village, we know the Lord has a purpose for our time here in town.
Thank you for being a part of our life and our ministry! We can’t stress enough how vital you are to this work. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial support enable us to serve here.
Finishing Strong
Learning language can be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting! We have come to learn this over the past year as we study Portuguese. The end of our final semester is nearing and we are looking forward to being one step closer to moving into the village.
Please pray for us during this time, that we would be faithful to finish strong. Pray that we would trust the Lord to provide the strength we need as we continue to study and also prepare for our move up north. Please also pray that we would be sensitvie to the Holy Spirit to be a blessing and encouragement to those around us. Thank you!
Learning Life in the Village
After completing our second semester of Portuguese language study, we spent our “summer break” in the village we will be working in come January 2010.
The Lord really blessed our two months in the village. We gained a lot from the hands on experience and really enjoyed getting to know our co-workers as well as the villagers.
Gabriel stayed busy working on making repairs on our village house, learning as much as he could from our co-worker Reuben before he left on furlough, and of course playing soccer with the men here. Taking care of active little Avery and making meals for the family occupied most of Rachel’s time. Avery did great with the heat and had only a few little bug bites (we wish we could say the same!).
We are thankful for the opportunity to spend time in the village before we move in permanently in January 2010. The Lord truly blessed our time. Thank you for those of you who prayed!
Happy Anniversary!
June marks our one year anniversary of serving with New Tribes Mission in Brazil. The time has passed quickly! The Lord has grown our faith this past year as He has shown Himself faithful.
He has provided for each of our needs, kept us healthy, and given us vision and direction for the future. We have been so thankful for His leading and directing in our lives.
Although you are far away, the Lord has used many of you to provide for us through this time. Your prayers, financial support, encouragement, and friendship have spurred us on in a great way. Thank you!
Learning Language
Apart from our classroom time and book work, we meet with language helpers; Gabriel four to five times a week and Rachel twice a week. These sessions are a great opportunity to discover new vocabulary and to practice speaking with a native speaker.
Participating in church activities, such as Bible studies or Sunday service, is another way we learn language, especially spiritual terms.
As long as our ears are ready to listen and our minds ready to absorb, everyday events like grocery shopping, eating at a restaurant, watching a soccer game, talking with our neighbor, or watching the news, can be learning experiences. Gabriel has picked up a lot just from playing soccer with the local guys.
We are thankful for the progress we have made. It is encouraging to be more self sufficient. However, learning a new language is at times a slow and arduous process. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue in language study. Please pray that we would be able to use our time wisely and that our minds would take in what we are learning. We long for the day we will be able to speak naturally and unhindered.
Doing well
Greetings, once again, it has been awhile. We are excited about what the future holds for us. We are truly seeking the Lord and his direction and we are thrilled to see him guide. He is the master planner! Please pray for Rachel and the baby, just another month and we will have our very own addition to the family. We are quite anxious as to what we should expect. But we both have had wonderful parents and from their example we are joyous to see what God has blessed us with in our life. I am sure he will be a handful just like I am!
Please be praying for us as we learn the language, and develop new friends and familiarize ourselves to a new place.
Please pray for Rachel and the baby that there are no complications
Please pray for our relationship with each other and with the Lord.
Thank for your prayers, encouragement and support,
Gabriel and Rachel
Moved
We are settled in after moving to Wisconsin. The weather is warming and welcoming us back. There is still room for improvement though as the temperature has been buzzing around 50.
Thank you for all your prayers and support, we have been blessed by so many of you. Words can not express how grateful we are to everyone. We are still commited to get to the field this August. Many things have to come about, but we are trusting the Lord that He is soveriegn and he has our best interests at heart.
Brazil
Please pray for the men in Brazil who are looking into our visa situation. Pray that they would have clear effective dialogue with with officials at the capital. Pray that our request for religious visas would be reviewed and approved.
Redeem the time
We desperately desire to get down to Brazil, yet we realize that God’s timing is better than ours. Please pray for us during this period of waiting. Pray that we would redeem the time with our family, friends, and church community. Pray for growth both spiritually and otherwise.