January, 2012

Dear Family of God,

It has been a long time since I have communicated with many of you. Leah and I have been married for thirteen years now. God has blessed us with Darius (9), Zayin (8), Titus (6), Solomon (4), Lukas (3), and Roman (1). The Leaman family has moved around quite a bit, and our lives have come across many beautiful saints of the Lord. In all our travels and in the numerous tasks the Lord has brought to us, the one overarching goal of our life has been to serve Christ and better understand how to advance His cause through our lives. This is certainly our passion and the reason that we desire to serve Christ with all our strength.

Both Leah and I grew up as pastor’s kids. I was born in Brazil in 1972. My parents were missionaries whose main job was to care for orphans in Northeast Brazil. In 1975 my family returned from the mission field.  For me, the connections with Brazil were always strong because my mother is a native Brazilian. The sights, sounds, smells and stories of Brazil were constantly being raised in my imagination through the many travelers that came to our home from that country. After college I had the opportunity to work in Brazil for several years, during which time Leah and I were married. We both came to know the culture, language, people, and most importantly, the needs of that country. The gospel needs of the world are ubiquitous, but Brazil is the place the Lord has put in our hearts and lives.

Since I was a child I have been taught the Scriptural truth that life at its core is about the glory of God. God’s Holy Word teaches people how to glorify Him. In Brazil evangelical theology is growing, but it is in the midst of giant opposition. The battle has already begun as I have faced Spiritism, nominal Roman Catholicism, and an evangelical church inundated with many challenges. Brazil needs reformation, revival and messengers of the good news. My desire has been to better understand, practice, and be able to explain what it is to live for the glory of God. I have prepared myself for this battle through years of theological education. I am now seeking to enter that battle in Brazil, proclaiming the salvation and glory of Christ. In August I was approved as a missionary candidate to Brazil by the Presbyterian Missionary Union Missions Council.

Currently the main tasks I seek to undertake in Brazil are teaching practical theology, specifically discipleship and biblical counseling, and using my sports background as a tool to preach the gospel to the youth. The eternal glory that awaits those who believe in the message of God’s grace is the reason I get excited about missions and obeying our Lord’s great commission.

We are ready to go. Our passports are in process. Work is waiting for us. Now we need you. We need your prayer.  Moving a family of eight to a new country and beginning new ministries are daunting tasks, but God has promised to provide strength and wisdom to His laborers.  We also need monthly financial support. We acknowledge that it is a difficult financial time in our country, but God can and will carry forward His work in the midst of our struggles. Even the smallest amount of faithful support will greatly encourage and help us get moving towards Brazil. PMU has made it easy to give for this cause. You may donate via check mailed to PMU, PO Box 879, Bonners Ferry, ID 83805 or donate through Paypal at donations@presbyterianmissions.org. Please join us in this battle for souls and for the expansion of His kingdom in the huge country of Brazil.

For more information about our ministry, you can visit our website, leamans4brazil.com; follow us on Facebook; or write us at leamans4brazil@gmail.com.  Thank you for your prayers!

“Him we proclaim”

 Douglas E. Leaman