BIMI Candidate School

6/16/2022

Dear friends and supporters,

South American and Brazilian Missionary Group Picture

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. The Lord has truly shown his love and grace in a special way these past few months.

After months of preparation, I was given the opportunity to attend the yearly candidate school of Baptist International Missions Inc. (BIMI). The Lord blessed abundantly and, after meeting with the board of trustees and screening committee, I was given full approval! I can now officially call myself a BIMI missionary! This was a true answer to prayer and an important step in preparing for deputation this Fall. Now that I have a mission board to call home, the process of raising support for my ministry and organizing my deputation will be streamlined. Having a mission board also allows for the organization of important legal matters, particularly all that comes with traveling and living abroad. Additionally, BIMI provides vital spiritual and social support for its missionaries.

Several key blessings the Lord gave during the week of candidate school

Candidate school provided the opportunity to meet many other like-minded missionaries. Amazing friendships were made! One of the biggest blessings was the opportunity to meet my fellow Brazilian missionaries. We were able to share many insights and encouragements with each other--specific to our shared mission field. We quickly became a family over the course of the week, and all of us intend to stay in close contact as we complete our deputation. We look forward to the opportunity to work together within Brazil.

The Lord also provided several important contacts with local churches interested in future support. Over the next few months, I will be in close contact with them and others as I begin preparing my list of scheduled meetings to present my work and show the great need that exists in the Amazon River Basin. In particular, I am excited to show how God is using the field of medicine and nursing to provide a way of building lasting connections with local villages. As of today, over 8 separate churches have been the result of our mobile medical clinics and evangelism teams. I truly believe medicine is a unique tool in demonstrating the love of the Saviour.

Candidate school provided key training in many important areas such as presentation design and preparation, financial matters, and preparing for the great spiritual needs that exist for missionaries--both on deputation as well as on the mission field.

Although this training was valuable, the biggest blessing this week was the work the Lord performed in my heart. He solidified my burden for my mission field and strengthened our bond as I prepare for this next stage of life. I don't know what the next few months hold, but I do know that I will not be facing them alone!

As I await the finalization of several deputation plans, I am currently back at my home church assisting with our upcoming VBS and summer church-growth promotion. We will be holding the campaign over the weeks of July-August for both our adult and children's ministries. I am also preparing to return to Brazil for the next Amazon Med-Connect trip with BIMI. We will assist several local missionaries and provide a multi-day mobile clinic to the nearby fishing villages where they can hear the Gospel. I am eager to return!

Every Blessing,

Sarah Goodman

Psalms 67:2

Prayer Requests:

• Finalization and completion of prayer cards and presentation materials

• Provision of a safer, more gas-efficient vehicle for deputation travel

• Good contacts with local churches for future meeting

• Preparation for my next Amazon-Connect trip (July)