Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you for your ongoing support and prayers! As we near the end of 2023, the words of Philippians 1:3 feel especially meaningful: “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine...” The Lord has used each of you in a very special way to carry me through my first year of deputation!
Deputation Travels
The past three months have included a busy travel season for missions conferences and individual meetings across California, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Florida. I am excited to share that my support has risen from 46 to 65%! Ending the year with this level of support is a huge encouragement! At this current rate, I feel confident, Lord willing, that I will complete my deputation in 2024 and transition onto the field full-time. God has already begun to fill my spring deputation schedule.
Florida Visit
As a special blessing and encouragement, the Lord allowed me to spend some very meaningful time with my sending church in Englewood, Florida. While I enjoyed weekend deputation meetings nearby, I was able to spend the majority of the week with my church family. I enjoyed getting to spend time with these dear friends and families and my spirit was truly refreshed. As a single missionary, especially, the love and support of a sending church and pastor is truly priceless!
2023 Highlights
Looking back on 2023, the Lord has really emphasized several ministry highlights. Even with the busyness of deputation travel, I was privileged to take part in two Amazon Medical Missions trips during which we saw 1,514 patients. Through these outreaches, we saw 143
souls trust Christ! Thank you for your investment and prayers for these trips! My greatest joy is seeing the spiritual healing these trips ultimately bring!
The second major highlight was connecting with two single young ladies from two of my supporting churches. Through deputation meetings, I met both of them and shared the Amazon medical trips. They were able to attend the same two trips that I did; it was a joy getting to know them better and share my mission field with them! I count them as dear friends! The Lord has shown me the joy of getting to minister to other young people, especially other single ladies, and help them get connected with missions. I would love to continue this emphasis throughout my ministry.
2024 Goals
I wish to share several major 2024 goals. I am planning to attend a short-term Amazon medical missions trip in May. I am also praying about the potential of taking a short survey trip to the Brazilian city in which I will be starting my language school and first missions term. This is planned tentatively for summer. After praying and seeking counsel from my pastor and field director, the Lord has confirmed His will for me to begin schooling for my Master’s degree in nursing. I have been accepted into a program that will allow me to gain my nurse practitioner’s degree (FNP). This will be a major investment, but it will allow greater opportunities to serve in the church-planting efforts in more remote Amazon villages. As a registered nurse, I am relatively limited in my scope of practice. As a nurse practitioner, I will be of greater service to Amazon medical missions teams, as there is always a challenge in getting consistent medical providers to attend these summer trips.
Because the majority of my future education will be through an online, hybrid program, I will be able to continue my deputation travels as well as transition onto the field. The Lord has provided financially for this decision; I am very much in need of your prayers for the time and energy to balance this addition to my schedule. I am excited to see what the Lord does with this education!
Thank you all for your love and support this past year. Have a safe and blessed New Year!
In Christ,
Sarah Goodman, Psalm 67:2
Prayer Requests:
Safety and health for travel
Planning for the upcoming medical missions trip (May 20th-30th) and summer survey trip
Deputation meeting opportunities
God’s provision and wisdom relating to my schooling (start date: February 1st)