De Souza’s Prayer letter 2/23/18  “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'” Matt. 25:40 |
Why Missions and Why Angola? The following is to give you a feel for what we will be doing and why. We will soon be working alongside heros of the faith, such as SIM missionaries Dr. Tim and Betsy Kubacki. The couple gave up their comfortable lifestyle and his lucrative career as an ER physician in the USA to serve the Lord and share the love of Jesus in Angola. Here Dr. Tim passionately shares his heart and experience: “I think I’ve become somewhat jaded as I hold another baby with a horrific illness (see photo with parental guidance) because there is simply too little being done by Jesus’ people for those who have no access to help. Please zoom in on the photo of the little boy and consider the pain he has endured for 3-4 months! Then close your eyes and imagine… Take my place… Pick him up and feel him feverishly shudder against your chest. Smell the rotten flesh. Swat away the ravenous flies, observe the movement within the deepest part of the wound from several very active maggots and perhaps understand why I am passionate about so many remarkable and basic needs being met with equally remarkable and pathetic apathy in the American church. Neither writer nor reader of this post have held a more precious child. Some variation of this little guy happens every day in our little Cavango hospital and we have a small, beautiful team of supporters in the US who are helping us do what we can for the children in this rural area. Would you join them?” “He is why our MAF pilots/mechanic fly. He is why our missionary surgeons tirelessly operate in Lubango. He is why missionaries of all skill sets (teachers, mechanics, accountants, administrators, builders, translators, laborers, church planters, etc) leave all that’s dear to them and go to the valleys. Anyone can come here and travel village to village, and teach about nutrition and dental hygiene and raise funds to help those without (and prevent the above scenario), and share about the love of our Father and His eternal promises… The Good Samaritan on the road to Jericho needed no special skills to do what he did… Whatever can you and I do to help? Our lives are worth giving… for him. The primary questions are not, “What can or should be done?” or “What can the wealthy or my government do?” There is no value in shaking one’s head and criticizing the unjust state of the world, ignoring it or wishing it away. In light of the resources and knowledge you have been given to share/steward/distribute/give away, the only question that will ever matter is, ‘What will I do?’” Dr. Tim Kubacki |
He is Why We are Going!  Trying to enjoy our last Minnesota winter before our big move to Angola!!! Around this time last year we were just beginning our support-raising journey. We looked at the task ahead and wondered how in the world God would do it! At times we saw the mountain ahead and were tempted not even to try. Now we are blown away by His provision and the generosity of so many of you!!! We are overjoyed to announce that our LAUNCH FUND is FULL!!! Praise the Lord, and THANK YOU to each one that has prayed, encouraged, helped or given! We are so blessed by each one of you that has chosen to be part of our team, reaching precious lives in Angola with the LOVE, LIGHT and SAVING HOPE of JESUS! Eph. 3:20-21 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen. Launch Fund Monthly Financial Goals   We are hoping to be able to leave for Angola in the very near future! We are doing the preliminary work needed for obtaining visas, but since we will have to “use or lose” our visas within 60 days of obtaining them, we can’t finish the application process for them in Washington DC until we have reached 85% of our monthly support. We are currently at about 60%. Please prayerfully consider sharing the love of Christ in Angola by giving in one of the following ways: Become a monthly or recurrent partner, giving toward our living expenses (On the SIM website, you can set recurrent gifts to be deducted automatically, monthly, quarterly, or annually. You can also choose to give online or by check at your convenience). Any amount you are able to give, at whatever frequency, is greatly appreciated! Give toward an upcoming need: Airline tickets from Minnesota to Angola = about $1900 per person Long-term visas for Angola = $1200 per person Household set-up in Angola = $2000 I-pad for use in the hospital = $450 Vaccines for typhoid, yellow-fever, and rabies = $1400 Katadyn water filtration system (to prevent serious infections from contaminated water) = $400 Solar-powered generator = $700 One day ($121.60), week ($912), or month ($3648) of living expenses *All gifts are tax deductible. Please see giving info below. *One huge benefit we have is that, since the national language of Angola is Portuguese, which we both speak fluently, we will not have to spend time or money on language acquisition. *By giving, you will be a very real part of this team, taking the love of Christ to the needy and the Gospel to those who are living and dying without it! Click Here to Join Our Ministry Team! To Give Online without Using the Above Link: 1. Visit: simusa.org/give 2. Enter Eduardo or Jocelyn De Souza 3. Enter Missionary #044522 Can’t give online? Send checks to: SIM USA, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241 Please write “De Souza #044522” in the memo line. Please Pray for Us! For Financial Provision. Pray that the Lord would touch the hearts of those that would join our team to share God’s love in Angola. For the Lord’s Guidance and Help with all of the Details Ahead of Us. During the next months we will be meeting with individuals and churches, travelling to the Angolan Consulate in Washington DC for visas, finishing training, packing for our overseas move, etc., all while continuing with homeschool and regular life. For Smooth Transitions for Our Children and Ourselves. There will be many changes during the months ahead, even before we leave for Angola. Please pray for peace, health and protection (physical, emotional and spiritual). Also pray for Jocelyn’s parents as it will be hard for them to see their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren move so far away. For Angola. Please pray for CEML Hospital, the Missionaries there, and the Precious People to whom they are Ministering. How Can We Pray for You? We would also like to keep you in our prayers. Please let us know how we can be praying for you! Highlights from the Last Couple of Months   Eduardo and Tiago (10), our oldest son, had the opportunity to go to Brazil for a couple of weeks. Eduardo spoke in 6 different churches and made important connections. Tiago met many extended family members for the first time and experienced Brazilian banana splits, tropical fruits, and beautiful beaches. Meanwhile, Jocelyn and the other three children, in the frozen tundra of Minnesota, tried to maintain a good attitude!!  Tiago, about his trip to Brazil: “The best parts of the trip were visiting the ocean and surprising my grandparents by showing up at their gate! We didn’t tell them we were going to Brazil! Eduardo and our great friend Jim took a trip to Mexico City and Eduardo was able to legalize his medical diploma through the Angolan Consulate. De Little Delightful De Souza’s    We are hoping that this will be our last Minnesota winter for some time, so we are trying to make some fun memories! Our plan is to decorate our house in Angola with Minnesota winter photos in order to help with our transition and ward off the feelings of homesickness! We will be happy just to be warm! The kids are loving all of the winter activities, and the parents are freezing!    May the Lord Bless you and Keep You! Let’s Keep Serving Him Together! With Love, The De Souza Family Our Story Who are we? We are just regular people, saved by our awesome God! We would have been completely lost and broken if it were not for the saving love and grace of God. To see a film of our story please click on this link: https://youtu.be/tnKVrBFiHEw We have learned that no matter the depths of pain we have felt, no matter the mess we have made of our lives, we are never so lost that His grace can’t save us. There is always hope in Jesus!  Stay in Touch Our Mailing Address: 14512 Shoreline Ln. Lake Park, MN 56554 Phone: 218-204-1334 E-mail: eduardo.desouza@sim.org jocelyn.desouza@sim.org |
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