We have been in the UK now for 19 years serving under joint appointment of IM [International Ministries] and JAMI [the mission agency of the National Baptist Convention of Brazil]. We had first served under IM and JAMI in Albania. Both in Albania and now in the UK, the Lord has been good to us and our family. The latest blessing was the birth of our twin grandchildren, Andrea and Naomi.

Now we feel that God’s ministry in our lives is twofold: consolidation and expansion.
In terms of consolidation, we are continuing to assist churches in reaching communities of Portuguese-speaking migrant workers. We do this by visiting, assessing needs, and developing strategies to welcome and provide services for the migrants to grow in their understanding of God’s love, truth, and justice. This takes shape in the form of church planting, evangelism, children, youth, and men’s and women’s ministries.

In terms of expansion, we see God at work in at least three areas:  The first is international, cross-cultural mission. We are thrilled that a congregation we serve has recently sent a couple, Amilcar and Becky, as missionaries to the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau! We want to help the congregation to grow in its ongoing support of this couple.

Missionaries Amilcar & Rebecca Formoso in Guine Bissau

Secondly, Portuguese-speaking migrants’ literacy is one of the projects we want to develop further. This is done through ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes and teaches people how to read and write in their language.

Finally, even while working among Portuguese-speaking people in the UK, we are also serving in the east African nation of Tanzania with Health Amplifier, an NGO partner co-founded by Jorge, who also serves as its executive director. Health Amplifier delivers affordable and community-focused medical care to remote areas in Tanzania. We are now discussing the potential of extending the Tanzania project blueprint to Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa.

Might God be calling you to partner with us? We invite you to consider two ways to help us consolidate and expand our ministry. The first is through prayer. The fruit of our ministry depends on the Spirit of Jesus working through us and in the lives of those whom God puts before us. The second is through financial support. Although we sometimes find it difficult to talk about money, we are encouraged to do so by scripture. The book of 3^rd John is a first-century missionary support-raising letter. Through it, John encouraged the early church to financially support several missionaries who at first were “strangers” to them. His words apply both to his time and ours. Through your financial support you “become coworkers with the truth” [verse 8] in this ministry among Portuguese-speaking people in the UK and beyond. Thank you for supporting our “journey for the sake of Christ” [verse 7].

Hermelinda & Jorge Damasceno

Missionaries