At just one year and seven months old, Gabrielle has already faced significant health challenges. His mother, Dalvani Maria Silva, shared the heartbreaking story of how her son, once healthy, experienced a severe asthmatic crisis at nine months old that led to his current condition.

We recently celebrated the baptisms of two more followers of Christ. They were baptized on a rainy, yet joyful, Saturday afternoon. During the Sunday morning worship service the next day, the church was able to watch the videos and celebrate with our brother and sister in Christ.

A mother of eight and her 8-year-old daughter Marylin formed the duo that God used to give Judy, their youngest family member, the belief that she was born for a specific purpose. Judy Sirmons, Global Faith Mission Agency missionary to France for 53 years, was a direct answer to prayer for Marylin. When Marylin--already a believer at 8--learned that Santa Claus was not real, she wondered if perhaps Jesus didn’t really exist either. In childlike faith and unbeknownst to anyone, she asked God to send her a baby sister if He really did exist. The “obstacle” to this request was that Marylin’s mother had been warned not to have more children as it would endanger both her and the baby’s life. 

When I was 12 years old, our family walked into Bethel Baptist Church in Spot Bay, Cayman Brac, for the first time; it was February, 1969. We had just arrived on the island to which God had led my parents to begin their missionary ministry. As we drove up to the church, we heard singing; no musical instruments—just singing. Beautiful choruses with a distinct Caribbean flavor rang out in praise to God. And one voice rose above all the rest—a strong, mezzo soprano that led the congregation from one chorus to the next.