How it all began!

Darrel and Jean have been serving in Northeast Brazil for 34 years. They have two adult children; Joy, a homemaker in Durham, North Carolina, is married to Dirk Nicol. They have two sons, Lucas and Caleb. Jonathan and his wife Lisa live near Nashville, Tennessee. He works as a mechanical engineer for Des-case Filters.

Darrel accepted Christ as Savior when a boy of nine. After attending some evangelistic meetings he was unable to sleep and realized his need for Christ. After asking Christ to be his Savior, he slept very soundly. Being president of his High School Bible Club and doing missionary work on the Santan Indian Reservation helped prepare him for a future ministry.

During college he traveled two summers, in Mexico and Central America, on gospel teams. Following graduation from Bob Jones University in 1962, he taught Music in public schools and provided a music service for Christian Day Schools in Southern California.

Jean prayed with her mother to accept Christ when she was quite small. Her favorite uncle prepared to serve as a missionary in the Amazon area, with New Tribes Mission, but was killed in a plane accident. This had a profound effect on Jean. At the age of twelve she felt that the Lord was calling her to be a missionary in Latin America.

Graduating from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Los Angeles, she then went to Bob Jones University to get her B.S. in Nursing and take Bible and Missionary courses. Maybe she would find a missionary partner there. After meeting Darrel in the Dining Hall, she decided to take Spanish Conversation, knowing that he would be in the class.

Darrel´s original plan, the result of his summer evangelistic team experiences, was to return as a missionary to a Spanish speaking country. He had studied Spanish as his minor, in preparation . However, on a survey trip throughout South America, Darrel and Jean were both impressed with Brazil, a Portugese speaking country, as the country of God's choice for service.

On examining several Mission Boards, Baptist Mid-Missions seemed to have: satisfied missionaries, a good doctrinal position, seminaries where Darrel could teach music, and the confidence and trust of many pastors and churches.

In 1985, he received his Doctor of Ministries degree from the California Graduate School of Theology.

For three terms, approximately 15 years, Darrel and Jean taught music at the "Seminario Batista do Cariri," in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceara, Brazil. Church planting has been their priority for the past 20 years. For outreach they use Evangelistic Bible studies, audio visuals, English Clubs; and a good group of Bible College students.

They both seek to know more and more of God with every day that passes, and are thrilled with the privilege of being missionaries.

Where They Live

Juazeiro do Norte is located in Northeast Brazil. The area is fertile, but plagued with periodic droughts. It is an area of economic depression. Education is substandard and health services are inadequate. Jobs are difficult but the people are resourceful.

Hundreds of backyard industries exist, producing shoes, jewelry, clothes and religious articles for the pilgrims who come to worship Padre Cicero.

Pilgrims come from all over Northeast Brazil

The movement from rural to urban living is constant. Therefore there is always a new "favela" (extremely poor neighborhood) appearing; and with it come new spiritual, educational, economical, and health problems to be solved.

Pilgrims have come to pay homage to Padre Cicero

Padre Cícero overlooks  Juazeiro do Norte (CE).