My friend Rita is not your typical missionary. She is a 61 year old grandmother who has lived in the same city for more than 30 years. She has a job and she owns a home. And English is the only language she speaks. She was married for 33 years, but has been learning to live as a single woman after a divorce four years ago…
Rita is not limited by a husband who left; nor does she fear the unfamiliar and the unknown. As a disciple of Jesus, she stands with the ranks of those who are sure of what they hope for and certain of what they do not see (Hebrews 11:1). Rita’s faith in God, who loves the lost, needy and brokenhearted, prompted her to move to Brasilia, Brazil, in January.
“It started with a prayer,” said Rita. “In the beginning of 2011, I began to pray for God to use me as His servant and ambassador.”
Last October, Rita’s son, John Hoyt, asked her to be a part of their mission to Brasília. John and his wife, Kay, would be leaving Palm Beach in January 2012 to start a campus ministry in Brasilia. They were practicing their Portuguese, learning about the culture and connecting with disciples in Brazil.
In three months, Rita closed the business she had operated for 21 years, packed up her home where she had lived for 23 years, faced her fears and watched God open doors. Her home rented quickly. A disciple offered to pay for the plane ticket to Brasilia. Only 10 days before their departure, she received a missionary visa to enter Brazil and stay for an extended period. The agent at the Brazilian consulate commented, “I’ve never seen this happen before!”
Rita knows that it’s all because of God.
“Along with the incredible joy of being with my grandchildren, it is my hope and desire to serve orphans and to help the church in Brasilia by initiating benevolent work. God has led me and guided me and truly answered my prayer to be His servant and ambassador.”
Rita will tell you that she is “no spring chicken.” But she is a missionary.
