Graveley News: Fall Update Letter 2025!

Hello Family and Friends,

I can hardly believe that fall is already upon us! Where has the time gone? Time has been flying by so quickly here. It’s hard to believe that Davi and I have already been here for five months! A lot has happened in that time — and some of our plans have already changed.

Ministry Update

Let’s start with my ministry, which has shifted quite a bit since moving here in June. The first big change is that, even though I’m now working on the east side of Brazil, I’m still officially part of the West Brazil field. I’ll be switching to the East Brazil field in December, once new leadership is in place. Because of some unusual circumstances, there’s currently no East Brazil Field Leadership to formally receive me, but meetings are underway to resolve that.

For those who may not remember, I’m part of the Finance Team at the Brazilian Headquarters. When I first arrived, I wasn’t quite sure what that would look like — and even now it’s hard to describe! But here’s my best attempt:

From July through November, I’ve been responsible for the finances of two mission schools here in Brazil — Peniel and Shekinah. These are the Bible and Missions Training Centers for Brazilians. My job involves cross-referencing all of their financial records with another missionary at that location (a process similar to what I did at PQQ). I then verify every transaction against bank statements — each school has three to four bank accounts — and enter the information into a program that classifies each transaction by department and purpose, for tax reporting.

Starting in November, I’ll transition away from Shekinah and begin overseeing the finances for the Mission Headquarters in Anápolis.

I’ve also taken on two additional tasks:

• Translating West Brazil missionaries’ testimonies into English, so their websites can be available in English and receive donations from the U.S.
• Reporting all funds that come from the U.S. to West Brazil — including projects and individual support — in the correct format for Ethnos360 Headquarters, so everything is properly documented for tax purposes.

Below is a picture of my office (which also doubles as Davi’s playroom!). The wall art has changed recently, as a coworker wanted the piece that used to be there.

Transportation

Another change has been in transportation. My original plan was to bike to and from work, but after arriving I quickly realized that wasn’t practical. The route to the office is literally uphill both ways (I promise!), and it runs along a busy four-lane road. I’m not comfortable riding in that traffic with a three-year-old strapped to the back of my bike. Davi loves watching the big vehicles go by — sometimes almost tipping the stroller when one passes in the opposite direction — which makes me even more nervous!

So for now, we walk to work twice a week, take Uber twice a week, and I work from home every Friday. Thankfully, if I leave early enough, I can beat rush hour, which keeps my round-trip Uber cost to about five dollars.

Looking Ahead

I’m also praying about the possibility of moving to a house closer to the mission. One big advantage (besides saving my legs!) would be having a yard. Davi loves being outdoors, but he can’t play at the apartment playgrounds alone, so his outside time is limited. Most buildings here have cement walls around them, so a house with a yard would give Davi a safe space to play while I’m budy with other tasks. Please pray with me for wisdom about this possible move.

Davi’s Corner

Davi is growing like a weed! I can hardly keep him fed — which makes me a little worried for his teenage years. I may need a special food support fund (just kidding… but maybe not!).

He’s settling in more and more each day and has made good friends within the mission. We’re also looking for a church to join to build more friendships. I waited until recently to start visiting churches, since Davi was still adjusting to the culture.

He loves exploring the grounds of our apartment complex. We’ve discovered some adorable little burrowing owls that nest nearby, as well as countless species and colonies of ants — Davi’s fascinated by all of them!