Names: Al & Kim Yoder
Field of Service: Amazon, Brazil
WHO WE ARE
We are the Yoders, currently serving the Lord along the Amazon in Brazil with aviation church planting - using a plane to establish and fortify churches in the area. Transportation along the Amazon is still very slow and time-consuming, therefore an airplane effectively aids in ministry. The two planes we fly are both Cessna 185s on floats and are used in multiple ministries, from church planting and theological education to MEDIVAC and supply runs for other missionaries on the field.
We have served with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) since 1980. Our first field was Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil. In1989, we transferred to the Amazon area (on the frontier of Brazil, Peru, and Colombia) to the town of Benjamin Constant, where we helped re-establish the church in town, while using the plane to reach “preaching points” and to provide continued Bible education for the Ticuna Indian church leaders.
During these years, the plane was used to begin weekend meetings in a town downriver about 150 miles called São Paulo de Olivença. A Brazilian missionary couple with 2 single ladies then moved there to continue establishing the church. In 2000, we joined them, and took over the church leadership in 2003 when the missionary couple moved to another area of Brazil. We currently continue to mature the church, while using the plane for outreach ministries with local Indian church leaders and continued Bible training in other towns along the Amazon.
OUR FAMILY
God has blessed us with four children. Our oldest, Renee, is married to Mike Skibinski, and they are headed to Cape Verde as missionaries. Peter and his wife Faith, live in Austin, Texas where he works as a film producer. Regina and her husband Brandon Bell are also headed toward the mission field in Brazil. Jonathan is currently a student at Grace Baptist Bible College.
