Missionaries Inspire Missionaries
Sally Phillippe’s front door flew open and in a shriek of excitement, Aryanne was greeted with shouts of Portuguese, “Oi minha filha! Tanto saudades!” She was welcomed into their home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with arms wide and smiles beaming. It had been decades since they’d seen each other, and dreams of meeting again seemed far off in the distance.
Though Aryanne Batista was only a young girl when Paul and Sally Philippe returned to the states after pioneering Wesleyan church planting efforts in Manaus, Brazil, she remembered them vividly. She recalls how they learned language, invested in her parents, approached ministry with tenacity and related to Brazilians with kindness and love.
Their sweet reunion took place when Aryanne was on her way to the General Conference of the Wesleyan Church in May 2022 where she represented the national church of Brazil in discussion surrounding the global Wesleyan initiative, Everywhere to Everywhere.
Paul and Sally didn’t miss a beat speaking in Portuguese with Aryanne. They heard updates from the church, friends and family and Sally shared encouragement and Scripture with Aryanne from her well-worn Portuguese Bible. They even had a chance to video call Aryanne’s family, including her grandma Luiza – a dear friend of Sally’s – who just turned 93.
Aryanne’s family is one of many who were positively shaped by the Philippes. This reunion was particularly significant, as Aryanne was able to share that Sally had inspired her to pursue her own call to missions. She writes, “God is so good that he allows such amazing encounters as these. It was a gift to share all that God started through them and the continued fruit of their work in Brazil and beyond. Because of their obedience, we are now sending missionaries of our own!”
Today, Aryanne is the director of missions for The Wesleyan Church of Brazil. She has served in Mozambique as a missionary and led numerous short-term trips from Manaus to East Timor, Mozambique, Guyana and the U.S. Under her direction, TWC of Brazil will send their first long-term missionary couple to Bangladesh later this year. She is an anointed leader and inspiring the next generation of missionaries.
In the same way that teachers inspire people to become teachers, missionaries often inspire other missionaries. When we respond in obedience to the calling God has in our lives, doors open for Him to work in the lives of those we meet along the way. How might God be leading you to deeper obedience in the calling He has for your life? Just imagine the rich, life-long relationships that are on the other end of your “yes!” to God.