The Spirit and the samba
While the possibilities of mission work are exciting, every missionary faces the cost of obedience, writes Jack Skett.
Answering God’s call can be thrilling. It can also mean leaving behind everything familiar. For Gary and Ellen Sweetman, along with their children Sophia and Asher, that call has taken them thousands of miles from home to begin a new chapter serving in Brazil.
Gary, originally from Dublin, and Ellen, who is from São Paulo, recently completed Elim’s Missions Academy.
In June 2026, the family flew to Brazil to begin their first assignment as Elim missionaries, working alongside Elim Brazil, an Elim Global Partner with 18 churches across the country.
Before leaving the UK, Gary and Ellen shared something of what lay ahead.
“Once we get to Brazil in June, we will be serving in a church in the state of Brasília. We will be placed in an area called Ceilândia do Norte. This is an Elim church and part of the Elim Global Network.
“We have been asking God to reveal a ministry that is suited to our giftings. After conversations with the team already there and chance meetings in Ireland with people from Brasília, God is putting on our hearts a ministry of intercity work.
“Ceilândia Norte is a city that has many social, family and substance abuse issues, and we believe God is calling us to minister in this area. We have many plans for how we can impact the area with the love of the gospel of Jesus. This is a planned undertaking.”
The possibilities are exciting – but every missionary eventually faces the cost of obedience.
To go somewhere new means leaving somewhere, and someone, behind.
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