Lydia Neuman
Brazil (ABWE)
Lydia at a very young age, gave her life over to Christ– she desired to be forgiven from her sins and guided by His Spirit. Having grown-up on the mission field in Brazil, she was always fascinated with many missionary stories and their lives. As a teenager, she learned the value of serving and edifying others in her local church. Teaching and discipleship began to have a special place in her heart.
As she grew in her walk with the Lord, the desire for serving in ministry also grew. She went after a degree in early-childhood education and a certification in teaching ESL so as to be able to serve better in her church and hopefully one day with her family. Having finished college at a young age (20), she decided she wasn’t ready yet for full-time ministry. Always thinking that she would head into ministry as a wife, she postponed full-time ministry for several years. She also decided to pursue a degree that would help open doors in almost any country: Bachelors in Culinary Arts, all the while continuing to serve in her local church, as well as work teaching ESL.
During that time, the Lord continued to work on her heart and led her to do the Masters in Biblical Counseling. At the end, she met with her pastor who knew of her long-standing interest in missions. As he asked: “What is keeping you here?” and not having an adequate answer, both understood that it was time for the next steps. Her church sent her first on a short mission’s trip, then on a ministry internship to South Brazil, where she would learn about the spiritual needs of the gaúcho (term used for those of Rio Grande do Sul, BR) people, and later come to the conviction of field and ministry.
At the moment, she is raising support, and hopes to be able to return to South Brazil in 2024. Her main ministries are: teaching kids about Jesus, discipling and counseling girls and women, and training others to teach and disciple. She also intends to teach ESL, give culinary workshops at the Life Center as well as host dinners as ways to build relationships that can lead to conversations of the Gospel.