Robert "Robbie"
| I was born June 23,1952 into the Buddy Smith family. On April 26, 1968, I was born into the heavenly family, the body of Christ. I was 15 at the time, and I have been saved ever since!!! I had made a decision as a child of nine years of age, but always had a doubt in my heart. On that Friday night after hearing messages from my father, who was my pastor, and hearing a message that night by Dr. Percy Ray, I went forward and drove a stake on my belief in Christ and trusted Him that night as my Savior. In August of the same year, 1968, while playing the piano and singing in a meeting in Tallahassee, Florida , I surrended my life to preaching the Gospel at 16 years of age. I got married in June 13, 1971 to Cathy Anders and God began to work in our lives. We went to Pleasant View Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina where Pastor Larry Raynes was the pastor, to work with the young people. In a mission’s conference in April of 1977, God called us into missions. A few months later, God put Brazil upon our hearts, where we felt lead to come and work. We were accepted with Macedonia World Baptist Missions, Inc. on May 1, 1978. We arrived in São Paulo , Brazil , in January, 16, 1980. In May of 2007, we will have been in missions 30 years! Praise the Lord for His goodness and many blessings. The Lord has helped us to start two churches and Macedonia Bible Institute (which is a seminary now) in Franca , São Paulo and a congregation in Ibiraci, Minas Gerais. Out of the first church, a third church has been started in Franca and two other churches in other cities. We have eight ordained pastors and their families serving the Lord as pastors of those churches and some other states. Out of 35 graduates of the school, all but one is serving the Lord faithfully (as far as I know). God has been so good!!! We are presently in the city of Araraquara , São Paulo , trying to raise a work up out of the ashes. We have just finished a new building which you can see on the site pictures. Our city has 220,000 people and we need some help. Please pray for myself and my wife as we labor here for our Lord. My father is Pastor Buddy Lee Smith in Lenoir , North Carolina , and is still pastoring. Our son Jonathan, his wife Heather and dauther, Katie are currently working at Victory Baptist Church,Valdosta, GA with the youth. Our daughter Christy has recently made some changes in her life and is attending Mountain View Baptist Church, Cowpens, SC where my brother in law, Steven Griffith is the Pastor. | 
Cathy | I was born on July 13, 1953, to Mitchel and Azalee Anders. I accepted the Lord as my Savior in August of l965. I did not grow very much spiritually until in my late teens. I met my husband-to-be in July, 1969 at the Pickens County Campmeeting. We did not see each other until the following year. In 1970, we started dating and on June 13, 1971 we were married. I learned a lot from Robbie about the Christian walk. A lot of changes came for me after marriage to a preacher. I lived my life in Pickens County , never traveling very far from there. With Robbie preaching, we were in different places and churches, new faces. This was a challenge for me because I was so backwards –shy—to most. Robbie was searching to know what God wanted in our lives and home. In January, 1974, Christy was born to us. Blessings and changes came with responsibilities as parents. We moved our membership to Pleasant View Baptist Church in April, 1977, to work with the young people. Well, God had other plans for us. We were in a mission conference at the church and God touched our hearts. I found out on Friday night, that Robbie surrendered to missions, at the same time the church knew. I was in shock. I didn’t know much about missions; I only remember seeing one missionary in my childhood. So, needless to say, it took some time for me to surrender my all to Him, not that I rebelled against the idea, I was trying to understand what God wanted with us, with me. Oh, but the peace God gives, when you let go and let Him have His way in your heart. This missions conference has a long story behind it for me. Talk about turning your world upside down, wow! Me, a missionary’s wife? Just think, this year, 2007, we will be celebrating 30 years in mission work. God has been faithful! He allowed us to go to Brazil in January, 1980. We did language school. Then on to Ribeirão Preto , São Paulo , where we worked with a veteran missionary in 1981. Then God blessed us with another child, Jonathan, in July, 1982, (born in Brazil ). In 1984, we moved to Franca , São Paulo , where we stayed until 2004. Now we are in Araraquara, SP. Believe it or not, I was able to teach my kids all the way through high school and they both were able to enroll in BJU. So a girl from Dacusville can do something with her life, if she puts her life in God’s hand! |
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