Meet Oakseed’s Ministry Liaison to Latin America

Carlos Dourado was born in Brazil, the son of a Presbyterian minister. He came to know the Lord through the ministry of Word of Life in Brazil. Carlos and his wife, Pam, moved to Northern Virginia when Carlos retired in 2015 after a long career as a pharmaceutical executive. His career took them to live in five different countries and eight different cities. In addition to serving with Oakseed as the Ministry Liaison to Latin America, focusing on Argentina and Brazil, Carlos is an elder at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Arlington, VA, does translations (English to Portuguese) for The Gospel Coalition, and is Vice-President of the Board of Sanctity of Life Ministries.

As I approached retirement, I prayed that God would open doors for me to serve Him in that new season of life. A friend and fellow church elder who was an Oakseed Board member introduced me to Oakseed and told me that Oakseed was looking for a Portuguese-speaking liaison for Brazilian ministries.

God has greatly blessed me personally through the role of Brazilian liaison. Getting to know people who are faithfully serving the Lord by sharing His love with people in need, many times in dire circumstances, has been a great blessing. I have also met people transformed by the power of the gospel in their lives, from lives of sin and despair to lives full of joy, peace, and hope through Jesus. Many of the ministry partners in Brazil focus on children, and watching small children being taught the Word of God has also been a great blessing to me. I have also been blessed by hearing what God is doing in other parts of the world through Oakseed partners.

During my most recent visit to Lily of the Valleys in early March, as usual, we went to a restaurant to share a meal with about 50-60 interns, staff, volunteers, and supporters. After the meal, Lucia, one of the supporters, sang an acapella song of praise about Jesus being in the boat with the disciples. Unknown to us, a cashier at the restaurant had been planning on going home after her shift to end her life. The Lord used that song to speak to her heart, and she decided to trust in Him for her future and not follow through with ending her life. It was wonderful to know how the Lord powerfully touched her life, even though we were completely unaware of this at the time.

Oakseed’s ministry liaisons are the hands and feet of Oakseed worldwide, bringing about more fruitful and authentic relationships with our ministries. Please visit our blog for more information about this vital role .