Tati was born in Brazil, and her family was very involved in their local church. She acted like a model Christian, memorizing Bible verses and attending youth group.
“I knew the about the cross, the gospel, and Christ,” Tati said. “Sometimes I would speak with others about them, but in my heart I didn’t believe.”
When a woman at a Word of Life seminary in Brazil asked Tati if she was a Christian, Tati realized she had never truly repented of her sin and put her faith in Jesus. Years later, Tati still hadn’t entrusted her life to Christ when adversity hit with her parents’ divorce. During that dark time, she remembered her revealing conversation with the woman, and she decided to stop living a double life and finally threw herself at her savior’s feet.
Ben was also raised in the church and seemed so spiritually mature that he even taught Sunday school for the younger-aged classes when he himself was just in 6th grade. But Ben lived under a false pretense of salvation, finding his assurance in good works like youth leadership and outreach ministry.
It wasn’t until college that he eventually realized he was a fraud and an unbeliever. Ben finally understood that head knowledge wasn’t enough. True faith required total and utter dependence on Jesus as Lord.
His life trajectory changed after his conversion, and Ben began pursuing missions work. His home church had a legacy of ABWE missionaries, and he himself was appointed by ABWE in 2015 to serve in Brazil, where he met Tati at a ministry event. They are currently helping an ABWE church plant in south Brazil.
Learn more about the Candees’ ministry here.
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