Missionary Couple Follows God Even in Difficult Circumstances

Watching your child nearly die in your arms, experiencing illness before even arriving at your destination, and facing the difficulties of learning a new language would be enough for most people to question whether God really had called them to serve in a foreign country.

But not Joe and Leona Tarry. They knew that moving with three young children to Brazil to serve as career missionaries was exactly what they were supposed to do. In The Marvel of It All: God’s faithfulness as one couple serves Christ for more than three decades in Brazil, the Tarrys expound on their daily activities and inner thoughts of living in the states of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo in southern Brazil.

Through the difficulties of starting new churches, longing for friends and family back home, learning about a new culture, dealing with customs officials, and enduring car trouble, Joe and Leona saw the protection and encouragement that only God can give. Woven among Satan’s attempts to thwart God’s work in Brazil, the Tarrys in their new book humbly document time after time when God provided just what they needed. Their conversational tone and side-by-side commentary on the harrowing situations allow the reader unique insight into the challenging, but rewarding lives of missionaries.

“This book never is boring. Well-documented and told with courage, the story of the Tarry family is sublime. Their lives, their children, and their labor have been blessings to countless souls that only eternity can measure,” write Jesse and Wilma Kidd, emeritus Southern Baptist Convention missionaries to Brazil.

Joe E. Tarry was born near Lovington, NM, and his wife, Leona, was born in Fort Sumner, NM, but considers Portales, NM, to be her hometown. Joe graduated with a double major and received a bachelor of arts in religion and history from Eastern New Mexico University and a master of divinity from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. Leona also attended Eastern New Mexico University, during which she worked at the Portales Daily News; she then received a certificate from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Joe and Leona are retired missionaries and live in Ruidoso, NM. Joe has written numerous books, including, Did Paul Approve of the Tongues Spoken in Corinth?, Created to be Spiritual: Understanding God’s daily battle with Satan for the hearts and minds of His people, and Jesus Restores True Spirituality: Understanding Satan’s Subtle Schemes to Hamper the Testimony of Christ’s People. This new book, The Marvel of It All, is Joe and Leona’s first co-authored book.