<body><div>Christopher Gaertner’s grandparents were missionaries. His parents were missionaries. In his younger years, he also was a missionary. As the son of two Brazilian immigrants, Gaertner grew up attending a Portuguese-speaking congregation. It was a way for him and his family to connect with Jesus Christ in their native tongue. “I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of being bilingual and being able to help everybody understand what’s going on — whether it’s English to Portuguese or Portuguese to English,” he said. “It’s something I’m very passionate about.”Today, he is proud to be the president of the new Lake Hancock Portuguese-speaking congregation within the Winter Garden Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After seeing the Brazilian population expand at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Orlando First Ward to more than 400 congregants, church leaders prayed to gain clarity on what the next steps should be. With the goal of bringing people closer to God, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided it was the right time and decision to create a new branch within the Winter Garden Stake.It was clear there was a need to serve Portuguese-speaking congregants. Soon, church leaders made the decision to make it official and create a new branch to better serve the community. The new Portuguese-speaking congregation already serves 140 members. “A lot of Portuguese speakers in the area want to worship Jesus Christ together,” Gaertner said. “Now that we have (a branch) here in Winter Garden, it’s an exciting way to bring people together who share a language or a sense of community to strengthen their faith and worship in the language of their choosing.”The church believes his journey to presidency was a revelation from God. He did not campaign or seek the role. Instead, it was him answering a spiritual call to serve from the Lord.“They felt that I would be the one the Lord wanted to be the leader of the branch, which was surprising to me,” he said. “I believe we’re going to see miracles, I believe we’re going to participate in miracles (and) I believe we’re going to be the recipients of miracles as we serve in this new congregation.”The Lake Hancock branch meets at 3 p.m. Sundays at 3850 Avalon Road, Winter Garden, to worship Jesus Christ in Portuguese. Congregants participate in the sacrament, personal worship and develop a stronger bond with God. “We’re a Portuguese congregation, but before that, we’re a Christian congregation, so we’re just excited to come gather with people in the community — whether they’re from Brazil or Portugal or Mozambique or America, to serve and worship our God,” Gaertner said. “There’s a lot that’s going on, and we believe the greatest balm of Gilead, as we read, is drawing closer to Jesus Christ. … This new congregation that was formed is one of the ways in which He’s going to make His will not only known but (also) come to fruition in our lives, in our families and our homes.”The most important aspect of this new branch is that it allows others to continue worshipping Jesus Christ. It can be quite challenging to learn a new language, so for those who don’t understand English, attending church also can become a challenge. “For some, it’s (about) hearing the same hymns that they sang growing up or hymns that they heard their grandparents singing, or it’s the feeling of community and shared experiences,” Gaertner said. “For some, it’s simply feeling a particularly strong spiritual connection when worshiping in Portuguese — even if they aren’t Brazilian.”Winter Garden Stake President Gary Hansen said he is looking forward to watching miracles happen within the new branch. “I’m looking forward to seeing the growth, the development and the smiles of those who get to serve together,” he said.IF YOU GOLake Hancock Portuguese-speaking serviceWHEN: 3 p.m. SundaysWHERE: 3850 Avalon Road, Winter GardenWEBSITE: churchofjesuschrist.org</div></body>

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Christopher Gaertner’s grandparents were missionaries. His parents were missionaries. In his younger years, he also was a missionary. As the son of two Brazilian immigrants, Gaertner grew up attending a Portuguese-speaking congregation. It was a way for him and his family to connect with Jesus Christ in their native tongue.

Winter Garden Stake introduces new Portuguese-speaking congregation

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Christopher Gaertner’s grandparents were missionaries. His parents were missionaries. In his younger years, he also was a missionary. As the son of two Bra

Winter Garden Stake introduces new Portuguese-speaking congregation

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