News - Missionary shot in Brazil has local family connection

News Article from The Marysville Advocate:

Missionary shot in Brazil has local family connection

John Leonard, a Baptist missionary to Brazil, was shot three times by unknown assailants Sunday evening near a new church near the town of Maceió, Alagoas, in northeast Brazil.

Leonard, who is married to the former Bev Fincham, daughter of Keith and Donna Fincham, Marysville, was struck by three bullets and reportedly was paralyzed from the neck down.

According to Bev Leonard’s brother, Curt Fincham, Louisburg, Leonard was to be flown to Des Moines soon for medical treatment. Another brother, Allen Fincham, lives at Des Moines.

Nothing like that has happened before, Curt said. Though the missionaries said there had been some petty theft, they never felt threatened, he said.

Curt said that after the service, men in a car stopped and asked people if they could see Leonard.

They got out of the car and as they approached him shots were fired. An investigation is being conducted, Curt said.

The missionaries had been on furlough since April, Curt said, and had been reporting to churches that sponsored their missionary efforts, including Victory Baptist Church, Marysville. Leonard spoke there May 15 and at Winifred Baptist Church May 19.

The Leonards’ oldest son, Josh, who had been ill, fell and broke a hip and his father had gone to Brazil to see him while Bev and the other children, Jerrod, Jonna and Jeanne, were in Iowa.

July 7, 2005