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Cleo’s Calling: How One Brazilian Translator Is Multiplying God’s Word Across the Globe

She began her professional life in a neonatal ICU supporting human lives from the moment of birth. Today, Cleonice is helping indigenous communities in the Amazon hear God’s Word in the languages they’ve spoken since birth. It’s a journey that spans decades, continents, and a growing conviction that heart-language Scripture isn’t a luxury; it’s a lifeline.

From Nursing Scrubs to the Nations

Cleonice – known warmly as Cleo – gave her life to Christ at 14, and the desire to share God’s Word was born at an early age. She taught Sunday school, led ministries with teenagers, and entered a theological seminary shortly after graduating from high school. However, his path to Bible Translation was not straightforward.

At 28, everything shifted. Cleo answered a missionary call through YWAM (known in Brazil as JOCUM) and joined the organization’s work among Brazil’s indigenous peoples. It was there, in the gap between the Scripture communities had and the Scripture they needed, that her calling crystallized. “I began to see the lack of Bible translation,” she reflects. A year working in Angola in 1997, followed by a return to that region more than a decade later to serve as a facilitator for an oral storytelling project, deepened her understanding of what it means for people to encounter God’s Word in their own tongue.

That understanding now drives everything she does.

Leading Where the Need Is Greatest

Currently, Cleo serves as the Regional Director of YWAM’s Old Porto Bible Translation Movement in the Brazilian Amazon.

This is one of the regions that concentrates some of the largest remaining needs for Bible Translation in the country, and YWAM has responded to this challenge strategically.

YWAM Porto Velho is directly involved in four projects supported by the Seed Company, reaching nine language communities:

  • The Açaí 2 Cluster brings together two peoples who have already completed the books of Ruth and Matthew.
  • The Babassu Cluster brings together three peoples who completed Ruth and are currently working on the translation of the Gospel of Luke.
  • The Pupunha Cluster brings together two peoples in its first Oral Bible Translation project. One of them has completed the book of Ruth, while the other, although he has not been able to complete Ruth, is currently translating the Gospel of John. Two of these communities appear on the Bible.com list among languages in critical need of Scripture. One of them has never had any portion of the Bible translated into her language.
  • The Jaminawa 2 written translation project, originally initiated by SIL-Bolivia and later taken over by YWAM, is being carefully aligned with the principles of the Common Framework under Cleo’s supervision and is expected to complete the New Testament soon.

For each of these communities, this work represents much more than a project: it represents an open door.

When people hear, for the first time, the book of Ruth told in their own mother tongue, something changes profoundly. The Word becomes theirs.

YWAM Porto Velho has also become recognized for its School of Oral Bible Translation – ETBO, which trains teams using strategies aimed especially at communities that learn, worship and transmit knowledge through stories and songs, much more than by reading written texts.

A Vision Without Borders

Cleo’s reach has been instrumental in Brazil, but what’s unique about her work is that she is also actively working beyond her country, and even her own continent! She is actively collaborating with directors in other parts of the world to launch and support new translation projects. 

Conversations are underway with partners in Southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea, two regions with significant populations of oral learners still waiting for heart-language Scripture. Cleo’s fluency in cross-cultural ministry, shaped by decades of mission work, training in intercultural anthropology, and hands-on experience facilitating projects across different communities, makes her a natural bridge between organizations and continents.

This international dimension is central to the vision Seed Company shares for her internship. The goal isn’t simply that Cleo grows as a leader in Porto Velho, but that she develops the tools and relationships to multiply leadership teams across other regions of Brazil and beyond – maximizing the training of Oral Translation facilitators and weaving together a network of organizations working toward the same end: that no people group remains without access to God’s Word.

Still Learning, Still Leading

Even as she leads, Cleo is growing. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Bible Translation through the University of the Nations, working through courses that span biblical theology, translation theory, oral hermeneutics, and cross-cultural communication. It’s the kind of formation she’s building not just for herself but to pass on.

Decades after she first walked through the doors of a theological seminary, Cleo is still doing what she has always done: pressing toward the places of deepest need, carrying the Word, and inviting others to do the same.

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Cleo is just one of the many Global Translation Leaders supported by the Seed Company family. By supporting a specific leader in this program, you can get to know their personal journey and the work they’re doing quarter by quarter. To learn more about the Global Translation Leader program and see other leaders who still need support, head on over to https://seed.bible/global-translation-leaders

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Michel Kenmogne

Council Member

Michel became the chair of Seed Company’s Global Advisory Council after his transition from his role as executive director of SIL International in 2025, where he served since 2016. Before his appointment, Michel served as director of Wycliffe Global Alliance for Francophone Africa, director of Wycliffe Cameroon, and as a visiting lecturer at three universities in Cameroon. For 10 years, he led the Francophone Initiative, a network of various Bible agencies dedicated to building vision for Bible translation in seminaries and theological institutions across Francophone Africa. Michel holds a bachelor’s degree in French studies; a diploma of advanced studies in African linguistics from the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon; and a doctorate in African linguistics from the University of Buea in Cameroon. He and his wife have five children and live in France.  

Kobus van Aswegen

Council Member

Kobus van Aswegen has served with The Word for the World since 1993, pioneering work in the Horn of Africa and Asia alongside his wife, Janet, and their four sons. With a passion for seeing every community receive God’s Word in their heart language, he is committed to empowering indigenous leaders and local churches in Bible translation. Now serving as International President, his vision is for The Word for the World to play a vital role globally, ensuring Scripture is accessible to all people groups.

Prosper Nongnide

Council Member

Prosper Nongnide is from the Republic of Benin in West Africa. He works with Wycliffe Benin as a translation consultant and executive director. He also serves part-time with Global Partnership as a strategic innovation consultant for Francophone Africa and a field coordinator for sign language translation in nine countries in West and Central Africa. In 2020, he and his team completed the translation of the New Testament in the Idaasha language—his mother tongue. Prosper holds a Master of Divinity degree in translation studies from Africa International University in Kenya. He is married to Cathérine and has three children.

Dr. Alex Philip

Council Member

Dr. Alexander Philip serves as the executive director of the New India Evangelistic Association (NIEA), a national ministry engaged in Bible training, translation, medical services, and childcare initiatives. With nearly 800 field staff across many regions of India and neighboring South Asian countries, NIEA impacts thousands of lives through the gospel. Dr. Alex, trained in internal and community medicine, lives in rural Bihar, one of India’s most underserved regions. His wife, Laly, leads a school serving over 850 children with quality, Christ-centered education and supports missionary families in Bihar. Their daughters, Joanna (21) and Christina (18), share in their parents’ passion for ministry. Dr. Alex also directs the Christian Medical Centre & Hospital in Bihar, advancing public health through improved patient care, nursing education, and community outreach.

Gallant Walter Floyd

Board Member

Walter Floyd grew up in Columbia, Maryland, before heading to Texas Christian University in 1987. There, he joined the Kappa Sigma fraternity and earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from the business school. It was also at TCU that Walter met his future wife, Kristi, whom he married in 1991. Walter began his career in commercial real estate brokerage in Fort Worth, Texas, that same year and continued until 2011, eventually becoming a partner at Transwestern. In 2011, he co-founded Morris-Floyd Capital, where he focused on retail real estate acquisitions and acquire nine assets across five states, totaling one million square feet. In 2015, Walter established Floyd Ventures LLC, where he currently owns and manages 1.3 million square feet of industrial real estate. His expertise lies in deal structures, negotiating and strategic planning. Outside of his business endeavors, Walter is a mentor at the Paradox Church in Fort Worth and loves spending time with Kristi and their two sons, Walker and Luke. He enjoys a variety of hobbies, including hunting, fishing, golfing, skiing, and flying.

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Johnstone Ndunde

Board Member

Johnstone became SIL Global’s Executive Director in May 2025. He brought into that role 20 years of experience in leadership, Bible translation, literacy, and language development across Africa, having served with SIL Global and before that Bible Translation and Literacy (BTL) in Kenya. His work has been rooted in advancing educational and spiritual opportunities within African language communities so individuals and communities can flourish. Johnstone holds a PhD in leadership and governance from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, a master’s degree in educational studies from Africa International University, and a bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics from the University of Nairobi. Fluent in English and Kiswahili, and a native speaker of Lunyole and a number of Luhya languages, he brings valuable cultural insight and linguistic skills to his work. Johnstone lives in Nairobi, Kenya, with his wife, Esther.

Matt Krol

Chief Field Operations Officer

Matt became Chief Field Operations Officer in August 2024 after serving as Vice President of Field Operations. He joined Seed Company in 2010 and most recently provided leadership to nearly 1,200 Bible translation projects across diverse cultural contexts. With over 31 years in full-time Christian ministry, Matt is known for fostering international team-focused environments and driving strategic initiatives that enhance operational efficiency. In addition to being fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, he has traveled to all 50 states and more than 100 countries. He also is a private pilot. Matt and his wife Aimee live in Hideaway, Texas. They have two children and two grandchildren.

Tom De Vries

Board Member

Tom is President and Chief Executive Officer of Citygate Network, North America’s oldest and largest gospel movement of rescue missions and life-transformation ministries. More than 320 organizations and ministries are connected to provide hope and healing to the lost and lonely through emergency shelter and housing, addiction recovery, and mental health support. Tom has been a church planter, multisite church lead pastor, and church multiplication movement leader. Before Citygate Network, Tom served as President and CEO of the Global Leadership Network, an international ministry producing training and equipping through the Global Leadership Summit. The Summit is an annual event experienced by over 300,000 people in 110 countries and translated into 56 languages. Additionally, Tom was General Secretary of the Reformed Church in America. He holds a bachelor of arts from Wheaton College, a master of divinity from Fuller Seminary, and a doctorate in ministry from Western Seminary. Tom has a track record of innovation, strategic planning, and leading high-performance teams for increasing ministry impact. Tom is married to Laura, and they have three adult children.

Steven Ganss

Board Member

A seasoned business executive, board member, and serial entrepreneur with both operational and financial expertise, Steven has held senior leadership roles from founder to managing partner to chief financial officer across multiple industries. Steven is Managing Partner and Co-founder of ReignRock Capital Partners, a growth- and operations-focused private equity firm. Previously, he co-founded Athas Health, an organization dedicated to helping people with chronic spine and migraine pain find meaningful relief. Steven was Chief Financial Officer for Athas Health from its founding until its sale in 2014. Steven also served as an investment banker for Frost Securities and Wasserstein Perella & Co. In addition, he worked for KPMG Peat Marwick’s corporate finance consulting unit. Steven earned his bachelor of business administration in finance from Baylor University. He is also a graduate of the Stagen Integral Leadership Program and the National Outdoor Leadership School. Steven and his wife have two children. They live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Nate Foreman

Board Member

Nate is a proven entrepreneur who founded Foreman Therapy Services (FTS) in 2011 as a very naive 27-year-old. Over the next nine years, FTS bootstrapped its way to become an industry-leading healthcare staffing company with more than 400 employees. FTS was sold to The Delta Companies (TDC), one of the largest healthcare staffing companies in the United States and a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Mitsui & Co., which is one of the world’s largest holding companies. FTS’ growth was achieved both organically and through acquisitions. Organic growth was attained by being mission-focused and culture-obsessed and building a strong leadership team. FTS also completed seven “bolt-on” acquisitions over the years to gain market share and expand nationally. Nate currently serves as President of Fore Advisory and lives in East Dallas with his wife Alyssa and their four kids and two dogs. He enjoys golf and spending time with his family.

Melissa Roberts

Board Member

Beyond the huge investment Melissa has made into her family as a full-time wife and mother, she has a passion for seeing an end to sexual exploitation in the country of Malawi. For the past 13 years, through prayer and finances, Melissa has served When the Saints, a nonprofit whose mission is to bring healing to both the oppressed and oppressors in Malawi. She joined the board of When the Saints in 2018, taking on responsibility for their fundraising events, elevating their social media, and hosting weekly prayer meetings. In November 2019, she also partnered with DonorSee as a founding investor after seeing how this charity platform was helping missions like When the Saints engage and retain new kingdom-minded donors from around the globe. Melissa and her husband live in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mark Farr

Chief Field Growth Officer

Prior to joining the Bible translation movement in 2008, Mark enjoyed a 20-year career as an information technology director at an investment banking firm, an oil company, and a state community college. After serving as regional center manager in Papua New Guinea, Mark joined Seed Company in 2012 as a field coordinator in South Asia. Then he led the Growth Partners team for four years before being named Chief Field Officer in 2020. His role changed to Chief Field Growth Officer in August 2024. Mark has a degree in business information systems from Indiana Wesleyan University. He and his wife Kim have been married for 34 years. They have four children and live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Maria Pisa

Board Member

Maria has worked as a financial advisor with Edward Jones since 1994. She became a limited partner in 1998 and continues to serve as a subordinated limited partner and financial advisor in her Agoura Hills, California, branch office. Maria has ranked among Forbes’ Best-in-State Wealth Advisors since 2023 and holds Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS) and Certified Kingdom Advisor designations. A Los Angeles native, Maria earned a business degree in marketing and organizational systems management from California State University Northridge. She and her husband of 26 years, Jay DiMaggio, are active members of Atmosphere Church in Westlake Village, California. They have an adult daughter.

Logan Brown

Board Chair

Logan is Co-founder and Managing Partner of Davenforth Investments, an investment partnership that he and business partner Bradley Roofner founded in 2014. In 2017, their partnership acquired an operating company that focused on providing a range of outdoor services to commercial customers in Central Texas. After Logan scaled the company for almost four years as its Co-owner and Managing Partner, it was acquired in late 2020. Logan graduated from the University of Texas with degrees in rhetoric and computer science. He, his wife, and their daughter live in Austin, Texas.

Lester Jackson III

Chief Information Technology Officer

Before joining the Bible translation movement in 2018, Lester had a 20-year career in the Marine Corps, where he served as an information technology chief and as a cybersecurity instructor for the Department of Defense. During his six years at Seed Company, Lester has held various roles, including Information Security Analyst, Director of IT, and Vice President of IT. He began serving in his current role in April 2024. Lester holds a master of science in information technology management. Lester and Kristen, New Orleans high school sweethearts, have been married for 22 years and live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They have two daughters.

John Chesnut

Board Member

John has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA since 2019. He is passionate about partnership, believing that collaborative unity within the body of Christ provides greater opportunities for the advancement of Bible translation. John served in the pastorate for 13 years in the United States before moving to the Philippines, where he served in various leadership roles with SIL Philippines and SIL International. In 2011, he and his wife returned to the United States, where John served as Chief Development and Partnerships Officer for Wycliffe USA. John earned his master of divinity and doctor of ministry from Denver Seminary. The Chesnuts have seven adult children through birth and adoption and an ever-growing quiverful of grandkids. They love the tapestry of nations God has woven together in their family. In his spare time, John enjoys the outdoors—whether hiking, teaching their grandkids how to fish, or taking an early morning walk.

Jim Vinton

Chief Translation Quality Officer

Jim served in Bible translation for more than three decades before being selected as Chief Translation Quality Officer in August 2024. He joined Seed Company in 2011 as a translation consultant and has also served as Director of Translation Consulting and Vice President of Bible Translation. Before Jim came to Seed Company, he and his late wife Virginia spent 12 years in Mozambique working on two translation projects with Seed Company partner SIL. Jim enjoys exercising, playing the bass, and taking road trips with his family. He lives in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and has two college-aged daughters.

Jeremy Moser

Chief Financial Officer

Jeremy joined Seed Company as Chief Financial Officer in August 2024. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) with a BA in accounting and finance and an MA in business organizational leadership from Vanguard University. Jeremy most recently served as Vice President of Finance and CFO at Vanguard from 2014 until coming to Seed Company. He previously was CFO at Mariners Church. Jeremy also serves on a number of boards and committees, most recently on an audit and finance committee within the Wycliffe Global Alliance. Jeremy and his wife Donna live in Costa Mesa, California. They have a son and a daughter.

Jamie Hanson

Chief Development Officer

Jamie became Chief Development Officer in June 2024. Before joining Seed Company, he served on staff with Young Life for 27 years, most recently as Vice President of International Development and Strategic Initiatives. While at Young Life, Jamie led the $402 million Forward campaign, led and established “The Table”—a major donor weekend gathering—and led the effort to begin raising local funding outside of the United States with staff and volunteers. Jamie holds a degree in entrepreneurship and business administration from the University of Oregon, where he played golf. Jamie and Jenny, his wife of 27 years, live in Dallas, Texas. They have four adult children. Jamie’s life passions are his family, golf, fly fishing, and walking alongside gospel patrons, witnessing incredible biblical generosity.

Emily Kithinji

Chief People Officer

As Chief People Officer, Emily oversees human resources and office functions. Emily, who has been with Seed Company for 13 years, assumed her current role in June 2024 after a short stint as Interim Chief People Officer. She had most recently served as Vice President of HR operations. She started her career with ExxonMobil in Kenya in various HR roles. She has over 20 years of experience in human resources, is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, is a SHRM-SCP holder, and holds a master’s degree in organizational management from Dallas Baptist University. Emily is passionate about human resources and desires to see people thriving with their God-given talent. She and her husband David have been married for 20 years, have one son, and live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Dustin Willis

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Dustin joined Seed Company in May 2024. His experience includes serving as an organizational executive as well as a coach, leader, and consultant with startups, networks, churches, and high-capacity nonprofits. With adeptness in galvanizing teams and an acute ability to drive strategy, Dustin is passionately focused on building teams that impact the world with the gospel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Clemson University and a master of arts in evangelism and church planting from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity. Dustin is author of Life in Community and co-author of Life on Mission and The Simplest Way to Change the World. Dustin and his wife Renie have been married for 20 years and live in upstate South Carolina, with their son and daughter.

Davis Powell

Chief Executive Officer and President

Davis became Chief Executive Officer in March 2024. He began working at Seed Company in 2015 and has served in a myriad of roles, including Associate Director of Executive Relations and the President’s Office Chief of Staff. In December 2020, Davis accepted the role of Chief Advancement Officer, which later became referred to as Chief eXperience Officer, to oversee Seed Company’s investor experience and global brand efforts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Clemson University with a minor in business administration, as well as a master of arts in Christian leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary. Davis and his wife Kate live in Dallas, Texas, with their three children.

Chris Ordway

Board Member

Chris is Executive Vice President of Global Leadership Network’s international division. He is a firm believer in the transformative power of great leadership. Chris has worked for three Fortune 500 firms and launched two non-profit initiatives in sustainable agriculture and energy, respectively. His experience working and living in many parts of the world—including the United States, Asia, Europe, and Africa—gives him a unique understanding of the complexities associated with operating in diverse environments. Most notably, Chris led Motorola’s Consumer Products Business Unit and grew its revenue from $5 million to over $100 million in three years. Then he relocated to London to manage operations throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India. Chris welcomed the opportunity to join the Global Leadership Network in his current capacity in 2021, apart from also serving on several boards. Chris and his wife have three daughters.

Amanda George

Board Secretary

Amanda brings over 20 years of experience as a real estate broker, where she focused on meeting her clients’ needs and overseeing daily operations at LP Properties, a family business in Missouri. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biology education from Bob Jones University and a master’s degree in secondary science education from Lincoln University, Amanda initially pursued a teaching career before transitioning into real estate. She recently founded Vita Medella, a company specializing in group health analysis and insurance. Amanda and her husband live in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with their two daughters.

Aimee Reynolds

Chief Data and Strategy Officer

Aimee possesses over two decades of business expertise as a leader and entrepreneur. Her experience includes managing her own Muay Thai Studio and fulfilling the role of Creative Director at Grace Brethren Church in southern Maryland. She strives to be a servant leader in all her roles, including as a wife and a mom of three boys. She loves Jesus, her family, and spending time on the water. Aimee holds a B.S. degree in molecular cell biology from California State University, San Marcos, a Project Management Professional (PMP) Training Certification, an Executive Leadership Certification from Cornell, and a Chief of Staff Certification from NOVA. She is also a certified Level 4 Muay Thai Instructor. Aimee has been with Seed Company for six years and currently serves as the Chief Data and Strategy Officer.

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