SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS
Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 318-339-8628
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011558233222075 – E-mail:
JanAlvear@AOL.com
Dear Faithful Homeland Supporters: March, 2008
Greetings in the Most Wonderful Name of Jesus!!
Our southern convention in Campinas at Bro. Raul Jr’s church was beyond words…it has been a long time since I have seen anything like it. People came from so many areas representing so many churches and works. There was such unity. Many received the Holy Ghost and several were baptized in that precious name. A new missionary couple was sent out from our midst into a far southern state in Brazil. Our convention lasted four days and five nights …those of you who have been here to a convention know how long the services last! Convention ended on Wednesday night and we had a full day Thursday visiting people and that night we went to the dedication service of the remodeled Jardin Eulina church where Pastor Jose and Sister Rosa pastor. I had no idea the building it was so beautiful!
The people came geared up to receive something from God. This year we did not have a visiting speaker at the request of some of our preachers. They chose Brother Alvear and I to speak to them. They said they wanted to glean from us and learn more in our twilight years of the harvest. We told them many experiences answered many questions …especially about missions. We were so delighted to see them so mature and ready to take the gospel to other places. They expressed so much love for us and let us know we have been their inspiration for over forty years. Many of these folks lived close to us at different times and watched us go without so that they could have. Our long years of willing sacrifice have created a great bond of love.
Friday one of our national missionaries, Pastor Hugo took Brother Alvear and I to visit several of the churches in the state of Minas. Our people up there were so happy to see us. It had been several years since we had seen some of them and some of the older folks wept so hard for they thought the next time they would see us would be in heaven! Going to Minas Gerias we stopped off for a service in the city of Ribeirao Preto with Pastor Goncallo and Sister Maria…some of our oldest warriors that have stood by us many years. We were in a tremendous service with them and their people. Their son is also one of our pastors and helps them along with a group of other good brothers. So many churches wanted us to visit them that we had to extend our visit another week!
They have several churches in that region but we only were able to visit one of them. We did spend the night at their humble abode and the next morning went on to our first visit in Minas Gerias. We went directly to Pastor Gaspar’s house, the general overseer of Minas Gerias. We were welcomed like kings. They had a meal for us. Then he said he wanted us to visit their new church in Sao Joao Batista do Gloria. We traveled about 30 miles on a little dirt road as the main road was closed off. We were so surprised to see all they had done in that city. We also had a little snack in the house of Evangelist Julio and his sweet wife. Then we returned just in time for service in Passsos and in that service Brother Alvear ordained fifteen new preachers.
We got up early Sunday morning and visited another new church that is pastored by a man with leprosy in a little village full of bandits and very rough people. However the church filled with people asking us for prayer. It is so amazing to see what great sacrifices these people make so that the gospel can reach others.
We arrived at our next stop right at church time. Pastor Osmair was so happy to see us with his group of workers and saints in the city of Guarenesia. God took over in such away that even though we were very tired we felt refreshed as we watched God do a work in the lives of many couples in that church. It was a service where God was calling the people into a deeper walk with him and both saints and sinners filled the altars…I saw several pray through to the Holy Ghost…After service a sweet little couple had cooked for us and we visited with them and the pastor for another two hours…
Since you received our last monthly letter we have traveled several more thousand miles. Many churches from the north to the south have been visited and we keep on going. We also promoted a special missions service this month here in Brazil. We are trying to raise money to send a worker to a distant area to baptize two souls that have contacted us asking for baptism. Brazil is exploding with revival in so many places. Hungry people are seeking salvation, the name of the Lord is being revealed - from young children to elderly people I see the Holy Ghost changing lives.
Many of you know by now that our granddaughter Sabrina was diagnosed with Stage 3 dengue fever, giving us quite a scare. Stage 4 is almost always fatal and even though we had another grandson in the hospital in south Brazil we felt like Arlei and Gilene needed us…Although there was no way we could afford to go, we borrowed the money and by faith rented a car to make this long exhausting trip [about three days drive]. Arlei and Gilene have done what no other missionary or national preacher I have ever met has done. They have gone into rough Indian territory with little support and by preaching night and day are raising up a people for eternity with Jesus. Sacrifice is a real word that describes what they are doing.
When we arrived, we found Sabrina very weak and that is normal for all that she has been through, but I wish you all could have seen their expression of relief when we walked into their church that night. We went out and bought some special foods and things to help strengthen her. They were told to be very alert each time she went to the bathroom to check for blood. The doctor told them it is very serious because this is a sign that stage 4 has set in. Our coming here encouraged them and we are believing the Lord for a complete healing.
Thank you for your interest in our family and if you would like to send a special offering to help Brother Arlei please earmark your offering for him. We are going to look into getting them a water filter to help purify their water and also to buy them some netting for their beds to protect them from the mosquitoes. They have water in their home only about 30% of the time and it is pumped in from the river untreated.
I do have something else to ask you to pray about
: An elderly pastor’s wife is very sick. I don’t even know how to begin telling you what a blessing she has been to the work of the Lord I baptized them years ago in a little jungle stream at night in the precious name of Jesus and all these years they have been faithful. She desperately needs God to move for her. I know many think Brazil has free medicine, free doctors...but in real life that is not so. In real life you wait in long lines and maybe you might get someone to help you if you do not die while waiting...I could tell you a lot about real life here but I would not want anyone to think I am running down the country I live in, for Brazilians are a gracious people that live under a very depressive system, especially in the north.
I can’t thank you enough for all that you do for the work of the Lord here in Brazil. With the current economic downturn, we recognize that your support may be an even greater sacrifice than it was just six months ago. Thank you for continuing to give to missions even when times are tough. God has been so good to provide for us through many unexpected and unusual sources as well. We are deeply grateful for the participation, directly or indirectly, of all those involved in the supporting the work here.
“Happy in the harvest.”
Rev Raul, Sis Janice and All the Alvear family
P.S. Please send you contributions to our home address at: PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA, 71343 and make your checks payable to: South American Foreign Missions. God bless each of you.
hammocks and mosquito nets sold at same store!
Hybrid Mode
