bahia trip

[Sister Alvear]

Post Office Box 797
Jonesville. 71343
La. USA


She seemed old the first time I saw her yet some 10 years or so had passed...well, if it isn’t the missionary she said reaching out to hug me...she just happened to be one of the thousands that over the years I had met in the backlands of Brazil. Her family had been devout catholic but today most of her grown children and grandchildren are believers
We heard you were coming and we baked you a cake.it was already dark she and her family had waited all day for the visit. She rushed to the kitchen and brought out her little cake and strong black coffer…she told me about this and that and how Jesus had changed her life…I so remembered those long years ago the countless gods and saints on her walls and table. Not a one was there any more…she no longer needed the assurance of a clay god for now she knew the living Lord…
She had ordered one bench to be made for her living room so when anyone came they could have a place to sit with her other four simple chairs…It is my church she told me…I turned my head so she would not see the tears flowing from my eyes…a church…4 chairs and a simple backless bench…
We had been making visits all day with Pastor Edimilson and Pastor Rose …they took us to a little church they are building by faith in the middle of one of the forgotten spots on earth we rode 40 miles in a heavy duty truck over deep ruts in that dry and thirsty desert…we were covered with red dust…no one seemed to mind we were having the time of our life.
We visited a couple that could not even believe that we would come to their house. They grow a type bean that produces in that hot backland so I went with some of the ladies and we picked some beans…I shelled some and showed them they could eat them raw…then showed the sisters from Maceio that was with us how to make a dish from cactus and then we found some wild lemons and made us lemonade…of course there was no refrigerator but it sure tasted good to us.
We sang songs and talked about the Lord and told then we had more places to visit…all day and up into the night we visited…
We finally got back to the little interior city of Cacule where we had our regional convention…our people had all slept on the concrete floor on paper thin mattresses for 4 nights and took showers in cold water, they would sleep a few hours and head on back to our state a long long ride…we stayed an extra day as the pastor and his wife wanted us to visit with them and give them some bible studies,
What a refreshing time it was for our people and for those we were visiting. I preached the Saturday night service and On Sunday morning I taught for 3 hours at their request. Brother Alvear taught Sunday afternoon and preached Sunday night. They sure kept us busy!
I can tell you we saw God move in an awesome way.
If God provides we want to help them get a roof for their little daughter work and we can only do that if you help us to help them. They are so poor yet have such great love for our Lord. They are a part of God’s earthly family. They are our earth brothers and sisters.
Thanks to all our AFF family we LOVE you all.