Dear Friends in the Homeland:
June is the month of one pagan Festival after another…St. John's Day, St. Anthony's Day and ends with St. Peter's Day. Rural life is celebrated through typical clothing, food, and dance (particularly square dancing, or quadrilha). The quadrilha features couple formations around a mock wedding whose bride and groom are the central attraction of the dancing. A kind of maypole (called "pau-de-sebo") is also raised and used in some festivities. Needless to say most of these pagan feasts become drunken brawls and firework blasts often mix with gunshots.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound (
Isaiah 61:1).
Praise the Lord for many results in Brazil even this month full of pagan holidays and worship mentioned above. We were able to fly to south Brazil for our minister’s conference in that area. We had not planned to fly down there this year as things have been very tight but our schedules are not often synchronized with the Lord’s schedule and so we just gladly follow His when He makes the changes on ours! Brother Raul Jr sent us tickets and had us on schedule to teach in the seminar! We ended up staying almost 2 weeks!
We were blessed to attend the anniversary services of the Carlos Lourenco church. They just remodeled the church and it looks so nice.
And our personal greatest blessing in south Brazil was to be present to see our grand daughter Julie baptized!
We praise the Lord that He is trustworthy and omniscient, and we don’t have to depend upon our own weak, finite understanding. God’s ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best, no matter how, or when, or where they may lead. We are so glad now we got to go to the South…just to see Julia get baptized was such a blessing to us.
Something awesome also was that Brother Alvear ordained 20 ministers and baptized several new souls on that trip.
There is always a challenge awaiting so we march on to conquer.
While we were in the south our Tabulerio church had a special ladies services for 2 days. Our people said it was awesome and the church was packed out.
Slowly the work in the villages and jungle areas of Maranhao is growing. The most important thing you can do is pray. Prayer is vital! The doors may not be open for long. We must press on with urgency. The Gospel must reach those backlands before it is too late! Just imagine it were you in the middle of the jungle, with no Bible, no witness, and no salvation. This constantly reminds me to thank the Lord for allowing me to hear the Gospel. I would like to thank those that do give toward Bibles and study books for the people.
It is our desire to reach all Brazil, by starting many more indigenous churches that have a true vision for evangelism. This is very demanding in a country with great poverty and a very small number of true churches however we are seeing progress.
Living by faith is always an adventure! Thankfully, the Lord has promised the gates of Hell will not prevail against His Church. God is truly working toward something great. We can see it! We are grateful to Him who has entrusted us with a portion of His eternal plan in the lives of the people here.
Thankful to be in Brazil
Bishop Raul and Sister Janice Alvear
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