my friend wrote this that is with us here in Brazil visiting... she wrote it as a letter to her friends I asked to put it here as I do not have time to write now...special services and my house is FULL of company for our special ladies services this weekend...love you folks.
Dearest Friends:
To put this trip in words and to really describe it all would be impossible for the people of America to comprehend. Just seeing the poverty of the backs lands is enough to bring tears, but the hunger for God and truth of his word is unreal.
Our first visit was in a village in the jungle area, where the pastor pastored two churches. When we arrived a young girl was pushing a cart with the sound system on it and the church was a few miles from where she was at. The next night was the same, in the rain people walked a long way to come and be in church service. These people have a hunger to build a bigger church, to win souls to God in there area. Without help how can they? The pastor works a job, but the money is not enough to feed his family, so how could they build a church?
The next place we went to was even more in the back lands, and the people there had less than the others. Here at this place, the poverty was bad, but the thing we encountered here was the Indians. This area is full off Indians and they are mad at the government for taking their land, pushing them further back into the jungle. The Indians blocked the main road so no one could pass the big trucks with food and supplies were all at a stand still. So the truck drivers got upset with the government and blocked the road so no one could go and come from the town we were staying in. We could not get pass the trucks to go the church land. They said no one was going pass, not even us the Missionaries. They said if they let us through they would have to let others go through and no one was going through. Some one told us of a road we could take, really not a road a dirt path. Most said a car could not make it, but you all know Janice Alvear. We started down that road, to be honest I was a little scared, the Indians was down this road. We drove for one hour and a half, at times we would have to get out and walk so the car would get through the dirt and over the hills. Looking from side to side for Indians, snakes, tigers and any thing else that lives in the Jungle. After driving all that distance, three fourths of the way, they blocked that road, and said they had gun men on the way to shoot any one who tried to get by. (We passed him on the way back). Do you think that stopped Sister Alvear, no way, back at the Hotel a new plan was but in motion, the next morning we would take a taxi to the trucks, get out and walk pass them get to the other side and catch a ride to the land. It was a scary feeling to get out of that taxi keep your head to the ground not look at any one in the face, and keep walking no matter what was said. We made it, paid a truck to take us to the village, then on to the land. Land out in the middle of what seem to me as the heart of the jungle. But there is the beginning of a church and a training ground for ministers in that area. The foundation already done and the walls going up. Several workers from the Maceio area came and did the work, they slept in the jungle ate in the jungle. They killed a large snake about two feet from the door of the little mud hut they were sleeping in. They also dug a well while they were there; they dug about sixty eight feet down. Note all this by hand. We walked down to the well about one mile. One mile no big deal, right you are taking about one mile straight down a rocky wooded forest looking area. Ever step you take you look for snakes, not just a snakes but cobra’s. Also tigers and black panthers, and let’s not forget the Indians. While we were their on the land, we had a little lunch we had carried along, a simple ham and cheese sandwich Brazil style. A young boy who had went along to watch the truck ate with us. He ate one sandwich, then he came he where Sister Alvear and I were and was just standing there looking at us. Sister Alvear asked him if he wanted another sandwich, he said he had never ate any thing like that before. She fixed him another sandwich and I watched as he begin to eat it like he was starving. That really touched my heart, when I think of all the food we eat, and all the food we waste. We went back to the little village, they had cooked for us. We were able to visit with them talked about the Lord, sing about Jesus. They had never heard about Jesus Name before. The people of this little village told us they were very scared of the Indians. They told us the Indians had went into a little village and killed every one in it. They had attacked a car pulled the people out and beat them and drug them behind their own car till death. They live in fear, they need to know Jesus. They want a church in their village. We met some people in the town Bro. Arlei will be moving to, they are of another religion but they are hungry for truth. They had us over for supper and they day we left they had us to come by their work place, they showed us around cooked for us. This is an area that wants the Gospel, ever area needs the Gospel, but what about people that are begging for the Gospel, wanting churches. Bro. Arlei has the burden to leave his home and family to go to a land that hungers for God. A land where people fear for their lives each day, and do not have the knowledge of Jesus or his word to comfort them.
Bro. Arlei has the ability to oversee several churches in the area, land is very affordable here. A church could be built for a small amount of money in this area. Please consider this, build a church in the Jungle, and give a heathen a chance to know the precious name of Jesus and the comfort just knowing him can bring to their hearts.
If you desire to help build little village churches in these pioneer settlements Brother Arlei can do so for 1500-5000 dollars depending on the settlement.
If you desire to help on the main jungle area church and training center that is already being built there is a great need. They need to build a little “shed” for the workers to stay in as the building is going up then latter the shed can be used for other purposes.
This is the season of my dreams come true for Brother and Sister Alvear. This is truly a harvest field. I know they are proud of their son that has followed them “into all the world.”
You may help this new endeavor by sending your offering earmarked for Jungle work.
The mailing address for donations is: PO Box 797, Jonesville, La. 71343.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20a
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15b
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
1 John 4:14
In Love with Missions:
Sister Deborah Burris
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