Apostolic Friends Forum - What is Brazil Like?

Sao Paulo or Rio. Naked Savages or the Amazon…It is between these antagonistic extremes, the real Brazil lies…” Gilberto Freyre
Brazil is often called the land of paradox, a complex and fascinating land. The largest country in south America varied and diverse in geography climate, population and culture…Brazil is the home of the Amazon jungle where natives sill practice stone age tradition, Brazil boasts of lofty mountain peaks and the arid deserts of the northeast. Brazil has modern universities and builds airplanes and sends satellites into space!
The flora and fauna of Brazil are as diverse as its geography. Brazil has the highest number of species of primates, amphibians and plants in the world, and is in the top five in the world for number of birds and reptile species.
Portuguese is the official language of Brazil. English, French and Spanish are also spoken. Brazil is unusual in being South America's only non-Spanish speaking country, a legacy of the Portuguese colonial past.
The population of Brazil was 190,010,647 in 2007.
In 1960, 90% of Brazilians gave Roman Catholicism as their religion. By the early 1990s this had dropped to just over 70% with only an estimated 10 million attending Mass regularly, although Brazil is the world's largest Roman Catholic country. Operation World reports that there are over 14,000 Spiritist centers throughout the country. Spiritist worship takes two forms according to Danny Rollins, “One is lower Spiritism that came over with the African slaves involving black magic with what we consider voodoo, casting of spells and witchcraft,” he explains. “The other, which is popular among the upper class folks, has a new age kind of emphasis involving reincarnation, dealing with spirits and talking with the dead.”
Today Brazil is justifiably famous Carnival in Rio; the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema; its many champion soccer teams.
Some said, “Brazil is like heaven and hell all in one…” Brazil is the land of our calling and our home for over 40 years…God has blessed us, the Alvear family and our many helpers through our hoomeland friends and today churches are located all over Brazil due to the dedication to missions. Not only our family but other families that work with us form a large army of men and women marching throughout this immense country proclaiming the saving message of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for being a part of Missions on the March...

Sister Alvear