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Dear Homeland friends:

What a wonderful journey so far. Brother Alvear has ordained 8 more ministers to help in the state of Maranhao. Several new people have repented and others have been so blessed. We have preached, gave Bible studies, made visits and Brother Alvear gave out Bibles and songbooks and many other things.

One of the things Sister Kathryn found interesting was a little shrine filled with gods and candles and prayer requests. Burning candles to lifeless gods…oh…how my heart aches for those who are born into paganism.
Close constant contact with paganism is an unspeakable distress to those who love God. The obscene images, lurking in the dim temples, the foul rites, the gross superstitions, the sacrifices offered to demons or animals, are horrendous to say the least. A world in which evil spirits and degraded powers often seem to be in control is the challenge of the born again believer.

Sunday we were invited to eat in a little humble abode of some new Christians that go to our son’s church. The village is an Indian village but they are not Indians. I cannot skillfully tell you how fifthly the village is and how uncivilized. However the people are so sweet and were thrilled beyond words for us to be there. The water is rainwater caught from their roof in a little dugout place in the ground. It looked more mud than water and the food was cooked in that water…they killed a baby pig for us feast on…picked some kind of grass and cooked it along with rice and other “things.” Another lady killed her chicken and brought it also for the feast.

I loathe cockroaches. I don’t love rats, but on the scale of grossness roaches rule for me over snakes, over rats, over any other bug or creature. Our purpose for being there was greater than my hate for roaches and filth.


It was our Lord that said 21 century’s ago, ~You shall be witnesses to Me.... at the uttermost parts of the earth.” And that command often seems to transcend the limits of our human powers but with the command comes power and assurance He is always present helping and blessing our endeavors. Yes there are sacrifices to be made and hazards of the enterprise are always present.

One day however we will see a host of blood washed saints from all over Brazil and we will then rejoice that our life was not lived in vain.



Travelers for the name of Christ
Brother and Sister Alvear and family

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Sis. Alvear, I always appreciate your updates from Brazil. I truly admire you and the work that you are doing in the nation of Brazil. I am praying for you and that nation. May Jesus strengthen, protect, and guide you. I look forward to meeting you one day. Be that here or when the roll is called up yonder, I will meet you.

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Go to livemocha dot com. Learn Portuguese. Join her. While you're young. Or life will pass you by. You will have regrets. Do it. Do it now.

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God bless you my friend, but I am American born and bred. I will admit that there are some aspects of missionary life that I would enjoy, however it would require me to do much fasting (not a bad thing all told for my weight), but I am not a fan of maggots, inscets, and arachnids in destered areas, especially for dinner to be inclined toward missionary endeavors. I will happily stay and pray, and if God should ever call me to go, then I will go with joy and take along several sets of clothes in ever diminishing sizes.:highfive

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Well...missionary life is for the called....especially the kind of life we live..however a visit is good for anyone...keep us in your prayers as we travel the roads...thanks

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Sis. Alvear, that is something that I can and will be doing for you and all other missionaries that I can think acquire. And you never know what God might have me do one day.

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So true...today we left people begging us for a church...OH how my heart aches for them...

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That reminds me of a story where a missionary was handing out Bibles, but do to his limited amount, he had more people than Bibles. He had a heart-wrenching picture of a lady sitting in tears because there were no more for her to have one. He said that he does not know who, but someone walked up and gave her a Bible. That just crushed my heart because we in America have so many.

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yes, America is blessed often the people don't know it....