Apostolic Friends Forum - From the Alvear's

Before leaving for the jungle wanted to post to you all...

Taking the light of the Gospel to those lost in darkness."
(John 8:12)
They went with my son Arlei to the backlands. Never before had they been so far interior. Everything was so different than the costal city of Maceio where they were born and raised. They decided to put their little thin mattress on the dirt floor of the tiny mud thatch roof house were they were staying instead of hanging up hammocks. Since they were not a part of Brazil’s many that sleep in hammocks they thought they would rest better.
During the night Brother Carlos said to Brother Gilvan your cell phone is making a funny noise. Brother Gilvan informed him he did not have a cell phone. Since the kerosene lamp had long been turned off they just shut their eyes and laid still. As soon as it got daybreak all were up and all of a sudden the pastor’s wife cried out, “rattlesnake.” They got it killed looking at each other knowing the “strange cell phone” had been the rattle snake! Before the trip was over and on further into the backlands they killed 8 snakes!

Service at headquarters church Sunday was awesome to begin with and when the team told about the snakes it made it more awesome knowing that a great big angle had protected them for 8 snakes that they knew about and no telling how many others just “passing” by…

The quest to bring God’s earthly family back home involves much sacrifice on everybody’s part. Going into all the world…Saturday and Sunday our son Michael led a team to a state below us for two full days of passing out tracts, making visits and holding services. It was not easy on the flesh as no one had much money not even for snacks. They would stay men in a basement that they told me had bats flying around sleeping on paper thin mattresses.

Tomorrow night late a group of us are heading to the jungle. It is very hard on the flesh at any age but much harder for Brother Alvear and myself who are not in good health but the call weighs on our hearts. We will be gone for around 8-9 days. We will travel all night tomorrow night and all the next day before we have planned a stop to rest one night. Our “rest” will be in primitive conditions. And then we will travel on to our first service. Is it easy? No, my friend it is seldom easy. Neither was it easy for our Example that came from glory.

IN fact the other day I was so worried about bills I found myself trembling. The needs are overwhelming. Each trip is by faith. THE ETERNAL destiny of a SOUL depends on our FAITH to trust GOD to speak to our homeland supporters to help with gasoline, buying Bibles, etc. Our FAITH cannot waver we must be like a flint.
Since we belong to no organization, have no political motives to build a work and work with the nationals in mind it is never easy BUT the motive is right. It is the type of church that WILL stand the tests of time.

For me being called by God to see with my own eyes, and feel with my own soul, the unutterable need of the millions of mankind that is yet in satanic darkness is sometimes overwhelming. I can but thank God from the depths of my heart for everyone that takes to the lost the Word of Life
The harvest is not measured by the grain in the barn, but rather by the wheat still standing in the field. It is easy to judge and criticize those in the arena but the dividing line is what a person is made of. Will you go into the entire world? Will you step out by faith and get the Lord’s work done?
It is easy to say if the Lord will give me this or that I will do it. I have found out those people don’t do it no matter what the Lord gives them. They are selfish plastic people. They melt easy under pressure. BUT my friend God has some soldiers that can do without, be lied on, talked about and it doesn’t stop them at all. They get the work done.

That is the kind of soldiers we are trying to raise up here in Brazil. For a good while everyday I have had class with our grown children at their request. Now a few of the members are coming to these classes. What started off with my kids wanting to know has spread and I see it will spread more…

I cannot do all the things I once did but I can give advice to those that care to listen to make their journey easier.

I rejoiced to hear the people tell about their recent missionary experiences. Tomorrow even though we will be gone a group from my Sunday School will be going to evangelize in a new village. Please keep us all in your prayers.

Thank you for your part in our exciting lives!

The Alvear’s