Back from Brazil!!
By Carmen
Lehman
I've good news!!!!
i'm read the bible......
i think about it very interesting,
because now i can see
the world with other eyes
and now i know
how is good praise God,
and my life changed, really!
I was so thrilled upon
our return from Brazil to find this email sitting in my inbox from Marcelly, my
fifteen-year-old Brazilian friend and new sister in Christ!
Of our two weeks spent in Brazil, from May 23-June 6, the first weekend
was spent at Palavra da Vida (literally “Word of Life” in Portuguese) Bible
Institute, where our team hosted a two-day English camp for the local
Brazilians. The campers ranged in age from thirteen to forty and came from all
kinds of professions. The theme of the camp was “American Culture.” The
campers were forced to speak English as they were immersed in the language for
two days, participated in cultural group sessions, and even got to experience an
authentic American “Coffeehouse” on Saturday night, complete with
frappuccinos, iced coffees, milkshakes, and live music performances. We took
every opportunity we could to make it clear that we were Christians and to share
the gospel. Saturday night, my co-counselor and I shared the good news of Christ
and our testimonies with our room of campers before going to bed, and it was
that night that Marcelly became one of two individuals at the camp that weekend
to decide to ask Jesus to become her Lord and Savior. The other lady was Wilma,
a thirty-year-old lady who accepted Christ after hearing the gospel presented in
our Sunday morning service. “I’ve never even heard this before!” she told
one of my teammates.
Monday, we left our
friends at Palavra da Vida to begin our ministry with the river communities, or
the “Hibigiinies” as they call the river people. Palavra da Vida has a river
boat ministry, where Brazilian students from the Institute work as missionaries
inside these villages each weekend. They were our guides as we left our river
house each day and traveled by boat into the villages, occasionally camping in
the village for the night. In each village we were invited into the public
schools where we taught the students songs about Jesus and shared the gospel.
The medical teams would usually split up from this group and go house to house,
treating any ailment we could find. Common problems included colds, worms,
scabies, headaches, indigestion, and occasionally an infection. Thank you to
everyone who contributed medicine, toothbrushes, toothpaste, money, or supplies
of any kind. They were so greatly needed and appreciated!
On several occasions we
were invited into the local churches to share with them. Just prior to our
arrival, Palavra da Vida had bought land for a church in one of the villages.
Our team, along with several PdV students, had the privilege of hosting the
first church service ever held in that village!
All in all, the trip was an incredible success. We saw needs being met, not only
spiritually but also physically. I think each of us came back with stories of
how God had faithfully worked in our own lives as well. Thank you to each person
who contributed in making this trip possible.
We are still praising God for Marcelly’s and Wilma’s decisions of faith! Please continue to pray for them as they begin this new adventure with Christ, as well as for Rafa, Marcelly’s friend who came so close to making the same decision. Please also pray for Palavra da Vida, as they continue to produce harvests of missionaries and believers in Brazil. And last but not least, thank You, Lord, for all the fruit You produced while we were there! We give you all the glory for it!
Carmen with Rafa & Marcelly