Oi (Hi),
We spent Sunday and Monday in the same village Sol Nascente. Pastor Willer, our trip pastor, has been assigned as the local Pastor in this Village for the next two years. His goal is to try to establish a Christian community of believers. He has been here less than a year.
Since it was Sunday, we attended Sunday school at Pastor Willer's church. The men, woman, teens and children all split up with the Brazilians and had Sunday school. It was a blessing to help build up the Christians there trying to minister to their fellow Villagers. The Village has over 70 families but only 3 families profess to be Christian. There is a Catholic church but it literally looked like it wasn't cared for. The villagers told us they rarely hold services. Someone from the church comes one time a year for a specific feast in May but other than that, there really aren't services.
We are told this village has been here over 20 years, and much of the trouble started when they sent workers from the city and other places to put in the power lines. They brought with them alot of the problems the village still experiences today.
It was apparent from the time we stepped off the boat that there are problems in this village. We were told later that alcohol, drugs, families breaking up,and young girls having children when they are children themselves plague this village. We witnessed public drunkeness in some adults and teenagers. The two days spent in this village was different than the past villages. The lack of the presence of Christians and the effects of Godlessness were tangible, you could feel the oppression and lack of positive Godly influence.
This village gets health services and financial aid from the Brazilian government. For a large village we did not have the attendance for medical services and dental as we have in the past two villages, proabably because they do have access to them outside of missionaries.
VBS was well attended as was the Woman's ministry. The Woman's ministry meeting offered a testimony and sharing of the gospel to 19 woman. Men's and teen ministries were held as well. The Men's meeting discussion was about accepting each other no matter what church or belief they had come from. The Christians had been persecuted because of their faith. As we found out the non Catholic Christians are outcasts and teased or verbally antagonized.
Pastor Willer joined us aboard our boat for dinner and sharing. He broke down as he heard us talk about the challenges we faced over the two days, taking on the immorality, drunkeness and disinterest from the villagers but still having victory in the end with some. He is struggling to build God's church in this dark place. We had a sweet time of prayer and encouragement for him this night.
However at the end of the day, doors were opened and hearts softened toward the Lord. We were able to encourage our brothers and sisters in Sol Nascente. We promised to pray for them as they try to minister to and change their village
The bright spot of this village visit was being able to encourage and build up the families and specifically one large family where the patriarch of the family, Fernando professed Christ over 18 years ago, his wife, his mother, their grown children and their children are all active and commited to building the Pastor's church.
We had a service outside the Presbyterian church (Pastor Willer's) that because of the persecution isn't called a church, it's actually called a "library". The setting was incredible, God's glorious nature, the sun setting, God's children worshiping him. Dogs and chickens wandered in and out as the service continued. We celebrated the Lord's supper together. A little taste of what heaven will be like. Amelia wondered if this was like the Garden of Eden may have been!
We are trusting God for our "second wind" as we are off to the next Village down river, Divino.
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