The Fields are Ripe

One of the events that Brazil is best known for is Carnival. It takes place during a five day span that begins on a Friday and ends on Ash Wednesday. While it takes place in Rio de Janeiro, it is an event celebrated throughout most of Brazil. While it is known worldwide, it is an event that has lost much of its  original Christian meaning. Over the past few years, our brothers and

View of the stage during one of the services

sisters in northern Brazil have made an effort to reach out to the town of Itaituba during the time of Carnival. They call it “Desperta”, and it is a 10 day event that ends on Ash Wednesday. Daniel Pureza, one of the pastors there, describes it as, “10 days of preaching, evangelism, and serving.”

During Desperta 2016, the congregations hosted concerts, reached out to serve in their community, and had plenty of good preaching. On the first night alone, 45 people were saved! He said they were expecting a great harvest, and that it had already begun. Thoughout the event, Daniel sent us occasional messages on Facebook as well as some pictures. He also gave me a link to be able to stream the services via Youtube. I marvel at the wonders of modern technology!

At the end of the event, I was messaging back and forth with Daniel. He said that God moved through the town of Itaituba, and many lives were reached. By the end of the last night, 267 people had given their lives to Christ. The great harvest they had expected has indeed come to pass!

Service during Desperta 2016

Daniel made a request of me at the end of our conversation. He said, “Send our greetings to the congregation[s]…. And thanks for praying for Brasil, for the church in the North area, for the pastors.” I want to echo what he said. Thank you for praying for the churches and pastors in northern Brazil. And while you are praying for them, know that they are praying for you. We are all the family of God. While we may be separated by great distances, we are called to pray for, and support, one another.

If you are interested in partnering financially with our ministry in Brazil, click the family photo.