An Overview of Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro is located on the southeastern part of Brazil. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and by 3 other states of the Federation. It is the second largest city in Brazil and the 22nd largest in the world. The population of Rio de Janeiro is approximately 10,556,000. Rio is the most visited city in the southern hemisphere and is known for its breathtaking landmarks, amazing landscapes, and for the unique spirit of its people.

Rio de Janeiro is a city of contrasts, and though much of the city clearly ranks alongside the world’s most modern metropolises, a significant percentage of the city’s inhabitants do still live in areas of poorer quality housing. The worst of these poorer areas are the slums and shanty towns known as favelas, often crowded onto the hillsides where sturdy buildings are difficult to build, and accidents, mainly from heavy rainfall, are frequent. The favelas are troubled by widespread drug related crime and gang warfare and other poverty-related social issues (source).

Religion in Brazil

Brazil has the largest number of Catholics in the world. Roman Catholicism has been Brazil’s main religion since the beginning of the 16th century. It was introduced among the Native Brazilians by Jesuits missionaries and also observed by all the Portuguese first settlers. Brazil’s population is considered to be 90% Christian, with 73% of that population being Roman Catholic, and 15.4% Protestant (source).

There are small populations of people professing Judaism (186,000), Islam (150,000), Buddhism (215,000), Shintoism, Rastafarianism, and a few other religions. They comprise 20th century immigrants from East Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, or those of recent immigrant descent. Seven percent of the population consider themselves agnostics or atheists.

One of the most unusual features of the rich Brazilian spiritual landscape are the sects which use ayahuasca (an Amazonian entheogenic tea), including Santo Daime, União do Vegetal, and Centro de Cultura Cósmica. This syncretism, coupled with ideas prevalent during the military dicatorship, has resulted in a church for the secular, based on philosopher Auguste Comte’s principles of positivism, based at the Positivist Church of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro (source).

Would you pray that God would send more laborers to this city and country to lift His name high?

Check out bcwe.org!

Last night we enjoyed our second annual men’s conference at Vision Baptist! This year the theme was “Risking it All!” God blessed with great attendance as you will see in the pictures. The team did an excellent job. I cannot thank Pastor Trent Cornwell and Pastor Robert Canfield enough for all the planning and work that went into this conference!

I was actually in Burkina Faso when all the details had to be taken care of for the conference. As always they did a splendid job. I want to publicly thank them and all that worked with them to make it such an exciting night!

There was steak, potato, salad, and cheese cake! It was delicious and I think everyone throughly enjoyed themselves. There were also some games to play, corn hole, ping pong, and a tremendous game show host that gave away fabulous prizes.

We were blessed to have Pastor Tony Howeth and the men from Newton Baptist Church in Covington! Brother Tony preached and excellent message, as always. We were privileged to meet some wonderful new brothers in Christ!

Pastor Chris Grinstead and some men from Greater Heights Baptist were also with us. It was a tremendous blessing and privilege to have Brother Grinstead there. I love it when different churches can get together, love each other, and serve our great God together!

Two accepted Christ as their Saviour last night! That made the night all that much more special. Satan may fight what you try to do for Jesus but Jesus will always win!

Several of our men worked hard to bring their friends from work and the community and I think that was the second best blessing of the night. The best of course was seeing two get saved!

We were honored to have the Pilgrims sing for us. They came out of love for us and the work. They did a great job and we over worked them. Chuck Littlefield offered their services and the men seemed to really enjoy having them with us.

I love being in a room full of committed on fire men. I love having the chance to make a difference by preaching the Word of God.

 

The men all got down to pray and ask God to help us do more of what God would have us do in our churches. God does have big plans for us and it is time for us to wake up and do what we know to do!

We are already planning next year’s conference so go ahead and  mark your calendar for January 25, 2013. We will go from 7 pm until midnight. We will try to do an even better job next year so put it down, plan to be here and invite all you know!

Chris Fies did a wonderful job preaching to the pastors and also to the different ministries where he spoke. I am very proud of him and the work that God has called him to do!

 

PPPastor Derik Lawrence, missionary Keith Shumaker and I had the privilege of having our picture made with two of the pastors and their wives. God is truly doing a great work there!

I got you updated through Monday and then things got out of hand. This will be a post to let you know what happened.

God was very good to us. We taught on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 until 1 pm. We ate lunch each day with the pastors there at the church. God sent a great number of pastors. Two other missionaries also came to some of the meetings and were a blessing to meet.

Pastor Derik Lawrence did a great job every time it was his time to teach or preach. He was a blessing to the people of Burkina Faso. I pray that he will return and preach there again. Missionary Chris Fies was a great blessing and having an eye opening trip.

We saw the villages. We saw the city life. He dealt with working in another language and preaching through a translator. I believe that God is going to use Chris and the Voice in the Villages ministry.

Keith and Rebecca Shumaker are two of the most wonderful people that I know. Their love for God and the people of Burkina Faso is constantly obvious. I am honored to serve God with wonderful servants like them.

I want to thank them for all they did to host us. I want to thank Mrs. Rebecca for the way she dealt with 4 visitors in her home, met all of our needs, prepared so many meals, and put up with so many intrusions into an already hectic life. I think the Shumakers are great heroes.

On Wednesday after we preached we ran home and quickly changed into our travel clothes. Then we ran to the airport to board a plane from Ouagadougou to Paris, France. Then from Paris to Atlanta.

We arrived back home and were picked up by our good friend and coworker John Pearson. We came back just in time to go to the Thursday evening services at Vision. It was wonderful to be home. It was wonderful to be with God’s people at home again.

I want to thank all of you that prayed for us as we traveled. I want to thank such a wonderful church team that can handle everything in my absence to the same or a better level than when I am at home.

Vision is a wonderful church and we are blessed to serve with you!