March-April
2005
Railson & Heidi Gil
Church Planting in Brazil
The Xingu Mission • Vineyard Brazil
Prayer Corner...
1. Expansion of men’s and women’s discipleship groups
2. Development of the church’s worship team
3. Workers and materials for children’s Sunday School
4. Financial coverage
5. More conversions and baptisms
6. An entrance for Heidi’s work in the health field
7. Expansion of home fellowship groups
The
Latest
In February, international attention was drawn to an incident which caused several of our supporters concern for our safety. A woman was murdered in a town not too far from where we live. Cases like hers unfortunately are not uncommon amidst the intense climate created by heated debates over environmental protection in the Amazon. Those who stand in opposition to others who are richer, more politically powerful or simply more highly armed, are often ‘taken out’. What was poignant about February’s case, however, was the fact that the woman who was killed was American and was a ‘missionary’ for the catholic church. These two facts provided plenty of fuel for international media debate over the supposed ‘atrocities’ happening in the Amazon basin and the need for law enforcement in remote areas, but obscured the fact that the woman was an activist who employed methods incompatible with the law. Although we are glad that this particular incident resulted in justice (at least in the sense that the assassins were captured) we lament that the same level of concern is rarely exercised when the victim is a lower-class Brazilian, as has happened hundreds of times in recent years. We also regret that the incident has tainted Brazil’s reputation for cordiality and peacefulness and has fueled ignorance with respect to the promotion of environmental protection projects on the part of NGOs.
That
said, we’re just fine! In the midst of the Amazon’s environ mental crisis,
one thing we’re sure will help is to expand the Kingdom of the Prince of
Peace. So, we stick to our work! And for anyone who is concerned with our
safety, rest assured that we are in no danger. Here, we have included some
photos of our children’s work, ministry time after service, and members at a
church meeting.
Where
we live...
Almeirim is located in the state of Pará in northern Brazil, the region known as Amazonia. Only a few degrees south of the equator, Almeirim boasts a humid tropical climate year-round, although the “summer” months, from June to December, are a little dryer. If we’re lucky, temperatures get all the way down to around 70 at night! This photo was taken from our favorite prayer hang-out: a bluff which overlooks the city. City? Yes, there really is a city down there, although the local flora ignores that fact! The population of Almeirim, about 30,000, is concentrated in two poles: Almeirim City on the bank of the Amazon River (photo) and Monte Dourado, an industrial district founded by an American firm some 60 years ago. Our church is located in “downtown” Almeirim City.