It would have to be a family’s worst nightmare. A beloved 4-year-old slips out of sight near his stilt home. Hours go by, panic spreads, and a parent’s worst fears turn rapidly into reality. The tiny form is recovered from the river only in confirmation of suspicions: he is the victim of a piranha attack. Days later, the boy’s young father sits listlessly at our kitchen table, unable to eat, the shock of the recent accident resonating within him. He is no longer suicidal, but he is still overwhelmed by remorse. What is a pastor to say in the face of such tragedy? Even the most eloquent of condolences does little to ease a bereaved father’s agony. So we offer the best we have: Jesus, the Anchor of life beyond the grave. We start to minister life. The father begins to smile. We talk of hope. He begins to open his heart. And by the looks of it, it won’t be long before he, becomes a child of the King. Out of a tragedy comes a victory, even though the death of a child is difficult to accept.

Life for families on the Xingu is not without its dangers. Many families live in precarious situations physically, Even so, there are many more that live in precarious situations spiritually, having never heard the Gospel. This is the region in which we live and work, and these are the families we hope to reach.

The Gils' Mission

Our personal mission is to carry the light of the Gospel and its life-changing power to the communities of the Amazon Basin in Brazil. We accomplish that by working through the Xingu Mission in evangelism, music, training, discipleship, home meetings and the edification of the local church. While that may sound like a big chunk, on a daily basis it's quite simple: loving on people, keeping the front door open and serving plenty of coffee. It's all about people. And we love it.

Since it’s been a while that we last communicated, you’ll find this letter a little longer. The first quarter of 2004 has been unquestionably the busiest time of our lives. First, let's take a look at the local work. Our church plant in Porto de Moz is doing well, with weekly services, prayer sessions, worship team and children's ministry all in gear. We have met our ministry goal in terms of church stability and growth, as well as our personal goal of establishing a healthy family and home. Now it's about time to move our nest!

Almerim Ho!

Almerim is our Macedonian call. The church plant in this tiny city on the Amazon River is in its infantile stage and needs our presence now more than ever. Having arranged to have one of the missionary families temporarily oversee our work here, we have set the goal moving to Almerim in July. We are jealous for your prayers during this transitional phase.

Heidi continues to work at the community hospital in nutritional surveillance, evaluation, clinical therapy, and meal service. This work has been a priceless tool for getting acquainted with the language, culture, and politics of Porto de Moz, as well as a valuable introduction to Brazilian socialized health. Working mornings, she sees about 300 patients a month. If the Lord wills, her work will be reinitiated in Almerim after a year or so of transition, such as to invest time in the family and church plant before starting up new nutrition projects through the hospital in Almerim.

Radio

We are encouraged about the possibility of establishing a radio antenna in Almerim for the sole use of Igreja da Vinha. (Read more about this in our previous newsletter.) This would be an excellent way to concentrate our evangelism efforts over a short period of time, since the radio could be used full time to broadcast music, messages, announcements, teaching series, etc. Our worker experienced in broadcasting will be moving to Almerim shortly and staying there with us as we establish the new church plant. For those who would like to invest in this project, checks may be sent to the giving address on the front page, designated for “Gils: Radio.”

Prayer List

1. Housing in Almerim, in a quiet area suitable for the kids and house ministry (home group, meetings, etc.), with a safe water supply and reliable electricity.
2. Health for the family. We have been fighting a few non-serious illnesses and fatigue.
3. A vehicle for the family, especially for use in Almerim. We have gotten by with a bicycle and a motorcycle for a few years, but with a family of four now, getting to church, preschool, grocery store, etc. is an increasing challenge.
4. Communication. Our telephone and email services have been unreliable due to outdated technology and frequent power outages. This makes keeping in touch with our team and supporters a challenge.

With new projects on the board, we have a few material needs.

1. Sunday School supplies (craft items, glue, coloring books, stickers, scissors, notebooks, crayons, etc.)
2. Childrens clothing (used is fine, all ages/all sizes)
3. First aid supplies (band aids, antiseptic, medical tape, gauze, analgesics, etc.)
4. Seasonings, soup mixes, sauce mixes, etc.

“Any and all donations are always welcome!”
Pack items securely in boxes and send to the Brazil address below.

Letters & Packages: Railson & Heidi Gil, Posta Restante, Correios Porto de Moz,
Rua da República, Centro, Porto de Moz, PA 68.330-000 Brazil
Financial Support: The Xingu Mission, PO Box 340785, Columbus, OH 43234-0785
(checks made payable to the Xingu Mission with a note for Gil-Brazil)
Phone: 55-93-3793-1259
Email (forwarding): harnold@orst.edu

Home Page
Past Newsletters