Carnaval Time in Brazil

It is Carnaval time here in Brazil. For three days the country goes nuts and sins as much as it can for Monday and Tuesday with Wednesday starting a day of repentance of sin (a catholic holiday). They have street celebrations and paradies featuring sexual themes. For the Christian community these days of sin are a problem.

The Christian community here in Brazil deals with this cultural event by running to the interior. They go to camps, visit family in the country or someother place away from these carnaval celebrations. This year Wayne headed for Per-Meri a Point of Light located 200 KM from Belem in the interior.

It was a quite time in the country walking country trails to homes of folks who had an interest in studying the Bible. I worked with our church planters to review the situation in Per-Meri and to see what could be done to boost the ministry there. It is such a suprise to walk in a small community where there are a mix of mud huts and brick houses. Electricity is still a new addition to this comminity yet even here people had televisions with satellite dishes all of which were featuring the Carnaval Celebrations in Rio and Sao Paulo, the big cities in Brazil.

So now even in the deep interior, the country, it is getting harder and harder to escape the Brazilian culture of sin. Which means that the church has to change and that is what we are all about walking the streets of Per-Meri changing this sinful nation one house & one life at a time.

Wayne Patton