We want to thank many of you for your prayers last night! Jeff, Craig and I joined the Caju church to march through the streets of Caju and proclaim Christ!
The local newspaper here in Rio had put out an article of which I blogged on February 23, stating that Caju would be pacified last Sunday morning. The date came and went without the military police entering Caju and with no pacification.
It seems that it was only a military tactic to get the drug lords moving out. From what we have now learned, Caju will be pacified THIS Sunday morning.....we shall see!
Last night, as the church body congregated at a key area in Caju and sang praise songs to our Lord, we could still see drugs being sold close behind us in the shadows under an overpass of the city.
Pastor Fabio and Lia shared how the two of them had prayer-walked the streets of Caju and now the church has grown to around 600 with a church plant of about 100 and 10 life groups scattered throughout Rio. As they held their almost 2-year old daughter, they told of how God is raising up a new generation here in this place...a new peaceful generation of God's soldiers!
While the residents of Caju are hopeful for the peace that comes with removing the guns, the sale of drugs will probably, unfortunately, still continue.....
As we left Caju last night around 12:30 a.m., there at the entrance to this community, sat several army tanks, ready for the upcoming battle....
Standing firm alongside our brothers-in-Christ in Caju,
Diane and Jeff
2 Chronicals 20:15....."this is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s."
This military vehicle looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Very intimidating. I pray that the Rio and Brazilian governments can find long-term solutions to their crime,drug, poverty and violence. I pray that this includes the Christ-directed churches of Brazil. Jesus is the ultimate peace maker.
ReplyDelete