Old Film, Same Message

A missionary colleague recently uploaded some old films made about the work in Brazil by Baptist Mid-Missions many years ago in the 1950's. Yesterday I was able to watch the first of the series.  All I can say is "Wow!  Things haven't changed much in Brazil.  And things haven't changed too much with the work of missions in Brazil either!"

There are still donkey carts in the street.  They have better wheels nowadays!
There are still people who live in grass huts and high apartment buildings, too.
Bicycles are still many people's only means of transportation, if they are that lucky!
Many roads in the interior towns are still paved with cobblestones, if they are paved at all.
And yes, chickens are everywhere, even in big cities.
Brazil still needs missionaries!

That's right, Brazil is not evangelized and in no need of foreign missionaries today.  It still needs workers to spread the Good News of the Gospel and the Risen Saviour!  Sadly that part of the film's message has changed dramatically.  Missionaries are not coming to Brazil as they did years ago.

Interesting enough that education for missionary children is a luxury that has faded off the scene in many parts of Brazil.  The MK school mentioned in this first part of the series, no longer exists.  I taught there the first year that we were in Brazil in 1994.  Attempts were made over the years to keep it going, but its closure was mostly due to a lack of students.  A lack of missionary children is directly related to a lack of missionary parents!  Missionaries are not coming to Brazil, or any other place, as they were in the 1950's.

God is still in the business!  So where are the workers!  Perhaps they just aren't listening like they used to.  Will you heed to God's Word and Call?

How about reading some good missionary biographies?  I read all the missionary biographies in our church library when I was a teenager.  Well, I read just about all the books in the church library to be totally honest.  They started buying more, so I would have more to read.  The story of Mary Slessor is just about my favorite.  Encouraging our children and young people to read about missionaries of the past is a good way to encourage them to become the missionaries of today!

It is my hope and prayer that all three of my boys will make the decision to be full-time missionaries in Brazil when their time comes!

"What would I do with starry crowns except to cast them at His feet?"  
                                                                                                      Mary Slessor