The trip up north went very well! God prepared the way and things fell into place throughout the trip.
It took us 48 hours to drive up the 1500 miles and 50 hours to drive back. I was one of the two drives and when I was not driving I was sleeping!
We took a team of 4 medical students and 4 dental students along with a Doctor and Dentist who were in charge of the students. Medical equipment, dental equipment, donations and lot's of filtered waterwere amongst our payload. A semi truck with 44000 pounds of donations went along also!!! This was a miracle since this amount of donations was gathered in 10 days!
When we arrived in the city of Barreiros, Pernanbuco State what we found was unbelievable. After three weeks the city was still in utter caos. Mud all over the streets along with pieces of furniture, clothings and trash. The smell of suage was all over the place and folks we not even cleaning the houses since the destruction was so big. Over 60% of the houses in the city were destroyed!
Folks are living in the schools that did not get flooded, in friends and relatives houses and even in the bus station. We arrived and were directed by the Civil Defense to set up camp at a Agricultural College that was serving as a base to Police, Fire Fighters and the Army. Part of the donations we took were handed over to the Army for them to distribute and the other half to a Social Workers Organization. There was no way to distribute donations ourselves since even the Army and Police were having a hard time doing so!
We were able to get the Brazilian Bible Societies Mini-Hospital Truck to come and serve as a headquarters for our work in the local bus station. Along with the dental and medical services we offered to the comunitee, all recieved Bibles and other evangelistic material from the BBS missionaries that were with us.
Over 500 people were served in the 4 days we had the medical truck set up. The population was very thankful and the Light of the Gospel shinned in a town filled with darkness and gloom.
We were also able to withness to Police, Firemen and Soldiers as we worked along side them. In Brazil the tend of the protestant Church is to totally seperate themselves from the communitee serves and goverment workers.
Thank you for your prayers! They are what made this trip possible, joined with the prayers of those who lost all in these floods! Together we made a difference!
"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Destroyed Bridge.
Destroyed Street.
Check out the water mark left by the flood on the antena!
Destroyed furniture on the second floor of a
house!
Filthy street three weeks after the flood.
Brazilian Bible Society Truck.
Inside the Truck.
Dental
triage.
Psycologist listens to folks.
Young father reads New Testament as
he waits for
his wife.
Grandmother walks away with donations.
6X6
Army truck used in the distribution of donations.
Family of 8 living in the Bus Station with the covers they recieved.
Two girls play in what is left of their school playground!
