Stories from Brazil

Sunday was a rocky day for me. For no apparent reason my blood pressure was extremely low on the bus as we were going to church . I felt weak and spent the church service laying down in the church office. I felt bad all day. Let me add that I have never had blood pressure issues in my life. I slept very little Sunday night so I prayed essentially all night long.

I prayed that no health issues of any knid would take our focus off of what we came to Rio to do-to share the love of Christ.
I prayed that Satan would not be allowed any space3 in our week and that he would not be allowed to take away my joy. I felt that there was someone special I needed to witness to and I did not want to miss it.

The first paitent in the medical clinic was a 44 year old woman named Josefa carried in by her husband accompanied by her son. She had been wainting in line for hours and had almost passed out. She was also hyperventilating and physically distraught. Her blood pressure was 244/144. I spoke to her in a quiet voice telling her we were here because of the love of Jesus and we would take care of her and she did not need to be afraid.

We gave her a BP pill ahnd had her go lay down in a room across the hall for about an hour. When I rechecked her BP it had gone down some and she said that she felt better.

I asked her if she knew what it took to go to heaven and she answered doing good things for others and being good. I told her that I wanted to share with her about my friend Jesus. I then witnessed to her using the Evangecube.

I asked her if she was ready to accept the wonderful figt of salvation. She asked a lot of questions which I answered but then stated that she wanted to think about it. I told her that I had been praying for her since I first saw her this morning and then had my interpretor read to her my three favorite verses: John 3:16, John 16:33 and Romans 8:38-39. With tears in my eyes I told her I could not go thru life without Jesus and I wanted her to have Jesus in her life too. She then told me that she wanted to have Jesus. She and her husband Claudio and her son Claudio Jr. all prayed to receive Jesus. Tears streamed down both our cheeks - it was a glorious moment for me and an eternal moment for them.
-From Raja O'Brien

As I entered the room at th leprosy hospital there was a young lady staring at me from her bed. I walked over and began to talk with her. Ana had been in the hospital for 3 months and had been treated for over 5 years for leprosy. She has a very resistant illness. I took her hand and begin to ask her about her family. She looked at me and said that noone had been to visit her. Her family had abandoned her and the hospital administration was going to find a room for her on the grounds of the Leprosy Colony.

She said she had no one. As I leaned over her bed and held her scared hands I told her about the one who would never abandon her and loved her so very much and was preparing a home for her in a place where there would be no sicknes, pain or sorrow. Tears filled her eyes and dropped on her pillow. I asked her if she would like to meet the one who created her and loved her. She nodded her head and we prayed together..Now she has a family larger than she ever imagined!

How blessed we are to be a part what God is doing this week.

In His Blessed Service
Sharon Fairchild