Fields of EMAF
19/05/2011 . 25 years of its organization
In 2011 EMAF celebrates 25 years of its organization that occurred on 19th April, 1986.
We have enjoyed the
direction and help of God during all this time, while we follow the vision
to Take the whole Gospel of Christ to the fishermen and riverside
communities of Brazil.
Our work has been
strategically planned to reach its final purpose: To make the glory of God known through the
preaching of the Gospel, and to manifest His love through acts of justice and
social projects, in order to see it proclaimed to the isolated people on the
coast and rivers of Brazil.
To commemorate EMAF's
Silver Jubilee, in the next reports we will recall a little of its history and
what motivated us to embark on the projects we have developed up to the present
date.
Praise the
Lord with us...
1986 – The evangelization of the fishermen along the
Brazilian coast began on the islands in the extreme south of São Paulo and
Paraná. Our team was small, started out with two couples with a big desire to
proclaim the Gospel to the communities in that region. They were primitive
villages, without piped water or electricity, totally lacking in knowledge of
the world outside and of the grace that saves.These beloved people suffered
hunger during winter when the fish “disappeared” and they suffered from pain
and sicknesses that they didn't need to suffer. The poverty was profound and
the lack of learning was constant - darkness prevailed.
It was in this context that
the missionaries would sail for an average of 23 hours per week, living in
small boats and preaching the Gospel from village to village, often facing
rejection and persecution. As a result of this effort, five churches came forth
(Pedrinhas, Ariri, Vila Fátima, Puruquara and Ilha das Peças) and dozens of preaching
points. EMAF also began the projects of medical/dental assistance, seeking to
represent the love of Jesus through the suffering of the people. Godly
professionals were encouraged to take part in the famous "health
teams", treating the people, curing as many as possible, sharing their
testimonies of salvation and taking hope wherever they went..
While we sailed those 500
kms of channels between Iguape (SP) and Paranaguá (PR), we discovered more
villages, all very primitive. We found 62 comnunities without the Gospel in the
region, a number so big that we were forced to strategic organization that
pushed us on to new places. If in that small part of the Brazilian coast there
were so many isolated people, without the Gospel, how about the whole coast of Brazil?!
The answer to that question came with the development of the “North South Coast Project”, that we will describe next month.
To know EMAF's history is
important, but to be a supporter of it is very special! Thank you for choosing
the second part, joining us while history is being written, even without
knowing a lot of what already has happened. It is people like you that form the
new and beautiful curves to the story of grace in the midst of a people.
Congratulations!
Thank you for
sailing with us. May our Father in Heaven continue to cover your life with His
love.
