We are in Santarem, Brazil on the Amazon River. This community of 250,000 is about halfway between the mouth and end of the longest river in the world, surrounded by jungles. The cell church here has at present 50,000 in cell groups and conducts dozens of worship services back to back all day Sunday in several locations. We were invited to attend the 5 p.m. service. Arriving at 4:30, we slipped into a packed auditorium of 1,500 and watched with amazement as a total changeover took place at the end of the service, with another 1,500 packing in during a 14 minute break! At the end of the 5 p.m. service, about 350 members returned from their Encounter Retreat at their center a few miles out of town and packed into the area in front of the stage, singing and dancing as they shared reports of deliverances and spiritual victories experienced there. Upon leaving the auditorium we found the next worship service was so overpacked that projector screens and chairs seating hundreds were in the back field and the street in front of the building. They have over 100 pastors planting new cell churches in the villages up and down the Amazon, living on house boats with their families.
I was invited here to bless the church and delegates from all over South America for their annual conference, but will receive tenfold what I will give out! I will post pictures later for you to share in this awesome experience.
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Following avidly. Can only wish we were back there. Have fun - enjoy the people and be blessed beyond measure.
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