The Village of the walking dead. Does that sound like a neighborhood that you woud like to live in? What about if your subdivision was named Walking Dead Place? Or what if your street was named Walking Dead Blvd? I don't know about you but me and my family aren't even loooking at a house there! Well, that is the name of the village that we've been working in all week. It is in Curitiba, Brazil and is a village with the population of about 10,000. It is a very poor village. A village with poverty that is unlike anything I've ever seen in America. It's like the stuff you only read about or see on TV. There is no way to explain the filth, the smell, the hopelessness. There are dogs, diseased and dying, just laying all over the streets and in front of houses. This village is outside of the city and everyone who lives and works in the area has to drive by the village, which can be seen as you're travelling on the highway. The government gave this village the name "Villa Zoombi" which means "The Village of the Walking Dead." That's becuase they view these people as a people who are basically just breathing, a people with no hope who just happen to be alive and waiting to die.
About 3 years ago, a young Brazillian pastor and his wife felt the call to go and plant a church right in the middle of this village. Right in the middle of the crime, the drugs, the prostitution, the poverty... right in the middle of these people called "The Walking Dead." They started out with only a handfull of people in the back room of an old warehouse. Last year they broke ground on their new property. This past December they held their first service in their new building. which is still under construction. It isn't anything fancy, just a big 3 story block building. Services are being held on the 2nd floor right now and they have plans to put in a computer lab, vocational classrooms for the people in the village and a gym for the village children within the next few years. Just within the last year this church has had such a huge impact on this community. This church is a beacon of light in the middle of a very dark place. As the big steel gate is rolled back on Sunday Nights, Wednesday Nights and Friday nights, adults and children pour into this facility to hear the Gospel. To see their faces when they are singing or when they are listening to the Word is amazing. I think that if Jesus was here today and decided to start a church... there is a very strong chance that He would start one here (or some place like here). This is what our Christian walk should be all about, right? Jesus even said in Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the POOR; He has sent me to heal the BROKENHEARTED. To preach deliverance to the CAPTIVES and recovry of sight to the BLIND. To set at liberty those who are OPPRESSED; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
About 3 years ago, a young Brazillian pastor and his wife felt the call to go and plant a church right in the middle of this village. Right in the middle of the crime, the drugs, the prostitution, the poverty... right in the middle of these people called "The Walking Dead." They started out with only a handfull of people in the back room of an old warehouse. Last year they broke ground on their new property. This past December they held their first service in their new building. which is still under construction. It isn't anything fancy, just a big 3 story block building. Services are being held on the 2nd floor right now and they have plans to put in a computer lab, vocational classrooms for the people in the village and a gym for the village children within the next few years. Just within the last year this church has had such a huge impact on this community. This church is a beacon of light in the middle of a very dark place. As the big steel gate is rolled back on Sunday Nights, Wednesday Nights and Friday nights, adults and children pour into this facility to hear the Gospel. To see their faces when they are singing or when they are listening to the Word is amazing. I think that if Jesus was here today and decided to start a church... there is a very strong chance that He would start one here (or some place like here). This is what our Christian walk should be all about, right? Jesus even said in Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the POOR; He has sent me to heal the BROKENHEARTED. To preach deliverance to the CAPTIVES and recovry of sight to the BLIND. To set at liberty those who are OPPRESSED; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
Now you're probably saying, "yeah but you're in Brazil. How does that apply to me here in the United States?" If you look out your window right now... you're living in the "Village of the Walking Dead" too! It's only different for us because we're not looking at the poverty and a lot of the other stuff I listed earlier... but most of our neighbors, co-workers, and even some of our friends are walking around dead and they don't know it! They think everything is OK and all is well... but the truth is they're on the Road to Hell (hey that rhymes!). So, it's up to us to be the beacon of light in our own neighborhoods to help shine the Light of the Gospel of Christ on them. It's all about Jesus and His love for people. So be the Light! Even think about who you can invite to church next week... c'mon! It's Easter and pretty much anyone will go to church on Easter, right? If you don't do it, who will? We love you guys and we're excited about the times we're living in right now.
Love ya,
Jim
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