SAO PAULO DE OLIVENCA
Since 2000, our home base has been São Paulo de Olivença (SPO), which began as an aviation preaching point many years ago while we were establishing the church in Benjamin Constant. Due to shortage of human resources (not enough missionaries) and an upcoming furlough, we turned the church plant over to Brazilian partners, who led the ministry. In 2000, we moved from Benjamin Constant to SPO to help them while developing a fuller aviation ministry (since church duties were minimal). After three years, the Brazilian missionary couple moved to another area, and Al assumed leadership of the church.
ABOUT SAO PAULO
SPO is a strongly Catholic town, and when we first arrived, the new evangelical presence in town was actively resented. The first couple years we had to get a hotel room for lodging because no one would rent or sell. When we arrived, the work was still very small (about 30 people) - mostly Ticuna Indians and less than a handful of youth. Over the years, God has blessed and matured a core of believers who are active in church ministries.
We actually live outside of SPO on our floating hangar-house on a small tributary (Camatiã River) off the Amazon, about 2 miles upriver from SPO. Weekends through Monday, we stay in SPO (in the church parsonage) for church ministries.
In town, we serve in several ministries - the regular church services, a CESP Bible club for kids, a youth group, discipleship, biblical counseling, and a Bible Institute to further train leadership.
Today, the church runs about 100, with an active youth group and the Bible Institute that has graduated from being a simple institute to being able to give a bachelor’s degree through one of the large seminaries in south Brazil. The student body began with over 25 students and now, sifting through the group, we are down to about six who are roughly one year from finishing. (See IBAS page for more info.)
