At three o’clock in the morning on March 7, 2025, Pastor Clenildo’s boat cut through the mist-covered waters of the Xingu River. They were headed into uncharted territory—places where no one had ever preached the Gospel before. The chill wind reminded him of childhood fishing trips with his father, who always prayed: “Lord, where will we find fish today?”

As they entered the narrow Ademir River, darkness swallowed them completely. For a few heart-stopping moments, it felt like they were lost in an impenetrable void. Clenildo reacted with a calm demeanor, but intense eyes as he strained to see the way forward: “Holy Spirit, show us the way.” And He did—clear and unmistakable direction in the darkness.

Their powerful flashlight revealed dozens of caimans resting along the banks, their eyes gleaming red like rubies in the night. When dawn finally broke, the jungle awakened with them—flocks of white egrets rising into the air, their wings catching the first light. Even the birds always flew along the river ahead of their boat, sometimes for twenty minutes at a time, as if leading the way.

By seven in the morning, they had entered the Louie River. Mist dissolved into golden sunlight filtering through the canopy above. Their eyes scanned the banks, searching for homes. Each time they spotted one, they prayed—for the family inside, for the Spirit’s leading, for open doors to hearts that had been waiting.

This wasn’t just a mission trip. This was an expedition into the very heart of God’s love for the forgotten, guided by the same Spirit who led Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch on a desert road.

Chapter 2: Providence in a Cheese Pot

Three hours up the Louie River, two waterways opened before Pastor Clenildo’s team like a question mark written in water. Which way to go? They chose the right-hand fork—only to discover later it was the wrong one.

At the end of that channel, they found a bustling buffalo ranch. In the center stood a great steaming pot, curds rising and falling like white clouds in a steamy sky. The owner explained the cheese was already sold, but then paused, smiling: “Bring me a container. I’ll share some from this new batch.”

As he ladled out the creamy curds, he asked why they had come.
“We’re here to evangelize,” they replied. “We’re starting with the last man on the Guadaná River.”

The rancher’s face softened. “On your way back, come evangelize me, too. I’d like that. And by the way, you took the wrong fork. The Guadaná is back the other way.”

They left with four kilos of cheese, clear direction, and the knowledge that even mistakes can be divine appointments.

Sometimes God’s providence looks like getting lost. Sometimes His provision comes through a cheese pot. And sometimes the very person who redirects our steps becomes part of the mission.

Chapter 3: When Thunder Becomes Worship

After traveling all day on the river, by sunset, Pastor Clenildo’s team pulled over at a random house. They learned the owner’s name was Isaac. This stranger welcomed them in with open arms. He showed them three houses where they could stay the night—one by the river, one in the fields, one on higher ground.

While Isaac welcomed his visitors to stay the night, he was suspicious, at first, of their message. After a time of conversation, though, he revealed he was already a brother in Christ.

That night, the heavens opened with fury. A fierce storm broke over the region with sheets of rain, howling wind, and lightning that turned night into day. The thin wooden walls shook like leaves. Mosquitoes swarmed in clouds. Three times, Clenildo went out into the driving downpour with only a headlamp to bail water from their boat so it wouldn’t sink.

Thunder crashed overhead. Lightning split the sky. With each trip outside, while instantly drenched to the skin, he kept one eye out for snakes stirred up by the storm. It was a long, miserable night that tested every ounce of faith and resilience. Yet through it all, the Lord sustained them.

In the morning, they reunited with team members who had stayed at the field house. They struggled a long time to light a fire with wet wood. Pastor Wagner finally managed to dry some sticks, get some flames, and prepare pancakes and coffee for breakfast. His simple act of service moved Isaac deeply.

“I’ve never seen pastors serve like this,” Isaac marveled. “Where I come from, pastors don’t come and serve. They expect to be served.” His heart opened completely. Sometimes God uses storms not to stop us, but to reveal His character through us.

Chapter 4: The Last House at the End of the World

In January 2025, Pastor Clenildo and the team continued with their motorboat into an unknown stretch of the Guadaná River. With every bend, fuel burned, and the jungle closed in. At each house they passed, people said the same thing: “The last house is an hour ahead.”

Seven hours later—hungry and tired—they pulled up to a stilt house of palm leaves. Smoke rose from the cookfire. Chickens scratched the bank. A pot of capybara stew bubbled. The man of the house, Raimundo, welcomed them in and shared his meal.

When they told him they had come to bring Good News to the last man on the river, Raimundo said, “Then share it with me, too.” He listened like a starving man to bread. Before they left, he agreed to guide them. “It’s still a long way upriver.” 

They finally reached it—a weathered shack of gray boards veined with vines. The last house. Its owner, a 75-year-old nicknamed Mario (given name, Frank), had lived alone since 1975. Muscles still corded from a lifetime of cutting wood. When he saw the visitors, tears filled his eyes. “No one comes to visit me.”

Had anyone ever shared the gospel with him? He shook his head. People avoided him because of his reputation as dangerous. He invited them to speak.

They opened to Mark 16:15-18 and asked two questions: Why do we need the gospel? What is the gospel? Clenildo traced the story: creation’s goodness, humanity’s fall, sin breaking our fellowship with God, with one another, and with creation—and God sending His Son to redeem us.

Frank’s questions came fast—like the Ethiopian official with Philip. There, at the last house on the Guadaná, a forgotten man believed. Heaven rejoiced.

They left an audio Bible and gospel leaflets, drank passionfruit juice from his vines, and listened to tales of venomous snakes that had bitten him yet never harmed him. He begged them to stay the night, but duty called them back downstream.

That day is etched into memory: the day the gospel reached the last house. My friends’ eagerness reminded me how many people are hungry for God—not for religion, not for philosophy, but for the Bread of Heaven.

Missionary work always costs more than we expect, and takes us further than we plan — but in that resilience, God’s grace always flows further.

Story 5: Crutches Cast Aside

The strong man named Haroldo waved them to shore, calling from his home on the riverbank. He stood on crutches, having been unable to walk properly since a motorcycle accident five years earlier.

Seeing their boat, he asked hopefully if they had pressure cookers to sell—mistaking them for traveling merchants.

“We don’t sell pots,” Pastor Clenildo said with a warm smile. “We bring the Word of God to soften hearts.”

Haroldo invited them in, eager to hear whatever they had to share. After explaining the Gospel and praying with him about salvation, they felt led to pray for his physical healing as well. They laid hands on him, asking God to restore what had been broken.

Immediately, Haroldo was healed. Tears streamed down his weathered face as strength flowed back into his legs. He tested his weight tentatively, then with growing confidence. The pain was gone. The weakness had fled.

In an unforgettable moment that seemed straight from the book of Acts, Haroldo took his crutch, carried it to the door, and threw it off the porch and into the river below.

“From now on, I walk in the name of Jesus,” he declared with fierce joy.

The team stood in awe, witnessing the same power that had healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. This wasn’t happening in Jerusalem or Antioch, but on a hidden bend on an Amazon River tributary, where God’s power flows just as strongly as it did two thousand years ago.

Chapter 6: Dreams Come True at Dawn

When Clenildo and his team dropped Isaac, their guide, off at the place where they had spent the night and witnessed the fierce storms, he reminded them of the nearby entrance to the Currycurry Tributary and offered to guide them there as well. Stories they had heard about that region weren’t encouraging—people said those living along the Currycurry were resistant, even hostile to outsiders. But Clenildo felt God’s unmistakable pull toward those forgotten waters.

The river narrowed as they traveled deeper into the jungle. The current grew stronger, and branches closed overhead like a green cathedral. Hours passed with only the sound of water against their aluminum hull and the steady rumble of the motor.

Then they heard a voice calling from the shore. A man named Regi stood on his dock, waving them toward his home with urgent gestures. “Come! You are welcome in my house,” he shouted across the water.

As they tied up their boat, Regi’s eyes shone as he stared at the visitors. “Last night I dreamed of three men coming to evangelize me,” he said breathlessly. “I knew it was you the moment I saw your boat.”

The team exchanged amazed glances. God had gone before them, preparing hearts through dreams and divine encounters. What people had said would be hostile territory had become holy ground, where the Spirit had already been working in the realm of sleep and vision.

Isaac, who had warned them about resistance, stood speechless.

Sometimes God’s reputation precedes His servants, opening doors that human wisdom says should remain closed.

Chapter 7: When Schools Become Sanctuaries

January 2025 – Louie River Region

On their way back down the Louie River, Pastor Clenildo’s team noticed a small school they had passed earlier. This time, the teacher welcomed them in and gathered the students in the main classroom. At first, the atmosphere was resistant—arms folded across chests, eyes averted, and a suspicious silence filled the air.

But then they began to tell stories, the way Jesus did. Stories of creation, of God’s magnificent love, of humanity’s tragic fall, and of Christ’s glorious rescue mission. They spoke with passion and tenderness, watching faces around the room.

Slowly, something miraculous began to happen. Arms unfolded. Eyes lifted. Hearts that had been closed like fists began to open like flowers. The room’s temperature seemed to shift from cold suspicion to warm curiosity.

It was as if Ezekiel’s ancient prophecy was happening before their eyes: “I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

When they invited the students and teachers to respond to the Gospel, hands went up throughout the room. Students, teachers, and even the school coordinator—all gave their lives to Christ in a moment of corporate surrender that left everyone in tears.

Afterward, one teacher whispered through her tears: “No one has ever brought this hope to us before. Please, promise you’ll come back.”

They left behind Bibles, audio Scriptures, and even a book on evangelism. “Now you are pastors too,” they told the teachers. A school had become a sanctuary.

Chapter 8: Breaking Chains in Caseira

Free at Last from the Enemy’s Grip

Pastor Renato led them to a home in Caseira with a dark reputation. The man named Cumarco was renowned throughout the region for his practice of witchcraft. As soon as they approached, a heavy oppression settled over them like a suffocating blanket.

Inside the house, the spiritual warfare was palpable. Cumarco’s wife was restless and agitated, pacing like a caged animal. Children made constant noise, as if trying to drown out any words that might be spoken. It was nearly impossible to focus or communicate clearly.

Renato quietly handed candy to the children while the team prayed under their breath. They invited the couple to simply listen, speaking gently about God’s love and the freedom found in Christ. The atmosphere remained thick and oppressive.

But slowly, like dawn breaking through storm clouds, the Word of God began to pierce their hearts. The wife stopped pacing. The children grew quiet. Cumarco’s hardened expression began to soften, and his eyes—which had held darkness—began to fill with tears.

At last, both husband and wife declared their faith in Christ. The transformation was immediate and stunning. Joy flooded the house like sunlight through windows. The oppression lifted. They embraced their visitors, free at last from the enemy’s grip.

The team left them with Bibles and audio Scriptures. In profound gratitude, the couple gave them a huge tambaqui fish for their journey—a feast born from freedom.

Chapter 9: A Mother’s Cry for Truth

“Where Are My Children? They Must Hear!”

The Dumas River welcomed them the next day as Zammy joined their mission. By nine in the morning, they had already evangelized their first family, who all received Christ with tears of joy. The river seemed to be carrying them from one divine appointment to another.

At one humble home, a mother listened intently as they shared the Gospel. Her weathered hands clasped together as understanding dawned across her face. When they finished speaking, she suddenly stood up with fierce urgency.

“Where are my children?” she cried out. “They must hear these truths! They cannot miss this!”

She called and called until her grown children came running from the fields and nearby houses. One by one, they gathered in that small room as their mother insisted they listen to the most important message they would ever hear.

By nightfall, they had visited five more families, and each one surrendered to the Lord. At another home, exhaustion hit Pastor Clenildo like a physical blow. His strength was completely gone. Pastor Renato noticed immediately and asked the gathered group to pray for their leader.

Their united prayers renewed him instantly. Strength flowed back into his body, and he pressed on with fresh energy. The power of corporate prayer sustained him for the rest of the journey.

By evening, they returned to Zammy’s home, physically tired but spiritually overflowing with joy. Community after community had opened their hearts to the King.

Chapter 10: The Weight of Glory

Something Eternal Intertwined

Ten days on the rivers of the Amazon is no small thing. Hours cramped in narrow aluminum boats leave your back aching, your ears ringing from the outboard motor, and your skin burned by the wind and weather. Sleep comes in short bursts on hard wooden floors. Mosquitoes swarm without mercy. Snakes, storms, and strong currents lurk around every bend.

But the presence of the Holy Spirit outweighed it all.

Clenildo and his team discovered that God’s glory doesn’t always arrive with trumpets or fanfare. Sometimes it’s revealed in the sacred silence of prayer beside a clay cooking stove. Sometimes it shines in the embrace of a stranger who becomes a sister in Christ. Sometimes it echoes in the sound of crutches being thrown off a porch—never to be picked up again.

The faces lingered in Clenildo’s heart—
Frank, weeping because no one had ever visited him.
Haroldo, hurling his crutches into the river.
Schoolchildren, hands raised in surrender.
A mother, pleading for her children to hear the truth.

Each encounter was a divine appointment—crafted by a God who sees every forgotten corner and knows every forgotten name. These weren’t evangelistic statistics; they were eternal souls moving toward light and life.

When the team returned home, none of them were the same. The Spirit had been poured out—not only on those who received the Gospel, but on the messengers themselves. Something eternal had intertwined with their lives and would never let go. Some were relieved to be home, while others could hardly wait to return.

Chapter Story 11: The Harvest is Ripe. Now.

Title: “The Jungle Is Fertile Soil”

Weeks later, a friend asked Pastor Clenildo the question that mattered most: “How did that trip change you?”

He paused, searching for words to capture something that felt too big for language. “It wasn’t just a trip,” he finally said. “It was an outpouring of the Spirit—on them, and on me.”

Why do Clenildo and others do this work? Because they belong to the King. They live for His Kingdom. When the King speaks, they go. When the King signals, they move. It’s that simple and that profound. Some people think they’re foolish—spending so much time, money, and energy on remote river communities the world has forgotten. But God has not forgotten. He knows each one by name, counts each tear, hears each prayer whispered in the darkness.

If you could see what they saw—faces lighting up as they received the Good News, families praying together,—it would become clearer why they go.

The Amazon rainforest is fertile soil, not only for coconuts and bananas, but also for towering trees and for the Kingdom of God. Isaiah promised that God’s Word never returns empty but always produces fruit. Paul wrote that some plant, others water, but God gives the growth.

The seeds have been planted in dozens of hearts and homes. Now it’s time to water them, tend them, watch them grow into a harvest that will echo through eternity.

The Kingdom of God is coming to forgotten places.

END of this part of Clenildo’s Story

• It’s amazing.
• It humbles us.
• It exhilarates us.
• It also gives us a glimpse of what Jesus meant when He said, “The fields are white unto harvest.”

But lately, I’ve been walking the cobbled streets of Portugal.

• It’s beautiful. And hard.
• It’s not just that people are uninterested in the gospel—it feels cold. Or irrelevant.
• It’s not new.
• It’s “old news” distorted by history, politics, or painful memories.
• The soil is dry. The field is challenging.
• Oddly, it reminds me of something I sense from friends and supporters about Canada and the U.S.

Two Very Different Fields

In the North of Brazil, the gospel feels fresh.

People are still surprised by the grace of Jesus.

The name of Jesus still carries beauty, still stirs something hopeful.

Even people who don’t fully understand the gospel still show up with open ears, open hands, and often open hearts.

We’re not talking about a place with decades of deep Christian history. These are river communities—some only remotely connected to the outside world. There’s often a childlike curiosity when discussing the Bible, prayer, or community.

But then I went to Portugal, and I saw the opposite.

The gospel has been present there—in name—for centuries.

But so often, it’s tied to colonial history, political power, or cold institutions.

People are weary of religion, skeptical of church, and often feel that Christianity has nothing meaningful to say anymore.

And here’s the truth: both kinds of fields need laborers.

An Encouragement to My Friends in North America

When I visit Canada or the U.S., I feel the same tension.

You love the gospel. You want others to know Jesus.

But it feels like your neighbors don’t care.

Young people are wrestling with doubt.

The next generation seems to be drifting.

Church feels harder than it used to.

And you wonder if your prayers and faithfulness still make a difference.

Let me encourage you:

You are not planting in vain.

The ground may be dry, but the seed is still alive.

And if we’ve learned anything from history—from revivals, awakenings, and quiet movements of God—it’s that spiritual renewal often begins in the hardest places, through the least likely people, in the most ordinary acts of faith.

Jesus never told us to go only where the results were easy.

He told us to go to all nations, all people, and the ends of the earth.

Some places are ripe—like Northern Brazil.

Some are dry—like urban Portugal, downtown Toronto, or rural Alberta.

But the call is the same:

Sow faithfully. Water consistently. Wait patiently. And trust God for the harvest.

He sees your faithfulness.

He sees your prayers.

He sees every time you choose kindness when it’s not returned, hope when it’s not visible, and witness when it’s not welcomed.

We’re in This Together

One of the most beautiful truths about the global Church is this:

We need each other.

Those of us in “ripe fields” in the majority world need:

• Prayers
• Support
• Generosity
• Wisdom
• And friendship

And those of us in “resistant fields” and wealthy, post-Christian nations need:

• Stories
• Encouragement
• Reminders that the gospel still changes lives
• And friendship

We are not separate teams but one body—serving the same Lord in different fields.

And we all depend on the same Spirit.

The Gospel Advances Slowly—And Then Suddenly

The gospel often works like yeast in dough or a seed in the ground.

Nothing seems to be happening—until everything starts to rise at once.

Don’t resent the slowness if you’re in a dry or difficult place.

Don’t underestimate what God is doing in silence.

Some of the most powerful gospel movements began in places that once looked barren.

• The Celtic Church in Ireland was born through decades of quiet obedience.
• The early church in Rome grew under oppression and suspicion.
• Modern revival in parts of Asia began through one or two faithful witnesses who refused to quit.

The gospel never truly dies.

It just waits for the next faithful heart to carry it forward.

An Invitation, Not a Burden

And maybe God is inviting you—not to do more, but to go deeper:

• Deeper in prayer
• Deeper in trust
• Deeper in friendship with those on the frontlines
• Deeper in your neighborhood
• Deeper in listening to what the Spirit might be saying today

The Mission is One. The Fields Are Many.

Ripe. Resistant. Remote. Urban.

It all belongs to one harvest.

Let’s not compare fields.

Let’s bring our whole selves to the One who owns them all.

So wherever you are—on the rivers of Brazil, in the cities of Portugal, in the suburbs of Vancouver, or in the cornfields of Ohio—keep sowing. Keep praying. Keep showing up.

The harvest is coming.

And we get to be part of it—together.

I. Purpose:

• To explore church-planting opportunities, reconnect with past contacts, and listen for God’s direction in a spirit of discernment.

II. Key Encounters & Observations

• Lisbon:
• Suzanne (former Vineyard leader): Shared candidly about past pain in ministry and marriage.
• Beto (Brazilian worship leader): On sabbatical while seeking personal and marital healing.
• Raquel: A connection through Milton and Lu.
• Paulo’s Church Plant: Small, mostly immigrant congregation – hopeful but stretched financially.
• Joanne & Jonathan (MB missionaries): Facing deep church crisis; we sensed a meaningful, long-term connection.
• Porto (North Portugal):
• Elizangela & Michael: Reconnected with an old friend from Altamira – joyful, affirming, and possibly sensing spiritual hopefulness with our visit.
• Igreja Ponte: Spiritually vibrant church; offered support and openness to future partnership.
• Porto (North Portugal):
• Edison & wife: Vineyard church participants who relocated to Portugal; interested in being Vineyard, now hosting a home group, struggling and anxious.
• Also
• Southern Portugal (Algarve): Time of rest and discernment with Michael, Helen, and Deanna and I – felt unified and purposeful.
• National Directors (Vineyard) meetings (Milton and Lu)
• Eastern Central Portugal: Celebrated 34th wedding anniversary in a peaceful village – time to reflect and dream (Rick and Deanna)
• Sintra (Michael and Helen)
• Final Day in Lisbon: Time with Milton & Lu, Deanna & Rick – shared stories, laughter, dreams, and purpose.

III. Vision Emerging

• One Team Member’s Vision: A picture of many small fires across Portugal – new churches or missional teams.
• A Possible Starting Idea: Using a tentmaking model with 10 missionary units in 10 cities.
• Training & Support: Initial 3-6 months, retreats 3x/year, 10-year plan with opt-out points every 2 years.

IV. Key Themes & Takeaways

• Church planting in Portugal is challenging but full of promise
• Emotional and spiritual maturity are essential for navigating cultural dynamics.
• We may be witnessing the beginning of a Spirit-led movement.
• Though the journey may be long, our hearts are full of hope and possibilities.

V. Next Steps

• Pray, dream, and discern.
• What stands out to you from the trip—people, conversations, impressions, words, or emotions?
• What challenges loom large? Can they be overcome?
• What possibilities are stirring? What would it feel like to step into them?

May 15, 2025

Power shapes our world. It can be used to build up or to tear down, to serve or to control. In Reckoning with Power, David E. Fitch challenges how the church has understood power, often experienced as something other than reflecting the servant leadership of Christ. He calls believers—whether pastors, lay leaders, or everyday Christians—to reconsider the way power functions in their lives, churches, and communities by thinking in terms of power over, power with, and under power.

Power Over

Many leadership structures, including those in the church, operate under a system of “power over”—a top-down, approach.

• When the church blurs the line between godly and worldly power, it may become complicit in the very injustices it should resist.
• Even when women or new leaders are placed in high positions, they often get absorbed into the same patterns of control.
• Throughout biblical history, from Genesis to Jesus and Paul, we see that oppressive power structures are a distortion of God’s design.

Power With

Instead of “power over,” Fitch proposes “power with”—a way of leading that is relational, cooperative, and grounded in love and mutuality.

• True Christian leadership empowers their people.
• Jesus’s ministry embodied “power with” through healing, reconciliation, and personal presence rather than coercion.
• Servant leadership, as taught by Robert Greenleaf, calls for listening, empathy, and collaboration.

Under Power

Beyond “power with,” Fitch presents a third way: “under power.” This is all about submitting to God’s power and allowing His Spirit to work.

• Leaders often start with a dependence on God, but as their influence grows, they are tempted to take control.
• Philippians 2 describes Jesus emptying Himself, refusing to grasp power but instead cooperating with or submitting to God’s Spirit.
• Christian leaders may choose humility over dominance, allowing God’s presence to lead.

Can Christian Leaders Be Servant Leaders?

• The rich young ruler (Mark 10:21) was not asked to use his privilege for good—he was asked to give it up entirely.
• Paul, in contrast to Roman leadership models, worked with his hands, called others co-laborers, and refused to dominate.
• True evangelism is built on presence, relationships, and making space for the Spirit’s work—not coercion.
• Jesus lived fully under God’s power, refusing to wield worldly power—from resisting Satan’s temptations to washing His disciples’ feet to refusing to call for the angels to deliver him before His crucifixion.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is for anyone seeking to understand leadership, power, and the church’s role in the world:

• Housewives & Parents – How do power structures affect family and community life?
• Students & Young Leaders – What does true leadership look like in a world obsessed with influence and control?
• Academics & Pastors – How can the church break free from unhealthy models of power?
• Blue-Collar Workers & Everyday Christians – How does this apply to my life, workplace, and relationships?

Reckoning with Power is a powerful book that challenges us to rethink leadership and embrace a Spirit-led way of living and leading. Whether you’re leading a church, working a 9-to-5 job, or raising a family, Fitch’s insights will transform the way you see power and help you live more faithfully under God’s authority.

References

Fitch, D. E. (2024). Reckoning with power: Why the church fails when it’s on the wrong side of power. Brazos Press.

We spoke at four well-attended Brazil interest meetings and are leaving feeling that our support team is engaged and praying for us.

Roxy holds Ellis at one of the Brazil Interest meetings.

Roxy is the great person at Xtreme Mercy Canada (XMC) who handles all the donations! If you contact XMC with a donation, Roxy will answer. The email address is xtrememercy.ca@gmail.com .

Ellis held hands with his grandpas at one of the Brazil interest meetings. Steve is Zack’s dad.

These children’s mom was born in Brazil while her parents (Ross and Karin) were missionaries with us.