One hundred and twenty people attended the opening services July 18 - 20, including five couples serving the Brazilian military in Belem. The couples, now involved in the new church plant, were previously members of churches in Rio de Janeiro, 2000 miles to the south.

Churches of Brazil's 15 districts took up a “National Missions Offering" in December and January to support Pastor Rodrigo and Fabiana Melo and their son Caio as they pioneered the work in Belem.

Pastor Aguiar Valvassoura of Campinas Central Church, concerned about the six hours Melo and family would spend on public transportation to and from church, called Campinas and asked that a special offering be taken in each of the four services that Sunday. At the end of the final evening service he announced to the congregation in Belem that the church in Campinas had raised enough money to buy a car for Melo.

The goal of the Brazilian church is to plant a “mother" church in each of the Amazon River basin's six state capitols by the year 2008.
--NCN News-SAM