On the 28th of February 2001, Buck and Luciene moved to the Amazon Basin of Brazil. We lived in Macapá, right on the equator. Why would a web designer give up his career and take his family from their comfortable life in Columbus, Ohio, USA, to live on the Amazon River? We came with a vision to save the Amazon, to tell people about Jesus, and plant a Vineyard church. We have planted a church, and we are turning it over to the national leaders, heading back to the States in Sept. 2009.

 
Once again, someone tried to rob us, and got nothing. A gang of
boys, all of them about 14 years old managed to lure Zadok, our large
Rottweiler into the back yard, and shut the gate (I fixed that so I
can lock it open, so they can't do that again). They got the girls
bike out and hid it in some bushes down the street (we were able to
recover it), but they were really after our new Rottweiler puppy so
they could sell her and get some money. They almost got her, but
they didn't realize that there was a second gate on the other side of
the house that was open, and Zadok almost got them :-) We came home
right at that moment, just at the right time to foil them. They have
been going by the house, eyeing it, just waiting for a chance to
strike again.

The leader is Xexel, along with his friend Raium. They carry knives,
have said that they have killed people, they fight with other rival
gangs, and have been terrorizing some of the kids we work with. They
have been in and out of jail, and they just keep getting worse.
Please pray for them, that they would be saved, and become leaders in
the Kingdom of God. The neighbors keep saying that there is no hope
for them, and I keep saying that there is hope, and His name is
Jesus!

There was an armed robbery just two blocks away from us yesterday.
Two armed men on a motorcycle robbed our neighbor that had just come
home from the bank. This is where these young boys are heading in a
couple of years if they aren't reached for Christ. There is such a
need for the young people of Brazil. Please pray with us that God
would raise up workers for the harvest. The fruit is just rotting on
the trees.

Thank you so much for your prayers. Truly, your prayers have kept us
safe from harm, and will continue to open doors to spread the
kingdom. God bless you.

posted by Eduardo Buck at Friday, April 18, 2003