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.

 
We worked at the church last night until almost midnight, getting things ready for the children's ministry. We put up new decorations. It is very time consuming. Thanks for your prayers, Nilton and his wife Angelica have been helping with things in the children's ministry, and they have been great. Things are really looking up.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Sunday, August 31, 2003

 
The water returned about 5pm. Man, funny how not having water all day increases your thankfulness for having it. Just being able to flush the toilet is such a blessing. Not to speak about washing hands, washing dishes, and washing bodies.


posted by Eduardo Buck at Sunday, August 31, 2003

 
Tadeu came to the house this morning. His mom is sick. It may be Dengue Fever, or malaria. He asked me to take her to the hospital. He said that he had tried to borrow a bicycle from the neighbors, but no one would even loan him one to take her to the hospital. I took them, and they put her on an IV, but I think she will need to return tomorrow for more exams. Please pray for this family.

We don't have water today, I think it is in the whole city. We saw that it was getting weak, and managed to fill a cooler and pans and whatever else we had, but that goes quick.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Sunday, August 31, 2003

 
This afternoon I visited a young man named Tadeu and his family. I have known them for a couple of years, they come and ask for food every once in a while. They had moved, and I wasn't sure where they were living, so when he came by today and asked for money for medicine, I went with him to his house. His mom has 8 kids, some of them are studying, but Tadeu isn't. They really have a difficult situation, and I am not even sure where to start to try to help them. Their well isn't done yet and they don't have the money to finish it, so they have to ask neighbors for water. They don't even have an outhouse, and have to go to the neighbor's house to use the bathroom for big jobs.

I mean, I can't even help them with seeds for a garden until they have water, and I couldn't think of helping them raise chickens because they don't have a wall up around their property and someone would steal all the chickens, or they would end up eating them more likely because they are hungry. It is a really desperate situation. I have been giving them fish, but have not taught them how to fish. I even loaned him a fishing pole once, but he took it and sold it. Lord, give me wisdom and discernment, so I could know how best to help those that are the poorest of the poor.

I went and visited Albino tonight. He said he hasn't been drinking at all, since last Sunday the 17th. That is really good news. He doesn't know how to read, but I gave him a Bible anyways, and suggested that he get someone to read to him. I also prayed that God would open his mind, that he could learn to read through studying the Bible. He said that he would be there at church this Sunday.

I visited Ronaldo too. He said that he is still reading his Bible every day. He was telling me that there was a shooting last night right in front of his house. He said that he would be at church also this Sunday.

My brother-in-law, Jó, has Dengue Fever, really got a bad case of it, I stopped by tonight to see how he was doing. It is pretty horrible. He is getting better though, now on day five or so. Should be up and around in a couple of days.

Last night, one street away from where we are building our house, eight armed men entered the Assembly of God church, put the people that live on the property on the ground, and stole everything.

Lord Jesus, release your Spirit here in this place, that Your word would go forth in power, and this city, this poor lost city, could be won for Christ! Come Lord!
posted by Eduardo Buck at Thursday, August 28, 2003

 
We need a miracle.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Wednesday, August 27, 2003

 
At church tonight, another drunk guy, Albino walked in. He was crying, and said that he wanted prayer. I sat with him, and prayed with him. He talked during the whole service, earning us some dirty looks. He kept saying that he wanted to leave this life of drinking. But at the end of the service, he wouldn't go up front for prayer. He said it wasn't his time yet. I think that there was something demonic holding him back. But he kept asking me not to abandon him. I took him home. A little wooden shack, small, close to church.

Pastor Nilton, a Brazilian pastor, and Ronaldo, who was only mildly drunk, a huge improvement over last week, went with me. Ronaldo was funny, telling Albino that he was just as drunk as him the week before, but don't worry, we were cool, and God would help him. Ronaldo said that he has been reading his Bible every day.

Pastor Nilton and I plan to go back to Albino's house on Monday, when he gets off of work. He works for the city, doing asphalt, on the road crew.

Please join us in prayer for him, and his family. He told me that there are no Christians near where he lives, and that he was in a truck just driving by the church and told them to stop and let him out. He felt God calling to him. Pray for deliverance for him.

The accelerator cable of the Volkswagen Bug broke in front of Albino's house. I stuck the carburetor open to get back to the church, and then managed to rig up a wire to get home. We dropped some kids off on the way home, and I turned the car off. We couldn't get it started. The battery was dead for some reason.

So, we called to the kids, and had about 20 kids pushing us down the road. It took a long time, they pushed us almost a block, but it finally started, and I gunned it, and the gas cable came loose again. There was just enough power for us to putter home, and get the car in the garage. I'll have to get it looked at tomorrow.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Monday, August 18, 2003

 
Here are our Current Prayer Requests (you can subscribe to our e-mail prayer letter by sending an e-mail to
Schmidt_Newsletter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com):

1. Please continue to pray for us, we seem to be in a time of
intense spiritual warfare, isolation, and trial.
2. Please pray for Ronaldo. He came drunk to the church Sunday
night. Near the end of the service, he grabbed a bike that was at
the back of the church and took off. We caught him, the mighty
Volkswagen Bug proving to be much faster than the bike, and through
that met his family. We have visited him and his family, and he says
he will come to church this Sunday. Please pray that God's will
be done in this family, and that the whole family would be won for
Christ. (There is a photo of Ronaldo below)
3. Please pray for our construction project (check out
http://www.holylamb.com/webalbums/constructionalbum/ for photos of
the construction). God has been so gracious to provide our every
need during construction. We are building our residence on the first
floor, and the second floor is mainly open, to receive teams, have
small groups, and hold church services. I'm sure this project
will prove very useful for the work of the Lord here in Macapá. We
have embarked on this journey in faith; please join us in praying
that every need will continue to be met.
4. Please pray for Eliseu. He was working with us on the
construction project, but became ill. We prayed for him, and he felt
much better. I took him to the hospital on Tuesday, but that
resolved nothing. His whole family is in need of healing. See below for a photo of him, and a little more
of the story.

Praise Items:
God has raised up people with a heart for children's ministry, and we
are putting together a great team!

God has been faithful to supply everything we need for the
construction, just what we need just when we need it!

God has been opening new doors for ministry- and we are believing for
many more open doors!

posted by Eduardo Buck at Thursday, August 14, 2003

 
A friend of mine, Eliseu, has been sick. He was working with us on the construction project, but became ill. Paulo, the foreman at the construction site, and I went and talked to him. He confessed that he has been backslidden, and that he had even turned to voodoo for healing, but that just seemed to make matters worse. He renounced the sin of voodoo, and rededicated his life to Jesus. We prayed for healing for Eliseu. He said that he feels much better.

I took him to the hospital on Tuesday. It was a painful experience. The machine needed to do some of the tests for him was broken, and would probably be down for another week or so. They only schedule X-Rays on Monday, and then only the first hundred get scheduled, so you have to go really early and wait in a long line. The pharmacy didn't have the medicine he needed. We spend nearly an hour walking around the hospital, between all the departments, to learn that they could do nothing for him.

He and his wife need to find healing in their marriage also. Please pray for them, that they could find forgiveness and that God would restore their marriage. I challenged them to begin to pray together and read the Bible together at least five minutes per day. Please pray that they would be able to learn and grow in God together, as a family.

posted by Eduardo Buck at Thursday, August 14, 2003

 
Last night, when church was nearing the end, I saw a bunch of people from the church running. I ran to see what had happened. There was a drunk guy in the church, and during the whole service, he was talking. It seems he decided to take someone's bike instead of walk home after the service.

Ormondo, the owner of the bike was desperate. I told him to jump in the car, and Eliseu joined us. We drove down the rode where he had gone, and Eliseu spotted him way down a side street. How he got as far as he did I don't know, must have been adrenaline. I cut him off, and we grabbed him. We ended up taking him back to the church.

His name is Ronaldo. I had the chance to talk to him, and confronted him with his sin. He said that he took the bike so he could get milk for his son. When I asked him if he wanted his son to grow up like him, he started crying. I told him I would buy the milk, but only if he would let me take him home to his house. I took him home and met his parents, so I know where he lives. Please pray for him, that he would repent, and accept Jesus. Pray that the whole family would be won for Christ.

posted by Eduardo Buck at Monday, August 11, 2003

 
Commit yourself to bless me! Don’t let the proud oppress me! (Psalms 119:122 LB)

Lord, I long for the fulfillment of your promises. Rescue me Lord! Deal with me in lovingkindness, and teach me, your servant, to obey. Give me common sense to apply your rules to everything I do. Don’t leave me to the mercy of my enemies, it is time for you to act Lord, come and have mercy on me as is your way with those who love you.

posted by Eduardo Buck at Monday, August 11, 2003

 
Check out the Moringa tree at http://www.treesforlife.org/moringa/

A friend of mine, a missionary in Haiti, is using a powder from this tree to treat people for worms. That alone would help take care of much of the malnourishment here on the Amazon. When you add in the nutritional value of the leaves, you have a powerhouse of a plant. I am very excited about the possibilities.

I am checking on getting some seeds here. If you have any info or experience with this, please drop me a message.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Sunday, August 10, 2003

 
We have found, that when we are going through difficult times, when we are in anguish, in pain, crying out to God, that we are almost always feeling very isolated also. We receive no e-mails other than a few one-liners. There is little or no communion with fellow believers.

I almost always have some health problem, usually some kind of allergic reaction, or skin problem like a rash covering my lower body (perhaps related to the stress?). The harder the test, the greater the feelings of isolation. The greater the feelings of isolation, the greater the need to completely throw yourself on God.

I think, looking at different characters in the Word, that it is common, it is part of the test. Isolation is part of the test, dependence on God the desired outcome. It all comes down to that- getting closer and more intimate with our Daddy.

posted by Eduardo Buck at Saturday, August 09, 2003

 
Man, I just ran across a Chinese photographer, Zhou Hai, really awesome images. He uses a Leica. I traded all my fancy Nikon equipment for one manual Leica, and I am still trying to figure out if that was a good move, or one of the stupidest things I have ever done :-) It is definately a change.

Zhou Hai's work kind of reminds me of one of my heroes, Sabastiao Salgado, a Brazilian photographer.

It has kind of encouraged me, I am feeling my photography juices flowing again. I have been shooting with the digital some, but that is about it. I haven't really been shooting so much conventional, I have about 6 rolls to develop already. It is really hard to find the Black and White stuff here in Macapá. I may have to order it all from São Paulo or something.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Monday, August 04, 2003

 
Check out the new album of the construction on our house. The last photo was just made today, oh the joys of digital photography!
http://www.holylamb.com/webalbums/constructionalbum/

Thanks to each one who is praying and giving to make this project a reality. We sure appreciate your continued prayers.
posted by Eduardo Buck at Monday, August 04, 2003

 
I just saw a posting that I thought was hilarious from the G. Gordon Liddy website. This is a good start for anyone wanting to be a good democrat :-) All political differences aside, there are some really poignant and funny things here.


The Liddy File
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Favorite articles, listener submissions and more
Complete archives of all Liddy Files are available ...>>

How To Be A Good Democrat
Posted May, 2003


1. You have to believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

2. You have to believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

3. You have to believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than U.S. nuclear weapons technology in the hands of Chinese Communists.

4. You have to believe that there was no art before federal funding.

5. You have to believe that global temperatures are less affected by cyclical, documented changes in the earth's climate, and more affected by liberal yuppies driving SUV's.

6. You have to believe that gender roles are artificial, but being homosexual is natural.

7. You have to be against capital punishment, but in favor of abortion-on-demand.

8. You have to believe that businesses create oppression and governments create prosperity.

9. You have to believe that hunters don't care about nature, but loony activists who've never been outside of Seattle do.

10. You have to believe that self-esteem is more important that actually doing something to earn it.

11. You have to believe that the military, not corrupt politicians, start wars.

12. You have to believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.

13. You have to believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

14. You have to believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, General Robert E. Lee, or Thomas Edison.

15. You have to believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides aren't.

16. You have to believe that Hillary Clinton is really a lady.

17. You have to believe that the only reason socialism hasn't worked anywhere it's been tried is because the right people haven't been in charge.

18. You have to believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and sex-offender belong in the White House.

19. You have to believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected and manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.

20. You have to believe that illegal Democratic funding by the Chinese Communists is somehow in the best interest of the United States.



posted by Eduardo Buck at Sunday, August 03, 2003