In the remote Amazon area, Seventh-day Adventist church members have established many types of outreach programs to connect with locals and bless their lives. One such initiative is the Agro-Industrial Adventist school or IAAI. The students here have successfully planted 7 new churches and are now praying to build one of their own, on campus.
WEEK 5 - 180º degrees
Brazil is the largest country in South-America, with great ethnic diversity and modern cities with populations in the millions. Cities such as São Paulo, the third-largest in the world, continue to grow stretching its limits. Much of Brazil, however, is less developed and less affluent than in the cities. This is especially true of the Amazon in the northwest region of Brazil. Here, tribes and other unreached people groups have lived along the river and in the Amazon jungle for centuries.
In this remote area of the country, the Seventh-day Adventist church has established many types of outreach programs to connect with locals and bless their lives. One such institution is the Agro-Industrial Adventist school or IAAI [pronounced “E-I”] as it’s more commonly known. In recent years, IAAI has undergone a transformation and has become well-known in the community. Only students willing to abide by the school’s strong Adventist values, including spiritual, lifestyle, social, and academic standards, are accepted. As a result, enrollment at the academy has skyrocketed, growing from 100 to more than 400 students in just three years.
Hubert studies at IAAI. Thanks to this school, his life turned 180 degrees. Hubert faced some serious challenges and nearly had to leave IAAI because of his poor behavior.
“We would spend the night awake causing trouble--playing pranks on dormitory students, slamming doors to keep people awake. We’d turn over the trash cans and give the dean a hard time.”
“At school, I also used to cheat. I didn’t like studying at all.]”
At the end of the year, Hubert did not reach the average grade he needed. But as the academic committee looked over deficient students, they voted to give him a chance. And the school leadership pleaded with him to accept Jesus so his life would be turned around.
“The school board was separating the wheat from the tares and I was a tare. But thanks to God I passed as wheat.”
“I remember that at the time, I decided to pray and I asked God that if I passed, I would turn around and give him my life.]”
Hubert accepted the challenge to find Christ. He began to fill his time with reading, studying and teaching others about the God he was discovering. He repaired mistakes he made and helped others overcome challenges, similar to the ones he once faced.
Today, Hubert takes active part in meeting the needs of 7 church plants. These churches have been started by IAAI students over the years. On Sabbaths, the students split up and travel to different villages where they have a chance to sing,
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preach
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and encourage others with their faith. The local villagers appreciate this ministry very much.
The students at IAAI are happy with the opportunity to establish and maintain new churches. But they also hope, to one day, have a church of their own. Currently they worship in a hall used for school activities, but their hearts long for a church sanctuary set aside for time with God and where they can invite friends from the community.
This quarter, your 13th Sabbath offering will help build a chapel for the avid church planters in IAAI. Please pray for this new building and for the many mission activities undertaken at this Adventist school!
Thank you for supporting mission offerings and projects like IAAI’s church.
