A Visit to Rats Creek

There is a city about 40 miles west of Porto Alegre called Arroio dos Ratos (Rats Creek in English!) I would probably never have set foot in this town were it not for an initiative of Silvio, our brother in Christ. A great friend of his named Junior lives in this town. Junior used to be very active in the church but for various reasons, he has stopped being active. Junior and Silvio maintain frequent contact, and two weeks ago, Junior invited Silvio to come visit his family and bring along some Christian brothers. So Paulo Renato and I tagged along for a short mission trip!

Junior is in the middle here, with Paulo Renato on the left and Silvio on the right. Junior's children Julia and Gabriel appear here as well. This photo was taken in front of the old coal mining company. From 1850-1950, millions of tons of coal were extracted from this area. After hydrolelectric power plants came into vogue, most of the coal-burning plants shut down and mining virtually stopped. I was completely unaware of this history and found it quite fascinating, being a West Virginian and the son of a geologist. Every town has a unique piece of history worth knowing!

After our trip to the coal mine site, an afternoon coffee and snack was waiting for us, including freshly baked bread! You know me, I won't ever refuse a good meal...

Junior's wife Marcia had everything ready for us. Both Junior and Marcia work as monitors at a juvenile detention center in Porto Alegre. It is a hard, emotionally charged job, and it takes its toll on them. Junior is currently on medical leave as he tries to recover from depression.

We ended our day with a devotional from the book of Joshua and prayer time, and have an open invitation to return to "Rats Creek" and visit this fantastic family. Pray for Junior, Marcia, Gabriel, and Julia, that God will bless them with health and happiness, and that they will choose to make their home one that is centered around Christ and His family!