November 5, 2013
Dear co-laborers in Christ’s harvest field,
Greetings from Pereira!
After just over a month spent in the flat country on the edge of the Amazon river near its outlet into the Atlantic ocean, it is good to be back in the cooler mountains of Colombia’s coffee country!
Trip to Brazil
On September 25 Sheri accompanied me to Matecaña airport here in Pereira where I boarded a plane to Bogotá and from there caught another to Guarulhos International in São Paulo, Brazil. After spending the night in Guarulhos I caught a plane the next morning for Belém where I was met by my mom (Janet Moreland) at the airport there. Following a few hours of recovery from the effects of long flights and sojourning in airports, we got down to business in getting things buttoned up so that Mom can return to the U.S. and be closer to most of her children. There was a lot to do and, as I told Sheri before leaving Pereira, if it were to all get done it would be the Lord’s hand doing it all.
Forty Two Years
On October 11, two of the five original members of the Bill and Janet Moreland missionary family were in the city to which they had arrived forty two years before. On October 11, 1971 Bill, Janet, Sandra, Paul and Mark Moreland arrived in Belém, Brazil where our lives would be changed forever. A lot has transpired over the past four decades and we rejoiced at what the Lord has done through us and our varied ministries over the years.
Touching Tribute
On Mom’s last Sunday with the church in Jardim Maguari they had a special time of commemorating her ministry there. “Not an eye was dry” as the children sang a special song about a grandmother’s love and then called out “We love you, grandma Janet!” One person after another told how her ministry had helped them draw near to God and helped to transform them into new creations through the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
Sorting Through
On October 17 Mom traveled down to my sister Karen’s place in Belo Horizonte in southern Brazil. This allowed her some distance from the stressful work of sorting through four decades of ministry and life’s accumulation. Some of the ladies from the church in Jardim Maguari where Mom has been working for the past thirty years pitched in and helped and we were able to dispose of many items via a garage sale, donate others to various ministries and get the house ready for sale.
Loose ends
32 days is not much time when it comes to getting things taken care of and it was with a bit of misgiving that I boarded the plane to start my journey home on October 28. The car had been spoken for but not paid for, the house buyer we thought was lined up had fallen through and the new buyer only appeared less than a week before my travel time – while our lawyer was on vacation with her husband. At this time I’m not sure what the situation is as far as the property, and would appreciate prayers for a speedy resolution to the matter so that Mom will have the funds she needs to acquire living quarters in the U.S.. Also, I left a crate packed with a few items that Dad built before his death, old photos and other memorabilia from forty plus years of life in Brazil. We are still attempting to get things in order for this to be shipped to her in the U.S..
The Home Front
While I was in Brazil the church in Pereira continued on, of course. Several of the men took turns in the teaching/preaching areas and Sheri did not have too heavy of a burden thrust on her by my absence. It was good to get reports on how things were going and to see the greater maturity exhibited by the church in many ways.
Transportation Upgrade
After my return to Colombia we started shopping for a car once more. Thanks to the generosity of a couple of churches and some individuals, we were able to increase our budget to just over 10,000 U.S. dollars for this much needed tool. This placed us in the position of being able to look at much newer vehicles. Included in this note is a picture of the white 2008 Optra that we were able to track down. It has right around 49,000 miles (78,500 kilometers) on it and we are the second owners. The original owner uses our mechanic as well and is known for taking good care of her vehicles. And the Lord helped us to pick it up for over $1,000 dollars under market value! Thank you all for praying with us about this need. We hope and pray that it will continue to serve the ministry here for many years to come.
Good to be home
It is good to be home. Miguel Calderón gave the message on Sunday, giving me time to get my “portnish” straightened back out into Spanish after my month long immersion into the language of Brazil. The church gave Sheri a special surprise birthday party, planning everything since I wasn’t able to get home until the day before her birthday. The testimonies from different people as to how the Lord has been working in their lives have been great to hear.
Thank you
The experience of helping Mom get things buttoned up in Brazil has made me a bit nostalgic. To see the many letters from friends and supporters over the years and to hear the testimony of how so many have reached out to her and held her up in prayer just makes us that much more thankful for those of you who are a part of our own ministry here. Thank you for making it possible for us to live and minister here in Pereira. Thank you for helping us to touch lives with Christ’s gospel, to transform lives through helping them to renew their minds as they dig into the Lord’s Word and apply it to their lives. On that final day, when the Lord comes for His own, you will have a share in the precious treasures laid up for Him through the ministry here in Pereira.
In Christ,
Paul and Sheri Moreland
-- South American Christian Mission "... to prepare the saints..." Ephesians 4:12 www.sacm.net www.paulmoreland.com