Sis. Alvear's Official Picture Thread

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-9909-9351

DEAR HOMELAND FRIENDS:

JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE POEM WITH YOU PRECIOUS FLKS WRITTEN BY RUBY C. HARRIS….THIS POEM CONTAINS MY FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS ALSO AS AN OLDER MISSIONARY….






DO I REGRET THE YEARS ALL SPENT AND GONE?
THAT I CANNOT RECALL THEM THIS IS SURE.
WOULD I UNDO THE GOOD THAT I HAVE DONE
AND LOSE THE LOST ONES WHO HAVE BEEN MADE PURE?
WOULD I EXCHANGE THE HARDSHIPS I HAVE KNOWN
UPON AN ALIEN SHORE (THAT DID NOT CARE
TO HAVE ME SOW THE SEEDS THAT I HAVE SOWN)
FOR THINGS I HAVE MISSED IN LANDS MORE FAIR?

HAD I KNOWN THE SORROW AND THE BLOOD
THE SWEAT AND TEARS WITH NONE TO UNDERSTAND
COULD I HAVE PEERED INTO THE LONELINESS
OF STANDING BY A GRAVE ON ALIEN LAND
OF SAILING HOME AND LEAVING IN THAT SOIL
THE GRAVE AND THE LOVE THAT LAY THEREIN
WITH FOREIGN FACES, BLANK AND FOREIGN HANDS
I WONDER IF I HAD IT ALL TO DO AGAIN?

IF I WERE YOUNG AGAIN AND KNOWING ALL
THE PAIN, THE FEAR, THE FRIENDLESSNESS,
THE LONELINESS, THE BITTERNCE THE GALL
STILL I WOULD TURN TO YOU IN CONSCIOUSNESS
THAT WITH THE HURTS CAME BLESSESNESS AND GAIN
TO FURTIVE FACES HAUNTED BY DARK FEAR
CAME THANKFULNESS, DELIVERY FROM PAIN
ALL THIS BECAUSE MY LIFE WAS GIVEN HERE

DEAR LORD, I’D GIVE IT ALL NO QUESTIONS ASKED!
WITH YOUTH’S EXUBERANCE I’D YEILD ONCE MORE
TO YOU WHATEVER STRENGTH TO MEET THE TASK
YOUR GOODNESS GAVE TO ME, JUST AS BEFORE
WHAT I HAVE MISSED OR WHAT I GAVE YOU LORD
WAS A MITE IN COMPARED WITH WHAT I WISH
YOUR PRECIOUS NAME, THE NAME IN WHICH WE BLESS!

TOO SWIFTLY HAVE THE CONSCRETED YEARS
RUSHED BY AND OH! THE WORK I COULD NOT DO!
HAD I A THOUSAND LIVES, A SEA OF TEARS
TO GATHER IN THE SUFFERING WORLD TO YOU
HOW GLADLY WOULD I RUSH YOUR ALTARS LORD,
AND LAY THEM ALL BEFORE YOUR PIERCED FEET! I’S NOT EXCHANGE MY LIFE FOR ANYTHING
IN ALL THE EARTH! IT HOLDS NO GAIN SO SWEET! ( RUBY C. HARRIS)



MISSIONARY LIFE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE EASY BUT IT IS WORTH IT! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO TO MAKE IT EASIER AND LIFT THE LOAD.


YOUR MISSIONARY FRIENDS

BROTHER AND SISTER ALVEAR SR

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS
Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 318-339-8628
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970

Phone: 011-55-19-9322-4474 - E-mail: JanAlvear@AOL.com
March, 2013


Dear Friends in the Homeland:

We send you sweetest greetings in the saving name of Jesus.

Just wanted you to know a few updates concerning the work of the Lord in Brazil. Last night our son, Raul Jr, baptized two precious souls in their service.

Our son Arlei is fixing to travel to the state of Goias to teach them how to make blocks from the molds we bought him. By faith we are going to help them have a church in their city. The family that lives here were converts from the jungle area where he works!

And this is how the work of the Lord grows in Brazil. Someone gets converted, they move to another area and another church is established for the kingdom of God. In the Book of Acts, when the Jerusalem church was scattered, they went everywhere carrying this gospel message and other churches sprung up.

NOTE: We just received word that the molds have been set up and they are now making blocks for another Soul Saving Station in the state of Goias. Thank God!

Our son Michael and his group just repainted the Maribondo church, as our pastor there is very elderly, so they went over to help him. Also Sunday night one new soul came to the Lord in Maceio church.

Pastor Hugo is traveling to the south of Brazil and then over into the country of Paraguay for services.

There are so many exciting things happening all over Brazil. Thank you for being a part in this great God ordained work. Your giving and praying is making the difference.

As many of you know, Brother Alvear and I not only work in Brazil, but we help in other places of our world as we can. The group we are working with in the Philippines are wanting us to come to their Annual Conference. We feel we should go this year to help and encourage them, but we can only do this if our homeland supporters feel to help us. We have gathered up Bibles, study books and other supplies to take them, including clothes. Fares at this moment are running around $1250 round trip for each one of us.

With hotel and airfares, buses, taxis, food, etc, we think we can make the trip for about 4000 dollars. Yes, a lot of money. However; they need us at this time and believe me, Bro. Alvear and I do not waste money! We will do the best we can to stretch every dollar to go further.

Just as Paul heard the cry, “Come over and help us” we too have been hearing their cry for some time, begging us to come over and give them a hand. Even though our bodies are tired, we are willing to go if the Lord makes a way…Sacrifice is just a minor thing when compared to helping eternal souls.

I think of the old song that goes like this:

It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus.

Life's trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase.

So bravely run the race till we see Christ.

Yes, dear friends let’s do all in our power to win lost souls before it is forever too late.

Thanks for your love and concern for us and missions:

Bro Raul, Sis Janice and the Alvear Family

PS If you would like to be part of this ministry, you may send your offerings to our home address at PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA, 71343, or if you prefer, you may send it to International Apostolic Missions, PO Box 501, Conyers, GA, 30012. Also: Worldwide Pentecostal Fellowship, 2250 E 73rd St, Suite 350, Tulsa, OK 74136-6898 (Please earmark checks to South American Foreign Missions, for Raul Alvear Sr)
May the Lord bless everyone who has a part in this work of the Lord.

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-9909-9351





The Giver Of All Good Gifts

I saw the beggar on your steps
His clothes dirty and worn
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him the second time to be born.

There was a young man with books in his hand
Studying as he walked down the hall
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him to be another Paul.

A desperate woman at your altar
She was praying to who a god that cannot save
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please show her the gift you gave.

To the black robed priest from Rome
An old man was confessing his sins
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please show him the Savior of all men.

Crawling up your aisles were many people
Telling the gods of all their sorrow
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please give to them a bright tomorrow.

I saw a child buying a candle
To burn to a god that cannot see
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him to know of thee

There was a blind man by your door
He reached out to ask alms of me
Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Please help him thy light to see

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
My heart has been blessed by thee
My youth, my strength, my life
Only to you Lord will bow a knee.

Oh thou giver of all good gifts
I am so privileged to know of thee
At thy feet my offering will I bring
So that others thy light they can see

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Your light has shown upon my way
All the goods of this world I bring
To thee I gladly give you this day.

Oh thou the giver of all good gifts
Let it be known by word and deed
That all that I might possess
I will spend it to sow thy seed.

(Written by Janice Alvear, as she visited the second largest
Catholic church in the world, located in Brazil)

Today a plea came to me from the far away Philippine Islands asking for help…oh! How it burdens my soul that so many of our blood bought brothers and sisters stand in need of our help.

I love missions and for 45 years have been a missionary. If I could live my life over I would choose to be a missionary once again.

We deeply appreciate your support. May Him from whom all blessings flow bless you and yours.

Your friends in missions:

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-9909-9351

Dearest Homeland Friends:

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." - C.T. Studd


Oh! What wonderful things have happened this month in Brazil. In the jungle area our son just opened up another house meeting and sees the possibility in the future for one more church in that new area. Though this month brought them lots of physical hardships, as their area has had no water except the river water due to dry season they have had to haul water for everything! It is often said that physical hardships often bring spiritual luxury. They have really suffered the lack of many things however God has blessed in awesome and almost unbelievable ways.

Our young people from the Sao Paulo state just had their youth camp and it was beautiful to see scores and scores of young people coming together to worship and praise our great God. Although we were not there they sent us hundreds of pictures showing what God is doing among the youth.

This month we are getting ready to send out by faith a group to the state of Bahia for another youth camp and we are expecting a great move of God.

We are in the states raising money to go to our conference in the Philippines. We feel it our obligation to go and help them and we are doing our best to help as many places as we can before it is forever too late.



My motto has always been: "Live simply so that other can simply live." A lot of money is wasted on unnecessary things however John told us to love not the world neither the THINGS that are in the world. What is most important to God must be the uttermost important to us His followers.

This month we have big machines working at the campground in south Brazil. We are so encouraged and believing the Lord that soon we will be able to finish that huge project for the glory of God.

Brother Raul Jr is also working hard by faith on the new wing at his headquarters church.

Sister Michelle just took a busload of sisters for our ladies meeting in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo.
Brother Arlei traveled earlier this month to take his molds for blocks to the state of Goias and they have already made 1. 700 blocks for when they begin building their new church. They only need to make at this point 1,300 more. We are so thankful for our son’s love and dedication to the work of the Lord and for his call to be a missionary.

We invite anyone to Brother Raul Jr’s special services the 3rd weekend of Oct. and from there we are going to visit brother Arlei in the jungle area. If you would be interested in joining us it will require travel money inside Brazil. Hotel money and fare to the jungle area. You would need to arrive around the 18th of Oct and return home around the 4th or so of Nov. Anyone interested please get in contact with me at janalvear@aol.com.

May the Lord bless you wonderful faithful homeland supporters. Without you our hands would be tied and little could be done.

Your Friends in Brazil

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-9909-9351




Dear Friends:

Greetings in Jesus Name...just a few lines to let you know we had an awesome trip to the Philippines. God moved in a mighty way and over 50 received the Holy Ghost. New preachers were ordained and sent out to two more islands.

I have some pictures on my facebook page if any would care to see them. I will be telling more about the trip in our montly letter however we just received an e mail from Pastor Egdar telling us that one of his saints house had burned to the ground and they lost everything. Their pastor wrote us asking if we could help this precious family. I decided to share this need on facebook if by chance you could help one of God's little ones please e mail me and I will tell you how to do it. Oh, how I love missions...I wish I had the means to help all of God's hurting children...

Thanks for being our friend!

[Sister Alvear]

Dear Friends in the Homeland:

Greetings in the sweet name of Jesus! Oh what a mission’s trip we just had to the Philippine Islands. Over 50 received the Holy Ghost. Brother Alvear ordained 11 new ministers with two families that are moving to far away islands to begin new works.

We also made plans to open a new work in the British islands of Bermuda where we have a pastor and we have 2 pastor’s in the Middle east in Muslim countries that we cannot go into details for safety reasons however I can assure you the gospel is spreading even to the darkest places of our world today.

Sister Marcela conducted a wonderful ladies meeting in Maceio church last weekend.

In far north our son Arlei baptized a trinity preacher this past weekend in the capital city of Sao Luiz in the state of Maranhao. He too has started once again working on the Bible school building in the jungle area by faith. Thanks to Brother Holmes for helping us on this project.

We sent money to Brazil to Brother Raul Jr to hire a dozer to work on the campground. Now as funds come in we need to hire another machine to pack the dirt on the road the machine just made. That will take around 700 dollars according to Brother Raul Jr to rent that machine. If anyone could help us on this we would appreciate it very much.



We are having the blueprint drawn up for the new church in Goias. We sure are excited about that. Actually sister Carla was Brother Arlei’s first convert in the jungle area and then her family had to move to another state. Thanks to Brother and sister Franks for helping us out on this project.

Sister Katherine sure has been such a blessing in many ways and especially working with street children.

Pastor Daniel and sister Neiva are remodeling the DIC 1 church. Brother Mattos has been the pastor there for many years but due to his failing health he turned it over to his son in law and daughter and they are doing such a wonderful job.


Pastor Carlos dos Santos just stated a very powerful radio broadcast in the state of Minas Gerias.

We are getting ready for our annual pastor’s meeting in south Brazil next month. We are putting a lot of time and effort into training people.

The jungle trip dates on the last letter were wrong…IF you are planning this trip with us YOU MUST arrive the 7th of OCT and return the 21st of OCT…These are the dates for we travel to the states on the 22nd of Oct as I will be doing a ladies meeting in Indiana. Anyone living in that area we would be glad to go by your church and do a missionary presentation or Brother Alvear preach just get in contact with us.

Thanks to all those that helped us on the Philippine trip. We could not do what we do without our precious noble homeland supporters. Thanks once again for helping us reach the world for Jesus!

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-990951


Dear Friends in the homeland

Robberies seem to be a part of our life here in the northeast…Once again our mission van was robbed! However we are deeply thankful no one was hurt. We had just got new tires for it and sent money to do a lot of work on it while we were in the states and our mechanic was backing out when armed men surrounded him

So seemly we lost once again but we know that the devil is not going to take all the hard knocks we are giving him just lying down…he rises up to fight with all his might. He often uses the tool of discouragement to try to hinder us however we have great and precious promises from our Lord. One of them being: Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Why the van was stolen we do not know. However now we desperately need to raise 15 thousand dollars to buy another one. That van was a 2007 model. If 30 churches or persons could sacrifice and send 500 dollars we could get another one. This van is the one we use for everything! Hauling people to church. Taking soup to the hungry in very dangerous areas, picking us children, picking up the elderly who cannot ride the city buses to get to church and many other things.

The load has been so heavy however precious friends have always stood by us in the ups and downs of mission work.

My blood pressure has been scary high since this happened. Please pray for me.

In the mist of trials we too have blessings to thank the Lord for. We were able to rent a big bus and take over 60 of our people to the interior youth congress.

Brother Arlei is working on the new church in the jungle area. Brother Raul Jr is working both on the campground project and enlarging his headquarters church. This week we began remodeling the headquarters church in northeast Brazil.

We have an engineer drawing up the blueprints for the church in Goias.

Many wonderful things are happening so it is no wonder the devil fights us so hard…however we continue to press on looking forward to see whom God will use to meet the need for a van.

May the Lord of harvest bless each one of you faithful homeland supporters. We love and appreciate each one of you very much.

In His Happy Service

Bro. Raul and Sister Janice Alvear and family

[FlamingZword]

Dear Sister Alvear

I think you are doing a wonderful job in Brazil, I think it is great that missionaries go to other countries to teach the Gospel for you are indeed following the example of Paul the Apostle.

My only pet peeve with many missionaries is that they bring their cultural superiority with them.
They think that everything in American culture is so superior to anything that is native born, that pretty soon they are trying to impose American culture upon the natives.

it is a sort of saying that the natives are not smart enough to worship God within their own culture.

Instead of letting the natives create songs about Jesus with their own style and own instruments, they get some kind of translated American songs, played upon American instruments.

Instead of letting the natives create their own holy identity, they get stripped of their identity and made to look like a pale imitation of American believers.

Instead of letting the natives write their own books they get translated American works.

The list of American imposed culture just goes on and on, like the native culture has zero value.

That is what this "native" revolts against, when I first became a Christian I was surprised that one of my cultural marks of identity was considered a sin by some ministers. Of course I have grown up and now realize that it was their ignorance and inflated sense of superiority that was speaking and not the Bible.

I have now learned that I do not have to become an American in order to be a Christian.

[Sister Alvear]

SOUTH AMERICAN FOREIGN MISSIONS

Rev Raul and Janice Alvear
PO Box 797, Jonesville, LA 71343 – Phone 337-290-2658
CP 204, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil, South America 57020-970
Phone: 011-55-82-990951

1 Peter 1:7
King James Version (KJV)
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

By nature I am an upbeat person…usually I can see the lily even in the darkest valley…however I personally have been going through a huge trial and our church van being stole at gunpoint seemed to the straw that broke the camels back…I plunged into despair and worry…Oh, Lord, not again….I cried…

I knew people would say why didn’t you pay insurance and if I was you I would do this or that…Lord, I cried they do not have the faintest idea of how little we live on and what we do without. They do not feel the deep burden to feed the hungry though soup kitchen, the burden to go out to the shanty towns and their ever dangerous ways of life…the burden to help the Philippines, the burden for the jungle…with so many pressing needs I must confess I got behind with insurance and really it was on my desk to pay for months but there were so many things there…

I think now I know how Elijah felt in that dark cave…I too have spent some nights in the cave of despair….

I have never cried over being tired but on the plane coming back from the states I broke down and cried…my body trembled I was so tired… we had pushed ourselves beyond human limits.

Psalm 30:5 states “… in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
 God’s favor is life. Our trials are tribulations are merely temporary. However knowing we have precious friends is such a consolation and encouragement.

On a more positive note we just attended our 11 annual pastor’s congress…the church became too small for the turn out! Brother Alvear ordained 10 or more ministers.

Right now at this writing a group is traveling to Paraguay for hold services.


We are enlarging our headquarters church in south Brazil and enlarging several other churches. Brother Arlei is working on his Bible school building in the jungle area. Sister Carla and her group are making bricks for their church. We are also working on the campground. Many wonderful things are happening.

We are very thankful because we know will meet every need…sometimes as humans we despair however we have assurance He who sees the sparrow fall will take care of His own.

May God bless each one of you precious homeland supporters.

[Sister Alvear]

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