Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008
Eric and Ramona Reese
Urban poor of Brazil
It’s 9:20 p.m. when Eric Reese maneuvers his truck through the dirt roads of a slum in Rio de Janeiro. With frequent shootouts, prostitution, and drug trafficking in the streets, the favelas (slums) are a rough place to share the gospel. He taps on the ceiling light of his Chevy pickup as he drives. It’s a signal to everyone outside the cab that he’s not a threat.
“In these communities, it’s an ugly evil you’ve got to deal with,” Eric says, “but you’ve got to deal with it. We can’t stand here and let these people shoot and kill each other without the gospel being preached.”
Seeing past the violence and corruption is a challenge for the Reeses. But the self-destruction that keeps some from receiving Christ is precisely what compels the Georgia natives to share.
“Communicating the gospel with these folks cannot wait until tomorrow,” Eric says. “You’ve got to share it with them today because you don’t know what their tomorrow holds.”
Ask God to use the difficult conditions in Rio de Janeiro’s slums to show people their need for a Savior. Pray for Eric and Ramona’s personal safety as they work to share the gospel in this dangerous place.