On January 8-15, Jorge de Campos and I conducted a trip to Northern Brazil and English Guyana in search of a place that God would place His name for the Brazilian Feast of Tabernacles.

Due to the fact that English Guyana is very near the area where the bulk of the Brazilian brethren live and the fact that an investigation into Boa Vista last year did not have an open door, we decided to visit the area of Annai. The Rock View Lodge site located there appeared to be a promising place upon preliminary investigation.

Mr. de Campos flew directly into Annai from the States, and I flew from the South East of Brazil, where I live, into Boa Vista. Boa Vista is in the Brazilian State of Roraima. After arriving there, I drove in a rented car about 150 miles—half of that on a sand road in Guyanese territory with many wooden bridges, some of them half broken—to meet him in Annai.

At our arrival we were welcomed by the owner of the Rock View Lodge, Mr. Colin Edwards, a gentleman of British descent. Very graciously he showed us our accommodation options and recreational activities. They basically cater for wild bird watching and hiking, as they are in a micro climate near the rain forest. Rock View is a very pleasant and colonial-style oasis that is in the middle of nowhere.

As the lodge did not have an auditorium, we investigated the local adult education training center, and we were introduced to the local Tuchau (elected Amerindian leader of the region), who has control over an auditorium that was completely destroyed by fire last year and is scheduled for reconstruction. Due to some possible doubts of it being completed on time, we were also introduced to the local leader of a Baptist church, who would be willing to rent to us their hall.

After viewing all possibilities and in the process of determining final costs, the owner admitted that he could not cater for us when he realized that we would not shift the dates. It was clearly evident that God had closed the doors for the Feast in that site. Early the next morning we departed for Brazil via the difficult-to-navigate road to search around Boa Vista.

The first place we searched there had a water park and resort called Ecopark that is about 20 miles outside of Boa Vista. This place has a very suitable infrastructure with fully equipped auditorium, wi-fi, sports grounds, restaurant, etc. We also visited a farm house in the center for rental and explored the option of using local hotels in Boa Vista, with excellent to good accommodation and facilities that are available and open for us.

Mr. de Campos took note of all the possibilities, and he is now negotiating final prices and options. A key factor to consider is to minimize the cost of accommodating the local Amerindian brethren, who are the bulk of the Brazilian brethren. They do not have the financial resources to stay in most places. As their brethren, we will need and want to subsidize their Feast expenses.
After this extensive and rewarding search for a site, Mr. de Campos stated that God willing, we will have a Feast site in Boa Vista, Brazil, in the state of Roraima. Final details will be announced soon.

We then proceeded to visit the brethren in Maloca de Moscow for the Sabbath. We were received with great joy, as a ministerial visit is always an opportunity to feast and learn a little more about God’s Word. We had Sabbath services in the morning, a youth Bible study in the afternoon and an adult Bible study after that.

Two members from two other Church of God fellowships also visited with Mr. de Campos for spiritual counseling, Bible questions and requesting material in Portuguese. They were graciously served as needed.

On Sunday, late afternoon, we returned to Boa Vista and then back home, thanking God for opening the doors for a Feast site in Brazil. Although the Feast has been previously observed in Brazil, this will be the first which will be publicized and fully opened to overseas visitors.

Mr. de Campos returned to Guyana and visited brethren in Georgetown. He had an interesting taxi conversation in Lethem, where the driver asked him, out of the blue, “Seeing that Jesus Christ is the Lord and all powerful, why does He need a tree of life at the time of the end?” The driver had a copy of The Good Newswith him. It is amazing how God works with people!