22

i9tr
March, 1977

BUiCH NHfJSLSTTER

God is so good I

We just can'^'t thank Him enough.

Our Holiday Season was wonderful.

I-fy father enjoyed his visit and his presence

added a new dimension to our lives and those of the many Brazilians in whose homes
we visited while he was with us. Dad is not yet a Christian but he is open and

searching. His time with us provided opportunity for some great housr of Bible
study^ soul searching and prayer. Pray with us that he will soon 'get it all
together- with The Lord.

Vve have hardly quit traveling since the first of the year. We drove to Belem, on
the Ainazon^ for the Missionary Conference and were all blessed by the revealing

messages of Ben Ale:{ander and Raimundo Nate, both former Spiritxst Mediums,

Tne

Conference even included a very interesting boat cruise on the Amazon which every
one enjcyed,

I completed my study entitled^ 'Spiritism-A Brazilian Catholic Perspective ' ^ shortly

before the Conference. The research paper revealed that the Brazxlain Catholic
position in regards to Spiritism is much the same as our own. They see it as a
definite threat to Christianity and condemned by scripture.

Though there are a

few Catholics who believe there can be reconciliation between various forms of

Brazilian Spiritism and the Brazilian Catholic Church;; the majority opinion^can

be summed up in the following quotation from a Catholic authority on Brazilian

Spiritism^ Dr, Boaventura Kloppenburgs 'New revealers or messengers brought ty
spirits from bej'-ond are not needed. We have the 'Vordi His message is sufficent.
There is only one Master, Christ,

'I am The Way and The Truth and The Lifes no

one comes to The Father except thru Me (John l^s6)'.

Follox-ri-ug the Conference we took advantage of our location to visit Sao Luis .where

we were entertained by our freinds Perrin and Carlota from Uberlandia, who were
visiting relatives there, and by a beautiful white sandy beach and the warm Atlan
tic Ocean.

We returned by vray of Araguarina, crossing about 3^0 miles of dirt road.

The Lord

idpriwcd and gave us a dry day for we could have never made it in the heavy rains
-we-had been-having^- As n
fact fthira" has--been--the -Ki-m3:est-year that
anyoue hci-o

rotiiomber,

I guess you know where your rain wenti

Steve-'s brotlT^rg^Sdl-iloreland ..an^ his family had driven to Belem on a wing and a
prayer and four flat'tires, in their old WJ bug. In Belem they bought tires and
got the oil leaks stopped. Their return trip had gone fine until they xrere just
70 miles of their home in Araguarina,

A truck, from Uberlandia, tamed to the

left in front of them just as they T7ere attempting to pass, unable to stop, they
hit the truck behind its rear wheels, hitting sq^iare on the big spare tire which
pushed its way up to the base of the windshield. The top was smashed down on the
possniitjcr side and Jan with har new baby on her lap, was thrown forward against

the dash, breaking some ribs and knocking the baby unconcious for over one hour,
Bill-s face hit where the windshield had been and his face was badly cut. But

thanks to The Lord, they and their children all, survived the crash, and vrere up
limping around when we arrived. Had they hit anyvrhere else on the truck, it is
doubtful they would have made it.

P-^idxity on our arrival home was to begin the process towards receiving our

exemption of .'now' $1.23.Q head deposit .nece3.s.ary tq_leaye thie country. We thank
you for your prayers that helped imiueasurably in accomplishing "the" necessary moun
tain of paper work and the three separata trips to Brasilia and one to Belo Horizonte.

SOUTH LilCSSHORS CHRISTIAN CmRCH

Non Profit Org,

U.S. Postage

17^0 South 8^th Street

Tacoma, Wa, 93^^

PAID

Permit No, 27

Tacoma, Wa.
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

QtOaSy and Sandy Bunch

Caiza Postal 337
38il'00 Uberlandia
Minas Gerais, Brasil, S,A

Manager
MISSION

Bo:-- 17?

Kospton, Indianfi

'Sieger'

On the second trip to Brasilia; when- I turr^li in ray application for exemptions

we were greeted vrith bad news^^'-^ill i'iet^s 9'Veteran iiissionarys was staying with
Brace and June Colson while- tendihE^'to paper work in the Capital.

He had been

feeling sick for several days and went to a local hospital where he was refused
admission because they were full; but was given some tests. Before the results of
the tests were available he x-fas hospitalized in Anopolisg then moved to' Goiana

when it x-jas discovered he had Ji^hpid .Fver combined with^lialaria. He died from
complications of the Typhoids his white blood cells being almost completely xd.ped

out; at age h-0.

The .sad thi^", is that he had received tests in Sao Paulo the week

before and they had shoxTO no sign of either disease,

iledical care is normally

pretty good here but the x-rheels turn so slowly at times a life can be lost before
the correct action is taken.

ian work.

Ife will miss Bill and his contribution to the Brazil

The Lord is already using his death to unite Missionaries and Brazilian

Nationals in an effort to carry on the work of Evangelism,

Last week we made our third trip to Brasilia andj Praise The Lord; x^e-received our
.exemptions. We then drove 9 hours to Belo Horizonte where we were able to accomp
lish in two hours what they had just assured me would take four days. The Lord
provided a man from Uberlandia in a place 01 influence and he was able to convince
the others to push our exit visa through in record time.

I have been using these trips as opportunities to take our films to the Brasilia

Church- where they were well received. We stayed-oveV three''ddys 'in Belo and held
meetings with the Christians there.

Sunday morning I taught the young Adult's

Sunday School class and at ni^ht x^e-had about ^00. p^^^l^^pack out the meeting

^^^ouse to witness the Crucifixion and Resurrection'of Christ, and also the symbolic

(l^^eath and rebirth of two who were baptized folloxvLng the film.

2>/eiy first Sunday of the'month the men here are meeting for a special' session of
prayer, fasting and Bible study. We meet at 7s30 A.M. 5 go to a secluded spot and
are together until time for the afternoon meeting. The Lord is helping to unite
our men even more through these times together with Him.

scheduled to hold a two day meeting with preaching and films at the Indepen
dent" Baptist Church and then in April at the Presbyterian Church. V-Je thank God

for these opportunities to present the

iraple Gospel of Jesus and the challenge of

New Testament Christianity to the denom inations.

^Eray_for Bruce and I as we go. on our survey trip to^Cuiaba^--' 'Pray that the Lord _
would make clear His will. We have offers to stay heref "to go to Brasilia for a
term and,, of course., the challenge of opening a new work in Cuiaba.
'...not my
will but Thine..,'

'JIi-I, SANDY, MISTIE9 AI^D COREY WILL_BE ARRIVING AT SEA-TAC AIRPORT AT 7;52 P.M.
MAY 27th

FRIDAY NIGIIT

V/ESTERN AIRLINES

A NOTE FROM SA'^TDYs

FUGHT # 386

Come and greet theraU

. . .

'

Mistie-s asking, 'How many fingers til we go on the airplane?- and Corey
is
stating that he x^ants to go on a little plane so that he can drive it! It sounds
like the Bunches are going to take a trip. We're .up in the air, not knowing just
when we're leaving but we do have two possibilities of chartered flights on April

26th and i'lay 1st.

The children, and I xj;ill fly into Portland, Oregon and stay with

my family utj;m_Jirii..arrives the last x-jeek in i-iaylwhen the 'lAjhole Bunch' will then
fly into Sea-Tac on Friday evening of Memorial Day Weekend. I have mixed feelings

as this departure date draws nearer one feeling of e^citfraent to see family and
friends again, and another feeling of s,aduGPs upon leaving our friends here since

we x-jon't be coming back to "[Jberlandia but moving put jbg,.Ciuis-ba, Of course we'll be
able to visit, but it won't be the same -- this chapter of our lives is being com
pleted, We have many fond memories and we've grox-m to love the Brazilians which
is easy to do since they are such a warm friendly people. It seems like as I go
with my Brazilian friend, llarcia, the question always comes up, 'Are you

really moving away from Uberlandia?' and ,I say, 'yes% and then I explain as I

did to many of my American friends vjheri we decided to work in Brazils

I love it

here ano. really don't want to move but if I were to stay I'm sure that everything
would go wrong because the Lord has been calling me to another service and if I
am sensitive to His leading then I'm going to be happy and blessed wherever He
sends me. And I have found this to be so true particularly these last three years

here in Brazil and so even-though it hurts to leave, I'm looking forward to what

the Lord- has -in store en up the road and I pray that you too are looking ahead with
excitement for what The Lord is planning for you.
In His Love,

Jim, Sandy, idistie, and Corey