by Joseph McKinney, Jr.
The true gospel comes for the first time to a city in Brazil’s northeast region.
Sapé is the tenth largest city in the state of Paraíba, population 50,000. It began in 1883 with a Great Western train station, coming to be recognized as a city in 1925.
Its name comes from the Indian word for a type of grass predominant in the area, eçape. The Indians would bundle the grass together, making a torch to light their path at night.
Sapé is called the “Pineapple City”, because of its pineapple festival in November. Augusto dos Anjos, one of Brazil’s greatest poets, was born there. He was elected Paraiban of the Century.
Catholicism is predominant. There is also a spiritist center, and several evangelical groups (Assembly of God, Baptist, Foursquare Gospel, Congregational, etc).
We arrived Sept. 4 and had a first Bible study in Sapé. Severina’s sister, Vera Lúcia, had been begging us to come. She invited 15 neighbors, half came, and we studied about God’s purpose for our lives.
God’s purpose is to bring the True Light to the people in Sapé, setting their hearts on fire.
Reaction?