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July 31, 2004

Construction Crew Mission Accomplished!

There are many times when words fail to describe the true emotions of an experience. Friday evening's dedication service for the new church building in Rio das Pedras was one of those events. The day was filled with a flurry of activity: setting windows, cleaning brick, painting, installing electrical fixtures, and cleaning up the building inside and out. Just prior to the opening of the doors to the community, the Brentwood Baptist team and the Brazilian construction crew gathered around a huge cake for a brief time of fellowship and celebration. When the doors to the building opened, people from all over the neighborhood streamed in, filling the space to capacity.

Several of the Brentwood team gave their personal testimonies to the crowd. All expressed their warm feelings for the people of Brazil and
the memories of working hand in hand with Christian brothers and sisters in Rio das Pedras. One of the crew reflected on his feelings from the prior days
of laying brick to build a church...and then told the group that he realized that he was mistaken about what he was building. "Bricks and mortar provide
only a space for people to gather. It is the people who gather in that space who are the church."
For the Brentwood Baptist construction team, this project has come to a close. The work at Rio das Pedras,however, is just beginnning.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at July 31, 2004 04:56 AM

Comments

congrats everyone on a great accomplishment!!!!

Posted by: Destri Bockey at August 1, 2004 03:12 PM