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In September 2017, ACCTS' Executive Director and his wife attended the Brazilian military Christian fellowship conference. Here's how God has been working in Brazil.
In the summer of 1977, an ACCTS staff couple traveled to South America to meet military Christians. They had written acquaintances in each country to outline the purpose of their visit and their itinerary. After traveling through every country in South America, they finally reached Brazil, although they had never received a response to their letter about the trip. (It turned out that the letter had been damaged by water on its way south, and had become illegible.) After contacting several churches, they were about to give up when someone lead them to where their contact was conducting Sunday services. They toured Rio de Janeiro together and ended up at the statue of Christ that overlooks the city. At the foot of the giant statue, they prayed for a military Christian fellowship (MCF) in Brazil. In 1980, the Brazilian MCF sent two delegates to an international MCF conference in England, and as of 2017, the Brazilian MCF numbers over 200,000 members from all of its uniformed services. From that humble start God has created the largest military Christian fellowships in the world. 
Along the way, a Brazilian woman married a South African man who was working with ACCTS. After his passing, she returned to Brazil as an ACCTS staff member. Much of her ministry focused on establishing an evangelical chaplaincy in a predominately Catholic country. In 2005, the Alliance for Evangelical Military Chaplains was formed to advocate for an evangelical chaplaincy with the Ministry of Defense, but for many years, their efforts appeared to be in vain. Nonetheless, our ACCTS staff member and the Alliance persevered in bringing military Christians together in a nation that is a melting pot of differing cultures, races, uniformed services, and religious traditions. Their diligence was rewarded at the September conference.
The MCF conference was a remarkable gathering that will impact the MCF, and the nation for years to come. About 900 people attended the opening ceremony. Highlights included a communion service and recognition of the group "Awaken Deborah," whose members pray for their husbands and sons in the military. The group was called to the stage, where MCF leaders and chaplains knelt and prayed for before them.
One evening, conference participants met in the heart of the capitol, surrounded by the presidential office, Brazil's supreme court, and both legislative houses. There, they prayed fervently for their government leaders and their country. Later, a group of children and people over 70 raised the Brazilian flag together, symbolizing the need to pass on their Christian heritage.
The most significant event, however, happened on the last day of the conference. The national MCF leader and a representative of the military chaplaincy signed a Protocol of Intent to complete a Mutual Cooperation Agreement in the coming year for collaboration in the common goal of reaching out to military members of all faith backgrounds with the Gospel. This commitment to cooperate and collaborate was the result of many years of prayer and discussion, and was the highlight of a great conference. Everyone left with renewed hope, mutual respect, and thankfulness for the new direction Brazil is taking. This agreement to cooperate and collaborate reinforced the fact that God's time is not our time, and that we must wait upon the Lord.
Pray that the parties to this pact will press on to the goals they have set, and will continue to serve together as "All one in Christ Jesus."
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