It’s early morning, and the temperature has already reached 100 degrees in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dulcimar Rangel pours herself a cup of coffee and sits at the kitchen table to finish preparing the tiny packages that she uses to spread the gospel.
Rangel collects outdated copies of the CADA DIA devotional booklet produced by the Back to God Ministries International Portuguese media team. Her family and friends donate copies as well. When she has a large enough stack, she carefully cuts the book apart into separate devotionals. She takes each page, removes the date, rolls it up, and ties it with a colorful satin ribbon.
Under the hot sun Rangel sets out to deliver these tiny packages to as many people as possible. She hands them out at hospitals, malls, anywhere she can. She even waits at bus stops and hands them to the people sitting by the open windows of the bus.
She hands out a total of 180 CADA DIA pages each month, always with a welcoming smile, always saying silent prayers for the people she meets.
Why? As Portuguese ministry leader Rev. Celsino Gama observes, “Every day, terrible things happen in Rio. We hear news of death, violence, and corruption. Our hearts ache for Rio. Our once-marvelous city has become a battlefield.
“But in this battlefield is Dulcimar, a woman who has taken the only resource she has at hand and turned it into an instrument of love. Every day she survives the terrible reality and heat of her city to tell the news of a wonderful and perfect city in heaven. Dulcimar hands out bits of hope tied up in colorful satin ribbons.”
What a wonderful way to recycle old paper while sharing the Good News that never gets old.
About the Author
Carolina Gama Gudin is a freelance writer and translator for Luz Para o Caminho, The Back to God Hour’s Portuguese media ministry in Brazil.
