They werenāt merchants with pots to sell. They came with something far betterāthe living Christ who still heals.
In January 2025, Clenildo and a select team set out to evangelize a region where they had never been. Their story starts here. (Names and details have been adjusted, but the story remains true.)
Story 5: Crutches Cast Aside
“From Now On, I Walk in Jesus’ Name”
The strong man named Haroldo waved them to shore, calling from his riverbank home. He stood on crutches, having been unable to walk properly since a motorcycle accident five years earlier.
Seeing their boat, he asked hopefully if they had pressure cookers to sellāmistaking them for traveling merchants.
“We don’t sell pots,” Pastor Clenildo said with a warm smile. “We bring the Word of God to soften hearts.”
Haroldo invited them in, eager to hear whatever they had to share. After explaining the Gospel and praying with him about salvation, they felt led to pray for his physical healing as well. They laid hands on him, asking God to restore what had been broken.
Immediately, Haroldo was healed. Tears streamed down his weathered face as strength flowed back into his legs. He tested his weight tentatively, then with growing confidence. The pain was gone. The weakness had fled.
In an unforgettable moment that seemed straight from the book of Acts, Haroldo took his crutch, carried it to the door, and threw it outside into the dirt.
“From now on, I walk in the name of Jesus,” he declared with fierce joy.
The team stood in awe, witnessing the same power that had healed the lame man at the Beautiful Gate. This wasn’t happening in Jerusalem or Antioch, but on a hidden bend on an Amazon River tributary, where God’s power flows just as strongly as it did two thousand years ago.
“Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.” – Acts 3:6-7
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8
Reflection
Clenildo’s story reminds me of a time near the beginning of the MarabĆ” Church. “In 2009, when we were still meeting in the converted tractor shed, Railan was just a young fellow, about 10 years old. One evening he had a twisted ankle. He couldnāt step on it without pain. I prayed for him, and to his surprise his foot was completely healed. He put some weight on it, and then more, and more. All the rest of the evening he walked around putting weight on that foot, and then looking around in amazement. The memory of how Railan’s eyes were filled with puzzled wonderment is burned into my brain. Soon he got baptized. Eventually Railan joined another church, one that wears suits. He continues to be a sincere follower of Jesus, and he remains in good relationship with our church.”
Godās power often shows up at the beginning of something new.
On Danny Meyerās first trip to Altamira, a woman tormented by demons was dramatically set freeāa moment that forged a lifelong partnership with Danny and many others among the Vineyard Churches in Ohio.
Virgilio saw angels in the early Mirante years. Spectacular stories that resonated with a group of wild men, several of whom are pastors today. Unfortunately, Virgilio is not among that group at this time.
Clenildo remembers God miraculously providing fish for camp meetings and other attention-getting miracles in the early days of church planting in the Xingu.
In my experience, power encounters rarely feel spectacular in the moment, but they point to a God eager to draw people to Himself. Often the people who witness the miracle produce more long-term fruit than the people to whom the miracles happenedāa mystery. If you want to see Him move in fresh waysāgo plant a church among those whoāve never heard.
Left: I introduced Danny Meyer to Railan near the beginning of the MarabĆ” Church plant. Right: Jen and Phil Snell knew Railan in MarabĆ”. They are now planting churches and working with marginalized people in JoĆ£o Pessoa, Brazil. They came to visit this week.
Deanna’s Journey to Healing
Thank you for every prayer and encouragement! Cancer doesnāt just battle the bodyāit tries to steal hopeābut in heavy moments Iāve chosen to sing, āBless the Lord, O my soulā (Ps. 103:1). This week my gynecologist said he was not overly worried, and I left his office feeling years younger and deeply grateful for Godās mercy.
Prayer Requests
For Clenildo and his team: protection, wisdom, and fruit in hard-to-reach places.
For churches in Northern Brazil: perseverance when the honeymoon ends.
For Milton and Luana: clarity as they explore church planting in Portugal and Spain.
For Deanna: complete healing.
Teaching the next generation about abundance is a gift grandparents give themselves.
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