really shook me. I mean, what if that pastor had never listened to our radio program?
Besides our critically needed radio ministry, we’re also employing the “old technology” of short-
wave radio to reach the traditionally “unreachable.”
Take the Ribeirinho tribe—an indigenous people group dwelling in remote Amazon River areas.
All along the banks of this long and winding river, entire villages gather together at short-wave radio
stations to read and pray over God’s Word.
Meanwhile, back in Rio de Janeiro … as well as other large urban areas, the more sophisticated
and tech-savvy side of Brazil receives our Back to the Bible broadcasts via cable TV. I truly believe
that partnering with local churches—ones that also use cable TV—is key to a truly effective
discipleship ministry—the kind I believe we’re called to be!
But perhaps the most exciting newcomer to our family of tech-driven Bible discipleship tools is
our cell phone messaging outreach. One of the beneficiaries of this powerful ministry is 24-year-old
Valeria Jardim [not her real name]. You won’t want to miss her enclosed story!
I see God at work here in Brazil every day. Where once the Christ of the Bible was not very
welcome in my country—even suppressed—now Christians are completely free to share the Gospel
as well as pray openly in public schools; and through radio, TV and even the Internet reach out to the
poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich. In fact, I think we have even more freedom than you in
the United States have!
For myself, I’m firmly convinced that there’s no greater time than now to take advantage of this
“wide door of opportunity” that has opened in Brazil to preach a pure Gospel—one that is no longer
filtered through a potpourri of popular culture mixed with ignorance, false deities and ancient rites.
Because in the end, a biblical Church will be a powerful Church and that, my friends, is my #1
dream for the Church in Brazil ... and the rest of world for that matter. I hope and pray it is yours
as well!
No amor do Cristo (In the love of Christ),
Leandro
P.S. As I write this, we’re facing a serious shortage of needed resources! Won’t you please take a
moment to read my “Amazon Wish List,” praying about what part God wants you to play in helping to
spread the truth of God’s Word in Brazil? And thank you so much for the valuable help you’ve already
given to spread the Gospel in Brazil … it truly will be a jewel in your crown!
Brazil
Dear Leisa,
I’ll never forget my first encounter with Julie Tarrataca. Right off the bat I could see that Julie was
a lovely and gracious young lady—though in no way shy! Immediately after I spoke in chapel at
Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary in Kansas City—where her husband was then a
student—Julie wasted no time in telling me the “real” reason for introducing herself!
“You know I heard you talking about so many countries, but what about Brazil?” she asked. “I
mean it’s such a massive country in South America … won’t you consider partnering with someone
over there?”
As it turns out, that “someone” was her husband, Leandro! Today, some ten years later, Leandro
Tarrataca is still serving faithfully in the position of Director of Back to the Bible, Brazil; and may I
say he’s done a bang-up job! A harder working, more passionate and godly man you’ll never meet
(with a great sense of humor I might add)—justifying both his wife’s and my continued faith in him.
In reading the enclosed letter from Leandro, you’ll learn about the tremendous challenges he
has faced in attempting to bring the pure Word of God to a nation plagued with problems. Some of
these problems are related to the rapid growth of Christianity in Brazil over a 20-year period. For
example, each week, many thousands of Brazilian Christians “who having no root in themselves”
fall prey either to the allure of Spiritism—a popular occult-based religion in Brazil that offers a
form of power without Christ; or the sin of syncretism—a practice that mixes Christianity with a
smorgasbord of competing beliefs.
That’s why I’m personally asking you to do what you can—in whatever way you can—to help the
fledgling Church in Brazil “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about
by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Ephesians 4:14).
As you read Leandro’s heartfelt plea for help, ask the Lord what part He would have you play
in helping Brazil—a nation poised on the edge of becoming a Superpower. Won’t you help us help
them become a mature and godly nation—one that the world will one day look at and say, “How
blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!”
By His Grace,
Woodrow Kroll
INTERNATIONAL P.O. Box 82808 Lincoln, NE 68501 (800) 759-2425 www.backtothebible.org
 This is a wonderful, yet sometimes worrisome, “explosion,” in part because
the age-old practice of syncretism (mixing of faiths) is also growing—and I hate
to say—infecting many of the thousands of new believers being birthed weekly
in Brazil. Put simply, these fledglings in the faith are not always being taught
the pure Word of God.
That’s where you, one of our most faithful international supporters, come in. Your support for what
God is doing in Brazil is so vital! In fact, without all my American “amigos”—the most generous
Christian people on the face of the planet—I doubt we would have accomplished what we have
thus far.
As you may have heard, Brazilians are a very passionate people. This is understandable
considering we’re one of the most ethnically and racially diverse countries in the world! Unfortunately,

“
I’m firmly convinced that there’s no greater opportunity
in Brazil than now to take advantage of this “wide door
of opportunity” to preach a pure Gospel – one that’s
with all that melding of the nations comes many different religions—and that, in turn, causes spiritual
confusion.
In Brazil, one of the biggest challenges to Christianity is Spiritism. You might call it “New Age” in
your country, but here the practice of Spiritism takes many forms and crosses different stratas of
society. Yet whatever form it takes––be it black magic or “psychic energy”—it’s an “anything goes”

”
demonically-fueled religious practice that’s even replaced Catholicism as Brazil’s national religion of
no longer filtered through a potpourri of popular culture choice … albeit unofficially.
mixed with ignorance, false deities and ancient rites. That’s why it’s so vital to have solid Bible teaching made available to all these new
believers—including the newly installed pastors of the some 40 new churches being started
every week in Brazil!
Boa tarde! Now, you may think I just said “Good afternoon” in Spanish. Granted, the Portuguese Far too many pastors––hurriedly trained by American-style TV evangelists rather than by balanced
language—the primary language we speak in Brazil—is similar, but really it’s very different—just as Bible schools, mentors and seminaries––are woefully ignorant of even the most basic Bible doctrines.
Brazil is similar to the United States, yet also very different. Of course, being born in Brazil, I’m rather A huge problem we have in Brazil is pastors with large hearts but little Bible knowledge.
partial to this very colorful and diverse country where I have served as Back to the Bible’s director for
over 10 years! Wow, time really flies. The result of this is a laissez-faire attitude regarding personal behavior among leadership. I’m
thinking of a recent example where a discipleship pastor of a large church believed it was perfectly
I know you’re already familiar with Back to the Bible in Brazil, with me and my “familia”—and okay to consort with homosexuals after church each Sunday because, after all, “O demônio o fez
hopefully, a little of what God is doing here in the midst of this country’s 20-year-and-counting “Gospel fazer!” (The devil made him do it!)
Explosion.”
Thankfully, after hearing a teaching I gave
Here’s what you might not know—something that I can share without embarrassment and that is on the radio this sincere but misguided, pastor
that God has given me a big dream. (You know a dream is from God when it’s impossible to fulfill on contacted me. Because he had a teachable
your own!) Mine happens to encompass 3.3 million square miles of a very colorful and vibrant country spirit, I was able to lovingly set him on the
where, I hope and pray daily, every believer will be fed, watered and cleansed by the washing of straight and narrow. I confess that experience Leandro’s “Amaz
the Word! on”
I confess I didn’t always have such big dreams. In fact, it’s a miracle I even survived my teen years.
At the age of 14, I was poised, not on the edge of greatness (like my country), but rather on the edge
Wish List
of the proverbial cliff … trying to find the quickest exit off this miserable planet! My parents’ divorce Web Cam: $70
devastated me; and, unfortunately, my father, a Spiritist medium, could offer me little guidance during 3 Computers: $885
each
my deeply troubled adolescence. Printer: $270
2 Television Camer
Mercifully, a “chance encounter” with a friend who managed to lure me into accompanying him to a as: $8,300 each
Cable TV Program
Bible study with a promise of beautiful girls, resulted in my saying “Sim” (“Yes”) to Jesus. My first act ming: $1,500 a m
Short-wave radio onth
of Christian contrition was to forgive my friend for lying because there was not one beautiful girl at that plus production: $2
Bible study! reach rural areas) ,300 (to
SMS (Text Messa
Thankfully, later on, God brought the cutest girl in all of Brazil into my life—she’s now my wife and ge - equivalent to
to 499 - $0.15 pe 411God) 200
mother of our three beautiful children. r text
No doubt, my life has changed quite a lot since being adopted into the family of God. And so has
my country. Today, Brazil has evolved into an exciting and dynamic country— Help meet their ne
eds by donating to
poised on the edge of becoming a world leader in the production of alternative Bible’s ministry in B Back to the
razil. Call 1-800-75
fuels (green energy); the exporting of coffee, sugar and beef; and the airplane 9-2425.
manufacturing industry. On top of that, we’re experiencing a parallel explosion Each gift will be us
ed as designated
of the Gospel! need has been me with the understan
t or discontinued, ding that when an
it will be used where y given
needed most.