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A CHANGED MAN
THE self-esteeming Bacuri chief, Manoel, was the one barrier to the Gospel among the Bacuris. In the first place, he considered himself above all others by virtue of his position. In second place, his possessions spelled out wealth. He had a bed for one thing. It was a wooden framework with twine bottom. Then, instead of eating his food on a banana leaf, he ate from a tin plate. Of course, he couldn’t deign to attend a meeting. Tom and Harry had remodeled a large open barracks into an inviting place for the Indians to come. Brazilians as well as Indians always found a welcome there, a delicious cup of savory, black coffee, and simple, medical treatments. Although officials, unsympathetic to evangelization, hindered the movements of the Bacuris, the Indians managed more and more to visit the mission compound. Often they spilled over the bounds of the barracks into the home where they enjoyed teasing little Linda and Larry.
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