HAGGAI INSTITUTE - Staff Reporter

Teenage especially is the most vulnerable time, and it was when he was 14, that Juscelino Vieira Mendes went totally off track. Economic pressures compelled him to study and work simultaneously and his life was cramped with difficulties from every side. Rebellion got into his bloodstream and he even got involved with the revolutionary movement in Brazil.

By law or by force

In the early 1960s, under a populist regime, rapid and intense mobilization of the rural labor force in the Brazilian northeast had alarmed landowners, political leaders and the U.S. government. The initial mobilization had been conducted by Peasant Leagues, organizations of the rural poor that invoked the image of the Cuban revolution, engaged in direct actions such as land occupation, and demanded a redistribution of land "by law or by force," without compensation to large landowners. This mobilization made the agrarian question, especially in the northeast, one of the most important national issues of the day.
The Peasant Leagues were voluntary organizations with no formal link to the state; a large repertoire of collective action; many urban, middle-class leaders; and a multi-class membership with little or no central coordination of what were essentially local struggles. In response to the Leagues, trade unions concerned primarily with wage increases were founded by activists from the Communist Party. Members included even young boys in their early teens.

Enemy of God

Political rebellion enabled Juscelino Vieira Mendes to get some of the frustration and anger out of his system. “I declared myself an enemy of God,” he remembers.
Imagine a home in which the young scion takes the path of warfare. Storms of conflict rage in the home, and rescue seems hopeless. Even in caring Christian families this dilemma is becoming surprisingly common. Obviously, the ideal time to attempt a rescue is before a storm hits. Solomon understood that.

For many adults, however, the need to help young people be more discerning about the voices of the culture isn't acknowledged until dark clouds have already begun rolling in. But those parents shouldn't lose hope. While it's preferable to "train a child in the way he should go," a new window of opportunity could arrive in the midst of present conflict ... the eye of the storm. There's no foolproof formula for renewal. Each situation is different. But with prayer, love and sensitivity, it's never too late to reverse patterns of poor decision-making. Juscelino Vieira Mendes’ family can tell you that.

Zest now used for the best

In April 1972, at the age of 18, Mendes accepted Christ as his Savior and everything changed. The anger and rebellion drained out of his being and was replaced by compassion, peace and a zest to lead his comrades to the same fountain of serenity.
Decades later, when he was invited to an H.I. seminar (M0207S) at Maui, to sharpen his evangelistic tools, it was difficult for other participants to believe he had really been what he proclaimed he once was – an enemy of God.

“The Lord Jesus was not part of my life, but I surely must have been part of His blessed plans,” is how he puts it.

Today, powered by all that he learned especially during the Biblical Mandate for Evangelism and Goal setting classes at the H.I. seminar, Juscelino Vieira Mendes is causing more angels to dance in heavenly glee (at the number of souls being saved!) than a lot of other evangelists his age.