1st Brazilian Presidential Prayer Lunch

On November 29, 1967 the first Brazilian presidential prayer lunch was held in the capital, Brasilia. The event was similar in format to the yearly presidential prayer breakfast held in the USA. It was held in the Palacio Da Alvorada building. In attendance were senators, congressmen, Artur da Costa e Silva - the President of the Republic, and Presbyterian missionaries. David Wayne Smith was instrumental in the founding of this yearly meeting. As a teacher of the English language at congress, he was able to bring the leaders of Brazil together for this historic event. The yearly prayer lunch continued under the leadership of missionaries Jule Spach and Emmet Young. The following year, in October 1968, the ICL (International Christian Leadership) with Jim Bell, Richard Haverlson, Clifton Robinson, and Douglas Coe were joined by a delegation of Brazilian political leaders in Amsterdam for the ICCL world conference.