Stories
The Lost is found (Street Evangelism).
Antonio is a man who we connected with through our Street Evangelism. He was lost in the streets and shameful of his situation of leaving rehab and going back to the streets. After, we prayed and talked with him, he gave us his sister’s number. We were able to connect him with his family that thought he was dead, because they did not hear from him for over three months. Now, Antonio is reconnected with his family and going to church.
Broken home restored (Neighborhood Outreach).
One family from prostitution, physical and verbal abuse, from alcoholism, and drugs to a true relationship with God because a local church did not judge. This is the story of the Batista family. A father and a son walk into a week service totally drunk. In the end of the service, we were seeing who will be able to come the next morning to help expanding the church building because the church was growing. From the voices of two drunkards, we heard; “we will be there in the morning tomorrow to help.” Many of us did not believe it, but our pastor did believe they would be there the next morning. Surprisingly, they were the first ones there ready to help with the construction. After this day this family never been the same. From the grandfather who was a smoker and alcoholic to a new man in Christ Jesus, who did not miss one service until his last breath. This man became the first person baptized in the new baptistry with his children. After a few years his grandchildren were baptize in the same baptistry for the glory of God. The Batista family are faithful members of the church until this day.
Food baskets that satisfy their hunger and the Good News that satisfies their soul (Food Baskets).
A woman has two young kids, with a husband who left them, and working full time with a salary of 380 dollars a month barely paying her bills gives her life for Jesus in a Tuesday night discipleship service. This is the reality for a lot of people in the Portuguese-speaking world. However, most people’s stories stop there before getting to the blessing of meeting Jesus and a church that will help them. After paying all the bills, her heart is broken even working full time because she cannot feed her children. In need she goes to church, and we were blessed to be chosen by her, so we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in her life. The church now provides food baskets for her, so she and her kids can eat. This is not a story of someone who is wanting to just receive food for free without working hard for it. This is a story of a mom who works over 40 hours a week and still cannot provide food for her kids. We are blessed to be there for her and her kids.
Jundiai church (church plant).
At the Campo Limpo church after a few years, we started reaching people from a nearby city called Jundiai. It came to a point that 30% of the members in Campo Limpo were from Jundiai. So, we planted the Jundiai church in 2010.
We often have people coming to the churches we help plant through our outreach ministries and people who are trying to find a Biblical local church. Usually, they are from another town, or city, or even state. In this way, we prepare them with our Hands on Bible college to plant new churches in their towns, cities, and states when we have a solid group from that region.
We work on a four-year process, so the local church can be self-sufficient. First year we help with 75% of the resources, second year with 50%, third year with 25%, and in the fourth year the local church is self-sufficient.