11.4 Million Brazilians Live In Favelas

A recent report shows that the number of poor people in Brazil that live in favelas (slums) has increased dramatically in the last 10 years. In 2000 there were approx. 6.5 million people living in favelas in Brazil. In 2010 the number increased to 11.4 million. Despite Brazil's strong economic growth in the last few years, the number of poor people continues to grow. At the same time, the number of rich people in Brazil is growing as well, although not as quickly. Brazil is truly a place full of contradictions.

Rio de Janeiro leads the nation in the number of people living in favelas with nearly 1.4 million. That is 22% of the 6.3 million residents living in the city, which is a staggering number. Sao Paulo is the city with the 2nd largest population living in favelas with nearly 1.3 million.

A Neighborhood In São Vicente

Last week we spoke in the EM Jacob Andrade municipal school in São Vicente. São Vicente is Brazil's oldest city, and was founded in 1532. There are some nice areas of  São Vicente, especially around the beaches, but the majority of the city is made up of poor to middle class neighborhoods and favelas (slums). Here are some photos of the area that we spoke in last week. This neighborhood is typical of many of the areas we minister in, and many Brazilians live in similar areas. There are many problems with crime, drugs, violence, prostitution,... in the favelas and poor neighborhoods. However, there are many wonderful people there that are very humble, and very eager to hear about God's love.

Sao Mateus Area Of Sao Paulo

We spoke in a school in the Sao Mateus area of Sao Paulo this week and last week, which is a heavily populated and very poor area. Here are some photos of the area. The cow you see in the 1st photo is not in the country, he was in the middle of the favela (slum).

Sharing Christ In A Favela

Yesterday we had the opportunity & privilege to work with Igreja Batista Marape of Santos in a favela (slum) in the nearby city of Cubatao. The church has a ministry for children in a school located in the favela, and they asked us to help them and to speak to the parents who are there waiting for their children. The church reaches out to the community in Cubatao once a month through this ministry, and there were many children at the event. The church puts on a play with a Biblical message, and then they split the children up into groups by age and have a Bible lesson about the message presented in the play, and they also share the Gospel with the children. After I spoke to the parents, 13 of them accepted Christ and committed their lives to Him. What a joy it is to serve the Lord.

Part of the favela in CubataoSome of the children participating in the programSpeaking to some of the parentsInterpreter Camila and I sharing Christ

Highlights Of The Week

This week was a busy and a great week, and we saw many people receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. On Sunday night I preached at Igreja Metodista Livre in the Penha area of Sao Paulo. Our friend Adriana, who has helped us as an interpreter in schools, is a member of the church, and they invited me to preach in one of their missions services. The church is very missions minded, and they enthusiastically accepted the challenge to be active "fishers of men" in their daily lives. I preached the Gospel at the end, and 8 people accepted Christ.

Then we spoke in a school in the Sapopemba area of Sao Paulo, which is a very poor area. We spoke in 41 classes in the school EE Julieta Farao on Tuesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, and Thursday night, and we worked with Pastor Roberto and Igreja Batista Luz Para As Nacoes. The school has 1st graders through high school, and also has some classes at night for adults. The Lord moved in a powerful way, and He touched & saved 948 students and 13 teachers. One interesting thing that happened on Wednesday morning before we arrived was that a gang that is from nearby had tried to take some of the students from the school, but thankfully the police intervened and stopped them. There are many problems in the favelas and poor areas with drugs, violence, alcoholism,... Please pray for the people that live in these areas.

Sharing Christ with interpreter Adriana in Igr. Metodista Livre

Part of the worship team at Igreja Metodista LivreJohn, interpreters Paulo & Adriane, Nancy, and the church teamJohn sharing Christ with interpreter FabianeJohn, Nancy, Pastor Roberto, and the church teamSpeaking and sharing Christ with interpreter Regis in a class

Poa' - Sao Paulo, Brazil

This past weekend we were in Poa' for some special evangelism events, which is a city on the outskirts of the East Zone of Sao Paulo. Even though we live close to the center of the greater Sao Paulo area (a little east of the center), it took us 1 1/2 hours each way to drive to the far east end of the metro area. That's how large this city is ... it goes on and on and on...

Poa' has a population of 105,000 plus residents, and it is an extremely poor area. It can also be a dangerous area at night. To get to Poa' we had to drive through an area called Ferraz de Vasconcelos, which is one of the most dangerous areas in Sao Paulo. Poa' is located next to Ferraz de Vasconcelo, and we have been to Ferraz before. Shortly after we moved here in December 2006 we almost had our car hijacked in Ferraz (in the afternoon, not even at night). I spoke in an event on a Sunday afternoon, and on our way home a group of young men on 7 motorcycles, many with 2 people on them, started following our car. They sped up to us and were looking into our car. The Brazilian young man that was with us said that they are going to hijack and steal our car. Then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, they just stopped. We could see that there was another car far behind us, and from a long distance behind us we could see them block the road and they hijacked and stole that other car. In the daylight. On a fairly busy road (they waited until there was not much traffic). God clearly protected us that day, as He promised He would. We constantly need to rely on God and His protection here, especially when we work in many of the poor areas, which is alot of the time.

Here are some pictures of Poa'. We had an absolutely great time there. The people we met in Poa' were wonderful people, and they treated us amazingly well. That's how it is in the very poor areas and "favelas" here - most people are wonderful and very kind & hospitable, and very open to the Gospel also. Then there is a distinct contrast, with a dark side of crime, drugs, violence, prostitution,... But many people in the dark are seeing a Great Light, the Lord Jesus, and many are being delivered from the bondage of crime, drugs, emotional problems, and other problems.

Primeira Igreja Batista Cidade Kemel in Poa'

A Changed Life

Antonio is a retired policeman living in the bairro of Pq. Boa Esperanca, which is a poor area in the far East Zone of Sao Paulo. We met him when we were speaking this week on Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the school EE Brenno Rossi, located in Pq. Boa Esperanca. Like many poor areas and favellas, Pq. Boa Esperanca has many problems with violence, drugs, and crime.

Antonio worked for many years as a policemen in the Pq. Boa Esperanca area. Last year through the ministry of Igreja Batista Pq. Boa Esperanca Antonio accepted Christ, and Jesus has totally changed his life for the better. Antonio told me that he had always lived in fear when he was a policeman and even after he retired last year, because of the violence and crime in his neighborhood. He said that since he accepted Christ in early 2008 he no longer lives in fear, and he has found true joy and peace and hope in Christ. Now Antonio is an active member of Igreja Batista Pq. Boa Esperanca, living to help others. He is always involved in the church's projects and events to reach out to others in God's love and share the message of hope and salvation through Jesus Christ. Please pray for Antonio's wife and family, as they still do not have a restored personal relationship with God through Jesus.

Speaking in the school this week (Sergio, me, Guilherme, and Antonio)

Antonio passing out "Livro Da Vida" (Book Of Life) to students

Ministering In The Favelas (Slums)

When we lived in the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, you could drive for miles and see nothing but beautiful & expensive homes and neighborhoods, with manicured lawns and landscaping. It was a very nice place to live. In Sao Paulo, especially in Zona Leste (East Zone), you can drive for miles and see nothing but ugliness and poverty and slums (favelas). We live only 10 minutes from Sao Paulo's largest favela, Heliopolis, which has 120,000 residents in a 1.5 square mile area. To us it is incredible how much most Americans have compared to people here and in other parts of the world.

Alot of our ministry work of sharing Christ is done in these poor areas and favelas. These areas can be very dangerous, and we always have to rely on God's protection. The favelas are well known for having problems with crime, violence, drugs, prostitution, sexual abuse, alcoholism,... So why do we go ? Because all people are precious to God, and He loves people in all areas, including the favelas and poor areas. And He desires a reconciled personal relationship with all people. God is doing great things here, touching and changing many lives and drawing many people to Himself. Amidst the poverty and the ugliness and darkness, there is a great Light shining. Amidst the poor living conditions you find many wonderful and warm people, hungry for the things of God and for a personal relationship with Him. They are humble, and they know they have a need for God (as we all do), and they want to hear the Word of God. In God's eyes these people are precious and dearly loved, and also they are more honorable than many others in His eyes, because of their hunger and desire to hear from God's Word (see Acts 17:10-12).