ABout the Place

On this W&W trip we spent 8 days doing mission. We worked during the day and held evangelistic services every night. We left the city of Campinas to the city of Fartura. It was almost a three-hour flight, and then almost 5 hours in a minibus until we reached our destination. The city of Fartura, which means abundance, is in a state called Piauí. However, the closest airport is in the neighborhood state, called Pernambuco. It was a long trip, but one full of tremendous manifestation of God.

Here are some facts that led us to the city of Fartura:

• Piauí is one of the states in the northeast region of Brazil. This region is known for its extreme poverty and low human development index. In addition to the lack of industries and businesses, there is also a lack of rain, drinking water, basic sanitation, among others. It an African like place inside of Brazil.
• Piauí has just over 3.3 million people and is considered one of the least developed states in Brazil.
• Piauí is the second least evangelized state of Brazil.
• Fartura is a city of almost 6,000 inhabitants that is far away from the state capital and other large cities.
• The Church of the Nazarene has been present in the region for almost fifteen years.

About the People

Perhaps one of the things that impacted us the most was seeing such simple people in a place so lacking in resources and with such precarious infrastructure. Even so, these same people always welcomed us with great joy and willingness. It was striking to see their smiles and joy in receiving us. In a city without hotels, some donated not only their time, but also what they had to receive and accommodate 20 missionaries from the Campinas district, five of whom represented the House of Good News Church of the Nazarene.

Some things about the people that struck us:

• In the small city of Fartura, we have an organized church with approximately 200 members. It is the second largest church in the city. However, this same church takes care of another 20 churches in the region. Almost all of the pastors do not receive a salary from the church, but they still contribute sacrificially to the advancement of the Kingdom in that place. A single pastor takes care of 4 or 5 churches. This pastor drives 20-40 miles on rough and unpaved roads, two or three times a week. The purpose is solely to evangelize and care for small congregations. Thus, the central church of Fartura cares for a little over 500 Nazarenes.
• Many of the meetings are held under the shade of a tree or, at night, in front of a house to use a light source. That is why we build churches in these communities.
• Pastors and workers have difficulty receiving education and ministerial support.
• Many people walked a long way from their homes to the place of worship, and this was done carrying a chair in the middle of the night. So much effort was due to the burning desire to hear the preaching of the Word.
• The mayor and other local authorities welcomed us in order to establish educational and social assistance partnerships. We heard from the local mayor that the Church of the Nazarene is the only church in the region that seeks him not to ask for help, but to offer it. Praise the Lord!

About the Work

The church's work in the region consists of four fronts: digging wells for drinking water, building churches in the most remote areas, promoting training for pastors and leaders and evangelistic events, in addition to maintaining and managing an educational institution that teaches almost 40 children and another 30+ adults to read and write. This Nazarene institute teaches literacy, teaches the Word of God, and also offers its facilities for assistance campaigns with the municipal government, such as vaccination campaigns, medical care campaigns, etc.

On this particular trip, twenty Nazarenes from the Campinas district, five of whom were from the House of Good News Church of the Nazarene, had the opportunity to work on the construction of a church during the day and lead evangelistic services at night. During the day, we divided the group into two smaller groups, one to build the church, and the other to evangelize in schools and people on the streets of the city. In eight days, we built the walls of a church that is now ready to receive the roof, and we evangelized all four schools in the community. Several students prayed, inviting Jesus into their lives. The principals of the schools we visited invited us to come back and minister to the teachers on a future trip. We held eighteen evangelistic services during this time. We also visited the Nazarene Missionary Institute, which serves almost 40 children in at-risk situations. There we evangelized students, prayed with the staff, and heard the testimonies of elderly adults who recently learned to read and sign their own names through the institute’s ministry. God is so good!

Prayer Requests and future Projects

• This region is essentially supported by government subsidies and welfare projects. With a few exceptions, the per capita family income does not exceed US $ 200 a month. As typical in that region, we consider 5 – 10 people in a family. The lack of drinking water in a place with such high temperatures is truly shocking. Many houses do not even have a bathroom. Thus, there is much to be done in that place in the coming years.

Here are some prayer requests:

• • Pray that people in the region will continue to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• • Pray that pastors and leaders will be anointed by the Lord and sent to do His work in that place.
• • Pray that pastors and leaders will have access to education, including theological education.
• • Pray that we will have resources to bring drinking water, build churches, train workers, and hold social welfare events.

Here are some opportunities/projects for the region:

• • Finishing the construction of a missionary base – US $ 5,500
• • Construction of another classroom at the Nazarene Missionary Institute (for 25 more children) – US $ 1,900
• • Construction of a second campus for the Nazarene Missionary Institute (for 50 more children) in the Sossego Community – US $18,000

• Chairs and teaching materials for the Institute and churches in the region – US $ 550