World Renewal Brazil, it is difficult to summarize such vast ministry and the history of the missions/missionaries I have learned about on this trip. 1993 the first team arrived in Carpina, Brazil to see a Bible study that Tele was leading. The team arrived and said this is not a Bible study, it’s too big, it’s a church. This began the first community church plant in Brazil. 32 years later I am here witnessing the fruit from that first church plant.

About 40 churches have been established and multiple living stones programs developed to help less fortunate children. Living stones invest in 30 kids lives 4-5 days a week, educating them in Portuguese, math, and feeding them a warm meal. One day a week they do a sports or gym day with the children and invite other children from the community. Many churches begin organically from these important programs.

The international school which began with 6 students now has about 276 students. It has a Christian themed curriculum and teaches biblical principles. The students and their families along with the teachers and their families all get introduced to the hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, His saving power, redemption and reconciliation.

Abba Camp is running two days a week. It’s only $15 to cover the cost for one student to experience the camp. Schools send between 150-200 students there to enjoy the activities and to hear an evangelist campaign against drugs. “Say no to drugs, and yes to life”. I can personally relate well to that statement. The Gospel is well presented and many of the students pray to accept and surrender themselves to Christ. By the end of 2025, the camp projects 1,200 students deciding to follow Jesus Christ. They are training school chaplains to then continue ministering to the students and further discipleship. The schools are wide open to chaplains and pastors coming into the classrooms to teach the Word. The hope is to establish a local church with each school to invest in these new believers and their families lives. It was quite something to see the prayer from Matthew 9:37-39 being answered in a powerful way.

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-39

Lastly, we visited a 100 year old village built on a hill with no access for vehicles. It is called the village of peace, but there is no peace there. It is run by drug lords. A small church is beginning, a bakery area and sewing machines but no money for an instructor or baker. The town was built hundreds of years ago, no place for vehicles, it’s a difficult and steep hill, truly a forgotten community. There used to be no outsiders allowed, it was forbidden. It’s also a food desert. World Renewal is working to raise funds for the small church and living stones program to be successful in this very difficult area!

At the end of November I’ll share more stories and pictures in our monthly newsletter. If you’d like to be added to our newsletter list, please email us at joshandmichelle@proton.me

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me and for my family as I was traveling.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

-Josh K.