Ministry Update: The Way (Brazil)

Project The Way, so named because Jesus is the Way, operates in 13 different locations in the favelas around São Paulo, Brazil. Its ministry is built around five main pillars: sports, culture, education, sustainability, and faith, and it is profoundly impacting the lives of children and families living in poverty, violence, and hopelessness.

The favelas of São Paulo are dark places full of poverty, drugs, violence, and hopelessness. Families struggle to meet basic needs. Cartel violence threatens children’s safety. Drug trafficking creates constant danger. Educational opportunities are severely limited. In this context, The Way provides hope, safety, structure, and gospel proclamation that offers genuine transformation through Christ.

The Way’s director shared a story of one way the Lord is allowing the ministry to integrate into and bless the community. A group of community leaders meets monthly to discuss needs in the community, and one specific family was brought up. The boys had stopped attending school and were not participating in community projects anymore, and leaders had not been able to contact the mother after numerous attempts. The Way’s director offered to try to reach out to her and, after asking around and talking to people he knew in the community, he was able to locate her. He went to her house, taking her a food basket, and expressed that people were concerned for her and her family and wanted to help in any way they could. As a result of this personal connection, she asked for help, and The Way will now be assisting her boys with school. They are also joining The Way’s programs and will start practicing with them. This is just one example of how a consistent and faithful presence in the community, sharing the love of Christ and showing up, builds trust and leads to opportunities to enter people’s lives and bring the gospel to them where they are.

How to Pray for The Way

• Please pray for the Lord to provide for this mother and her children and bring them to faith in Him as they hear His word and see His love modeled.
• Pray for the Lord to help The Way’s leadership, staff, and volunteers to not grow weary in the day-to-day activities, struggles, and pressures of ministry. Pray that He will bless their faithfulness and make them fruitful in their labors.
• Pray for the Lord to continue to spread the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ into the dark places of São Paulo and bring many to hope and faith in a loving and risen Savior.